can anybody tell me if any body had a problem with body fat reading on Omron HBF 400? my body fat reading in another scale brand was 12.5%, with my nutritionist using the pinch method was 11.5%, 1% of difference is ok, with Omron HBF-400 scale is 22.5%, that is 10% difference, that is not accurate, I have return this scale 4 times, hoping that next time I will receive a good one...all of them read the same...I read all instructions follow the steps to get a right measure, but nothing......do you have an advise on what am I doing wrong? can anybody tell me if any body had a problem with body fat reading on Omron HBF 400? my body fat reading in another scale brand was 12.5%, with my nutritionist using the pinch method was 11.5%, 1%... » Read More can anybody tell me if any body had a problem with body fat reading on Omron HBF 400? my body fat reading in another scale brand was 12.5%, with my nutritionist using the pinch method was 11.5%, 1% of difference is ok, with Omron HBF-400 scale is 22.5%, that is 10% difference, that is not accurate, I have return this scale 4 times, hoping that next time I will receive a good one...all of them read the same...I read all instructions follow the steps to get a right measure, but nothing......do you have an advise on what am I doing wrong? « Show Less
456669
I think for the HBF-400 the body fat percentage just scales with your weight according to your gender, age, and height. I don't think it actually tests body fat.What is this other scale brand that got it so accurate though, may I ask?
456670
i've just started the four hour body diet and am getting the same results as everyone here: my body fat reading on my omron hbf 400 is 36%, while compared to the pics in the four hour body book of various bodies and their fat percentages, i'd guessed i would come in at about 25%. i found an online body fat calculator (http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/library/blbodyfatcalculator.htm) which apparently the military has come up with as a very accurate formula and it put me at 24.5%, which seems much more logical. i am interested to know if at least this product accurately reflects losses. am probably going to return this one however. a lesson to not trust the star rating system! i've just started the four hour body diet and am getting the same results as everyone here: my body fat reading on my omron hbf 400 is 36%, while compared to the pics in the four hour body book of various bodies and their fat percentages, i'd guessed i would come in at about 25%. i found an online body fat calculator (http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/library/blbodyfatcalculator.htm) which apparently the military has come up with as a very accurate formula and it put me at 24.5%, which seems much more logical. i am interested to know if at least this product accurately reflects losses. am... » Read More i've just started the four hour body diet and am getting the same results as everyone here: my body fat reading on my omron hbf 400 is 36%, while compared to the pics in the four hour body book of various bodies and their fat percentages, i'd guessed i would come in at about 25%. i found an online body fat calculator (http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/library/blbodyfatcalculator.htm) which apparently the military has come up with as a very accurate formula and it put me at 24.5%, which seems much more logical. i am interested to know if at least this product accurately reflects losses. am probably going to return this one however. a lesson to not trust the star rating system! « Show Less
456671
Nope, I'm in same boat as you. I have the 400 and the white hand held and they are about 10% different. I eat pretty well and am in phase 3 of P90X so I'm inclined to believe the hand held which has me in my mid teens is more accurate than the 400 which has me near 28%. It really sucks that it is off that much.
456672
With BIA it only factors in the mass that is being measured. So, if you have a handheld, it will measure the upper body and torso but a staring scale will measure from leg-to-leg. So depending where you hold your fat, it can be significantly different between hand held and leg-to-leg readings. A con of BIA. I hope this helps.
456673
I've used mine, as well as the same one owned by a friend and I always have this issue as well. Even when I'm down to my lowest weight and have a six-pack and veins popping out on my arms, and legs with a BMI right in the middle of normal range, and after a trainer used calipers and measured me at 6-7% the body fat percentage on this scale has never dipped below 20 percent. At a heavier point (winter weight haha) I've switched immediately from a handheld that measured 11% to this one which gave >23%. Makes no sense.
456674
I read that the method these scales use to measure % body fat (bioelectrical impedance analysis) is highly inaccurate. The best you can hope for is spotting trends over time (i.e. does % body fat decrease over a longer time period). The fact that you have to give the machine all kinds of parameters (height, age, fitness level etc) clearly shows that the machine is not measuring your body fat, but is using a mathematical algorithm to come up with an educated 'guess' what your % body fat might be.
2234198
A regular cuff size fits most people with typical body size. That rules out people who are grossly obese, as well as competitive body builders as well as children. I would guess that is the great majority of the population. As I said in my review, the "Women's" designation is a marketing issue and it works with both men and women. It's been a while but as I recall, I bought it based on a Consumer Reports evaluation and I have found the unit to be accurate and reasonably well made. I also have a "Professional" unit which retails for over $1000. It's very accurate but a pain to use. I have found the Omron to calibrate well against the Hospital grade unit. A regular cuff size fits most people with typical body size. That rules out people who are grossly obese, as well as competitive body builders as well as children. I would guess that is the great majority of the population. As I said in my review, the "Women's" designation is a marketing issue and it works with both men and women. It's been a while but as I recall, I bought it based on a Consumer Reports evaluation and I have found the unit to be accurate and reasonably well made. I also have a "Professional" unit which retails for over $1000. It's very accurate but a... » Read More A regular cuff size fits most people with typical body size. That rules out people who are grossly obese, as well as competitive body builders as well as children. I would guess that is the great majority of the population. As I said in my review, the "Women's" designation is a marketing issue and it works with both men and women. It's been a while but as I recall, I bought it based on a Consumer Reports evaluation and I have found the unit to be accurate and reasonably well made. I also have a "Professional" unit which retails for over $1000. It's very accurate but a pain to use. I have found the Omron to calibrate well against the Hospital grade unit. « Show Less
2263591
I think it does because it measured the same % as when my personal trainer measured it. This is the one of the reasons why I bought it. I'm no longer paying for a trainer & wanted to be able to keep track of my body fat% & muscle mass. I hope my info helped.
243457
I think all BP machines - even those used in a doctor's office - read high. I can't speak to accuracy, but readings on the Omron have been very consistent.
1196487
I ordered this for my mother, she hasn't had any problems with the reading been inaccurate. She takes this to her doctor to have them check it against their reading and it has been fine. I hope this information helps. Joyce
167770
It does show the previous result in green; but apparently it also rounds off readings to previously-measured values rather than admitting small variations. To test this I weighed myself, then weighed myself with a cup of water, then weighted myself with half a cup of water over and over. Rather than giving a result somewhere between the first two measurements it would always give one or other of the first measurements. Then I weighed my wife, and then I weighed myself with half a cup of water again, and I got a different result.
2274546
The readings on mine are pretty right on. You should bring it to your doctors office on your next visit and compare it to their reading right at that time.
658372
I just spoke with omron on the phone and it does not. Too bad. Does anybody know of a unit where you can replace the batteries and it tracks calories? (it would also be cool if it showed min, max, and average heart rate for workout, but lets not get greedy). Dave JacksonLogical Weight Loss Podcast
1256372
The main problem I have had with the scale is it won't stay on zero. I'm always having to adjust it back to zero so I have no idea how accurate the weight is. I have lost some weight, I can tell by the way my clothes fit and just looking at myself and the scale shows I have lost weight. I do not think the exact weight is accurate. I did a lot of research on scales because I was going to buy a new scale after purchasing this scale but all scales seem to have a lot of issues. I always weigh more when I go to the doctor and am weighed on a doctors scale. lolI wanted something equilvant to a doctors scale but don't think I want to pay that high price. Still thinking sbout what to buy next. The main problem I have had with the scale is it won't stay on zero. I'm always having to adjust it back to zero so I have no idea how accurate the weight is. I have lost some weight, I can tell by the way my clothes fit and just looking at myself and the scale shows I have lost weight. I do not think the exact weight is accurate. I did a lot of research on scales because I was going to buy a new scale after purchasing this scale but all scales seem to have a lot of issues. I always weigh more when I go to the doctor and am weighed on a doctors scale. lolI wanted something equilvant... » Read More The main problem I have had with the scale is it won't stay on zero. I'm always having to adjust it back to zero so I have no idea how accurate the weight is. I have lost some weight, I can tell by the way my clothes fit and just looking at myself and the scale shows I have lost weight. I do not think the exact weight is accurate. I did a lot of research on scales because I was going to buy a new scale after purchasing this scale but all scales seem to have a lot of issues. I always weigh more when I go to the doctor and am weighed on a doctors scale. lolI wanted something equilvant to a doctors scale but don't think I want to pay that high price. Still thinking sbout what to buy next. « Show Less
540318
Just spoke to manufacturer because I thought this was a good question. The explanation is that the percentages are figured by the use of two formulas, one of which is an algorithm that is universally recognized and used by the FDA as well. It used input such as age, height, weight, gender, activity, etc., to calculate what your percentage of body fat is and when used along with the much simpler formula that is based only on weight to height ratios it can make the numbers much more accurate. The most accurate numbers come from the water displacement tanks used by pro sports and bigger health facilities, but these scales we buy at such reasonable prices cannot get that accurate. So, by using these 2 formulas in harmony with the electrical signal impedance (which I am sure measures differently, on average, depending on your age), these home scales can get as close as possible for us. I hope this additional information to my original answer helps you somewhat to understand why it asks for age.
1855069
I have had my 205 for about 4 months and it appears to be pretty accurate most of the time . The last 2 weeks the heart rate monirtor is very erratic. It starts out, and stays, at about 68-70 and reamins static for about 5 minutes It will then kick in and stay in tune with another polar that i have. It will then proceed to be inaccurate and bounce around. I have changed the battery on the chest unit twice. No difference. Any thouhgts?
324473
Mine seems fairly accurate yet sometimes takes 4 or 5 tries before giving me a reading. Also, very occasionally I get a "high" reading (like 156) that I know is wrong. So I just wait a minute and re-check. This happens very on very seldom occasions.
1061569
In the paperwork for this Omron heart rate monitor I received today, there is a guideline for determining your range for an aerobic zone, anaerobic threshold zone, etc. Before using this product, I thought I was doing pretty good but when I made sure to get to the upper limit of my aerobic zone, I was sweating my tail off. I feel like it's let me know how much I should push myself without pushing myself too far.
906324
Body Composition Monitor & Scale (HBF-516B) *Better accuracy due to full body sensing, with hand to foot technology*Measures body fat, visceral fat, BMI, skeletal muscle, resting metabolism, body age and body weight*Four Person Profile*180 day memory*330 lb. maximum capacityBody Composition Monitor & Scale (HBF-514C) *Better accuracy due to full body sensing, with hand to foot technology*Measures Body Fat Percentage, Body Mass Index (BMI), Skeletal Muscle, Resting Metabolism, Visceral Fat, Body Age and Body Weight*Four Person Profile*90 day memory*330 lb. maximum capacity Body Composition Monitor & Scale (HBF-516B) *Better accuracy due to full body sensing, with hand to foot technology*Measures body fat, visceral fat, BMI, skeletal muscle, resting metabolism, body age and body weight*Four Person Profile*180 day memory*330 lb. maximum capacityBody Composition Monitor & Scale (HBF-514C) *Better accuracy due to full body sensing, with hand to foot technology*Measures Body Fat Percentage, Body Mass Index (BMI), Skeletal Muscle, Resting Metabolism, Visceral Fat, Body Age and Body Weight*Four... » Read More Body Composition Monitor & Scale (HBF-516B) *Better accuracy due to full body sensing, with hand to foot technology*Measures body fat, visceral fat, BMI, skeletal muscle, resting metabolism, body age and body weight*Four Person Profile*180 day memory*330 lb. maximum capacityBody Composition Monitor & Scale (HBF-514C) *Better accuracy due to full body sensing, with hand to foot technology*Measures Body Fat Percentage, Body Mass Index (BMI), Skeletal Muscle, Resting Metabolism, Visceral Fat, Body Age and Body Weight*Four Person Profile*90 day memory*330 lb. maximum capacity « Show Less
1743584
I have no idea how to adjust it but, honestly, I never assume that doctor's scales are correct. Any scale I've ever had at home has been different than when I go to the doctor.
2023065
Yes! I purchased my unit on Oct. 25, 2011 and have been getting "E" reports and failed cuff inflation for the past 3 days. Today contacted Omron and was told to send the complete unit in. The cuff has a 1 year warranty, so you would think "okay, I will return it and get a replacement." However, it will cost $9.00 to return (not including insurance) and I must send Omron an $8.00 check or money order for them to return the repaired item; that is if they determine it is a "manufacturer's defect." They also told me that the turn-around time is 2 weeks! Totally unacceptable for someone who has chronic hypertension and needs to monitor blood pressure daily! Yes! I purchased my unit on Oct. 25, 2011 and have been getting "E" reports and failed cuff inflation for the past 3 days. Today contacted Omron and was told to send the complete unit in. The cuff has a 1 year warranty, so you would think "okay, I will return it and get a replacement." However, it will cost $9.00 to return (not including insurance) and I must send Omron an $8.00 check or money order for them to return the repaired item; that is if they determine it is a "manufacturer's defect." They also told me that the turn-around time is 2 weeks! Totally... » Read More Yes! I purchased my unit on Oct. 25, 2011 and have been getting "E" reports and failed cuff inflation for the past 3 days. Today contacted Omron and was told to send the complete unit in. The cuff has a 1 year warranty, so you would think "okay, I will return it and get a replacement." However, it will cost $9.00 to return (not including insurance) and I must send Omron an $8.00 check or money order for them to return the repaired item; that is if they determine it is a "manufacturer's defect." They also told me that the turn-around time is 2 weeks! Totally unacceptable for someone who has chronic hypertension and needs to monitor blood pressure daily! « Show Less
73613
That 3rd number below that you are probably talking about is the body water measurement. It shows after the top body weight number and the number below that, that is the body fat % and then after that it shows a new 3rd number on the bottom which is then the body water measurement. I hope this helps. Also keep in mind, the directions say for accurate results, you should make sure you are naked when weighing on this scale and not wet or damp.