Which BIA scale do you prefer?

[wulf00777]

Thought this could be an enjoyable discussion. I own a 4 electrode model as well as a Hume body pod that has 8 electrodes. The Hume seems intriguing, though I only received it a few weeks back. Which kind of body composition scale do you like best?

 

[staffn1]

All of them are a joke.

 

[wulf00777]

So you think Dexa is a joke too?

staffn1 said:

All of them are a joke.

 

[woundcarping]

wulf00777 said:

So you think Dexa is a joke too?

staffn1 said:

All of them are a joke.

As far as I know, Dexa is the least funny method for getting a practical body fat measurement. It remains fairly imprecise—only the least imprecise option.

Today marked my third dexa; the first one was 1/30.

 

[wulf00777]

woundcarping said:

wulf00777 said:

So you think Dexa is a joke too?

staffn1 said:

All of them are a joke.

As far as I know, Dexa is the least funny method for getting a practical body fat measurement. It remains fairly imprecise—only the least imprecise option.

Today marked my third dexa; the first one was 1/30.

Do you own a Bia scale as well, and what was your comparison?

 

[woundcarping]

wulf00777 said:

woundcarping said:

wulf00777 said:

So you think Dexa is a joke too?

staffn1 said:

All of them are a joke.

As far as I know, Dexa is the least funny method for getting a practical body fat measurement. It remains fairly imprecise—only the least imprecise option.

Today marked my third dexa; the first one was 1/30.

Do you own a Bia scale as well, and what was your comparison?

Nope — in my view, BIA scales are a joke, and they're a waste of both time and money.

 

[308fan]

I just picked up the Hume scale. I'll see how things go as I drop weight.

 

[Elgordoboy]

wulf00777 said:

woundcarping said:

wulf00777 said:

So you think Dexa is a joke too?

staffn1 said:

All of them are a joke.

As far as I know, Dexa is the least funny method for getting a practical body fat measurement. It remains fairly imprecise—only the least imprecise option.

Today marked my third dexa; the first one was 1/30.

Do you own a Bia scale as well, and what was your comparison?

My Tanita 4 electrode scale and Dexa readings line up really tightly. At my doctor's office, the inbody scale matched almost exactly on 3 occasions with dexas I'd had done not long before. I picked up an 8 electrode Runstar scale that comes across as legit, yet its bf reading sits roughly 4% above everything else I listed — even so, it works well for watching loss or gain. It's just a bit of a downer when the number it spits out is worse lol. These tools have been quite useful for me. For Dexa or BIA, timing and body state need to be consistent — fasted or unfasted, hydrated, and so on. Eventually I'll get another dexa once I hit my goal, mainly just because, but doing it on a regular basis isn't worth the hassle in my case

 

[wulf00777]

308fan said:

I just picked up the Hume scale. I'll see how things go as I drop weight.

Though the app is somewhat lacking and the price is high, it's said to be among the superior options when compared against Dexa.

 

[wulf00777]

Elgordoboy said:

wulf00777 said:

woundcarping said:

wulf00777 said:

So you think Dexa is a joke too?

staffn1 said:

All of them are a joke.

As far as I know, Dexa is the least funny method for getting a practical body fat measurement. It remains fairly imprecise—only the least imprecise option.

Today marked my third dexa; the first one was 1/30.

Do you own a Bia scale as well, and what was your comparison?

My Tanita 4 electrode scale and Dexa readings line up really tightly. At my doctor's office, the inbody scale matched almost exactly on 3 occasions with dexas I'd had done not long before. I picked up an 8 electrode Runstar scale that comes across as legit, yet its bf reading sits roughly 4% above everything else I listed — even so, it works well for watching loss or gain. It's just a bit of a downer when the number it spits out is worse lol. These tools have been quite useful for me. For Dexa or BIA, timing and body state need to be consistent — fasted or unfasted, hydrated, and so on. Eventually I'll get another dexa once I hit my goal, mainly just because, but doing it on a regular basis isn't worth the hassle in my case

It's also worth noting that dexa has its own flaws—different editions and updates can produce varying outcomes.

 

[Elgordoboy]

wulf00777 said:

Elgordoboy said:

wulf00777 said:

woundcarping said:

wulf00777 said:

So you think Dexa is a joke too?

staffn1 said:

All of them are a joke.

As far as I know, Dexa is the least funny method for getting a practical body fat measurement. It remains fairly imprecise—only the least imprecise option.

Today marked my third dexa; the first one was 1/30.

Do you own a Bia scale as well, and what was your comparison?

My Tanita 4 electrode scale and Dexa readings line up really tightly. At my doctor's office, the inbody scale matched almost exactly on 3 occasions with dexas I'd had done not long before. I picked up an 8 electrode Runstar scale that comes across as legit, yet its bf reading sits roughly 4% above everything else I listed — even so, it works well for watching loss or gain. It's just a bit of a downer when the number it spits out is worse lol. These tools have been quite useful for me. For Dexa or BIA, timing and body state need to be consistent — fasted or unfasted, hydrated, and so on. Eventually I'll get another dexa once I hit my goal, mainly just because, but doing it on a regular basis isn't worth the hassle in my case

It's also worth noting that dexa has its own flaws—different editions and updates can produce varying outcomes.

That's reasonable. Being useful and being perfect aren't the same thing, naturally. For me, they serve a purpose. From what I've seen, you're spot on regarding different editions and updates—this applies to scales and dexa alike, and probably to the people operating the dexa too. Staying consistent is valuable.

 

[wheymaster1]

MRI is the gold standard for body composition, with DEXA coming in second. Just the professional-grade Tanita-style scales get anywhere near that level. Go for a scan, then put its numbers next to what your own scale shows, and work out the percentage gap.

 

[Themeank]

Just my two cents on this. I've used Renpho scales for quite a while. Sure, they won't match Dexa/MRI in terms of precision, but on a weekly basis they're much easier on the wallet. For me, the scales serve as a rough guide for which way things are heading, not for exact numbers. Honestly, aside from the costly methods, the closest you'll get is comparing yourself to pictures online and watching how you progress

 

[wulf00777]

Themeank said:

Just my two cents on this. I've used Renpho scales for quite a while. Sure, they won't match Dexa/MRI in terms of precision, but on a weekly basis they're much easier on the wallet. For me, the scales serve as a rough guide for which way things are heading, not for exact numbers. Honestly, aside from the costly methods, the closest you'll get is comparing yourself to pictures online and watching how you progress

The Hume app is pretty bad, and since there might be a much improved app out there, I could move to a different brand such as Renpho—though I hope improved technology shows up before then.

 

[BNLFL]

I use the Renpho Elis 2X. Weight, fat% and BMI tracking are the features I find useful on it. From what I've come across, its readings are fairly accurate.

 

[Sid the SeaGull]

Curious about how the Withings Body Scan 2 will perform. Earlier versions from that brand apparently didn't impress much, while this latest release looks like it's going about things a bit differently compared to what's out there right now.

With any luck, the newer tech brings some improvement in accuracy.

 

[5byfive]

Every scale you come across seems to split opinion right down the middle.

I already suspected these devices were largely worthless, but after looking into it I went ahead and got a Hume, thinking it could at least show me which way things are trending, even if the exact figures were off. Naturally, it disagreed quite a bit with my dexa, and it turns out it can't even track direction. According to it, I put on a pound of fat over the past month, even though my weight hasn't moved and my strength has climbed. One look in the mirror confirms I haven't added an ounce of fat. It's a pricey toy that does almost nothing useful. The one thing it does give me is my weight.

 

[monkymate]

I use the Wyze Scale Ultra BodyScan, which is a BIA scale. I take my measurement every day at the same time and in the same manner, and because of that routine I think it provides a solid picture of my overall direction. When I bought it, the price was $100, which works out to 1/2 the cost of a DEXA scan. It connects with my Apple Health, where my watch data and exercise are recorded, and MyFitness Pal as well. Below are my detailed starting report and my current one. In my view, it does a pretty good job of reflecting what is happening. It might be off by as much as 10%, but the trends line up with what my body is actually doing. That is just my take. If a Dexa is out of reach financially, this could be useful for estimating your BMR and seeing where you are headed.

 

[bada bing]

I've been using Renpho for more than 6 years. Around 8 months back I moved up to an 8 electrode model. I also have Dexascans that go back 8 years.

When it comes to precise body composition readings, BIA scales still fall short. But for following relative changes, they do the job, and with the 8 electrode Renpho, they do it surprisingly well. Calling it a "must have" might be a stretch, but mine has been worth the $200 to me.

Getting the most from them means putting in effort to keep measurement conditions consistent, especially regarding hydration, bladder and bowel contents, and food in the gut. My routine is once a week, in the morning, on an empty stomach and before drinking anything. The tracking is spot on.

 

[BNLFL]

bada bing said:

I've been using Renpho for more than 6 years. Around 8 months back I moved up to an 8 electrode model. I also have Dexascans that go back 8 years.

When it comes to precise body composition readings, BIA scales still fall short. But for following relative changes, they do the job, and with the 8 electrode Renpho, they do it surprisingly well. Calling it a "must have" might be a stretch, but mine has been worth the $200 to me.

Getting the most from them means putting in effort to keep measurement conditions consistent, especially regarding hydration, bladder and bowel contents, and food in the gut. My routine is once a week, in the morning, on an empty stomach and before drinking anything. The tracking is spot on.

That closing section matters a lot. My routine is to step on the scale each Friday, sometime from 4:30 to 5am. The model I've been using for a good while is a Renpho Ellis 2X. Could you share a link for the one you brought up? I probably don't require a scale with that many features, but I'm curious to check it out. Thanks.