What scale is accurate?

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onwarddownward
onwarddownward Posts: 1,683 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am just wondering which scale you choose to use and do you trust it's accuracy? I had one that was inaccurate, fluctuating wildly and I threw it away. Now I am looking for an accurate one that won't seriously break the bank. Until I find one, I am using a tape measure to keep track of my body measurements.

My doctor will not let me use theirs once a week. My old doctor had been more accommodating, but we've moved. So, what do you use?

Jan

Replies

  • squatsandlipgloss
    squatsandlipgloss Posts: 595 Member
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    I just have a digital scale and don't get on it all the time.

    How do you know your scale fluctuated wildly? Would you get on it 3 times within a minute?
  • bethlaf
    bethlaf Posts: 954 Member
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    any digital scale will weigh withing a 2% margin of error, for example,i have 2 scales in my house, the kids have one in thier bathroom, its a conair scale, by weight watchers, only about 2 months old ,
    my scale is a health o meter, again purchased about the same time, the two different scales vary by about 2 lbs- give or take.
    but if you get on each individual scale, its accurate to itself, on an average of 3lbs.
    my advice, plan to spend between 30-40.oo pn a good scale, a weight tracking one is best, so it has the memory for you ,
    the BMI and water weight and fat % , might be nice, but tend to be more inaccurate, imho.
    the first scale i bought , we didnt like, and returned it after 2 days, this one is much better, and FYI for other readers, yes there are scales available at retailers that weight up to and over 400lbs, so theres no reason to not get one,
    remember a scale is just like logging on here, it is a tool to help you keep on track, its not your master/mistress
    its just another tool!
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    I don't care which scale I use as long as I use the same one every time. Nor do I care how accurate it is.

    I don't care about the actual number on the scale, only how it changes over time. If it's off by 10lbs, it's going to be off by 10lbs every time I step on it, so the progress is still the same. The number doesn't matter, only how different the number is from last month.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
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    As long as you use the same scale every time you should see a downward trend. Balance beam scales like the ones at most doctor's offices and gyms are the most accurate. Most other scales tend to read a few pounds lighter.
  • liamtoady
    liamtoady Posts: 1
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    I have scales at home that ive had a few months. I went to my gp was asked to get on his I was over a kg lighter. Then I started ww and there set are closer to mine but a couple of pound heavier. Im needing to be a certain weight to be able to have surgery so im a bit confused as to whos scales I should go by. Any advice very much appreciated
  • CubanSammich
    CubanSammich Posts: 236
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    The best scale I've ever owned is the mirror, I suggest you get one.
  • joshdann
    joshdann Posts: 618 Member
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    just some info to help your decision: I have 3 digital scales at home (of which I really only use one, the others are older and just exist as backups), and I use the balance beam ones at my gym. For my own fact-gathering mission I tried weighing on all 4 within 30 minutes of each other, weighing 3x each on the digital ones and using the average. All of the digital scales were within a half pound on each of its own measurements. Keep in mind this was just because I was curious... not because it's necessary.

    The results of the test were interesting. My oldest digital scale, at about 10 years old, weighed me at 295 with 29%BF. The second digital has no BF meter, but is about 1.5 years old and it weighed me at 296. My Fitbit Aria scale is my current scale of choice because it syncs with my fitbit account. It weighed me at 301.5 with 29.5%BF. The balance beam scale registered 298, but I had clothes on for that one, including my lightweight running shoes.

    My conclusion was that none of these scales was perfectly accurate (as far as I can tell), but the balance beam one is what I trust the most. I also decided that I prefer consistency and the ease of auto-logging my stats over absolute accuracy. So, the Aria scale is the only one I use. It's always higher than the rest, which sucks when trying to get below specific thresholds... but again, consistency matters more than accuracy.
  • tasha_1306
    tasha_1306 Posts: 35 Member
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    I have an analogue scale and a digital scale. The digital one always has me a few kgs heavier then the analogue one even when weighted at the same time on the same surface.

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