I walked 9,000 steps, counted by hand, with the Garmin CIRQA, the Fitbit Air and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 to find out which is the most accurate step counter. All three finished within about 1% of the real number, and the two cheapest devices held their own against Apple’s flagship.
Two of these are screenless bands that cost a fraction of the Ultra 4. The Garmin CIRQA runs is Garmin Connect+ and uses your phone as its display, while the Fitbit Air is Google’s thin, low-cost tracker. If either can count steps as well as Apple’s most expensive watch, that matters to anyone buying a tracker mainly for daily activity.
I walked 9,000 steps with Garmin CIRQA vs Fitbit Air vs Apple Watch Ultra 4
| Device | Steps | Difference | Error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitbit Air | 8,969 | 31 under | 0.34% |
| Apple Watch Ultra 4 | 8,954 | 46 under | 0.51% |
| Garmin CIRQA | 9,096 | 96 over | 1.07% |
| Actual (hand count) | 9,000 | – | – |
Whoop MG was 8387, but I excluded it because it missed several minutes of recording. Although I counted 9000 steps, I probably miscounted by 10-20. The Fitbit and Garmin were worn on the same wrist, so there is no reason for them to be different other than the devices’ sensors and algorithms.
1. Fitbit Air’s step count is closest
The Fitbit Air came closest, 31 steps short of my count, an error of a third of one per cent. For a band with no screen at this price, that is an excellent result, and it shows Google’s step algorithm is as good on its cheapest hardware as anywhere else.
2. Apple Watch Ultra 4 is a close second
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is undercounted by 46 steps, half a percent. That is also excellent, and the gap between it and the Fitbit Air is only 15 steps over 9,000. On a different walk, the order could easily swap.
3. Garmin CIRQA overcounts, but only just
The Garmin CIRQA was the only device to overcount, adding 96 steps, or about 1%. I treat anything within 100 steps on a walk of this length as accurate, so the CIRQA still passes, but it is the one result that sits at the edge of that range.
4. My hand count has an error too
Counting 9,000 steps by hand is not perfect. Lose concentration for a moment, and you can be out by 20 or 30 steps either way, so the gap between the Fitbit Air and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 is inside my own margin of error. What the test does show clearly is that all three are within about 1%, and that the two wrist devices that undercounted did so by a similar amount.
5. Price does not buy step accuracy
A screenless tracker matched Apple’s most expensive watch on the most basic measure of daily activity. If steps are what you care about, the Fitbit Air or Garmin CIRQA does the job for far less money. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 earns its price elsewhere, in its screen, apps, dual-band GPS and battery life, not in counting steps. If you are choosing between Google’s two bands, Fitbit Edge vs Fitbit Air covers the differences.
6. Devices Used
I updated each device to the latest firmware before setting off. CIRQA was v4.2, Apple Watch was 27.3beta, and Air was v20001.253.2
The Fitbit Air band was by dbrand – the only 3rd-party band to be found on the Google Store.
The winner
The Fitbit Air wins this step count test by the narrowest of margins, with the Apple Watch Ultra 4 a close second and the Garmin CIRQA a respectable third. In practice, all three are accurate enough that step count alone should not decide which one you buy.
Quick answers
Which is the most accurate step counter: Garmin CIRQA, Fitbit Air or Apple Watch Ultra 4?
On my 9,000-step walk, the Fitbit Air was closest at 31 steps under, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 was 46 under and the Garmin CIRQA was 96 over. All three were within about 1% of the actual count.
Does the Garmin CIRQA count steps accurately?
Yes. It overcounted by 96 steps on a 9,000-step walk, about 1%, which is within the range I treat as accurate for a walk of this length.
Is the Fitbit Air as accurate as an Apple Watch?
For steps, yes. It came within 31 steps of my hand count, slightly closer than the Apple Watch Ultra 4, though the gap is smaller than the error in counting by hand.
Last Updated on 13 November 2026 by tfk the5krunner
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin with any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafing stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
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- Beet It Sport nitrate shots: Beetroot shots I take in the days before a race. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
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- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
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Health, recovery and sleep
- Kineon MOVE+: Red and infrared light for sore knees, Achilles and other joints after hard training. I use it.
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- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used. Occasional use.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions. I use both.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Ravemen FR1000: The light and the computer mount in one unit, so nothing else goes on the bars. Better than mine.
- Ravemen FR1500SE: 1,500 lumens hanging under your Garmin, for proper night rides.
- Ravemen FR1100SE: 1,100 lumens under your Garmin, and up to 46 hours on slow flash.
- Ravemen FR500: A brighter FR300 with the same mount.
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Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home via Starling. I use it.
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. See the gear tfk uses. ID
