1 Man, 2 Body Fat Reading's = Huh?

EPICSRT

I've always used my home scale to read my body fat and it has been extremely helpful when I was actively trying to lose weight as a way to note progress. The scale does body fat, water percentage, BMI and weight. The readings are done through the part you stand on, which is made of glass.

Today, I had an opportunity to use get my body fat read from the device that you hold onto with both hands and it reads through the palms.

Now, I know different types of devices can read differently and that there are other factors that can potentially affect daily readings. So this is where things get a little Huh?

So here are today's reading's:
7am - home scale - 13.8 %
10am - handheld - 11.7%
2PM - handheld - 11.7%
5PM - home scale - 14.0%

So I am left to wonder which is more accurate? Obviously, I would prefer that the handheld is the more accurate measurement between the two! : )

I have been trying to reduce my body fat without reducing my weight and utilizing my home scale has allowed me to monitor my overall progress. Even with the fluctuations in the body fat readings, I still have overall downward trend in body fat. But I still think the 2% variation between devices is too much of a margin for error.

Edit: I am 5'10" tall, weigh about 162pounds, and the largest measurement around my waist is about 32 inches.

GrAlVt

Strictly speaking, both are correct. Both handheld and scale BF% measurements use electrical impedance as a correlate of body fat; fat is more electrically resistant, so higher impedance means higher fat amount. However, body fat distribution is not equal across the body.

So what can we say for certain from your measurements? There is less body fat in your arms and chest than in your legs. The scale conducts a small current up one leg, across your abdomen, and down the other leg to measure the impedance of your body. The handheld will do the same except with your arms and chest. Obviously, the circuit through your body will be different for each, and the parts of your body conducting electricity will differ. Hence, the handheld gives a more accurate measure of your upper body resistance while the scale probably does better with lower body.

Your best bet is probably to take a mean of the two types of recordings, since neither gives a complete picture. So your overall body fat is probably about 12.5%. Not bad, mate. All things considered, the 2% difference isn't bad at all since both give healthy measures.

You can also put your measurements into fat2fitradio's military body fat calculator. This will give you a third estimate to go on.