How accurate are domestic electronic scales generally?
I'm quite unpersuaded that inexpensive bathroom scales are. They don't even seem to be consistent.
We've been through various sets of cheap bathroom scales over the last
10 years, that all either broke, stopped working, or couldn't be believed at all, so I'm a little inclined now to buy a rather more expensive mechanical set and hope that I never have to buy another.Are they worth it?
Daniele
We have some electronic Hanson scales we bought some years ago. They correlate with the scales at the doctor's. We both use them frequently but sadly they never seem to weigh less for long.
Like all scales they need to be on a solid surface. We use ours in a carpeted room so have them on a square of conti-board or the like.
Ours use 2 common as muck CR2032 batteries. They last a couple of years but a good idea to keep spares in because they always go flat just when you want to weight a suitcase before a flight!
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember snipped-for-privacy@apple-juice.co.uk (D.M. Procida) saying something like:
For the last two years an Argos digital set (17quid or so) have been reliable, consistent and accurate enough for me. I only use them once a week though, and have seen them register a regular loss over that time. Now 26kg lighter than I was - still got a way to go yet.
I've got a Salter electronic scale which cost me under £10 several years ago (in Sainbury's IIRC) and I've had no problems - in fact, it's still running on the original battery.
The readings are consistent and, although I've never checked for absolute accuracy (does anyone have accurate test weights that heavy kicking around?) the difference between my nett weight and the gross weight readings at my GP's surgery and a couple of hospitals is sensibly constant.
What makes have you tried?
Nice big easy to read display; no squinting at little figures and interpolating wavering graduations; no cursing because I haven't got my glasses on; consistent results: YES!
We had a cheap Ikea set. They were inconsistent, then they broke. Then I got a more expensive, but not much more expensive, set. I could get on them, then off and then on again, and they'd register a difference of
1kg or more. This was on a solid floor. Then they got broken.The more expensive mechanical ones are - expensive. £80. Seems rather extravagant.
Daniele
Our cheap Argos ones seem to be good enough - fairly consistent, and still work after a few years.
In message , Invisible Man wrote
I agree, you will not get consistent results if used on carpets or cushion type flooring. I get consistent results with my £10 digital readout scales when used with a piece of 18mm chipboard under the feet.
Digital or mechanical has nothing to do with accuracy. What's needed for accuracy are medical grade scales.
NT
Very easy to check them. A litre of water weighs a kilogram, so find a large container and fill it with a know quantity of water.
AWEM
Digital or mechanical has nothing to do with accuracy. What's needed for accuracy are medical grade scales.
NT
Not necessarily: AFAIK the electronic ones all use a load cell, so if it is mounted correctly and the electronics correctly interprets it's output, there is no reason why cheap ones should not be reasonably accurate.
AWEM
Take some poor quality digital scales, move the load around on the platform, watch the result change.
NT
Doesn't matter how far I lean over on ours I can still only knock a maximum of three quarters of a pound off my weight ;-(
I've got a rather elegant looking Lidl electronic one - mostly glass - with the unusual feature that the display can be removed and fixed to the wall etc or simply hand held. Cordless link to it. Seems pretty accurate and uses AAA batteries. It gets used a few times a week and is still on the original batteries. Is some 3 years old. Not looked to see if they've come up again.
Aldi had glass ones a couple of weeks ago and there were still some in Northampton yesterday.
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Tabby saying something like:
What's needed is consistency, for home monitoring of weight. Accuracy of plus/minus a quarter kilo is perfectly fine. If the scales and the user are doing the job right, a consistent loss will be shown and what's a pound or two on a loss of many? No need for medical scales and medical scales prices.
Exactly - which is what I've never had from cheap scales.
Daniele
In message , D.M. Procida wrote
i) It's possibly the floor where the scales are placed that is flexing that causes inconsistency. For consistency you need a hard floor or a piece of hard material beneath the feet of the scales. With my cheap digital scales on a carpet two successive readings are different whereas when placing the sales on a piece of dense chipboard the two reading are identical (+/- a digit on the readout)
ii) As for consistency, if you weigh yourself once a day (and possibly at the same time of day) and over time you will see the trend in weight loss or gain and any spurious high/low reading will be insignificant.
iii) Would it be unusual for someone to have a 2 Kg (or more) weight difference throughout the day? This may depend on lifestyle, how hot the day/night is and the taking of prescription or socially acceptable drugs.
As I said: I could get on them, then off and then on again, and they'd register a difference of 1kg or more. This was on a solid floor.
Daniele
I have read in another group that there are scales that show the same number if a similar weight is weighed within a short time... A little software to simulate repeatability?
Thomas Prufer
That does it. I'm definitely going to buy a mechanical set.
Daniele
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