Which scale should i trust

Accuracy of smart scales on weight and body composition : observational study. Assessment of adult body composition using bioelectrical impedance: comparison of researcher calculated to machine outputted values. BMJ Open. Published Jan 7. The accuracy of bioelectrical impedance to track body composition changes depends on the degree of obesity in adolescents with obesity. Nutr Res. Accuracy and consistency of weights provided by home bathroom scales.

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These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Weight Management. By Emily Stone. Emily Stone. Learn about our editorial process. The 11 Best Smart Scales of Our Top Picks. Best Overall:. A scale that goes above and beyond by monitoring weight, body fat, water percentage, muscle mass, and body mass.

Best Function:. Known for its accuracy and user-friendly capabilities, the scale provides a fast, accurate, no-frills reading. Best Accuracy:. This digital scale has four weighing sensors that work together to ensure accuracy within 0. Best Smart Scale:. The scale syncs to an app so you can view your weight trends over time, track exercise, log food, and set health goals.

Best Smart Scale Runner-Up:. This top-notch scale from Garmin measures weight, BMI, bone and muscle mass, and recognizes up to 16 users. Best Budget:. A scale that includes auto-calibration technology, multiple units of measure, step-on activation, and auto shut-off features.

Best Analog:. A built-in alarm reminds users to weigh in at the same time each day, ensuring consistent and accurate readings. Best Portable:. Weighing only 1. Best Weight Capacity:. This scale boasts a large, stable platform that holds up to pounds and includes a unique talking feature. Best Design:. The sleek smart scale features a tempered glass finish and a large LED display, tastefully blending into any room. In This Article Expand. Our Picks. What to Look for. Why Trust Us?

Pros Accurate readings Auto user recognition User-friendly. Cons App needs improvement. Pros Sleek design Simple user interface Precise and accurate weight measurement. Cons No backlight on digital readout. Pros Low-profile design Automatically calibrates Easy setup. Cons Requires special batteries. Pros Sleek design Pairs well with app Keeps your information private. Cons Less informative than other options.

View On Backcountry. Pros Provides in-depth health metrics Autoloads data to Garmin Connect Recognizes up to 16 different users. Cons Screen wake can be temperamental. The 10 Best Food Scales of Cons No backlight on LCD display. Pros Analog and digital readout options Built-in alarm builds consistency Low-step, 1-inch clearance. Cons Shape more difficult to store than square and rectangular options. Pros Small and lightweight second hold feature Automatically shuts off.

Cons Lower weight capacity than other options. I'm trying nto loose weight too, and I weigh myself every morning, before my shower, after I have been to the loo, naked. My weight varies by as much as two kilogrammes!

It's not the scales, it's physiology! It would be better if we BOTH weighed ourselves once a week, same day, same conditions - naked is best - to smooth out short term variations in our actual body weight and lookked for a long term improvement! That only works if it's already been proven linear up to the total weight it's supposed to weigh.

That's definitely not a safe assumption without extra measuerments. Join Date Mar Posts 3, Originally Posted by JohnD. You must have a far more permissive pharmacy than the one where I tried to do that. Join Date Dec Posts 14, The balance scale remains among one of the most accurate scales today, and is commonly used for calibrating test weights. For weighing heavier masses people, beef , designs with an off-center beam and a poise small, sliding weight used for fractional weight measurements are used.

For very heavy weights trucks a cantilevered beam system is used. Household bathroom scales may be "electronic," but they're often off by a couple of pounds. Go with the commercial scales. Originally Posted by mugaliens. Mugs said "often off by a couple of pounds", which means having a reading of kg even if you're really kg is well within that variation. I will repeat what I said before take a set of matching measurements, preferably by bringing your scales with you when you're getting weighed.

Record the two measurements, do it a couple of times and see if they fit reasonably linearly in an X-Y scatter graph. If it is fairly linear it can't be entirely linear because the scales are rounding to the nearest number they can show , then you can use the graph to convert from the numbers your scales show to your real weight. If you don't make such a conversion to real weight, then having your home scales is going to be a long series of small discouragements because you'll think you gained weight each time you step on them after having weighed yourself on calibrated scales.

Join Date Apr Posts 1, I have tried weighing suitcases on bathroom scales of various kinds, and putting one directly on the scales doesn't give a remotely sensible reading.

It seems to be because it does not contact the pressure sensors in the right way. It is expecting a person with two feet to stand on it. Again I have not got remotely sensible readings, sometimes the suitcase has a negative weight by this method. I think this is because typically I redistributed the pressure on my feet when holding a the suitcase, and one way of changing the reading big time on a bathroom scale is to lean to one side or the other. Maybe if I could balance the suitcase on my head I might get a sensible reading.

I find I am quite good at judging whether a suitcase is within Ryanair weight limit just by picking it up, so I don't really need the balance. Since my wife is of the opinion that stuff squeezed in at the last minute somehow weighs less than if they were put in earlier, scientific approaches don't work to well anyway.

I conclude that typical bathroom scales are very primitive devices. The weight they show seems to depend substantially on the way the weight contacts the pressure sensor.

How can they get away with selling them? By not making excessive claims for their accuracy. The package may have said "reading to one decimal place", but that does not imply its accuracy is to 1dp. In fact I suspect they probably made no claim whatsoever for its accuracy. Legally, all you were buying was a bathroom ornament. Precision instruments cost money, and probably require time-consuming procedures for repeatability. Originally Posted by Ivan Viehoff.

I checked its accuracy by weighing an empty 5 gallon bucket with my postage scale, then filling it with 5 gallons as measured using a large and accurate 4l lab flask. The results are that the scale is 0. Accuracy is about getting close to the truth within an acceptable margin of error; a measurement can vary a bit, but still be good enough for all intents and purposes.

It takes about 6 pounds to shift your body mass index by a full unit. In her study, Yorkin pointed out that this is well above the margin of error for even a crappy bathroom scale, which she found could be as much as a pound or so, a wider margin of error than that of our picks. To minimize confusing fluctuations in the number you see on the dial, scale makers advise weighing yourself at a consistent time of day, like right when you wake up, which can help minimize shifts in your weight from hydrating and eating.

Exactly how often you should weigh yourself depends on your goals. If weight loss or maintenance is your aim, research suggests that a daily weight check will keep you on track. Though if you have anxiety around your weight or disordered eating tendencies, regular weigh-ins may not benefit you at all; you and your doctors know best.