Decent online estimator for body fat %? or can anyone who knows % try this one to see if it's close?

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Verity1111
Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
I'm trying to figure out a general estimate my body fat % even with 5-10% error or something. http://www.active.com/fitness/calculators/bodyfat is what I've found so far. Do you think it could be close at all? I also saw a chart for body fat but it only took into account waist size. I know dexiscan is most accurate, but I just want a rough idea out of curiosity. lol. Not sure if these work or if there's anything close.
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  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    edited May 2017
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    That one seems wayyy off lol this one seems better... http://www.calculator.net/body-fat-calculator.html
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    Seeing as how they won't let you put in partial inches, it's not very close. I ran my numbers and either way I rounded the measurements it was off by 7-12%.
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    edited May 2017
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    usmcmp wrote: »
    Seeing as how they won't let you put in partial inches, it's not very close. I ran my numbers and either way I rounded the measurements it was off by 7-12%.

    I agree. The second one is a bit better. The first was way way off lol it told me 27% and I am obese so um no. The second said something like 40% which is possible. The chart said 30%. Guess I need a scan because thats all way different lol Thanks for trying.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    Verity1111 wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    Seeing as how they won't let you put in partial inches, it's not very close. I ran my numbers and either way I rounded the measurements it was off by 7-12%.

    I agree. The second one is a bit better. The first was way way off lol it told me 27% and I am obese so um no. The second said something like 40% which is possible. The chart said 30%. Guess I need a scan because thats all way different lol Thanks for trying.

    Second one was closer for me.
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
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    usmcmp wrote: »
    Verity1111 wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    Seeing as how they won't let you put in partial inches, it's not very close. I ran my numbers and either way I rounded the measurements it was off by 7-12%.

    I agree. The second one is a bit better. The first was way way off lol it told me 27% and I am obese so um no. The second said something like 40% which is possible. The chart said 30%. Guess I need a scan because thats all way different lol Thanks for trying.

    Second one was closer for me.

    Me too. I am pretty sure I'm somewhere 30-40%. It says 41% so I'll assume I'm near 40%. It's my giant 44" hips that put me up there I think lol. Thank you again!
  • JessicaMcB
    JessicaMcB Posts: 1,503 Member
    edited May 2017
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    Well the first one put me at 27% so I might not put too much stock in that one (or you know, I need to cut again much more urgently than I thought :D ).

    4vv5zcfd6fyo.jpg

    The second put me at 22% which I would say is close given that race season for me only opened last week and I'm above my ideal race weight. I put in my stats from end of last season where I was roughly 18% and it gave me 17%. If you had to choose between the two I'd say go with two.
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    edited May 2017
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    JessicaMcB wrote: »
    Well the first one put me at 27% so I might not put too much stock in that one (or you know, I need to cut again much more urgently than I thought :D ).

    4vv5zcfd6fyo.jpg

    The second put me at 22% which I would say is close given that race season for me only opened last week and I'm kind of a chubby bunny atm. I put in my stats from end of last season where I was roughly 18% and it gave me 17%. If you had to choose between the two I'd say go with two.

    Thank you! I am assuming I am around 40% then. It said 41% I think. I actually have been assuming I was around there, so I'm not shocked, although it is sad because I am only 7lbs from the overweight category (rather than obese) for BMI. I feel my body fat is pretty high for my weight... maybe it's because I was in a wheelchair for a while/immobile. I also put my waist and hips to the highest even # (need to remeasure) so that may change a bit.
  • JessicaMcB
    JessicaMcB Posts: 1,503 Member
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    Verity1111 wrote: »
    JessicaMcB wrote: »
    Well the first one put me at 27% so I might not put too much stock in that one (or you know, I need to cut again much more urgently than I thought :D ).

    4vv5zcfd6fyo.jpg

    The second put me at 22% which I would say is close given that race season for me only opened last week and I'm kind of a chubby bunny atm. I put in my stats from end of last season where I was roughly 18% and it gave me 17%. If you had to choose between the two I'd say go with two.

    Thank you! I am assuming I am around 40% then. It said 41% I think. I actually have been assuming I was around there, so I'm not shocked, although it is sad because I am only 7lbs from the overweight category (rather than obese) for BMI. I feel my body fat is pretty high for my weight... maybe it's because I was in a wheelchair for a while/immobile. I also put my waist and hips to the highest even # (need to remeasure) so that may change a bit.

    I was close to or over that point when I started here- with consistent logging and patience 41% is going to be a distant memory :)
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    JessicaMcB wrote: »
    Well the first one put me at 27% so I might not put too much stock in that one (or you know, I need to cut again much more urgently than I thought :D ).

    4vv5zcfd6fyo.jpg

    The second put me at 22% which I would say is close given that race season for me only opened last week and I'm kind of a chubby bunny atm. I put in my stats from end of last season where I was roughly 18% and it gave me 17%. If you had to choose between the two I'd say go with two.

    first of all you arent chubby and I would say you are less than 22% as it says Im 24% and I have more fat that you(that I can see)
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,979 Member
    edited May 2017
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    My last hydro test on 4/1 was 10.1% at 158#. My last DXA scan on 2/25 was 14% at 159.5#. Have another DXA scan scheduled for 6/3. My DXA scan results are always about 3-4% higher than my hydro test results.

    My weight today was 157.9#; almost exactly the same as on 4/1. I have a lot of muscular definition and defined abs. Most closely resemble a middleweight boxer in size and physique.

    The 1st calculator result was 19%.
    The 2nd calculator result was 16.3%

    Here's another tape measure calculator by Covert Baily (Fit2Fat) that uses more body measurements than the others.

    The result using this calculator was 14.8%, which is the closest for me.

    See: http://www.fat2fittools.com/tools/cbbf/

    Generally speaking, if you're using a tape measure calculator to determine BF%, the more body measurements used the more accurate the calculation will be.

    However, the inherent problem w/using the tape measurement method is that, if you are muscular w/relatively low BF (as I am) , your calculated BF will probably be higher than it actually is because your body measurements are higher than the standards used by the calculator.

    In any event, the Fit2Fat calculator seems to be the most accurate of the 3 for me.
  • JessicaMcB
    JessicaMcB Posts: 1,503 Member
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    JessicaMcB wrote: »
    Well the first one put me at 27% so I might not put too much stock in that one (or you know, I need to cut again much more urgently than I thought :D ).

    4vv5zcfd6fyo.jpg

    The second put me at 22% which I would say is close given that race season for me only opened last week and I'm kind of a chubby bunny atm. I put in my stats from end of last season where I was roughly 18% and it gave me 17%. If you had to choose between the two I'd say go with two.

    first of all you arent chubby and I would say you are less than 22% as it says Im 24% and I have more fat that you(that I can see)

    I meant more in the sense that I am above my "fighting weight" so I don't look as cut. Poor word choice on my part, I'll edit.
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    edited May 2017
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    JessicaMcB wrote: »
    JessicaMcB wrote: »
    Well the first one put me at 27% so I might not put too much stock in that one (or you know, I need to cut again much more urgently than I thought :D ).

    4vv5zcfd6fyo.jpg

    The second put me at 22% which I would say is close given that race season for me only opened last week and I'm kind of a chubby bunny atm. I put in my stats from end of last season where I was roughly 18% and it gave me 17%. If you had to choose between the two I'd say go with two.

    first of all you arent chubby and I would say you are less than 22% as it says Im 24% and I have more fat that you(that I can see)

    I meant more in the sense that I am above my "fighting weight" so I don't look as cut. Poor word choice on my part, I'll edit.

    Also not in a mean way but youre very thin so 22% isnt as much fat as one may assume lol. Im sure you have some fat because you need it to be alive. Lol. And seeing as you dont have like defined abs right now 20-22% seems fine to me. I redid my measurements using point something and I got 39.9% Hey it's under 41 (what it gave me with rough estimates) lol.
  • Aarjono
    Aarjono Posts: 228 Member
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    I think this one is a better calculator:

    http://www.fat2fittools.com/tools/cbbf/
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    edited May 2017
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    sgt1372 wrote: »
    My last hydro test on 4/1 was 10.1% at 158#. My last DXA scan on 2/25 was 14% at 159.5#. Have another DXA scan scheduled for 6/3. My DXA scan results are always about 3-4% higher than my hydro test results.

    My weight today was 157.9#; almost exactly the same as on 4/1. I have a lot of muscular definition and defined abs. Most closely resemble a middleweight boxer in size and physique.

    The 1st calculator result was 19%.
    The 2nd calculator result was 16.3%

    Here's another tape measure calculator by Covert Baily (Fit2Fat) that uses more body measurements than the others.

    The result using this calculator was 14.8%, which is the closest for me.

    See: http://www.fat2fittools.com/tools/cbbf/

    Generally speaking, if you're using a tape measure calculator to determine BF%, the more body measurements used the more accurate the calculation will be.

    However, the inherent problem w/using the tape measurement method is that, if you are muscular w/relatively low BF (as I am) , your calculated BF will probably be higher than it actually is because your body measurements are higher than the standards used by the calculator.

    In any event, the Fit2Fat calculator seems to be the most accurate of the 3 for me.

    That was WAYYYY off lol it said 23.8% That is not even possible... I'm 5'4" 180lbs....

    Measurements:
    (Female)
    Age 27
    Wrist: 6.5
    Waist 33.5
    Hips 43.25
    Neck: 13
    Thigh: 25
    Calves: 16.5
    Forearm: 10

    I found another good one but it uses only whole numbers. But I rounded up then did it again and rounded down and I have a range of 39.88% and 42.1% or something like that so again near 40% so I will assume that is where I'm at! This also makes perfect sense since obese is 40% + and I am 7lbs into the obese category (meaning if I lose 7lbs I am just "overweight") so I guess it is normal-ish for my weight after all...

    EDIT: This is the one I liked! https://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/body-fat-percentage-calculator
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Aarjono wrote: »
    I think this one is a better calculator:

    http://www.fat2fittools.com/tools/cbbf/

    I use the other tools on this site, but tend to toss out the covert bailey as an outlier. The BF and Military are in the ballpark to my scale.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    This is what 27% looks like on me. Measured in my doctor's office. I guess I wear it well...5'7", 135-140 pounds. Seems like it should be lower to me.

    5pgax4fs9sqt.jpg
  • mathjulz
    mathjulz Posts: 5,514 Member
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    I think that different estimators are going to work well for different people. It depends on what measurements they use. Some people may have a higher body fat % but not carry it in the places a certain calculator asks for. If you carry more in your limbs a calculator that only uses waist and hips will give you a lower body fat that someone who is pear shaped.

    Of course, any of these are only as good as the accuracy of your measurements. :wink:

    For me the fist said 33%, the second was 26%, the third was 28.3% ... I haven't done any other assessments recently so I don't know which is closest.
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    edited May 2017
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    mathjulz wrote: »
    I think that different estimators are going to work well for different people. It depends on what measurements they use. Some people may have a higher body fat % but not carry it in the places a certain calculator asks for. If you carry more in your limbs a calculator that only uses waist and hips will give you a lower body fat that someone who is pear shaped.

    Of course, any of these are only as good as the accuracy of your measurements. :wink:

    For me the fist said 33%, the second was 26%, the third was 28.3% ... I haven't done any other assessments recently so I don't know which is closest.

    The last one is best in my opinion! It measures everything - arms in two places, legs in two places, wrist, waist (in two places) and hips! oh and neck and height lol You need to estimate to the nearest whole number but all I did was estimate up and then down and I got a 3% range. :)https://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/body-fat-percentage-calculator
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
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    jenilla1 wrote: »
    This is what 27% looks like on me. Measured in my doctor's office. I guess I wear it well...5'7", 135-140 pounds. Seems like it should be lower to me.

    5pgax4fs9sqt.jpg

    hard to tell since the shirt is loose but yes I would think a little lower than that!
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    edited May 2017
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    Aarjono wrote: »
    I think this one is a better calculator:

    http://www.fat2fittools.com/tools/cbbf/

    I use the other tools on this site, but tend to toss out the covert bailey as an outlier. The BF and Military are in the ballpark to my scale.

    Yeah that one was bad for me!

    Oh I didnt post the good one! It was this: https://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/body-fat-percentage-calculator uses whole numbers but I did it twice (once rounding up and once rounding down) and I got a range of 39.88% and 42.1% which seems right and pretty close for an estimate! 3% range is decent.