Are 4 point BIA scales worth it?

age_is_just_a_number

I’ve been debating about getting a 4 point BIA scale, like Hume Body Pod or one of the less expensive brands.
Has anyone tried them?
What are your thoughts?
Are they worth the money?
Do you find the additional data useful?

Any other thoughts?

age_is_just_a_number

Thank you for these responses. I already track many metrics, but decided to get a moderately priced 8 point BIA scale. I went for the GE CS10G. It arrived 4 days ago. My initial impression was 'I'm not sure this was worth the money'. Now, with just a few days of data, I'm seeing how the additional data points are interesting and useful. I'm still going to track using my previous methods, Health Status BF%, inches, etc.

claireychn074

It depends on how you want to use the data. I bought one thinking I could track my fat level and how much muscle I built. But they are really unreliable and inaccurate, so it’s fine for a general tracking but won’t give me the accuracy I wanted.

As an example (they are affected by heat amongst other factors), if I use the scales in the morning and then at night after a bath, they will show a 3-5% fat reduction in the evening. If I’m dehydrated they will show a higher fat reading. And if I’m holding water (period or muscle swelling after exercise) the readings are all over the place.
So if you use them consistently at the exact same time each weighing, make sure you’ve done the same activity before etc you can get a general picture. But don’t rely solely on them.
BTW - I stupidly bought an expensive set thinking they would be more reliable. They’re not!

westrich20940

I have used one….and I found it really helpful to look at overall trends. I'm not sure how accurate some of the data is on them = other than weight as it seemed fairly similar to other scales I've used….but like to tell me my actual body fat %? I don't know, I've never looked up how accurate they are but at least once you start weighing on it - those stats will all be charted into a trend graph which you can look at and it's fairly clear to see if you are going up or down. Over time, which is nice since the line will never be exactly linear.

rsccore

I used one while losing 95 lbs, on the plus side it was bluetooth and updated the app on my phone automatically. They are actually fairly accurate and educational. For example, realizing that fat is (mostly) hydrophobic and that while at a normal weight a human may be 60% water, the more overweight you are the much lower that % will be. But accuracy is realtive to it's intended purpose. Even if the scale is +/- 3% accurate (which would be good), that would be fine tracking your BF% and all the other related values (lean body mass, water, bone, etc.) as you lose a lot of weight, but as you get towards normal weight and trying to lose love handles or get a flat stomach or abs, that would not be accurate enough. But hardly anything accessible is, and you are better off looking at picture charts and using other methods as well, like the navy or army methods, in conjuction with BIA, and getting a better picture of where you think you are. The BIA scale did help me realize that I was actually approaching my goal better than BMI did. In fact I had originally targeted a lower weight, but when I got below 30% BF, the BIA scale indicated that my BF% was much lower than what BMI would indicate, and I adjusted my goal weight upwards. I haven't used a scale in well over a year now because any change is apparent in my love handles or fitting of my pants. I just maintain an active livestyle like I used to when I was younger, eat healthy, and maintain. Short version, for a journey, I think they help, if watching numbers helps, and they do educate you on the relationship between BF% and lean mass and all the pieces that go into your weight and how they react to change.