ACCURATE SCALES

mel5989
mel5989 Posts: 80
edited December 23 in Health and Weight Loss
My scales varied 3 lbs this morning in a matter of 60 seconds. They are digital and I dont believe they are accurate. What is a good, accurate brand to buy?

Replies

  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    Are you sure your weren't moving a little? If I am having a particularly groggy morning, mine can do that!

    That said, I have both a Tanita Ironman scale and the Fitbit Aria. Both are very accurate and repeatable.
  • mel5989
    mel5989 Posts: 80
    Can you buy these brands anywhere? Like walmart?
  • heatherina1983
    heatherina1983 Posts: 35
    I got asda (wal-mart) ones. Non-digital as my digital ones didn't seem to work very well. 5 pounds difference over night. My new ones say I am 14 pounds lighter then the digital ones, very chuffed =p
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    Thing I dont like about Aria is the body fat% can be off by 2-3%.
  • angeldaae
    angeldaae Posts: 348 Member
    If you have had the scale a while (like a few years) it may just need a new battery. Inconsistency is a tell-tale sign that the battery is going dead.
  • dougii
    dougii Posts: 679 Member
    My Tanita Body Fat Monitor/Scale is very accurate - never varies by more than .2 pounds (and I test it regularly). Got it at Target. Can't speak to how accurate the body fat measurment is as I have nothing to compare to. Of course I really like the scale my wife uses....apparently by going upstairs to weigh in you lose a little over a pound - must be a gravity thing (LOL).
  • mel5989
    mel5989 Posts: 80
    If you have had the scale a while (like a few years) it may just need a new battery. Inconsistency is a tell-tale sign that the battery is going dead.
    Thanks! A new battery did the trick:)
  • mel5989
    mel5989 Posts: 80
    Thanks for your input everyone. I appreciate your time:)
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    Thing I dont like about Aria is the body fat% can be off by 2-3%.

    All scales that use this type of measurement (Bioelectrical impedance analysis) are off. They are designed to be quick, easy, cheap, and non-intrusive. But, if you are just using it as a comparative to see how you are changing, it works fine. Just like any other measurement, if you try to keep all the other variables the same, it is fairly repeatable for something that costs $100!

    http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1303&context=ijes

    heatherina198 - having a 5 lb difference between night and morning is a pretty common thing and probably isn't your scale. The only thing you probably did was trade in a digital scale that was accurate enough to see a difference with a mechanical scale that hides it.
  • heatherina1983
    heatherina1983 Posts: 35
    No, the digital ones are broken. I weighed myself on another set of scales and it more closely matched the mechanical ones. The broken digital ones told me I was 14 lbs heavier =(
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    lol, ok. Well then saying the digital scales didn't seem accurate sounds a little unfair! Maybe "my digital scales broke so I bought a set of mechanical ones" would have been more clear! However, I still stand by my statement that the "home use" mechanical spring scale is not nearly as repeatable as a new digital scale.
  • mnowens
    mnowens Posts: 71
    I had a Health-O-Meter digital scale and it was horribly inconsistent. I got this one last week and it's awesome.

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001KXZ808/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00
  • mel5989
    mel5989 Posts: 80
    well..I THOUGHT a new battery fixed mine but I just put on 13lbs of dumb bells and it reads 3 lbs?????????
  • kiminikimkim
    kiminikimkim Posts: 746 Member
    I bought mine @ Canadian Tire when it was on sale. It is from Starfrit, although the programming is a pain in the *kitten* it has been pretty accurate so far. I tried finding the exact model for you but it appears they don't carry it anymore.

    Here is another model from Starfrit @ $9.99 but without the Body Fat % calculations: (copy paste link below into browser.)

    http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/3/HouseHome/BathroomDecor/BathroomScales/PRD~0997922P/Starfrit+iFit+Bathroom+Scale.jsp?locale=en
  • kiminikimkim
    kiminikimkim Posts: 746 Member
    well..I THOUGHT a new battery fixed mine but I just put on 13lbs of dumb bells and it reads 3 lbs?????????


    Digital scales can't read anything accurately below a certain weight (around 50lbs), check your manual. I know mine says in the manual it can't give accurate readings from anything under 45lbs.
  • kgprice11
    kgprice11 Posts: 749 Member
    Fitbit scales are accurate but with any technology it needs calibrated every so often so I try to do that every few weeks to keep it "updated"
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    well..I THOUGHT a new battery fixed mine but I just put on 13lbs of dumb bells and it reads 3 lbs?????????


    Digital scales can't read anything accurately below a certain weight (around 50lbs), check your manual. I know mine says in the manual it can't give accurate readings from anything under 45lbs.

    You can test it by standing on the scale then stand on the scale holding the dumbbell. Your weight should increase by the weight of the dumbbel
  • angeldaae
    angeldaae Posts: 348 Member
    well..I THOUGHT a new battery fixed mine but I just put on 13lbs of dumb bells and it reads 3 lbs?????????


    Digital scales can't read anything accurately below a certain weight (around 50lbs), check your manual. I know mine says in the manual it can't give accurate readings from anything under 45lbs.

    This is correct.

    Try weighing yourself and record the weight. Then pick up the dumbbells (try to hold them so their weight is centered) and weigh yourself again. Hopefully the difference will be about 13 pounds.
  • mitchipooo
    mitchipooo Posts: 85 Member
    I've had a Tanita Ultimate Body Fat scale for several years (close to 10 I think) and it's super accurate. Matches exactly with the scale at the doctor's office.
  • Healthy_Melva
    Healthy_Melva Posts: 91 Member
    Fitbit scales are accurate but with any technology it needs calibrated every so often so I try to do that every few weeks to keep it "updated"

    How do you calibrate the scale, please?
  • jhawkgirl91
    jhawkgirl91 Posts: 4 Member
    I just bought an ARIA scale and I am participating in a weight loss study at a university. This morning I had a weigh in at the university's scale and it was 4 pounds less than the ARIA scale. Basically, I weighed myself at home with no clothes, drove to the university to weigh in for the study and the scale at the university was 4 pounds less than the ARIA. How do I callibrate the scale? I have been looking all over the internet for this info. Any advice? And thanks!
  • Gee_24
    Gee_24 Posts: 359 Member
    Im having no luck, myself.

    My analog scales say I'm 107lbs, but then when I step off of them the dial isn't zero'd properly. So I can't rely on them.

    And my brand new digital scales say I'm anything from 110-123lbs depending on where it is on the floor!

    I forgot to weigh in at the Doctors and my Local Sport centre currently doesn't have a scale so I honestly have no clue what my true weight is. Frustrating.
  • A_Fit_Mom
    A_Fit_Mom Posts: 602 Member
    well..I THOUGHT a new battery fixed mine but I just put on 13lbs of dumb bells and it reads 3 lbs?????????


    Digital scales can't read anything accurately below a certain weight (around 50lbs), check your manual. I know mine says in the manual it can't give accurate readings from anything under 45lbs.

    Both my digital ones measure my children correctly and they are only 31 and 40 pounds. So it must be under 10 pounds.




    Btw, I have three scales. An old analog scale which is always about 3-5 pounds less than the digitals. And then a health o meter, which is pretty accurate. And I just got the eatsmart one from amazon, it has great reviews. It is pretty close to the other digital less than half a pound difference.




    And I just noticed this was a thread from 2012, that was resurrected. Oops.
  • ManyPounds2Lose
    ManyPounds2Lose Posts: 3 Member
    Do you mind listing the model that you have?? Doing some research for an accurate scale and there are so many per manufacturer.
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
    Another thing to watch on digital scales in the temperature of the room and floor you are weighting yourself on..
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/how-to-weigh-yourself-accurately/#inaccuracyofdigitalscales

    Go about half way down...ify our room/fllor is cold it can show a couple of pounds difference...to the bad!

    I had this twice recently. right away i didnt see the result i had hoped. I waited 30 minutes, room and floor warmed up, and got a more accurate and what I had expecte.e
  • edstreiff
    edstreiff Posts: 24 Member
    I had a Health-O-Meter digital scale and it was horribly inconsistent. I got this one last week and it's awesome.

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001KXZ808/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00


    I have this same scale at home, its accurate but you do have to remain still and it needs to be placed on a hard flat surface.
  • mycupyourcake
    mycupyourcake Posts: 279 Member
    Thing I dont like about Aria is the body fat% can be off by 2-3%.
    How does a scale calculate body fat? I've been wondering this for a while.

    OP, if your floor is not level any scale will vary your weight depending on your feet position and your balance.
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    Thing I dont like about Aria is the body fat% can be off by 2-3%.
    How does a scale calculate body fat? I've been wondering this for a while.

    OP, if your floor is not level any scale will vary your weight depending on your feet position and your balance.

    Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis
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