Digital Scales vs Dial Scales

cruzmom123

Which do you prefer? I only have a dial scale. Is one more accurate than the other?

queenliz99

Food or body scale? Food scale should be digital, accuracy is essential. Body scale is for trends only, not really that important. Downward hopefully

999tigger

As far as I understand they can both be inaccurate. I prefer digital because they give me a quick convenient definitive reading rather than me having to guess. I like an accurate reading on body scales as well, so important for me.

Uf you are fine using dial scales and you think they give you an accurate reading then stick with those.

cruzmom123

Sorry, I meant a weight scale. Still new on this journey!

cruzmom123

Body scale

higgins8283801

I like the digital better. I can never see where exactly the red arrow is on a dial scale so I have to guess. lol. With a digital it tells me what my weight is down to the ounce. I know it isn't exactly right, as every scale is different but i find it more accurate for me in tracking.

Lalalindaloo

I use digital, but would say the important part is really using the same scale with the same settings all the time. That way you should be able yo count on measurements and downward trends as consistent. Different scales can give different readings.

Side note that goes against what I just said

Lalalindaloo

So, my side note was deleted somehow, but: I'm at my sis's this week and she has this super involved Tanita scale that measures weight, body fat%, everything. I'm a little obsessed with it. I get her from work and weigh. I work out and weigh. I shower and weigh. I love gadgets and now I really want one of these. It's going on my Christmas list. It's created an ocd complex, but still.

TimothyFish

I have both and they both give me the same reading, but I prefer the digital because it is easier to read and it will self adjust to an uneven floor (after erroring out).

Kalikel

It makes little difference to me. I got the digital because I know nothing about scale manufacturing and just bought the best seller on amazon.

Big digital numbers would be easier to read, which might be helpful for people with vision problems.

TimothyFish

For me, it isn't a vision problem, but it takes some thought to count little lines from six feet away.

ithrowconfetti

I have both. It's good to have both kinds, even if you're particularly fond of one over the other, just to double check the accuracy of both. Also, if you ever run of out batteries for your digital scale when you're expecting your weigh-in soon, then a non-digital one will be your saviour.

fearlessleader104

Vision issues, it's easier for me with a digital scale. All that matters is the trend to adjust your intake and exercise accordingly.

lisadavisshields

In my experience the dial scale runs about 7-9 lbs lighter than the digital. The digital is much more in alignment to my Dr.'s scale so I would say the digital is more accurate. I certainly prefer what the dial scale has to say.

bigjonb4116

Now my belly doesn't stick out further than my feet i can read either!! i prefer digital, because you can swap between lbs or kgs easily if you want. my doctors weigh in kg but i tend to convert to st. and lbs.....

jelleigh

I prefer a digital scale since sometimes I'm working with just half lb increments of change and I need to see that small difference so I feel like it's working! (Normal fluctuations aside)

Azdak

Accuracy depends on the type and accuracy of the weighing system, not the display.

You can take an old, less accurate, spring system and put a digital display on it. My understanding is that you want the weight to be determined using a strain gauge system for greatest accuracy.

highlightshadow

Digital for me ... accurate or not ... its a consistent reference point that's all.... does it really matter in the grand sceme of things if its only accurate to couple hundred grams even ... not really .... as long as over the course of a month that number goes down....

I did once manage to get weighed at home and immediately went to doctors and used their scale ... was same ... so i'm happy its accurate but overall if it wasn't accurate i wasn't about to go and buy another

Muscleflex79

Lalalindaloo wrote: »

So, my side note was deleted somehow, but: I'm at my sis's this week and she has this super involved Tanita scale that measures weight, body fat%, everything. I'm a little obsessed with it. I get her from work and weigh. I work out and weigh. I shower and weigh. I love gadgets and now I really want one of these. It's going on my Christmas list. It's created an ocd complex, but still.

those scales are wildly inaccurate for stuff like bodyfat % so I wouldn't put too much energy/money into one!

(the very fact that you are weighing so many times per day and presumably getting different numbers should tell you something - your true body fat % would not fluctuate like that throughout the day)