Best Body Fat % Scale

Thrillcox5

Hi Everyone,

I'm shopping for a new scale to measure more than just weight, specifically I'd like Body Fat % and Muscle Mass %. I found this one on amazon (I have a $50 amazon gift card to spend), but wasn't sure if anyone had better suggestions.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004L6NTHU/ref=s9_simh_gw_p364_d0_g364_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=16Z4Z8E0ATQVQKNF39Q8&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

Thoughts?

StephGerm

can i come over and use your body fat scale sometimes ? :happy:

sjtomaszko

ive been looking for the same thing and have found ''salter body analyser scales'' in argos for only £30 :happy:

erickirb

These scales are notoriously inaccurate. That being said if you weigh yourself under the same conditions, you can track your progress but keep in mind the the BF% will not be correct, but improvements are improvements. You should also keep in mind that hydration level plays a huge role in the % the scale will give you, not to mention the amount of un-passed food in your system.

wareagle8706

Scales that you step on cannot give you an accurate measurement of your body fat percentage. it can't take all of the factors into account that is needed to give you an accurate measurement. Run to GNC and get a set of Body Fat Calipers to take a skin fold measurement with if you want to know your body fat %.

Body fat % is a very important thing to know in order to make sure the pounds you're losing are from fat and not from your muscle mass so I would highly suggest knowing this number and tracking it over the course of your weight loss journey. But, like I said, a scale will not give you as accurate of a measurement as a skin fold test with body fat calipers. They're like $15.00 at GNC.

erickirb

Scales that you step on cannot give you an accurate measurement of your body fat percentage. it can't take all of the factors into account that is needed to give you an accurate measurement. Run to GNC and get a set of Body Fat Calipers to take a skin fold measurement with if you want to know your body fat %.

Body fat % is a very important thing to know in order to make sure the pounds you're losing are from fat and not from your muscle mass so I would highly suggest knowing this number and tracking it over the course of your weight loss journey. But, like I said, a scale will not give you as accurate of a measurement as a skin fold test with body fat calipers. They're like $15.00 at GNC.

Calipers are really only accurate if you have someone trained on how to use them. Measuring yourself with them properly is very difficult to get your "real" reading

Kazimira

http://www.amazon.com/Omron-HBF-306C-Loss-Monitor-Black/dp/B000FYZMYK/ref=wl_it_dp_o_npd?ie=UTF8&coliid=I381XIPSNRYWEA&colid=1V5AJBJMI56SW

That is what my trainer uses for body fat/muscle mass measurments.
The key is to be fully hydrated when doing the tests and follow the directions on correctly using it.
**and who wants to be fully hydrated when stepping on the scale** I love getting the measurements separate.

wareagle8706

Scales that you step on cannot give you an accurate measurement of your body fat percentage. it can't take all of the factors into account that is needed to give you an accurate measurement. Run to GNC and get a set of Body Fat Calipers to take a skin fold measurement with if you want to know your body fat %.

Body fat % is a very important thing to know in order to make sure the pounds you're losing are from fat and not from your muscle mass so I would highly suggest knowing this number and tracking it over the course of your weight loss journey. But, like I said, a scale will not give you as accurate of a measurement as a skin fold test with body fat calipers. They're like $15.00 at GNC.

Calipers are really only accurate if you have someone trained on how to use them. Measuring yourself with them properly is very difficult to get your "real" reading

Well, what is this person going to do? Go to the nearest large University or Hospital and ask them to use their equipment such as sitting in a water tank or a chamber to get the most accurate measurement? I think that would cost a little too much money... Wouldn't you agree that the calipers are a) more accurate than the scale and b) the cheapest way to get the most accurate measurement for the money?

erickirb

Scales that you step on cannot give you an accurate measurement of your body fat percentage. it can't take all of the factors into account that is needed to give you an accurate measurement. Run to GNC and get a set of Body Fat Calipers to take a skin fold measurement with if you want to know your body fat %.

Body fat % is a very important thing to know in order to make sure the pounds you're losing are from fat and not from your muscle mass so I would highly suggest knowing this number and tracking it over the course of your weight loss journey. But, like I said, a scale will not give you as accurate of a measurement as a skin fold test with body fat calipers. They're like $15.00 at GNC.

Calipers are really only accurate if you have someone trained on how to use them. Measuring yourself with them properly is very difficult to get your "real" reading

Well, what is this person going to do? Go to the nearest large University or Hospital and ask them to use their equipment such as sitting in a water tank or a chamber to get the most accurate measurement? I think that would cost a little too much money... Wouldn't you agree that the calipers are a) more accurate than the scale and b) the cheapest way to get the most accurate measurement for the money?

If you have someone else measuring you (not measuring yourself) then I would agree that they are more accurate. But if you are doing yourself I would say no, as you may be turning and twisting trying to take the reading instead of standing in the proper position, which is hard to do when doing any of your back measurements. And with calipers the more spots you test the more accurate. If you are only doing a 3 spot test I would say not very accurate at all, if you are doing 7+ spots and having each one measured twice then I would say quite accurate.

hotmama1174

I have this one and love it :0

http://www.amazon.com/Ozeri-Measures-Hydration-Recognition-Technology/dp/B003N4AVKE/ref=sr_1_5?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1328714676&sr=1-5

wareagle8706

Scales that you step on cannot give you an accurate measurement of your body fat percentage. it can't take all of the factors into account that is needed to give you an accurate measurement. Run to GNC and get a set of Body Fat Calipers to take a skin fold measurement with if you want to know your body fat %.

Body fat % is a very important thing to know in order to make sure the pounds you're losing are from fat and not from your muscle mass so I would highly suggest knowing this number and tracking it over the course of your weight loss journey. But, like I said, a scale will not give you as accurate of a measurement as a skin fold test with body fat calipers. They're like $15.00 at GNC.

Calipers are really only accurate if you have someone trained on how to use them. Measuring yourself with them properly is very difficult to get your "real" reading

Well, what is this person going to do? Go to the nearest large University or Hospital and ask them to use their equipment such as sitting in a water tank or a chamber to get the most accurate measurement? I think that would cost a little too much money... Wouldn't you agree that the calipers are a) more accurate than the scale and b) the cheapest way to get the most accurate measurement for the money?

If you have someone else measuring you (not measuring yourself) then I would agree that they are more accurate. But if you are doing yourself I would say no, as you may be turning and twisting trying to take the reading instead of standing in the proper position, which is hard to do when doing any of your back measurements. And with calipers the more spots you test the more accurate. If you are only doing a 3 spot test I would say not very accurate at all, if you are doing 7+ spots and having each one measured twice then I would say quite accurate.

The only point I'm trying to make is if you want a more accurate body fat % than a scale buy some calipers. You can take it in one spot - on the hip - by yourself without twisting and turning and at least get a measurement that actually means something - as opposed to stepping on a scale which means nothing at all when it comes to how much fat you have compared to muscle. Obviously if you are trying to take a 3-point (or more) measurement you cannot take that by yourself, I figured that was kind of an obvious thing when you buy the calipers considering some of the skin fold areas include your bicep and tricep and just below the shoulder blade. Not sure how anyone would be able to maneuver that on their own anyway... I think that's pretty much common sense.

nutandbutter

Scales that you step on cannot give you an accurate measurement of your body fat percentage. it can't take all of the factors into account that is needed to give you an accurate measurement. Run to GNC and get a set of Body Fat Calipers to take a skin fold measurement with if you want to know your body fat %.

Body fat % is a very important thing to know in order to make sure the pounds you're losing are from fat and not from your muscle mass so I would highly suggest knowing this number and tracking it over the course of your weight loss journey. But, like I said, a scale will not give you as accurate of a measurement as a skin fold test with body fat calipers. They're like $15.00 at GNC.

Calipers are really only accurate if you have someone trained on how to use them. Measuring yourself with them properly is very difficult to get your "real" reading

Well, what is this person going to do? Go to the nearest large University or Hospital and ask them to use their equipment such as sitting in a water tank or a chamber to get the most accurate measurement? I think that would cost a little too much money... Wouldn't you agree that the calipers are a) more accurate than the scale and b) the cheapest way to get the most accurate measurement for the money?

If you have someone else measuring you (not measuring yourself) then I would agree that they are more accurate. But if you are doing yourself I would say no, as you may be turning and twisting trying to take the reading instead of standing in the proper position, which is hard to do when doing any of your back measurements. And with calipers the more spots you test the more accurate. If you are only doing a 3 spot test I would say not very accurate at all, if you are doing 7+ spots and having each one measured twice then I would say quite accurate.

The only point I'm trying to make is if you want a more accurate body fat % than a scale buy some calipers. You can take it in one spot - on the hip - by yourself without twisting and turning and at least get a measurement that actually means something - as opposed to stepping on a scale which means nothing at all when it comes to how much fat you have compared to muscle. Obviously if you are trying to take a 3-point (or more) measurement you cannot take that by yourself, I figured that was kind of an obvious thing when you buy the calipers considering some of the skin fold areas include your bicep and tricep and just below the shoulder blade. Not sure how anyone would be able to maneuver that on their own anyway... I think that's pretty much common sense.

Taking only one spot is completely inaccurate also. You can definitely see trends that way but you can't say "I'm at _% BF."

wareagle8706

Scales that you step on cannot give you an accurate measurement of your body fat percentage. it can't take all of the factors into account that is needed to give you an accurate measurement. Run to GNC and get a set of Body Fat Calipers to take a skin fold measurement with if you want to know your body fat %.

Body fat % is a very important thing to know in order to make sure the pounds you're losing are from fat and not from your muscle mass so I would highly suggest knowing this number and tracking it over the course of your weight loss journey. But, like I said, a scale will not give you as accurate of a measurement as a skin fold test with body fat calipers. They're like $15.00 at GNC.

Calipers are really only accurate if you have someone trained on how to use them. Measuring yourself with them properly is very difficult to get your "real" reading

Well, what is this person going to do? Go to the nearest large University or Hospital and ask them to use their equipment such as sitting in a water tank or a chamber to get the most accurate measurement? I think that would cost a little too much money... Wouldn't you agree that the calipers are a) more accurate than the scale and b) the cheapest way to get the most accurate measurement for the money?

If you have someone else measuring you (not measuring yourself) then I would agree that they are more accurate. But if you are doing yourself I would say no, as you may be turning and twisting trying to take the reading instead of standing in the proper position, which is hard to do when doing any of your back measurements. And with calipers the more spots you test the more accurate. If you are only doing a 3 spot test I would say not very accurate at all, if you are doing 7+ spots and having each one measured twice then I would say quite accurate.

The only point I'm trying to make is if you want a more accurate body fat % than a scale buy some calipers. You can take it in one spot - on the hip - by yourself without twisting and turning and at least get a measurement that actually means something - as opposed to stepping on a scale which means nothing at all when it comes to how much fat you have compared to muscle. Obviously if you are trying to take a 3-point (or more) measurement you cannot take that by yourself, I figured that was kind of an obvious thing when you buy the calipers considering some of the skin fold areas include your bicep and tricep and just below the shoulder blade. Not sure how anyone would be able to maneuver that on their own anyway... I think that's pretty much common sense.

Taking only one spot is completely inaccurate also. You can definitely see trends that way but you can't say "I'm at _% BF."

Ok, well, I'm kinda tired of discussing this... obviously if the person who started this thread is willing to use a scale to calculate body fat % (which is obviously completely inaccurate) then it wouldn't be a big deal for them to take a 1-spot measurement with body fat calipers... which, regardless of how many spots you take, is going to be more accurate than a scale. That was my only point here...