Bathroom Scales

Editors at Consumer Reports write that "it's a mistake to make too strong a connection between health and the amount of body fat you have." Six body-fat scales are tested for accuracy and evaluated for… features. Interestingly, editors find that these scales are not always very accurate, but they are at least consistent. In February 2009, Consumer Reports posted an interview with Ed Kippell, that magazine's senior program leader for personal care and wellness. He reports that technology has not improved since their last test of body fat scales, and adds that there's still little reliable data connecting body-fat percentage to health outcomes. For these reasons, Consumer Reports is reluctant to test this type of scale again. An editor at Consumer Reports Health, writing in the health blogs, says that Consumer Reports is considering a new report for the end of 2009.

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This website lists shopping tips and important features for several types of bathroom scales. A chart listing what buyers can expect for their money in each price range also includes product suggestions,… though no particular reason is given as to why. Editors spotlight the Tanita BF-683W Body Fat / Body Water Monitor as the Pronto Pick because of its many features and reasonable price, but it isn't clear if they actually tested the scale.

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Wendy Bumgardner is the walking guide at About.com. Bumgardner has placed some good general information here about weight and body fat. She says that body fat is a better indicator of health than weight.… Also listed are three body-fat monitors that are apparently recommended by Bumgardner. However, only one of the models includes a weight scale and each model gets only a short description of features, with no reference to any testing. Reviews that have a clearly defined testing methodology rank higher in our chart. (ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)

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