Tanita bodyfat scales

Just wanted to give my two cents about the Tanita bodyfat scales someone asked about in Strasseroids (issue 118). I have the TBF 611 and have found it’s inaccurate for anyone below ~20% bodyfat. In fact, it’s consistently 10-15% above actual values. Brock seems to like the athlete model (TBF 612), but I’d discourage anyone thinking about getting the TBF 611.

The Tanita scale isn’t that accurate and gets worse the leaner you get. I’m at about 7% to 8% and mine reads 18%.

I think that the Tanita scale can be useful for someone over 15% fat though. As you lose fat the reading should be going down. You should keep a record of the readings along with some skinfold measurements so that you at least know that you are moving in the right direction.

I agree that the Tanita scale is inaccurate. I’ve had my bodyfat tested several times (from different test labs) using skin calipers and my readings are consistently between 9% and 11%. The Tanita Athlete model registers me between 17% and 18%. Thats an error of nearly 100%! What a waste of money that thing is.

ditto.ditto. ditto. I have one…it makes me feel fat. But it can measure progress, but not with accurate #s.

I think it measures all your fat including intramuscular,what we are iterested in is subcutaneous which can only be determined with a good set of calipers(I can’t remember the brand CP recommends) and a lot of practice.