Ok, so, I bought a scale several months back, and I hate it. It's a "Taylor Lithium." It gives different readings if I stand on it in different ways, and it consistently gives a reading several pounds lighter than every other scale I encounter, but the difference oscillates.

Can anyone suggest a "good" (read: accurate, reliable) brand and model of bathroom scale? Preferably something I could get at target or linens n things. Digital or analog, doesn't matter. Also, how much would this run me?

Thanks!

3/25/2007 9:01:26 PM

If you don't have a need to know your exact weight (whether you are 196 or 200) then just get an analog one. That way you'll definately know if you gained weight or lost weight every time you step on it.

I bought a Thinner scale (ironic, lol) from Bed Bath and Beyond. You can test them there, so I basically just tested a bunch of them. I'd say 9 out of 10 had the same problem that you're describing of giving a different reading depending on where you stand and whatnot. I eventually found one that was consistant no matter where I stood. I even walked away and came back 10 minutes later to try again and it still read the same weight. That ended up being the model that I bought.

3/25/2007 9:11:22 PM

Quote :

"If you don't have a need to know your exact weight (whether you are 196 or 200) then just get an analog one"

i don't know what analog scales you have seen, but mine is accurate down to a pound.

3/25/2007 9:23:12 PM

I bought a neat scale from amazon.com a while back - I think its called a Tanita

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007Y6BS4/104-2267815-1615133

I got it for less than $40 back in January - I dunno if I got a good deal or what, because its like $120 now - but its neat and is:

Easy-to-read
Highly accurate body composition monitor
4 person memory
Weight, body fat recall, body water and muscle mass recall
Glass and silver

I know they have them on ebay also, but I lucked up and found a 2 day sale, so maybe they might have another one -

3/25/2007 9:27:26 PM

^^ I was referring to them being consistant, but not necessarily accurate. For example, I had one that I calibrated to my weight. It had to be recalibrated often if you wanted it to be accurate and even then it was only accurate at the weight for which it had been calibrated.

3/25/2007 10:09:09 PM

I have a Tanita also that works well


don't really need the bf% feature though because it isn't accurate and I'm sure you could get one cheaper w/o that option

3/25/2007 10:12:21 PM

nevermind

[Edited on March 26, 2007 at 5:37 AM. Reason : jklolz]

3/26/2007 5:29:04 AM

I have the aforementioned Tanita that's usually within 3lbs of what my doctor's scale says. I'm skeptical of the water and fat readings (I swear it's trying to flatter me) but I go by how my clothes fit instead of relying on the scale for that.

3/26/2007 8:24:46 AM

ha, my parents got me a Taylor Lithium for Christmas. I assume it's the cheapest thing on the market. Mine also isn't that precise and probably lowballs, but isn't a big deal for me.

3/26/2007 8:37:18 AM

Take your scale whatever kind it is and find the heaviest dumbell/plate that you have. For instance find a 45lb plate and put it on the scale. Take the reading that the scale gives you and figure out the error of your scale and then just account for the error when you weight yourself.

3/26/2007 12:27:33 PM

I have the same problem with my scale. I can't stand that shit. I'll step off and step back on sometimes and it will read several pounds differently.

3/26/2007 12:43:14 PM

We've come to the age where no one can make even the most minor of purchases without recommendations from TWW.

3/26/2007 1:12:34 PM

Fatty.

3/26/2007 1:17:58 PM

Quote :

"it consistently gives a reading several pounds lighter"

best scale evAr...

3/26/2007 3:39:47 PM

for the most accurate measure, use water displacement procedures in your bathtub

3/26/2007 4:35:13 PM

those of you complaining about scales giving different readings even in consecutive weighings, well, stop buying crap american-branded chinese-made scales.

as anybody knows, you look to europe and japan for precision instruments. (and for most other consumer products as well)

i have been using a scale made by the famous german company SOEHNLE for like 10 years, and it still give accurate readings. (their BASIC ANALOG SCALE, not one of the fancy schmancy ones)

http://www.soehnle.com

i don't know if they are sold in the US or not.

here is their range:

http://www.soehnle.de/SoehnleKW/Produktbereich/ProduktbereichContent.asp?pbid=5&landID=97&langID=97&ulangID=97&guID=


[Edited on March 26, 2007 at 4:50 PM. Reason : food (europe), cars, machines, stationery, electronics, watches, etc etc etc]

3/26/2007 4:40:04 PM

Thanks for all the suggestions! I might not care that much about the differences it gives when standing on it in different ways except that I'm only trying to lose 6-8 lbs, so the 1.5-2 lb inconsistency it gives is pretty substantial when working in such a small weight range. If I was trying to lose like 50lbs, then, yeah, that wouldn't be so bad.

Quote :

"Take your scale whatever kind it is and find the heaviest dumbell/plate that you have. For instance find a 45lb plate and put it on the scale. Take the reading that the scale gives you and figure out the error of your scale and then just account for the error when you weight yourself."

I'm actually kind of embarrassed that I didn't think of that before Still doesn't fix the inconsistency when not standing in the same exact spot. but, then, I guess I could sharpie foot outlines on it

Anyway, if I do get another scale, that Soehnle brand looks awesome, so I'm going to look into those more. Thanks!

Quote :

"Fatty."

3/26/2007 5:59:36 PM

if you keep this in the kitchen, it will surely get you laid!!!



http://www.soehnle.de/SoehnleKW/Produkte/ProduktBildGross.asp?prodid=631&landID=97&langID=97&ulangID=97&guID=




and if you have this in the bathroom... you will get the best sex from any chick who visits you!!!



http://www.soehnle.de/SoehnleKW/Produkte/ProduktBildGross.asp?prodid=352&landID=97&langID=97&ulangID=97&guID=



[Edited on March 26, 2007 at 6:13 PM. Reason : ]

3/26/2007 6:10:44 PM

Quote :

" and if you have this in the bathroom... you will get the best sex from any chick who visits you!!!"

>_< don't want.

<-- am girl.

3/26/2007 6:16:16 PM

haha it was just tww talk!

and i always thought you were a guy. your username is "masculine"

3/26/2007 6:19:31 PM

Nah, it's cool. If the username has no "-chick," "hot-," "-grrl/grl/gurl," or StIcKyCaPs, T-dub statistics show that you kinda have to assume they don't have a va-jay-jay.

3/26/2007 6:25:44 PM

I have a Taylor Lithium. It's definitely not the cheapest. Actually, it's the most expensive of the Wal-Mart variety. (Not that that says a lot). It's quite repeatable. It gives the same measurement if you step back on. You talk about getting different measurements if you stand on it different ways. Common sense would tell you that if you want a good measurement system, you should minimize variation and stand on it the same way every time. Just center yourself. It's not that hard. I do notice that I frequently get exactly the same measurement on multiple days, which seems a bit suspicious. 163.0 is the mode of my current dataset by a long shot.

I'm a nerd.

3/27/2007 12:07:34 AM

We've come to the age where no one can make even the most minor of purchases without recommendations from TWW.

3/27/2007 1:47:19 AM

^^ I bought mine at Target and it was among the cheapest there. I think I got it for $20-22?

When I say stand in different ways-- it's hard for me to center myself on it because my feet are bigger than the "foot goes here" pads on the surface of it. So, if I center my heels and toes both overlapping the lines equally, it says one thing, if I align my heels against the bottom it says another, and if I have my toes lined up to the top, it says something else again. Maybe mine just didn't get quality controlled, I don't know.

I'm just gonna buy a new scale based on TWW recommendations.

ETA: I guess I'm saying that I don't know where the damn thing intends me to stand and I shouldn't have to think that hard about it, really.

[Edited on March 27, 2007 at 3:14 PM. Reason : ]

3/27/2007 3:12:38 PM