Bathroom Scales

Best bathroom scales

We found the best reviews overall for Tanita brand bathroom scales, in particular the Tanita Scale Plus Body Fat Monitor series. All of these scales, which differ mainly in looks and small features, are digital scales powered by four included AA batteries. The basic Tanita BF679W (*est. $50) measures body fat in .5-percent increments and has a two-user memory feature for tracking your weight and BMI measurements. This bathroom scale has a 300-pound weight limit. The Tanita BF680W (*est. $60) also has a 300-pound weight limit and two-user memory, but measures body fat in smaller .1-percent increments. The Tanita BF681W (*est. $70) measures BMI in .1-percent increments, has a 330-pound user weight limit and a four-user memory. The newest model is the Tanita BF683W (*est. $80) which has three modes (adult, child and athlete) and keeps track of the last ten weight and body fat measurements by date.

These Tanita bathroom scales top the charts for accuracy and consistency among digital scales. Reviews say these two facets matter most. Reviews also say the numbers on the readout are larger enough for most people to read comfortably. These scales also come with a ten-year warranty. The Tanita Scale Plus models also get good reviews among owners who say the weight feature is more consistent than the body-fat monitor (this is a universal complaint about this type of scale).

If you're a "gadget" person, you might appreciate the Tanita BC554 Ironman Innerscan Body Composition Monitor Elite (*est. $130) . This pricey digital scale measures weight, body fat, body water, muscle mass, bone mass, metabolic age, visceral fat, physique rating and daily calorie intake. By the user's programming in age, gender, height, current weight and activity level, the Innerscan can calculate accurate measurements. The weight capacity is 330 pounds and the scale measures in pounds, kilograms and stone. The scale can store data for up to four people. The Innerscan also has a guest mode for visitors and an athlete mode for those on a rigorous fitness regimen. For most people this scale is probably overkill. Owner opinion is mixed, but mainly positive. A few owners complain that there really isn't a manual to show you how to use all the various features.

The Homedics Tri-Fitness HealthStation SC-560 (*est. $70) is well liked by experts. In a review at Prevention magazine, it was deemed most accurate. This modern-looking scale measures weight in pounds or kilograms, and also can measure the percentage of body fat, body water, muscle mass and bone mass to 0.1 percent accuracy. The 2-inch, 3-line display is bright and easy to read. It can save data for four users and has an athlete mode for lean and muscular body types. To help you manage your weight the scale predicts your daily calorie needs based on real and ideal weight. The Tri-Fitness operates on a 9-volt battery and has a lifetime warranty. We found good user reviews for the Homedics scale, which measures up to 350 pounds.

If you need something with a higher weight limit but don't care about measuring body fat, we found generally good comments regarding the Weight Watchers Glass Electronic Scale WW43 (*est. $65) , also sold as the Conair WW43. This bathroom scale has a capacity of 380 pounds, with a backlit 1.5-inch display. Its circular glass surface is visually appealing, but some owners say that while it looks nice, their feet don't fit that well on it. This digital scale comes with a lithium battery that never needs changing. User reviews are good overall, with a few complaints about inconsistent readings.

If you have a hard time reading the digits on bathroom scales, you might consider a talking scale, which can announce your weight. The Taylor 7080 Talking Scale (*est. $50) gets better reviews than some others, but a few users say the voice isn't that easy to understand. This model costs less than most talking scales. The Taylor 7080 digital scale has a weight capacity of 330 pounds, and it can also announce weight in kilograms or stone. Users can choose from English, Spanish and French. The lithium battery doesn't need changing.

Another talking scale is the Talking Glass Top Scale (*est. $55) from Dynamic Living. This nice looking digital scale has a weight capacity of 440 pounds. There is a large LCD display and the talking feature can be turned on and off. The scale announces weight in pounds or kilograms. The few reviews this model get are very good. The speaking voice is loud and articulate say owners. This model uses 4 AA batteries. This scale is easier to find in stores than the Taylor model, which seems to be frequently out of stock.

If you don't need anything fancy, we saw decent reviews for the Weight Watchers Precision Electronic Scale WW11D (*est. $30) , but some complain it's not as consistent as more expensive bathroom scales. There is an easy to read 1.3 inch display, a lifetime lithium battery, a “tap-on” scale activator, a large 12” x 12” platform and a wide handle to carry the scale around. The WW11D measures in both pounds and kilograms and has a weight capacity of 330 pounds. This simple digital scale measures weight only.

The Taylor 7009 Electronic Scale (*est. $18) is even less expensive, and it gets the same sort of mixed reviews as most bathroom scales in its price range, with some owners perfectly happy and others complaining about durability, accuracy and consistency. Its capacity is 300 pounds, and it also measures in kilograms. A lithium battery is installed in the scale. While it is less expensive than the Weight Watchers WW11D above, its LCD display and size are smaller.

There are plenty of inexpensive analog bathroom scales still out there, but we didn't find reviews for many of these. The Taylor 4830 Speedometer Dial Scale (*est. $13) is a basic mechanical scale that measures your weight up to 300 pounds. A rotating arm indicates weight on a dial.

The Tanita HA520 (*est. $13) has a 280-pound capacity. It is durable and has an easy-to-read rotating dial. Unlike other models, the HA520 has a built-in handle should you need to carry it anywhere. This scale comes only in white. One user at Amazon.com says that the scale is very accurate, although sometimes it has to be reset to zero.

Important Features: Bathroom scales

Reviewers say the following about shopping for a bathroom scale:

• Consistency is key. If you're trying out a scale in a store, it should give you the same reading each time you step on and off.

• Look for an easily readable display. The larger the window and dial on analog scales the better. Some electronic scales have extra-large numbers or a backlit LCD, which makes reading much clearer. A few scales now have speech functions that announce the weight.

• Don't count on accurate body-fat measurements. Experts say that body-fat scales don't use a very accurate method of determining BMI. However, most scales can measure consistently, so you'll be able to measure progress.

• For family use, look for scales with a memory for two, four or more people. These scales can remember your last measurements. Some fancier models can analyze the data.

• Digital scales need batteries, usually four AA or a lithium battery. Lithium batteries last longer.

• Pacemaker users and pregnant women should not use body-fat scales. The small electrical pulse used by these scales could interfere with pacemakers, and may be harmful to pregnant women.

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of picks	Model(with retailer links)	Details from Amazon.com
4	Tanita Scale Plus Body Fat Monitor BF series (*est. $40 to $80)	details
2	Taylor Body Fat Analyzer and Scale 5553 (*est. $55)	-
1 each	Tanita: BC-554 , BC-552 , BC-532, BC-533 , HC-372 , HD-351 , Ironman InnerScan BC-558 Other brands: Weight Watchers 89624, Weight Watchers Glass Precision scale , Hanson Talking Scale HCV800, Terrailon TFA-20, Terrailon TFA-10, Salter 998, Homedics Tri-Fitness , Homedics LCD scale , Propert Body Fat Scale, Tech Digital , Omron HBF-400 , Tefal Bodymaster 79570, Body Balance Pacific, Health o meter 402RL , Big Digit Electronic scale, Taylor Talking Scale 7080, Omron HBF-306

By a wide margin, we found the most positive reviews for Tanita scales, which get the best ratings for accuracy and consistency overall. Experts particularly recommend the scales in the Tanita BF series, which measure weight and body fat. We found a couple of good professional reviews for the Taylor Body Fat Analyzer and Scale 5553, but users give it mixed reviews. After Tanita, we found sporadic reviews for other scales and some specialty bathroom scales.

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