2 different scales produce 5 stone difference....Help!

Hi,
So I've had this digital bathroom scale for a few years, and before having them I never weighed myself so I presumed they were accurate/ had no reason not to believe them. I am overweight due to several medical problems, and had no idea what sort of weight would convert to what sort of size; this scale produced 21st.
So for the past 4 years I've been using them and more or less stayed the same weight.
Last night I went to a friends house and she had a traditional needle scale, so I weighed myself, to find that I'm almost 5 STONE lighter on this scale! This scale produced 17st!
Being overweight, and not having a clue about average weight estimates I have no idea which one to believe.
So I'm just wondering can digital scales or traditional scales be really this inaccurate? Because one of them is clearly incorrect lol. Which one should I trust? I weighed a bag of sugar on both, and both produced correct results for the sugar, I'm so confused! HA!
So I'm going to buy new ones this afternoon, and just wanted a bit of advice on weather to stick to traditional or choose digital again? (I intend to buy an expensive one so that they're hopefully correct!) I know Dr office has traditional, so maybe leaning more towards choosing traditional? Are they more reliable long term? I don't mind about precise accuracy, so the fact the needle may sway a few pounds out is no problem, just not 5 stone out LOL; really just want to know which one is most likely to become untrustworthy or faulty over time? Digital technical things going wrong, vs the springs(?) in traditional going wrong ? Help please :)

Replies

  • Kmandergirl
    Kmandergirl Posts: 1 Member
    I would get weighed in at the doctor's then use the scale that lines up closest to that weight then consistently use that one.
  • lifegoeson25
    lifegoeson25 Posts: 50 Member
    If the traditional scale is really old, it is possible that the springs aren't working that well.
    We used to have a traditional one at home and I would also weigh less, while on any other digital scale I would weigh the same.
    Although it is weird that the sugar weighs the same on both scales...
    Maybe you could change the batteries in the digital one.
    Anyway, I would go for a digital scale.
  • Jesslane93
    Jesslane93 Posts: 190 Member
    I also weigh less on the needle scale, than I do on a digital scale.
  • Amy1527
    Amy1527 Posts: 18
    Hi,

    I have always found digital to be more accurate. My doctor uses digital and they always use digital at weight clubs like slimming world but they do have those calibrated. I have never had my digital scales calibrated and find they are a couple of pound out to what the dr says but like Kmandergirl saiys, I just weigh myself on my scales the morning I go dr and conspire the weights, I try not to weigh myself on too many different scales. Also check what the maximum weight is because some digital scales go a bit whappy at a certain weight (my old ones didn't like anything more than 18st which is ridiculous but true).

    Let us know what your new scales say :-) *ingrigued*