Body composition scales?

[Jeffmac69]

Are there any recommendations for scales which measure weight & composition. I bought one years ago, but the body fat measurement was all over the place. I just need a scale which will give accurate measurements. Thanks in advance.
Loving my keto lifestyle.

[amwassil]

Don’t waste money. They don’t work. Get the best simple weight scale you can afford of the balance beam type. There’s a reason these are in every doctor’s office everywhere. As for body fat, short of DEXA scans, the most reliable measures are calipers and a tape measure.

[ZuleikaD]

I bought a new one recently that I like. But first, a caveat: BF% measurements on home scales are still notoriously unreliable. They are measuring by impedance and can be easily affected by water weight and when you last pooped. You’ll get slightly better accuracy if you buy one that has a secondary part with handles that you need to hold for the BF% measurement. But I’m not sure if it’s better enough to be worth the money. I decided it wasn’t for me. I figure I’m getting a general trend and it’s a close enough estimate. If you want accuracy, you need a DEXA scan.

The recommendations:

• I recently bought a Tanita BC-533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor. Tanita makes extremely reliable scales, including lots of the bigger scales you see in doctors’ offices. I replaced a 15-year-old Tanita that had gotten unreliable (but still functioned) after I drowned it in a minor bathroom flood and one of the springs rusted. Tanita scales don’t connect to the internet or have smart phone apps.
• If you want something that’s internet connected, look for the Withings Body+ scale. It’s recommended by both PC Mag and Tom’s Guide. Older models may also be branded Nokia. This is only fully functional if you create an account and use the smartphone app.

Both are available on Amazon and possibly at some of the other usual suspects.

[4dml]

I use a Weight Gurus scale. It pairs via bluetooth to my phone using their proprietary app, and it syncs with my FitBit and MyFitnessPal. This automation makes it easy to track long term trends and spot patterns that may be based on identifiable variables (ie. sleep, exercise, diet).

As others have mentioned, the BIA algorithm used to calculate %BF may not be very accurate (correct) but it is precise (consistent) and that’s what is needed to identify trends. I find this feedback essential for keeping me motivated on a day to day basis. I get a DEXA scan quarterly so that I have an accurate measurement of my %BF. The numbers do not match. It’s nice to know what my %BF is (and where it’s located), but the DEXA is not frequent enough to provide actionable information in the short term.

Amazon.com: Bluetooth Smart Body Fat Scale by Weight Gurus, Secure Connected...

[CrackerJax]

I have a renpho scale. It is supposed to measure lots of things but I don’t trust it really. It always says I am dehydrated which cannot be true.
I like that it goes to my phone and gives me a graph.
I am a very sad person as I have kept my old scales and will only step on thr Renpho ones if I have lost! I don’t want a messy up and down graph😂

[Emacfarland]

I’m a certified personal trainer, and regularly do BF assessments using an InBody. I have two scales at home that measure BF and have calibrated them against the InBody to see which is more accurate, since the InBody is probably the most accurate as far as impedance scales go. My older composition scale is actually much closer to the InBody than my newer one. I’m thinking it’s because they both have a handle feature whereas my newer one does not. To give you an idea of the discrepancy between the older model and the newer one, I will get a readout of 8% BF on the older scale and 16% on the newer. The InBody will read 9%. So pretty big differences. I think you can get a decent idea of the range you’re in for body comp on an at home scale. Just know they’re not all going to give you the same numbers!

[Rclause]

I think the trick is to use the body fat % as not an actual accurate reading but an indicator of whether you are gaining or losing.

[RobC]

Yes - I think trending is all you can really get for most home scales.

Even “dunk tank” and DEXA testing give out very different body fat numbers and can only be used to compare to like for like for trends.

To really get even reasonably accurate trending you need to measure under very consistent conditions too. Especially cutting off all liquids the previous day at a consistent time.

[charlie3]

I have the Renpho scale (amazon) at less than $25. I get on it first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening since the beginning of september. I compare body fat % from the scale with photo comparison charts of physiques available online. That comparison is close enough. I’m lifting and want to know if I’m increasing muscle mass (the goal is a pound a month). The Renpho scale is measuring trends, at least month to month, which I confirm with my workout log and looking in the mirror. I’m happy with the scale and have data to back up my view. I would gladly pay a premium for a better scale if I knew what to buy. Handle bars sound promising but there also needs to be a connection to my phone and a useful app to work with the data. Renpho data can be backed up but there is no way to transfer it to the Renpho app on a new phone. That’s a negative. My experience is bio impedence data is useful after some months of data and the inherent shortcomings are allowed for.

[AnnieBobAnnie]

I bought a Karada Omrom set of scales a few years ago.
Over the years I saw my body fat % increase, and the visceral fat score go up. I also saw the kg go up.
I was quite sure the scales were broken and the dryer was shrinking my clothes…
Nope. I was getting to be a large unit.
I found keto and my scales started to work properly again.
As a day by day measure they can be a bit off. But as a monthly trend they can be useful. As reliable as a tape measure that can be a bit tighter one day than the next, depending on whether you are breathing in or out.
Always weigh at the same time, so you have a reliable pattern of hydration etc in your body.
For some folk, the scales cause mental distress especially when daily weighing, and an uptake of a few pounds can destroy their sense of purpose.
So know yourself first and weigh with the frequency that suits your mental wellbeing best.
I weigh myself about once a fortnight. And i adjust my eating accordingly.
Good luck.

[Erik_Knudson]

I own a wonderful $19.99 weight watchers scale. I love it. And it reminds me that my WOE now was the best and healthiest choice I’ve ever made. #kcko

[doorgirl]

I have a Quardio 2 that I love. I don’t expect perfection on the body fat %, but it has trended with my observations in my body shape, size, and clothing fit. It hops up when I am bloated from eating the wrong foods, but I view that as a confirmatory “uh oh” rather than an accurate gain of fat. Once I get the body calmed back down I get a good return to the same level.

My favorite feature is the app and automatic downloads. I also really like how you can have the scale simply indicate that the reading is complete rather than giving you results which should be helpful for people who get bent out of shape by daily variations.

It isn’t cheap, but given that with dumb scales I only record “good” results in my log I needed something to keep me honest. And I’m very happy with this scale.

[Rclause]

I like the automatic logging and the trend graph. I will bet you can’t guess the day I started keto!

[KBG]

I found keto and my scales started to work properly again.

[charlie3]

I’ll chime in one more time. Everybody agrees that the point with weight loss is to lose fat, not muscle. A bio impedence smart scale will help keep track of lean mass. If muscle weight is going down then may be there needs to be modifications to diet and activity so muscle loss doesn’t happen. A smart scale is accurate enough to help keep track of that.

[Rclause]

accurate enough to help keep track of that.

I agree, it shows trends but I don’t need to set my watch by it.

[kristenpe]

Bioimpedance analysis is just the main “joke” of smart scales for me personally. This method is based on the impedance - the ability of tissues to conduct. In simple terms, when we get up on the bathroom scale, a current is sent through our feet. The speed with which it passes through the whole body and returns back allows us to draw conclusions about the composition of the body. Therefore, do not assume that home “smart” scales are fake and they do not know how to do anything. Buy proven models from manufacturers you can trust and everything will be OK.