Do You Use The Bathroom Scale Right? And How Accurate Is The Bathroom Scale Anyway?

If you are in the habit of getting on the bath scale every morning then you really need to make sure that what you see is what you are. A cheap scale can be off by 8 pounds or more at the high end. The trick is to know how to set your scale and don't get a cheap one.

When you get on your bathroom scale for a weigh-in, how do you know the  reading is accurate? How accurate a reading do you need? If you just want to keep casual track of your weight and a pound or two one way or another is not an issue, then the inexpensive dial type should do just fine. If you need to monitor muscle, fat and water composition or need a very precise reading, that's another story. For precision, expect to pay a bit more. In one sense, accurate bathroom scales are in the eye of the beholder. Why?

There are two broad categories of home bathroom scales: the dial type, using a spring mechanism and the digital display type, which electronically calculates your weight.

The dial type is generally a less accurate bathroom scale than the digital. Some tips on getting the best read with the dial type scale:

o Reset the dial to zero before each use.
o Leave the scale in the same place for each use, on a hard smooth surface.
o Place your feet squarely on the scale and stand up straight. Even if your dial scale isn't entirely accurate, variations will be consistent. Day to day, it will still show gains or losses.

Digital scales also have variations in accuracy, but like their dial counterparts, will be consistent. The digital scale is likely to prove more precise, due to higher quality components.

Price does not necessarily guarantee you're getting an accurate bathroom scale. Appearance, extra features and materials are also factored into the price. A designer name commands a higher price, as do features such as multiple user memory function, automatic zero resetting and weight recall. For those who want all the bells and whistles, there are body composition scales, which produce a readout showing fat to muscle ratios. More elaborate scales include water weight in the readout.

If you simply want a highly accurate bathroom scale and don't need or want the “extras”, there are digital scales accurate within a fraction of a pound.

When all is said and done, it's probably best not to obsess over weight readings. Weigh yourself at the same time each day. Properly used, all scales produce a consistent reading: You're either gaining or losing overall.

The scale at the doctor's office or at the gym are most precise, so don't fret if these truth-tellers show your weight to be 3-5 pounds greater than your home scale. An accurate bathroom scale shows a consistent tally, good enough for most purposes. Keep in mind that water weight gain or loss, particularly for women, produces unwelcome fluctuations in weight readings at certain times of the month.

In the end, accurate bathroom scales may be defined as those which produce a consistent reading. If you're looking for doctor's-office precision, be prepared to spend accordingly. If you just want to know if your diet plan is succeeding, go for a good quality scale with consistent results.