best % fat scales

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LorileiIE
LorileiIE Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
So i have a scale at home that is supposed to measure body fat %. However, it is really inaccurate. I'm talking 15-20% off. It might just be because it's old but either way I'm on the hunt for a new one. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm looking for one that's nice but not super expensive.

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  • Chrisparadise579
    Chrisparadise579 Posts: 411 Member
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    Hey! i know its frustrating but most body fat % scales are off by 10-15% I would really suggest buying some cheap body fat calipers on amazon(mine were $8) and most phones have an app you can download that does all the calculations for you. there are usually accurate within 1-2% so I think youll love it! best of luck and keep working hard
  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,082 Member
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    Save your money and use your current scale. Even if the number being displayed isnt correct what is more important is that it is consistently off by the same each time you use it. and to achieve that you need to be consistent with how and when you measure. First thing in the morning after a normal day of eating and being hydrated and after you pee would be a good routine. Tracking the trend is more important then the absolute acurracy of a single measurement. Consumer grade Bioelectric body fat scales are +/- 5% accuracy. Which is good enough for tracking trends. If you feel you must know with the upmost accuracy you bf% at any given time then go get a hydrostatic weight test done. These are accurate to +/- 1.5%
  • Sherriediva1
    Sherriediva1 Posts: 345 Member
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    Chrisparadise579 wrote: »
    Hey! i know its frustrating but most body fat % scales are off by 10-15% I would really suggest buying some cheap body fat calipers on amazon(mine were $8) and most phones have an app you can download that does all the calculations for you. there are usually accurate within 1-2% so I think youll love it! best of luck and keep working hard

    Do those calipers come with instructions for proper use?
    Sherrie
  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,082 Member
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    FYI.... Body fat calipers can be accurate to +/- 3% if done by the same experienced and skilled operator each time. Because they require skill the results can be wildly inaccurate.
  • maggymouse
    maggymouse Posts: 15 Member
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    I'm intrigued - how do you know it's 15 to 20% off?? Anyway, as mentioned in other posts, what's most important is the trend - if it's going down, it's good!
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    LorileiIE wrote: »
    So i have a scale at home that is supposed to measure body fat %. However, it is really inaccurate. I'm talking 15-20% off.

    How do you know?
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    The thing is, most body fat scales aren't even consistent over time, never mind accurate. The problem is that the method they use to measure body fat is inherently flawed, and they're very thrown off by water weight.

    Calipers can be a more accurate measure, but most people don't measure properly.

    Body fat is very tricky to measure accurately. Better to use a couple of methods, and then just assume it's an estimate. You should be able to see the results visually and in how your body looks and feels, anyway.

    More reading: nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/07/02/body-fat-percentage/
  • Aviva92
    Aviva92 Posts: 2,333 Member
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    if all of these methods are inaccurate, why even bother? just look in the mirror. why does a number matter?
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
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    I like our Health O Meter scales. You can program them for different users. I like the % of water and BMI feature as well as % of fat feature and the calories you need each day.

    The numbers do not matter but are very good for a reference. Staying hydrated is key to my health so I like that measurement. I find the weight to be the most accurate of any set of scales that I have used in the world. I can get off and on and get the same weight each time. There are marks that I use to make sure I stand in the same place on the glass each time.

    https://healthometer.com/my-goal/increase-performance/health-o-meter-body-fat-monitoring-scale/BFM081DQ-63.html

  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
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    Camo_xxx wrote: »
    FYI.... Body fat calipers can be accurate to +/- 3% if done by the same experienced and skilled operator each time. Because they require skill the results can be wildly inaccurate.

    This is interesting to me, I just bought a set of calipers. I did about 15-20 times and came up with a set of measurements within a 2mm window. Thing is, even if I go with the largest measurement I got, I get a BF % that is way lower than I expected, given the photos of women's body fat montage. I feel "skinny fat," although I have started lifting. I get 19% BF from measurement calculators, and 18.5% from the calipers. But, seriously, I look like the 25% girl in the photo montage....certainly not the lean abdomen of the 20% woman.

    Of course, I'm also a lot older than the models in the photo set, and I see there is an age factor on my caliper chart. Why is that? I thought skin got thinner with age, but the chart shows larger measurements meaning lower BF for the same measurement. What gives?
  • Chrisparadise579
    Chrisparadise579 Posts: 411 Member
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    the photo montage is fairly inaccurate but everyone holds their weight differently, also skinny fat isnt accounted for with calipers because the fat is further below your skin, only bod pods account for that. However like you said as long as you take the measurements multiple times and collect an average then you are going to get the best results possible
  • LorileiIE
    LorileiIE Posts: 3
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    Thanks everyone! Thats very helpful. Maybe I'll just stick with mine for now. I like having the % fat to make sure I'm losing fat and not muscle, but you're right that the trend is more important than the number.

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