Bathroom Scale Review

Comparing accuracy and ease of use of bathroom scales

You may have noticed that analog bathroom scales (which have a mechanical needle to indicate weight) are slowly disappearing and are being replaced by digital scales promising more features and better accuracy. However, comparison reviews show that accuracy isn't always great, even on digital scales. We found the most credible comparison of bathroom scales and body-fat monitors (which also measure weight) at Good Housekeeping, where editors test 20 scales for accuracy, ease of use, durability, and appearance. Real Simple also tests several scales and then lists the six standouts. There's a similar but older comparison in Australia's Choice magazine, along with a good roundup of scales in Prevention magazine.

Consumer Reports tested body-fat scales back in 2004, but hasn't tested regular bathroom scales in over a decade. We also examined user reviews at Amazon.com, Epinions.com, Target.com and Walmart.com, where owners especially focus on consistency. While reviews say most home scales can be off by a pound or two, a bathroom scale should at least be consistent. Some owners report different readings each time they step on or off a scale -- even within minutes.

Users at Amazon.com give poor reviews to the Weight Watchers Weight Tracking and Body Analysis WW89T (*Est. $55), saying that although it is loaded with lots of neat features, it is very difficult to read and the various measurements scan through too quickly to note them. The Taylor Lithium Slim Scale 7322 (*Est. $25) also gets very low scores. Owners report that the plastic platform can break after a month or two of use, and some find that the scale stops working altogether. All complain about the inaccurate readouts with most stating that their weight reading changed after just a few minutes. We found similar mixed reviews on consistency for the Health o meter HDR900KD-01 Digital Scale (*Est. $20), another digital bathroom scale. One person claims that her weight varied by as much as 10 pounds each time she weighed herself in a short period of time. The HoMedics SC-403 Glass Top Lithium LCD Scale (*Est. $50) gets similar mixed reviews from owners.

Measuring body fat is a feature that's been around for several years now on bathroom scales. Fitness experts agree that monitoring your body fat can be a better way to keep track of changes in your fitness level. Because muscle weighs more than fat, if you increase muscle mass there may not be any weight loss at all, but your fitness will have improved.

While experts agree that monitoring your body fat is often a better measure of fitness than measuring weight, experts are mixed on whether a home scale is of much use in this area. In laboratories and fitness facilities, body fat is measured by using calipers or an expensive water-immersion tank that measures muscle density. A home body-fat scale, on the other hand, sends a small and harmless electrical pulse through your body in an attempt to gauge body density. Electricity travels differently through muscle than through fat, so the scale tries to estimate your body fat by measuring how that current travels through your body. Be aware that people with pacemakers should not use body-fat scales because the electronic pulse could interfere with your pacemaker.

The problem, say experts (including those at Consumer Reports), is that this method of estimating body-fat percentage just isn't very accurate compared to the results you'd get in a lab. In addition, the reading can be affected by a myriad of factors, including your level of hydration, the temperature of your skin or by how recently you have had a workout. So while experts agree that most bathroom scales claiming to measure body fat may not be very accurate, some scales are at least consistent. If you're careful to weigh yourself at the same time of the day and when your body is in a normal state, you could use one of these body-fat scales to measure your progress. Here again, consistency is what's key.

While analog scales are hard to find these days, some are more reliable than a digital bathroom scale. Experts say a medical scale is the way to go if you want a reliable, accurate and consistent scale. These are the kinds of scales you see in doctors' offices and gyms that use metal weights to counterbalance a horizontal bar. They are easy to use and give you an accurate and visible weight measurement. A home version of this type of scale is the Health o meter 402KL (*Est. $230). While expensive, it gets nearly perfect reviews for ease of use, accuracy and consistency.