Body / Fat % scales for home - any recommendations?

sarkyn
sarkyn Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi All,

Has anyone bought one of those sets of scales that use electrical signals to determine body fat % ?

If so, any recommendations?

Cheers,


Greg

Replies

  • Afterblue
    Afterblue Posts: 78 Member
    I have the EatSmart Precision GetFit Digital Body Fat Scale

    Now frankly, I do not think this (or any scale used at home) is an accurate estimation of fat %, but I use it to track changes over time.

    I would recommend it highly because of the large display size, the good looks and the fact that their customer service is the best I have encountered in any company I have dealt with in the past 5 years.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    Now frankly, I do not think this (or any scale used at home) is an accurate estimation of fat %, but I use it to track changes over time.
    ^this. If you're using BIA (which is what the body fat scales use) water, bone mass, sweatiness, hydration, how soon after you last exercise, if you're on your period, where your fat lies etc all affects the numbers.
  • Afterblue
    Afterblue Posts: 78 Member

    if you're on your period, where your fat lies etc all affects the numbers.

    Heh. I'd think if "Greg" (the OP) started getting *periods*, his fat %age would be the last thing on his mind...

    But I agree with what you said.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member

    if you're on your period, where your fat lies etc all affects the numbers.

    Heh. I'd think if "Greg" (the OP) started getting *periods*, his fat %age would be the last thing on his mind...

    But I agree with what you said.

    I figured I'd add it for the girl readers...and you never know! :P
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    I recommend getting a pair of calipers instead and learning how to use them. You can buy cheap ones for under $5, and even the fanciest digital ones are like $20 (not that I really believe fancier makes it better). It's the most accurate way to monitor BF% at home.

    If you are set on a BIA scale, get one that has hand AND foot nodes. The hand-only ones only really are able to monitor upper body, and the foot ones only really check lower body- it has to do with how the signal goes through the path of least resistance from one node to the other.

    BIA methods, however, are highly susceptible to conditions like hydration, and can be +/-~14% accuracy.

    ETA: Here's one that has hand and foot sensors.
    http://www.amazon.com/Omron-HBF-514C-Composition-Sensing-Monitor/dp/B0020MMCDE/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1344188437&sr=8-8&keywords=body+fat+tester
  • gramacanada
    gramacanada Posts: 557 Member
    There's no real way to tell. You could be the same height, weight, measurements etc. as someone else, and still have a different %age of body fat. It all depends on how and where your body stores most of it, and how much weight to muscle you carry. It's different for everyone. Once a person is at their goal weight, Unless they want to body build or something. Most of us don't. As long as you keep exercising, and eating reasonably well. It doesn't matter at all. Again everyone's caught up in the technical. Most people don't need to be. And don't understand it anyway.
  • DoxieLove10612
    DoxieLove10612 Posts: 145 Member
    I have the eatsmart scale that someone already listed. Got it on amazon with free shipping. I have had it over a year and my friends envy all that it does! Worth every penny and I keep it next to the fridge as a reminder that what I eat in private I wear in public ;-)

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