Garmin vs Apple Watch: Which Counts Your Steps More Accurately?

Day 50: The Step Counting Showdown

Step counting seems simple. You take a step, the watch counts it. But how accurate are they really?

I wanted a direct comparison — not a lab test, not a marketing claim. So I put it to the test myself: the cheapest current Garmin against the cheapest current Apple Watch, worn on the same wrist at the same time.

The test

I manually counted exactly 1,000 steps out loud while wearing both watches. No treadmill, no sensor-assisted counting — just walking and counting every single step myself.

The result:

• Garmin: counted 1,005 steps — off by 5
• Apple Watch: counted 1,020 steps — off by 20

Both overcounted, which is normal — wrist-based accelerometers pick up hand movements and small wrist motions that can register as steps. But Garmin's error was four times smaller.

How wrist-based step counting actually works

Neither watch is counting steps directly. They're both using an accelerometer — a motion sensor that measures acceleration in three axes. An algorithm then interprets that motion data to identify the rhythmic pattern of walking.

The differences come down to algorithm quality and how aggressively the watch filters out non-step movements. A hand gesture, a car vibration, carrying a bag — all of these can trick the sensor. Better algorithms filter more of this noise out.

Garmin has been refining these algorithms for years across a wide range of activity types. Their watches need to accurately distinguish between running, cycling, swimming, and strength training — all of which involve different motion patterns. That context matters.

Does 1.5% vs 2% accuracy matter in practice?

For most people, the honest answer is: not really. Both watches will give you a reasonable daily step count, and the trending data (are you moving more this week than last week?) is what most people actually use.

But if you're using step count for something specific — a health programme, a competitive challenge, a medical recommendation of 10,000 steps — accuracy starts to matter more. A consistent 2% overcount means reaching your "10,000 step" goal at around 9,800 actual steps.

The bigger picture

This was one test, one day, one person. Step accuracy will vary based on how you carry yourself, your arm swing, your walking surface, and which specific watch model you're using. But Garmin's win here is consistent with what I've seen across other tests and what the data field developer community has long reported.

Not sure which Garmin is right for you? Use the compare tool to filter by budget, activity type, and features:

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