My Digital Scale is confusing me!

ajmurray1234

Hello,

I have come across a puzzling situation and am wondering if any of you have had the same experience and what you did or do to mange it. I have two digital scales and out of curiosity, weighed myself on both. Basically, I wanted to test the accuracy of the one I had been using. First, let me say I calibrated both scales using two 8 lb dumbbells and got 17 lbs for each, not 16 lbs, but I guess that is good enough. Next, I stepped on my original scale and got 164 lbs. I then slid the original scale out of the way and placed the newer scale in its spot. The results.... 161.2 lbs. So now I am completely baffled. Which one do I choose? The original scale or the newer?

thiosulfate

Doesn't really matter unless the scale fluctuates often. If your original scale is consistently ~3 lbs under the other scale, it doesn't matter. In the end, 3 pounds won't make much of a difference. You could even average the two, if you wanted.

sparklyglitterbomb

From what I understand, each time you move a scale, it has to recalibrate. May be that your moving the other one into place changed the calibration? If you can run the same test without moving the scales after you calibrate, that might give you a better reading.

vingogly

No scale other than the kind of expensive triple-beam scale you see in the doctor's office is going to be real accurate. What's more important as thiosulfate says is consistency. I found out through experimentation that my old $25 digital scale would give different results if I stepped on it five times in a row. I ditched it and bought a different $25 digital scale that got high marks on Amazon (an EatSmart model) and it is absolutely consistent -- but no more accurate than my old one.

One thing to keep in mind: the accuracy of a measurement on most of these scales is usually not the same depending on how much you're weighing, so it may be more accurate in one range than in another. I think that's what you're seeing in your weight dumbbells vs. weighing yourself.

ericatoday

I weigh myself 3 to 4 times when i weigh myself because sometimes it changes. Just from natural shifting. So which ever weight comes up the most is usually what i go with

85Cardinals

Put them both in the Octagon and let them battle it out. 2 scales enter, 1 scale leaves.

yarwell

Weigh yourself with and without the added weights to see which is most accurate in the relevant range.

Weighing 16 lbs was little more than a zero test.

lantana411

To that extent it doesn't matter what the scale says initially - AS LONG AS YOU KEEP IT IN THE SAME OR NEARBY SPOT. I take my scale out and put it in the same spot each time. When I stand on it, it puts me eyeball level with door hardware. When I look at the door hardware I know I'm in my usual weighing position and I look down to see the locked in weight. No problem.

If you think about it, it doesn't matter what the scale says - let's say it says you weigh 100 pounds, even. Every time you step on it, you know that this scale thinks you weigh 100. If it goes up or down a pound or two, it gives you a sense of your weight. Maybe you're retaining water from a recent high sodium meal. Maybe the drop in carbs is showing in a weight loss. Whatever. It is just an indicator.

mumblemagic

Mine recalibrates to 0 every time I turn it on. If I move it to a different spot it will often be a few lbs different. Try turning it off and on again in the same place. Also try weighing on hard floor not carpet.