By: Consumer Reports Updated 17 Jan 2022, 17: 01 pm EST
One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight through diet and exercise. A bathroom scale can help you track your progress towards your goal, but of course it has to be accurate.
“Sure, your weight can fluctuate, but ultimately For instance, if you weigh 105.4 pounds, your scale display should show 105.4 pounds,” says Bernie Deitrick, Testing Program Leader for Consumer Reports.
In our labs, we put bathroom scales through a series of tests. We use a calibrated lab scale that displays the correct weight to the hundredth of a pound as a reference to weigh the stackable weights, which we then use to simulate individuals weighing 30, 60, 105, 150, 150, 180, 210 and 325 pounds. (According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average adult male weighs 200 pounds and is 5 feet, 9 inches tall, and the average adult female weighs 171 pounds and is 5 feet, 3.5 inches). We compare the readings of each bathroom scale with those of the laboratory scale to determine the accuracy of each model.
We take multiple readings of each weight on each scale (using our stackable scales ) to determine the consistency level of a model. Our model subject is also placed in different positions on each scale to see if the readings change. It doesn’t happen on most scales, but you’d be surprised how much the displayed weight can vary based on your posture. That makes up our unbalanced weigh-in classification. We also check each scale for ease of use, from the size of the numbers on the display to how easy it is to adjust the scale to your preferences and whether you can read the numbers without turning on the light.
At home, you will get the most accurate weight if you always weigh yourself at the same time of day. This is usually easiest to do when you wake up in the morning, before you drink, exercise, or eat.
For more information on how to choose your bathroom scale check out our bathroom scale buying guide. Consumer Reports members can get ratings and reviews of the top five scales in our tests, listed here in alphabetical order (not by rank), and access our complete ranking of bathroom scales.
Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2022, Consumer Reports, Inc.
Consumer Reports has no no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works with consumers to create a fair, safe, and healthy world. CR does not endorse products or services and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2022, Consumer Reports, Inc.