Body fat scale at the gym?

Smacfit_

Today at the gym I used their fancy body analysis scale thing. Does anyone know if they are accurate? My body fat was 29.5% which seemed high (I'm 5'5 female and 124.8lb according to their scale)Just curious if any seasoned experts know if this is an accurate measure of my bf or not. Cheers!

L1zardQueen

They are not very accurate.

h7463

Skinfold calipers are more accurate. The measurements are taken at several key locations on the body to get an idea of the overall bodyfat.
I have one of the simpler bathroom scales at home, and the bodyfat readings are all over the place...time of the day, wet/dry feet, right after shower...this scale is just unreliable.. The calpiers work very well for me.

I'm 5'5" as well, and at that weight (125 lbs), I'm around 20 %, but I have some lean muscle, too. You can never tell the bf just by height and weight.

L1zardQueen

The mirror is really the best indicator.

h7463

L1zardQueen wrote: »

The mirror is really the best indicator.

If you have something to compare it to...

L1zardQueen

My rose colored glasses are amazing, get some.

pierinifitness

I've recently had a water dunk BF measurement and a dexa-scan. Additionally, I recently bought a Withings unit which is BIA, known to fluctuate widely based on hydration levels and I can attest to this. What I've learned is that take your pick, you want a low BF reading, be well hydrated and you'll get a lower BF percentage reading. Want the lower BW, be under-hydrated and you'll get your wish. This is for BIA scales. While never a big user of the tape measure, there's something to be said for it. Nonetheless, I'll continue having a dexa-scan quarterly in my current journey, finding it more convenient that the water dunking method. One day I'll share my experiences here.