Which type of scale is more reliable?

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xjoseyx
xjoseyx Posts: 74
in Health and Weight Loss
This might sound like a dumb question but which type of scale is more reliable? Digital or the kind where you slide the weight along? I ask this because I get wide variations on the 2 digital scales I use (1 at home, 1 at the gym) and the slide along kind (also at the gym). It can vary as much as 10lbs. The slide scale always reads me as the lighter. Should I just stick to 1 and stop weighing on the others?

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  • statickey
    statickey Posts: 309 Member
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    The slide scale weighs me 2lbs less than the digital one where I work. I work in a docs office and they come to calibrate the scale every so often... And they do the same with the slide scales. I just say the slide scale is correct lol
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,630 Member
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    I used to use a Weightwatchers manual one (the one with the dial), but now I have a digital one and it is very good. Mind you, there was a big discrepancy when I first switched over, the digital one showed me weighting 7lbs MORE than the manual one had been doing!
  • Kikilicious84
    Kikilicious84 Posts: 312
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    I would say stop weighing on different scales... pick one so that you get consistent results.
  • flashesbuck
    flashesbuck Posts: 27 Member
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    The proper way to weigh something is to balance it against another "known" weight. This is what the slide scales are doing, and calibrated to the correct weight, they are the most accurate thru the whole "scale" (range).

    A dial scale is only measuring the dissipation of a spring, and digital scales do about the same thing with "Load Cells" although a Load Cell can be accurate at a small range, they will be off when you near the extreme limits of the range. A cheap load cell is most likely used in a scale used for measuring body's.

    The only TRUE way to measure "MASS" is to balance it against another known "MASS"

    this my friends, is why i use a balance beam scale.
  • wwwdotcr
    wwwdotcr Posts: 128 Member
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    Doesn't really matter. Your margin of error is likely to be small with any accurate manual / automatic scale.

    Stick with one though to keep a consistent record. Also ignore those BF% scales. Way off. Keeps saying I am 11-12% BF. LOL
  • flashesbuck
    flashesbuck Posts: 27 Member
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    Doesn't really matter. Your margin of error is likely to be small with any accurate manual / automatic scale.

    Stick with one though to keep a consistent record. Also ignore those BF% scales. Way off. Keeps saying I am 11-12% BF. LOL

    i agree and disagree with you...

    i Disagree that its not that small of a difference, my one at home weighs me some 4-5 pounds lighter than the one at work.

    I do agree that its best to stick to one scale, even if it is inaccurate.

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