should I get a better scale?

mom23nuts
mom23nuts Posts: 636 Member
edited September 28 in Health and Weight Loss
Honestly I have a very basic battery opperated scale that only reads weight and now they make these scales that are compatible for more than one users info and can read body fat and water weight and lean mass and do your taxes and vacuum the house.

Man if only....well that said, I know I don't want to become obsessed with the scale as sometimes it is a cruel liar and our clothes fitting better are more accurate and helpful than a red flashing # on a scale reminding me that there was another week with a lost lb.

Is a scale with more bells and whistles a good investment or forget it?

I can get a body fat test thing done at the gym (not the calipers but the hand held body mass maching thingy) if I find my favorite instructor and ask her to do it for me. She will take my measurements too so maybe I should just keep the klunker I have here and save the cash.

Do you have accurate results with a scale that supposedly can do more than just give out your weight in lbs?

Replies

  • mallorybriann
    mallorybriann Posts: 1,380 Member
    I have an expensive scale that calculates body fat and hydration and it's NOT accurate. I wouldn't waste your money.
    I would get a digital one just because it's easy to read and something with a warranty.
    You can keep track of your weight on here, so you don't even really need one that can store data.
    :)
  • Egger29
    Egger29 Posts: 14,741 Member
    There are alot of Body Comp scales out there, however reviews are mixed on each and the accuracy is mixed as well.

    I have a basic one I got a while back which serves its purpose, but it will give me different results depending on the time of day, if I'm hyydrated, if I've eaten and such.

    That being said, alot of the basic hand-held models are the same as far as accuracy so it's 6 of one, 1/2 dozen of the other.

    Generally speaking, I find the margin of error is roughly +-3-5% on the household machines, and the more professional quality you go with, the more accurate you'll find.

    They DO however, allow you to track fairly consistantly to see if you're losing fat mass or lean mass in any kind of weight loss program so that is beneficial. If you're married to the scale however, results can be frustrating as it generally takes some time between weigh ins to see results so about once a month is ideal to see a true progression.

    While I haven't been able to find and real concrete reviews, I did see several the other day at Bed Bath and Beyond which looked rather dependable under the Homedics brand.
  • sugarbeans
    sugarbeans Posts: 676 Member
    I have a scale that does the body comp/fat% and I rarely use it with those options. I just get on the scale and see how much I weigh at that point in time. Might check the body comp once in a blue moon but not sure how accurate it is. You are probably better off getting that checked out at the gym once in awhile, I'm sure they have the proper more accurate tools.
  • Countrymade
    Countrymade Posts: 183 Member
    I thought it would be great to get a scale the gave me my body fat and water but honestly I don't even pay attention to that part of it. I would get one that is digital to the tenth. You can go online and check the reviews on them in your price range before you buy one.
    Good Luck.
  • RENAEJAE
    RENAEJAE Posts: 1,135 Member
    I bought the weight watchers scale last month and really like it. It allows you to program for 4 different users. It gives you your weight (with decimals) and your body fat and H20. It's small and easy to use. The best part was that I bought it on Amazon for less than $30. I'm very happy with it - especially when the numbers keep getting smaller!

    ps - I've found it very consistent also.
  • Healthymom0000
    Healthymom0000 Posts: 14 Member
    I would not waste your money......Body fat is not easy to measure and realistically cannot be measured by standing on a scale. The most accurate way is DXA (used to be called DEXA) but it is costly....$200- $300. There is also something called the BodPod which measures your fat percentage through displacement of air....you can google it. Calipers are an inexpensive fairly accurate way to go if you can find someone who knows exactly how to take the skin fold measurements.

    I would continue to use your own scale, monitor how your clothes are fitting, take your measurements and maybe ask your instructor at the gym to do your skin folds.

    Best of luck to you!
  • GaveUp
    GaveUp Posts: 308
    I got a WW scale.. 40 bucks I think it was. That was 4 years ago or so. It has a lithium battery, its glass and digital to the decimal. I love. It is exact to my doctors scale.
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 Member
    Yeah I've got one that "does all that" and I just wish it would weigh me and be done with it, it stores for multiple users info but I don't want to break out the manual once a week to remember how to get to my settings, which you have to enter in the first place for it to be even close to accurate on its estimates... just buy a scale, they're cheap enough I'd not even worry about the warranty. SO many times those warranties are nothing more than handing extra money for the item over to the vendor.

    Just get one that works, take your measurements also and log it all on here, then you don't "lose" stored data when you change scales or perhaps if the battery dies, not sure if they have a backup battery to store settings while battery is getting changed or not.
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