Despite the many models of bathroom scales available today, choosing the best scale for your bathroom should not be difficult if you know which features to look for. Whether your goal is to lose excess weight or maintain your current weight, you’ll want the best scale at the right price. Here’s an overview of popular bathroom scale features to help you decide which scale is right for you.
Digital vs. MechanicalÂ
Digital bathroom scales have a numeric readout which displays on a small screen located on the front of the scale. Â Traditional spring-based mechanical bathroom scales (or analog) have a needle which adjusts itself to a person’s weight once the scale has been stepped on.
Modern digital-scales tend to last longer than mechanical scales. Â Many digital scales also offer advanced features, such as a memory to track weight fluctuations and the ability to perform body composition analysis.
*For longer battery life, choose a digital scale that uses lithium instead of alkaline batteries, like the Taylor 7004 Compact Lithium Digital Scale.
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MemoryÂ
A scale that stores your personal weight history for multiple days makes tracking the progress of your diet easier. Some scales, like the OMRON HBF-400 Scale, can store data for multiple users in your household.
The Taylor Mother & Baby Scale is a unique type of memory scale that makes it easy to weigh baby. The handy two-step weighing process can also be used to determine the weight of a pet, shipping box or piece of luggage.
Body AnalysisÂ
Some advanced digital scales can calculate different aspects of your body composition, such as the ratio of fat to muscle, your hydration level or both. People who are trying to increase muscle mass are best off with a body composition scale, like the OMRON HBF-400 Full-Body Sensor Body Composition Monitor with Scale, that determines the relationship between weight and muscle mass percentage (muscle is more compact than fat, but is also weighs more).
The information provided by a body analysis scale is also helpful to dieters, especially when they are experiencing a weight-loss plateau.  A body analysis scale will indicate if their percentage of body fat is decreasing.  So, even if the pounds aren’t coming off, the dieter will know that they’re still making progress toward their goal.
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High CapacityÂ
All bathroom scales have a weight limit and many of the best scales top out at around 300 pounds. If you weigh more than that, you will need a high-capacity scale. Fortunately, there are many high-capacity scales on the market, including the Taylor 7405  scale which has a 450 pound limit. It can also estimate your daily calorie intake to help you maintain your current weight.
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Wide PlatformÂ
Wide-platform bathroom scales provide more surface area on which to stand and are ideal for people who are unsteady on their feet, including the elderly. The Conair Weight Watchers Glass Scale is an example of a high-capacity digital model with a 15.25″L x 12.25″W extra-wide platform.
Easy-to-Read Display
People with poor eyesight or physical challenges often have difficulty reading the display on their bathroom scale. The best scales for people with these hardships have extra-large LCD displays, such as the Taylor 7405 Scale with a 2″ LCD readout.
Another option is a “projection scale†that allows you to view your weight without having to strain your neck to look down, such as the Taylor 7081 Projector Scale that projects readouts onto the wall in easy-to-read red LCD numbers.
Tips on Using Your Bathroom Scale
The best scale for you is the one that fits your criteria. Â When using your bathroom scale, remember that your body weight naturally fluctuates during the day depending on what you eat, so it’s important to have a daily routine for weighing yourself to ensure accuracy.
- Weigh yourself on the same scale each time
- Weigh yourself at the same time of day
- When you weigh yourself, wear the same amount of clothing (or no clothing).
