Body Fat Measuring Scales - Who has some and what brand?

emma155
emma155 Posts: 152 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Thinking about getting some scales that measure body fat and would be really good if they could measure water too.
Does anyone have any?
I looked into getting some once before but gave up because could not decide wich brand was any good and ALL seemed to have bad reviews.
I want some so I can measure progress more accurately.
Also are they useful?
May be worth mentioning that I live in the UK, but we prob have most US brands avaliable over here.

Thanks

Replies

  • emma155
    emma155 Posts: 152 Member
    Anyone? Please
  • ksuh999
    ksuh999 Posts: 543 Member
    According to Consumer Reports they have never found a consumer grade body fat scale that was accurate.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    None of them are accurate, as they only send the current through part of your body.

    In other words, don't waste your money on a BF% scale.
  • 88meli88
    88meli88 Posts: 238 Member
    but they are inaccurate consistently over time, so you will be able to track your progress
  • MyProgressISYour1Proof
    MyProgressISYour1Proof Posts: 376 Member
    None of them are accurate, as they only send the current through part of your body.

    In other words, don't waste your money on a BF% scale.

    I have a Taylor one
  • Jaulen
    Jaulen Posts: 468 Member
    I have a Tanita (I think that's the spelling). Got it since it was an Amazon special item of the day for me and was about half the price it normally was.

    Does not measure water.

    I use to to track over time.

    For me, it's been close to caliper testing results, or online calculators that use lots of various body measurements along with height and age. About a 3% difference between them, with the scale usually being the one that reads the highest.
  • jdaley90
    jdaley90 Posts: 259 Member
    don't bother with a scale or internet calculators get yourself a caliper and learn how to use it or find someone at your gym who knows how to
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    but they are inaccurate consistently over time, so you will be able to track your progress
    Not true, something as simple as showering right before getting on the scale, or drinking an extra glass of water, can throw off the numbers. I have a scale that measures body fat, and it's given me numbers ranging from 21-26 in random order over a 5 day period. There's really no rhyme or reason to the results.
  • kitigonkukoo
    kitigonkukoo Posts: 218 Member
    but they are inaccurate consistently over time, so you will be able to track your progress

    I found this to be true. When I first started, I have one that said that I started at 51% body fat... but when I had an evaluation done at a gym the same day, it was 39%. Now, I've gone down a lot, and the scale does reflect that at almost the exact same rate that my gym evaluations are showing... just literally different numbers.

    So- I guess what I'm saying is, you can use it as a guage on whether or not you are loosing body fat, however don't actually rely on the numbers it gives you for more than your actual weight.

    Edit: just remember you have to check at the same time of every day, in the same clothes or without clothes. I do it before I eat or drink or take a shower or do anything at all really in the AM... otherwise, everything I just said is out the window because even the heat in a shower will change the reading.
  • BHetrick
    BHetrick Posts: 26 Member
    I opted for the Omron hbf-400. Bought it a couple years ago. It seemed to be the "best of the worse" in it's price range.
  • Debby0904
    Debby0904 Posts: 151 Member
    Invest in calipers. I have a Tanita and a higher end. From day to day it can fluctuate by a few %. Obviously not accurate then.
  • GoneKona
    GoneKona Posts: 87
    They suck. Unless you spend over $250.00 for them. OMRON makes a decent hand-held device that will measure body fat %, but it's not as accurate as having it tested.
  • chels0722
    chels0722 Posts: 465 Member
    Personally I prefer just a traditional caliper. It has never told me wrong and it is easy to use.
  • adswillis27
    adswillis27 Posts: 76 Member
    I have a Taylor's scale that does BF and water weight. While they may not be extremely accurate compared to the hyrdo/water testing I found that I was able to track progress and see a change for the good. I didn't have a scale at all and this one was $20. It was a win for me.
  • besaro
    besaro Posts: 1,858 Member
    ozeri. And it HASN't wildly fluctuated. They aren't that expensive and they do track over time. mine tracks water, fat, muscle and bone density.
  • GoneKona
    GoneKona Posts: 87
    Personally I prefer just a traditional caliper. It has never told me wrong and it is easy to use.

    Yep, this is about the best method other than testing.
  • OddChoices
    OddChoices Posts: 244 Member
    I have a homedics. I generally weight myself after a shower when my feet are moist. Since it measures BF by sending a current through the body, moisture ensures conduction.
  • FitGuyWillDoIt
    FitGuyWillDoIt Posts: 111 Member
    I have a Tanita. Really bought it because it had a better display than the regular scale next to it. Sure it costs more but then I would have had to go to another store to buy a scale.

    As far as accuracy, I've heard they're +/- 2%. I had my body fat done at the gym with calipers and the scale agreed.

    So that's my experience.
  • sunshineallthetime4
    sunshineallthetime4 Posts: 21 Member
    I use this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004L6NTHU/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i01

    I've loved it! I'm sure it could be inaccurate by a percentage or two, but I've been able to track progress regardless.
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
    i have a tanita that does bf% and water%.. tbh i dont know how accurate it is, since im pregnant so that kinda throws everything off lol i had my bf tested at the gym with a handheld thing about a year ago, but other than that i havent really measured it other than on my scale for the past couple weeks
  • Craigamears
    Craigamears Posts: 65 Member
    I have the FitBit's Aria wireless scale that does BF% and transmits it to the FitBit site which is linked into MFP. Mine doesn't swing widely like some of the other folks have experienced with theirs. The scale is very good. There are no "Good" BF% computations. The calipers are cheap but accuracy varies considerably based upon the user's technical skill in putting the exact same pressure onto each measuring site every time they measure. I know that I do not have the fine motor skills necessary to perform this on myself accurately. They do have calipers with an audible sound when you hit the exact pressure but they are not the cheapest. It also depends on which methodology and algorithm you use to compute the body fat.

    So.... I will stick to the no brainer first thing in the morning after going to the bathroom jump on the scale thing. When I want accuracy, I will schedule a hydrotest or a DEXA scan.
  • Rachelatherbest
    Rachelatherbest Posts: 13 Member
    Weight Watchers that measures body fat pounds, body fat percentage, body water, bone density, and BMI. I think it's accurate but I have nothing to compare it to
  • newdaydawning79
    newdaydawning79 Posts: 1,503 Member
    I just bought (copy/paste from Amazon) "BalanceFrom High Accuracy Digital Body Fat Scale & Bathroom Scale with PC Connection and Fitness Software." The reviews were decent, the price was decent, and the scale I have is old and has been moved a lot (literally, from a townhouse to our house and then from there) so I'm not even sure how accurate it is anymore. It was time to replace it so I decided to get one that'll at least give me some idea, even if it's not 100%.
  • criscollrj
    criscollrj Posts: 30 Member
    I just bought (copy/paste from Amazon) "BalanceFrom High Accuracy Digital Body Fat Scale & Bathroom Scale with PC Connection and Fitness Software." The reviews were decent, the price was decent, and the scale I have is old and has been moved a lot (literally, from a townhouse to our house and then from there) so I'm not even sure how accurate it is anymore. It was time to replace it so I decided to get one that'll at least give me some idea, even if it's not 100%.

    How do you like this scale? Only reference to it I saw on here... :) I actually just ordered as well - the price was right and I really needed to get a bigger scale that my husband can see - mine has such tiny numbers I can barely see it and am tired of analog. I don't really care greatly about the extra features -- are you happy with the accuracy of weighing, itself? :)
  • criscollrj
    criscollrj Posts: 30 Member
    I received this scale yesterday (above) and weighed myself three times and did get the same weight (yay!). For some reason after I did it the "fitness" way with the memory after the weight disappeared it said "error." - don't know why. i have to do more research as the instructions are not terribly detailed.

    But happy it gave me the same weight three times! 6.2 pounds heavier than my old scale, by the way... and my old scale was always about 7-8 pounds off what the dr. said so allowing for clothing weight that makes sense.

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