Scales you buy at stores can be inaccurate?
catscats222
Posts: 1,598 Member
You can really buy a brand new scale at a store like walmart or target and it wouldn't be accurate?
I've seen questions on how to buy a scale that is accurate.
My "el cheapo" digital food scale is accurate.
And I'm sure my 20 year old cheap bathroom scale is accurate.
Is it that bad out in the world of scales?
I've seen questions on how to buy a scale that is accurate.
My "el cheapo" digital food scale is accurate.
And I'm sure my 20 year old cheap bathroom scale is accurate.
Is it that bad out in the world of scales?
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How do you know it's accurate?
Tested it with a 20kg+ weight?
I imagine they are all inaccurate, some by grams, some by a kg.
But fairly minor in the grand scheme.0 -
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catscats222 wrote: »so you don't think it's certain brand that are bad?
- personally i don't care - just curious how store can put out bad stuff - interesting
But how would you know if they were bad?0 -
Like pretty much anything you can buy, some can be cheap, some can be shoddy, some can be faulty. Items aren't required to pass any tests before they go on the market, they're generally only recalled and the companies possibly sanctioned if complaints are made and upheld.0
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If you're testing it with a dumbbell or a weight plate you should know that dumbbells and plates are rarely accurate. The 65 pound dumbbells are more like 61 pounds and the 70 pound dumbbells are closer to 75 pounds. The 10's and 15's are 12.5 and 13.5.0
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Calibrated, highly accurate scales are actually extremely expensive. That's why household scales will have a sticker on them somewhere that they are not legal for trade. They're not accurate enough to be used when selling something by weight. But honestly you don't need that level of accuracy in your day to day life except when shopping for grapes at the grocery store!0
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catscats222 wrote: »You can really buy a brand new scale at a store like walmart or target and it wouldn't be accurate?
I've seen questions on how to buy a scale that is accurate.
My "el cheapo" digital food scale is accurate.
And I'm sure my 20 year old cheap bathroom scale is accurate.
Is it that bad out in the world of scales?
Every bathroom scale I've ever owned, or been around, has been inaccurate, until the current one. By inaccurate, I mean you can stand on it 5 times in a row (within seconds of each other- so no possible way your weight can actually have changed) and get 5 different weights. Since there cannot have been any weight change, at least 5 of them are wrong.
I don't actually know whether my current one is accurate - but I can step on and off as many times as I want, and the weight stays constant. So it can accurately give me trends, if not the precise weight, and that's all I care about.0 -
catscats222 wrote: »You can really buy a brand new scale at a store like walmart or target and it wouldn't be accurate?
I've seen questions on how to buy a scale that is accurate.
My "el cheapo" digital food scale is accurate.
And I'm sure my 20 year old cheap bathroom scale is accurate.
Is it that bad out in the world of scales?
Every bathroom scale I've ever owned, or been around, has been inaccurate, until the current one. By inaccurate, I mean you can stand on it 5 times in a row (within seconds of each other- so no possible way your weight can actually have changed) and get 5 different weights. Since there cannot have been any weight change, at least 5 of them are wrong.
I don't actually know whether my current one is accurate - but I can step on and off as many times as I want, and the weight stays constant. So it can accurately give me trends, if not the precise weight, and that's all I care about.
Could be because you position on the scale has changed, giving different figures.
On of my scales purposefully gives the same number.
Like say I jump on and it says xx.6 then I step off and on again it will say xx.8 and then after a few secs tick back to xx.6.
Favours consistency over accuracy I guess.0 -
I have to get on my bathroom scale thrice to get my reading. The very first time, it reads about a lb and a half too high, then the second two times it comes out identical. I go by that one. I've done it 7-10 times in a row, there is just something wonky about that first step-on, but every succeeding weight is identical to each other and about 1-2 lbs lighter than the first one. I'm assuming it does this because I pick it up and move it every day. I always put it on exactly the same "tile" (laminate) because its the exact size of it and it's the flattest one in the room, the only variable is the me having picked it up. So you can control for weirdness I guess is my point, you probably can't control for shoddy equipment.0
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Think about it in two ways, Accuracy and precision.
Accuracy is how correct the answer is, while precision is whether you get the same result (or close to) every time. Commercial scales (green grocer/butcher) are expensive and need to be both, for weight loss you only need precision (assuming you only use one set of scales, otherwise you get into a world of biases between scales.)
Basically its irelevent if the number on the scale is (in my case) 90, 91, 95 or 150.
If I lose weight and the number goes down I know I'm on the right track, if I slack off/cheat and the number goes up I'm not.
I think CoffeeNCardio's issue is with the taring in the scales. Most modern electronic scales turn on when you step on them and have to try and work out what zero is from when they are off. Yours may overshoot slightly.
When you step off they can Tare to 0 properly, and when you step on again they have the right zero point.0 -
I thought my digital scale was junk for a while due to different readings in a row. Like pounds off. Then I accidentally read some info that came with the manual about calibrating it whenever you move it. Ever since then, per the instructions, once I set it on the floor, I step on it with one foot, then step off. When all the lights go out, step on again. No issues since0
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Every bathroom scale I've ever owned, or been around, has been inaccurate, until the current one. By inaccurate, I mean you can stand on it 5 times in a row (within seconds of each other- so no possible way your weight can actually have changed) and get 5 different weights. Since there cannot have been any weight change, at least 5 of them are wrong.
I don't actually know whether my current one is accurate - but I can step on and off as many times as I want, and the weight stays constant. So it can accurately give me trends, if not the precise weight, and that's all I care about.
That is precision, not accuracy. Accuracy means that if you put a 50 lbs weight on it, it shows 50 lbs. Precise means that if you weigh something several times, it will give the same result.
Accurate = hitting the bullseye
Precise = throwing 5 darts to the same place every time.
Accurate and precise = throwing 5 darts all hitting the bullseye.0 -
There's no such thing as a perfectly accurate measurement, that said, the inaccuracy on a set of scales, even the cheap ones, is going to be pretty insignificant relative to the mass of the item placed on them.0
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I still use Nintendo wii balance board to weigh myself. I've found it more accurate than anything else. They self calibrate to the floor.0
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Use the same scales all the time. Surely what you weigh isn't as important as how much you are losing.0
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This is making me paranoid
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I just use try to avoid any variables - weigh nude, first thing in morning, on the same scale in the same place all the time. My scale is precise (repeated steps on shield the same number), but I have no idea how accurate it is (i.e. whether the number is correct). But I am not hung up on a particular number - I figure even if it is off by a pound or two, it doesn't matter as long as the general trend is downward over time. If your scale is precise, as long as you are seeing the trend you want (up, down, maintenance), the actual number probably isn't that important (unless, of course, you are competing or something where it matters).0
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Every bathroom scale I've ever owned, or been around, has been inaccurate, until the current one. By inaccurate, I mean you can stand on it 5 times in a row (within seconds of each other- so no possible way your weight can actually have changed) and get 5 different weights. Since there cannot have been any weight change, at least 5 of them are wrong.
I don't actually know whether my current one is accurate - but I can step on and off as many times as I want, and the weight stays constant. So it can accurately give me trends, if not the precise weight, and that's all I care about.
That is precision, not accuracy. Accuracy means that if you put a 50 lbs weight on it, it shows 50 lbs. Precise means that if you weigh something several times, it will give the same result.
Accurate = hitting the bullseye
Precise = throwing 5 darts to the same place every time.
Accurate and precise = throwing 5 darts all hitting the bullseye.
Be still my heart. Hehe.0 -
I just use try to avoid any variables - weigh nude, first thing in morning, on the same scale in the same place all the time. My scale is precise (repeated steps on shield the same number), but I have no idea how accurate it is (i.e. whether the number is correct). But I am not hung up on a particular number - I figure even if it is off by a pound or two, it doesn't matter as long as the general trend is downward over time. If your scale is precise, as long as you are seeing the trend you want (up, down, maintenance), the actual number probably isn't that important (unless, of course, you are competing or something where it matters).
^ That's the best way to do it. Consistent conditions on the same scale in the same place. Don't even step on any other scale - almost guaranteed the reading will be different. As the saying goes, "A man with one watch knows what time it is. A man with two watches is never sure."
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This is why I returned to an analogue scale. I have no idea how accurate it is and don't really care. I weigh in my kitchen on tile on the same place after urinating in the morning at the same time, and it does not change if I get off and on several times. I would say if you have a scale that enables you to do this, keep using it and control the circumstances around it and it will give you a trend you can use. It goes without saying that you use pictures/calipers/tape measure/clothing size as well to have a better picture of body changes and aren't relying solely on the scale.0
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In my business we have to make accurate measurements and all of our instruments need to have NIST-traceable calibrations. I can guarantee that they are all much more expensive than standard bathroom scales. You get what you pay for.
And then there's this:
http://www.publichealthreports.org/issueopen.cfm?articleID=1468Precision in Weighing: A Comparison of Scales Found in Physician Offices, Fitness Centers, and Weight Loss Centers
Results. Overall, scales demonstrated decreased precision with increased weight.
At higher weights, more than 15% of scales were off by more than 6 lbs. (2.3 kg),
approximately 1 Body Mass Index (BMI) unit. While facility type was not significant,
condition, location in facility, resting surface, commercial designation, and calibration
history were significant.
Conclusions. This study demonstrates that many scales used to measure body
weight are imprecise and that scales in health care settings are no more precise
than those in other facilities. Clinical decisions based on scales that are imprecise
have the potential to cause iatrogenic complications in patient care.0 -
catscats222 wrote: »boy, i will never trust my scale again.
i regret asking this
I put a 20 lb dumbbell on my scale some time ago. The readings were either 19.8 or 20.0. Of all things to psyc yourself out about. Sorry, just don't see this being worth losing even a second of sleep over0 -
catscats222 wrote: »boy, i will never trust my scale again.
i regret asking this
I put a 20 lb dumbbell on my scale some time ago. The readings were either 19.8 or 20.0. Of all things to psyc yourself out about. Sorry, just don't see this being worth losing even a second of sleep over
Agreed. Have you been losing weight? Why would you think that would stop now that you know?
Fact is, if a scale is out by say - 5lbs, it is likely to be consistently out by 5lbs, so the downward trend can be trusted.
I guess it's like - if your clock is an hour slow, as long as it stays an hour slow consistently, you can trust it to tell you when 2 hours have passed. Same with a scale.
If a scale tells you a different weight a bunch of times in a row, then it's broken and needs to be replaced.
As for food scale, if it's off it's likely to be off by a small amount because you'd have noticed if it was off a large amount, presumably. No one thinks that fist sized piece of meat is 20g. But if you're concerned about the accuracy of your food scale, tare a measuring cup on it and fill the cup to the 250ml line. 250ml of water will weigh 250g.0
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