Choosing a good scale

I'm surprised that I couldn't find any topics about this out there already. I need/want to buy a scale because I've been using other people's all summer, and now that I'm in school again (where no one has scales) I have no idea what I weigh. But since I will probably be using it for a long time, I want to make sure the one I pick is good. However, I can't just go for the highest priced one because I'm a college student who needs to be careful with money. So what is your advice? Is it helpful to have body fat % and/or water % on your scale? How about digital vs. the other kind of scale? Are there any specific brands or models you recommend that are fairly common?

I would love to hear other peoples' opinion on this as well.  I currently have a digital scale with a body fat percentage element, but I'm not convinced the body fat portion is all that accurate.  Or maybe I don't want it to be ~ lol ~ since it regularly tells me I'm over 30%!

If I was in college, with limited space and money, I would buy an inexpensive digital, but also find some place with a traditional doctor's scale to occasionally weigh in on also. Occasionally digitals become unreliable.  Some forum members report of this problem. I had one go whacky on me, and I gained 8 pounds without realizing. After that I bought a doctor's scale... a Detecto.  I have had it 25 years, and has been a wonderful investment.  You can get doctor's scale for about $200.  For a college student, not a good option. 

 to what buddhagirley responsed... i am also very confused how those digital scales can calculate our body fat %. Last time I checked my body fat % online, i had measure several parts of my body with a measuring tape, as well as provide my height, activity level, and age. very confused...

I'm not sure what everyone is talking about digital scales going wacky. What do they do? I have a weight watchers digital scale, and I think it's pretty accurate. I bought it a few years ago, but I know it can't have been that expensive. Try wal-mart or target.

When I was first pregnant, being so careful to gain the right amount of weight each month... going to the doctor every month for a check up and weigh in. One month my scale went off so that I was actually much heavier than I thought, got lectured by the doc... but it was my scale.  Other forum members have scales that show a different reading when they step on them... like different readings a minute a part. A woman in my gym also has one that started to read wrong. So she weighs in at the gym on a doctor's scale too.  So I like my doctor's scale... has always been accurate.

thanks for all your suggestions. does anyone else have any?

There's a thread around here somewhere that points to a Consumer Products evaluation on scales. The one here was very highly rated. I don't own it, but when I buy a new one, this is the one I'll be getting.

Hi--when I was in college and had no money, I would go to the infirmary/dispensary/nurse's office on campus and they would let me weigh myself.  Dr. scale with no additional cost to you--it's included in your tuition.  My digital scale has me weighing the same as my husband down to the tenth, just because I get on after he done with it.   Do some searched, like consumer reports if you really want to buy one.

my digital taylor that recalibrates when you step off hasnt gone wacky for almost a year now.

it weighed me more than an analog. it does body fat too by shooting an electrical charge up one foot and it returns to the scale through the other foot. you have to dampen you feet.
also hydration affects the body fat read out. i find that method to be a rough guestimate.


i would use the one the school has too if i wanted to be super cheap.

my old analog was also a taylor. i had it for 5 years..maybe more.
i was weighing me 7 pounds lighter...but it also had a few people close to 300 stepping on it. it was only 10 bucks. so i do think it was great for what i paid for it.

the taylor one was 20...i think 40 retail...but i got it on ebay for cheaper.

overstock.com has high end scales for cheap too.

The digital scales check your body fat by shooting electricity through you and taking a measurement of how long it takes to go through you; fat and muscle and bone all conduct electricity at different weights.  If you think about it, that should actually be more accurate than a tape measure since 6 inches would be the same whether it was fat or muscle...

I'm not sure how accurate they are overall, but mine does seem to reflect the fact that I have been working on turning my fat to muscle.  Although my weight has not changed I have lost inches and my body fat has dropped according to my Tanita scale.

I meant "conduct electricity at different speeds" ...Sorry! 

Hey, digital scales are the most accurate scales only if it has a lithium battery. Digital scales with normal AA or AAA batteries can go whacky b/c as the batteries die, the weight is altered. Lithium batteries are supposed to be lifetime and should be pretty accurate. Also, body fat is measured by an electric signal that is sent from the bottom of you feet through your body. The signal bounces off of muscle and is absorbed in fat. Similar thing goes for how it reads water. The BF measuremnts are pretty accurate but the most accurate is when you get measured or go to the doctor. I would reccomend a Tanita BF and water scale. They are sold at Bed Bath and Beyond and are 39.99 and if you have a coupon you save $6. And you can find Tanita BF and weight for $29 there as well. I work at BBB and we take classes on all the different types of products and that is how I know a ton on scales...lol :)

Hope this helps, Amanda :)

I agree with sthmandies8187-
Recently bought the exact one she talks about, with coupon, and have been much happier with it than with the HoMedics one I had several years ago.
However, I have gotten where I just ignore the BF and Water analysis; read the booklet; there are SO many variables affecting those that at THIS point in MY plan, they aren't my main concerns. I just wanted a more reliable scale than my big dial, needle, Detecto.
I still have between 36-40 pounds to lose, and am working out at the gym while losing it. I figure when I have lost the weight, THEN I can start paying attention to BF, etc. Right now, I KNOW I have too much body fat!! I don't need anything electronic to tell me that! :)

I have the OMRON 500.  I love it!  While I don't know how accurate the BMI readings are they do give me a changing trend to look at.

Health-o-meter

It's the only scale I've ever used and had the exact same numbers later that day when I went to the doctors office. I love that. It does both  weight and body fat as well. You can order them online at the target site.

when the digital scales measures your body fat it sends an electric wave through your body to measure it

i bought one cheap scale from meijer (big dept store in midwest) for about $35, which was inaccurate, off by about 30 pounds when i first stepped on it.  i returned it.  then i bought a similarly priced scale from walmart which was also inaccurate--i could step on the scale, step off, step on again, and my weight would vary by about 8 pounds.

i weighed myself at a Bally's health club scale (after asking permission from the club owner) and got one reading, then a couple weeks later i happened to be at a small health fair where i stepped on a doctor's scale and got exactly the same weight.  it was about 30 days later that i tried the meijer and walmart scales.

so i am glad for your question because i also need a good quality scale.  but in response to those who recommend the digital scales available for relatively modest prices i say those scales are really not so good.

there should be free health clinics where you can step on a good quality scale and get a BP reading for free, to help monitor people's health...