The best bathroom scales are the most accurate, even if that means they don’t always give you the answer you were hoping for. Basic models show weight, more advanced ones add body fat and body water percentages, or even simple weather forecasts (so you can plan what to wear). Body fat is measured by the scales sending a tiny, imperceptible electric current through your bare feet (which means they’re not suitable for pacemaker-wearers). Body Mass Index (BMI) is a guide to healthy body weight, based on your height. Advanced scales have wi-fi built in to save your measurements to an app or website so you can track changes and spot trends over time. These scales were tested for accuracy, speed and simplicity of use. 1. Withings Body Cardio: £140, Apple These slick scales have a lot of information to share. And because they have wi-fi, you can check measurements over a period of time on the accompanying smartphone app which works with iPhones and Android handsets. As well as weight, they calculate BMI, fat composition, muscle mass, water content, and pulse wave velocity, a useful indicator of heart health and issues connected to hypertension – and they tell the weather too.

Withings has made a series of scales and this one is easily the most sophisticated and attractive. Note that because it’s gathering so much information, it takes longer than it would to just get your weight (though it’s still only seconds, of course). It has a rechargeable battery, too, which is handy. 2. Tanita BC730/GREEN Innerscan: £40, amazon The compact and lightweight Innerscan has lots of measurements available. It has a big display that can show two metrics at a time and, like the Withings scales, recognises who you are automatically when you step aboard. The Tanita calculates a lot of data: weight, BMI, body fat, bone mass, muscle mass and more. It’ll even work out your metabolic age – if this is higher than your actual age, you need to improve your metabolic rate though exercise. 3. Salter MiBaby Mother and Baby: £25, John Lewis These scales let you weigh yourself as normal using ‘adult mode’. But switch to ‘baby mode’ and it cleverly resets the scale to zero when you’ve weighed yourself so when you get back on the scales holding baby, it just displays your child’s weight.

The supplied PC software and height chart makes it easy to measure your baby’s BMI, too.All Around Moving Company Memphis Tn 4. ColourMatch Spots: £13, ArgosWeight Loss Camp Va Here’s another affordable option if you just want to know your weight. Best Weight Loss Program WinnipegThese electronic scales will also pep up your bathroom. There’s a range of colour options including a giddily bright fuchsia, purple, blue and polka dots. It can measure weights of up to 150kg. It runs from a button cell battery which is supplied and lasts for months. Replacements are widely available. 5. Fitbit Aria: £72, amazon The Aria tells you your weight, body fat percentage and body mass index. It has wi-fi so it saves your measurements, and those of up to seven others, to a website and smartphone app available for iPhone and Android.

Like the Withings, you can choose to display weight in pounds, stones and pounds or kilograms. The Aria is available in black or white and offers detailed, accurate measurements across a wide range of metrics. If you have a Fitbit activity tracker, this is a great companion. 6. Salter Magnifying Mechanical Scales: £6, amazon Sometimes it can be hard to read bathroom scales because your eyes aren’t close to your feet (obviously). These basic scales have a clever solution: in the middle of the window where the red needle indicates weight, the glass magnifies what’s beneath. Fine on hard or carpeted surfaces, these scales measure up to 130kg, or 20st 6lbs. 7. Terraillon Web Coach One: £70, amazon The display on the Terraillon is high-contrast and uses big numbers (3cm high) so they’re easy to read when you’re standing on the scales’ glass platform. They use Bluetooth to connect to the Wellness Coach smartphone app (for iPhone and Android), to track weight and BMI.

It measures weight up to 160kg in increments of 100g along with pounds or stones. The app works by offering tips and encouragement every week for two months and lets you set targets for ideal weight, for instance. 8. Withings Smart Body Analyzer WS50: £90, amazon Another wi-fi enabled scale, the WS50 tells you weight, BMI, fat mass, heart rate, air quality and weather. Like the other Withings scales, it displays your last five readings while it calculates fat percentage. With both Withings scales if you move them before standing on them, it’s important to let them settle for five seconds or you’ll get an inaccurate weight. The display is the same high-contrast white-out-of-black text as on the other Withings scales. This own-brand set of scales looks classy, not least thanks to its toughened glass construction. It reports weight only and measures up to 150kg (23st 9lbs). The carpet feet are flexible enough to work on uneven floors. The classic-looking Salter scales use a mechanical system to tell you your weight, so you’ll need to squint at the arrow to see exactly what you weigh.

The textured mat is comfortable to stand on and the platform is big enough to stand easily on it. The feet are designed to make it work on carpeted as well as hard surfaces and it measures up to 150kg (23st 9lbs). That is all it measures, however, providing no other figures. The two Withings scales (Body Cardio & Smart Body Analyzer) are the most versatile and well-informed, and even have smartphone apps that offer sound health advice. The Tanita is the best-value machine that measures a wide range of metrics. And the Salter Black and White has a pleasing retro design that will suit traditionalists.A bathroom scale is essential in maintaining or losing weight and research has proven that self-weighing daily, rather than once every week or month, can be associated with lower body mass index levels in women 40 years or older. Bathroom scales have come a long way since their analog days. Most have become digital and many are now equipped with body fat analysis tools which measure body fat percentage.

The CEE department of the Good Housekeeping Research Institute (GHRI) evaluated household bathroom scales in order to determine which are most accurate and with the help of consumers the lab tested their ease of use.What We Looked for in Bathroom ScalesThe engineers at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute, and consumer testers, evaluated bathroom scales for performance and ease of use. They looked at:Accuracy of weight measurementAccuracy of Body fat analysisAbility to hold maximum weightAbility to function after exposure to high humidityPlatform sizeDisplay readabilityTurning on/offEase of body analysis featuresHow We Tested Bathroom ScalesGHRI engineers weighed 3 people of varying weights (~130lbs, ~180lbs, ~220lbs) on a scientific calibrated scale to determine accuracy.GHRI worked with the fitness club, theClub, in the Hearst Tower to determine the body fat percentage of four testers using body fat calipers. The testers then measured their body fat percentages on each of the body fat scales to compare how accurate they were.

GHRI weighed each scale's maximum weight capacity to determine if it would hold the weight for 30 seconds.Engineers placed each of the scales in our climatology chamber for an hour with the temperature and humidity set to 75F and 80% Humidity. After being exposed, the scales were checked to see if they were still operable.Consumer testers were asked to step on each scale and evaluate its display readability, ease of turning it on and off, and their satisfaction with its platform.Consumer testers were asked to rate the ease of inputting their personal information (sex, age and weight) into the scales. What to Look for When Shopping:Since you can't take a scale home and check it for accuracy, the next most important thing to look for in a scale is its platform size and readability. You need to be able to stand on the scale without losing your balance and read your digital scale. Make sure that the digital scale's readout is clear, and in a location that is easy to see. Make sure that when you stand on it you can see the numbers clearly without having to move around or stand in an awkward position.

If there will be more than one person using the scale at a time, it may be beneficial to purchase a scale with the ability to track multiple users previous weightings.Tips for Using Bathroom Scales:Your body weight naturally fluctuates during the day depending on what you eat. For example, foods high in sodium may cause some people to retain fluid, which will show up temporarily on the scale as weight gain.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, or no, clothing.Tips for Using Body Fat Scales:Only use them to measure your progress; our results proved that it is probably inaccurate no matter what the manufacturers say.Choose body fat scales that have the right profile for you. If you're an athlete (you perform 10+ hours of strenuous exercise a week), make sure it has an athletic setting, as it plays an important role in analysis.Measure yourself at the same time of day for each test.Your skin temperature affects the electrical current used by the scales.