How accurate are Tanita scales?

Triathlon Forum
1

So, I’ve got my brother’s Tanita scales, and it seems that it measures my bodyfat percentage as being anywhere from 10.3% to 13.8%, in the space of a day.

How accurate are these scales? Are calipers more accurate? I understand they can be affected by how hydrated you are etc.

2

So, I’ve got my brother’s Tanita scales, and it seems that it measures my bodyfat percentage as being anywhere from 10.3% to 13.8%, in the space of a day. How accurate are these scales? Are calipers more accurate? I understand they can be affected by how hydrated you are etc.

Acc to the instruction manual, your most accurate readings are late afternoon-ish, i.e. around 4 to 6 pm, but i think you can see good trends if you just take your weight and %fat readings at the same time each day, whatever time that might be. You will still see some variation of course, just as you do with your weight, but if you avg both weight and %fat over each week, you end up with some fairly accurate readings IMO. I’ve had a Tanita scale for around 13-14 yrs now and have been pretty happy with it. Opinions will vary of course:)

3

So, I’ve got my brother’s Tanita scales, and it seems that it measures my bodyfat percentage as being anywhere from 10.3% to 13.8%, in the space of a day. How accurate are these scales? Are calipers more accurate? I understand they can be affected by how hydrated you are etc.

Acc to the instruction manual, your most accurate readings are late afternoon-ish, i.e. around 4 to 6 pm, but i think you can see good trends if you just take your weight and %fat readings at the same time each day, whatever time that might be. You will still see some variation of course, just as you do with your weight, but if you avg both weight and %fat over each week, you end up with some fairly accurate readings IMO. I’ve had a Tanita scale for around 13-14 yrs now and have been pretty happy with it. Opinions will vary of course:)

I’ve had the same experience as ericmulk. I swim a good bit more than most triathletes, and as a hold over from college days, I weigh myself every Saturday am before swim team, nude, and write it down. As Eric noted, everything will average out.

John

4

So, I’ve got my brother’s Tanita scales, and it seems that it measures my bodyfat percentage as being anywhere from 10.3% to 13.8%, in the space of a day.

How accurate are these scales? Are calipers more accurate? I understand they can be affected by how hydrated you are etc.

The scales should have their +/- listed. They are not more accurate than correctly implemented calipers, by which I mean at a minimum a 5 (preferably 7 or 9) site test, administered by someone with experience in using them. You absolutely cannot do a valid caliper exam on yourself. Tanita is fine for monitoring trends, and unless you have a burning curiosity, there is no real need to know your specific body fat.

http://cdn.builtlean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/body-fat-percentage-men.jpg

That’s a decently close visual scale. If you are curious, the main methods (In order of accuracy) are:

  1. DEXA scan
  2. Underwater weighing (Properly done)
  3. Caliper testing (Properly done)
  4. Electric Impedence (Tanita type)

There are a few other ways, but those are the most common.

John

5

So, I’ve got my brother’s Tanita scales, and it seems that it measures my bodyfat percentage as being anywhere from 10.3% to 13.8%, in the space of a day.

How accurate are these scales? Are calipers more accurate? I understand they can be affected by how hydrated you are etc.

The scales should have their +/- listed. They are not more accurate than correctly implemented calipers, by which I mean at a minimum a 5 (preferably 7 or 9) site test, administered by someone with experience in using them. You absolutely cannot do a valid caliper exam on yourself. Tanita is fine for monitoring trends, and unless you have a burning curiosity, there is no real need to know your specific body fat.

http://cdn.builtlean.com/...t-percentage-men.jpg

That’s a decently close visual scale. If you are curious, the main methods (In order of accuracy) are:

  1. DEXA scan
  2. Underwater weighing (Properly done)
  3. Caliper testing (Properly done)
  4. Electric Impedence (Tanita type)

There are a few other ways, but those are the most common.

John

This. But that visual scale isn’t accurate, don’t you know that half the people on this board have 4%?

6

So, I’ve got my brother’s Tanita scales, and it seems that it measures my bodyfat percentage as being anywhere from 10.3% to 13.8%, in the space of a day. How accurate are these scales? Are calipers more accurate? I understand they can be affected by how hydrated you are etc.

Acc to the instruction manual, your most accurate readings are late afternoon-ish, i.e. around 4 to 6 pm, but i think you can see good trends if you just take your weight and %fat readings at the same time each day, whatever time that might be. You will still see some variation of course, just as you do with your weight, but if you avg both weight and %fat over each week, you end up with some fairly accurate readings IMO. I’ve had a Tanita scale for around 13-14 yrs now and have been pretty happy with it. Opinions will vary of course:)

I’ve had the same experience as ericmulk. I swim a good bit more than most triathletes, and as a hold over from college days, I weigh myself every Saturday am before swim team, nude, and write it down. As Eric noted, everything will average out.

John

Same here, weigh same time every friday, add to training log and average per month.

7

But that visual scale isn’t accurate, don’t you know that half the people on this board have 4%?

Only on their fat days in the off season :stuck_out_tongue:

John
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