A body fat scale can measure body fat percentage, muscle mass, bone density, and more. But they’re not always accurate. Here’s what to know about body fat scales and our top choices.
Best app connectivity: Withings Body+ Scale|Skip to review
Best value: RENPHO Body Fat Scale|Skip to review
Best for small households: Omron Body Composition Monitor and Scale BCM-500|Skip to review
Best handheld: Omron HBF-306C Handheld Body Fat Loss Monitor|Skip to review
Best for unlimited users: FITINDEX Bluetooth Body Fat Scale|Skip to review
Best without an app: Triomph Precision Body Fat Scale|Skip to review
Easiest to set up: YUNMAI Premium Smart Scale|Skip to review
Best for large households: Eufy Smart Scale C1|Skip to review
Best budget-friendly: Greater Goods Body Composition Scale|Skip to review
A body fat scale can be a useful tool to better understand your overall body composition. Depending on the style you choose, it might consider metrics including body fat percentage, muscle mass, bone mass, body water percentage, and more. The result is a more comprehensive picture of yourbody than weight alone.
But these scales aren’t always accurate. Read on for our recommendations and to learn more about how body fat scales work and what to look for.
A note on price
Body fat scales can range from around $20 to $150. The prices of our picks are shown by the following code:
- $ = under $25
- $$ = $25 to $50
- $$$ = over $50
| Price | Measurements | Weight capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Withings Body+ Scale | $$$ | • body fat and water percentages • bone and muscle mass • body weight | 396 lb (180 kg) |
| RENPHO Body Fat Scale | $$ | • BMI • BMR • body weight • body fat and water percentages • bone and muscle mass • fat-free body weight • metabolic age • protein • skeletal muscle • subcutaneous fat • visceral fat | 400 lb (181 kg) |
| Omron Body Composition Monitor and ScaleBCM-500 | $$$ | • BMI • bone and muscle mass • body fat percentage • resting metabolism • body weight | 330 lb (150 kg) |
| Omron HBF-306C Handheld Body Fat Loss Monitor | $$$ | • BMI • body fat percentage | N/A |
| FITINDEX Bluetooth Body Fat Scale | $$ | • BMI • basal metabolic rate (BMR) • body fat and water percentages • body weight • bone and muscle mass • body age • fat-free body weight • protein • skeletal muscle • subcutaneous fat • visceral fat | 400 lb (181 kg) |
| Triomph Precision Body Fat Scale | $ | • BMI • body fat and water percentages • bone and muscle mass • estimated calorie needs • body weight | 400 lb (181 kg) |
| YUNMAI Premium Smart Scale | $$$ | • BMI • BMR • body fat • bone and muscle mass • body water percentage • body age • protein • body weight • visceral fat | 396 lb (180 kg) |
| Eufy Smart Scale C1 | $$ | • BMI • BMR • body fat mass • body fat and water percentages • bone and muscle mass • lean body mass • visceral fat • body weight | 400 lb (181 kg) |
| Greater Goods Body Composition Scale | $ | • BMI • body fat • bone mass • muscle mass • water weight • body weight | 400 lb (181 kg) |
All the above use AAA batteries as a power source.
With so many products on the market, finding a high quality body fat scale that’s accurate can be tricky. We used the following criteria to select the products in this article:
- Available measurements: All the scales provide additional measurements, such as muscle mass, bone mass, and body water percentage. These are often available in an app that interprets, tracks, and stores your data. You can use this information to monitor your health and fitness level.
- Weight capacity: All scales can read up to 400 lb, except for Withings, which reads up to 396 lb.
- Connectivity: Several scales offer Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. You can connect the scale to your smartphone or another device. Some models allow multiple users to set up profiles.
- Additional features: Some scales offer features such as a large display screen and compact design. Other models provide features, such as weather information and pregnancy tracking. Many scales can transfer data to health and fitness apps.
- Price: We included body fat scales at several price points to suit different budgets.
- Vetting: The scales on our list have been vetted to ensure that they align with Healthline’s brand integrity standards and approach to well-being. You can read more about our vetting process.
Unlike a typical bathroom scale, which just measures a physical load, most body fat scales use a method known as
, which sends a weak electric current up your legs and into your body. The amount of resistance, or “impedance,” measured determines the estimated percentage of body fat.
With this calculation, plus information like weight, height, age, and sex, the scales then generate other metrics of body composition, such as muscle mass, bone density, and body water percentage. These additional readings are the reason that BIA scales are popular among people hoping to build muscle or increase fat loss.
However, smart scales, as they’re sometimes called, are not foolproof.
They aren’t recommended for children or pregnant people. If you want to use a body fat scale during pregnancy, many scales have specific pregnancy features that disable the body composition measurement.
Further, BIA may affect pacemakers. While some research shows that BIA is
Healthy body fat percentages
| Age range (years) | Female healthy body fat % | Male healthy body fat % |
|---|---|---|
| 20 to 39 | 21% to 32% | 8% to 19% |
| 40 to 59 | 23% to 33% | 11% to 21% |
| 60 to 79 | 24% to 35% | 13% to 24% |
A body fat level that falls above or below these ranges may negatively affect your health. If you’re unsure whether your current body fat level is within a healthy range, consider speaking with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian.
They can answer any questions you may have about body composition and help you set up appropriate testing to measure your body fat.
Which body fat scale is best for you will depend on the body composition metrics you want to measure.
Some of the most common measures are:
- weight
- body fat percentage
- BMI
- bone mass
- muscle mass
- body water percentage
- estimated calorie needs
- resting metabolic rate
If you’re interested in syncing your scale to your favorite health app, you might look for one that connects to Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
Other key factors to consider are weight capacity, maximum number of users, and price.
Sort of. Home body fat scales measure body weight accurately, but they may not accurately measure body fat percentage (BFP).
A 2021 study tested the accuracy of three smart body fat scales and compared the results with values from dual X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), which is the gold standard for measuring body composition.
The results showed that body fat scales underestimated body fat, though they accurately measured body weight.
Body fat scales may give you a general idea of your BFP, and the results may be consistent even if they’re inaccurate. However, they should not replace an evaluation by a healthcare professional, especially if you want to monitor health concerns.
Yes, you can measure your body fat percentage. Finding the most accurate measurement, however, can be tricky.
A body fat scale, like the ones discussed in this article, estimate body fat percentage. Using them with other tools, like calipers, or combining them with waist measurement, may be the best way to get the most accurate calculation.
The tools that offer the most accurate measurement of body fat percentage will be found in medical offices or some fitness centers and include:
- DEXA scan
- underwater weight test
- Bod Pod, a device that measures your body fat via air displacement plethysmography
Several body fat scales are available, each of which may measure different metrics of body composition.
Body fat scales also vary in price, connectivity, and weight capacity.
Be sure to consider all these factors, and use this guide as a starting point to find a body fat scale that suits your needs.
