Are digital scales better than dial scales?

United States
March 4, 2007 2:56am CST
What are your thoughts on which one is better? I have one of both and I have no idea which one is closer to being accurat. I can step on each scale two times within 10 minutes and get 4 totaly different weights. Are digital more reliable?
1 person likes this
3 responses
• United States
8 May 07
I work for a scale company. Bathroom scales (like you get at WM), are not a very good quality. The digital ones are probably a little better, but not much. The way you stand on the scale (shifting weight from foot to foot), if you step on it very hard, if the scale has been abused by kids, etc- that can all affect the accuracy of the weights. They are cheaply made. Industrial and commercial scales, like what we sell and service, do not do this. But unfortunately they are much more expensive- too expensive for the average household. A few times in the past, I have sold a "doctor's office scale" to people who have had gastric bypass surgery, and weighed more than the bathroom scale would register.
@ctinabina (386)
• United States
8 Mar 07
I don't know, to be honest. I have had both types of scales and neither seemed too far off compared to the scale at the doctor's office. It might be possible that dial ones can be re-balanced and re-calibrated easier than a digital one. I currently use a digital one and I use it more to tell me how much I have lost/gained rather than a totally accurate prediction of how much I actually weigh.
@wsue1023 (1395)
• United States
8 Mar 07
I find this to be the case with any scale depending on how I stand, if I lean a bit forward or a bit back it effects my weight by a few lbs on the scale. It's annoying when you're trying to lose weight! The scale I currently use is a dial and I honestly like those better. I feel like there's less chance something could be fouled up, anything that takes a battery seems to be at risk for being inacurrate. Anyway, my dial scale is usually within a 3 lb range fluctuating as I move about on it. If I move the scale around the bathroom it effects the reading too! It turns into quite the game! lol, but I notice that usually when it reads high the scale isn't set to zero like it should be and I find myself adjusting it frequently. Go figure.