Tanita BC-533 Digital Bathroom Scale - Japan Technology Clear Glass Smart Innerscan Body Composition Monitor, Measures Weight, Body Fat, Muscle Mass, BMI, Bone Mass, Visceral Fat - FSA/HSA Eligible

For many years I used a digital scale that gave me a different readout each time I used it. I like to weigh daily but found that stepping up and down on the scale several times to get an average weight was frustrating. I thought that was the norm with scales until I started reading scale reviews and discovered that many people found the Tanita line to be accurate. If they weighed several times in a row they got a consistent readout. They did not have to take an average as I did with my Health-O-Meter. As a treat to myself, for losing 10 pounds, I decided to purchase a Tanita and after doing some research opted for the Tanita BC533.The Tanita BC533 is a state of the art scale that measures your weight (to two-tenths of a pound), body fat, visceral fat, bone mass, metabolic age and muscle mass. It is very simple to operate. You input your height, weight, average physical activity level and age. The Tanita will remember this information for up to four people so you only have to do it once, unless your information changes. (There is also a guest mode if a visitor wants to try it.) Once you have programmed the scale you toe tap your number, step on the platform and you will see your weight and body fat measurement. (Note - If you wear socks the body fat measurement will not work.) Then you can toe tap other buttons of your choice. A little figure gives you a visual cue as to what the buttons are. For example for muscle mass the figure is holding weights. For bone mass there is a tiny skeleton inside the figure. You decide which body composition features you wish to check. You may for example want to check your bone mass once a month, or then again you may want to check it weekly. It's up to you. It's as simple as pressing the corresponding button, and takes only seconds.Tanita has also introduced the Ironman Innerscan line. I was not sure of the difference so I called customer service. Amber went out of her way to explain the benefits of the Innerscan line, and the basic difference between the regular Innerscan and the Ironman. The Ironman gives you your BMI or basal metabolic caloric rate. This is the basic number of calories your body needs. The regular Innerscan (like the BC533) gives you your DCI instead. The DCI is a calculation where the BMI is multiplied by your activity level to tell you the number of calories you are taking in to maintain the weight you are. When you see this information you can then adjust up or down to help you gain or lose weight or stay the same. Nifty!Tanita includes a guide with the scale that explains exactly how the scale works. The scale is a bioimpedence device. A low level current (which you don't feel) passes through your body and the impedance or resistance level is used to calculate body composition. The booklet explains healthy ranges of body fat and also explains what body water percentage, visceral fat, etc. mean.The scale is also very attractive. Sleek styling and easy to use. Those with poor vision may find the buttons a little hard to see. But the visual clues will help. Despite the glass surface the scale stays very clean.The BC533 is an outstanding tool to help you accomplish your health goals!

This is the second scale of this exact model of have owned. I was sad when the first scale died, I had it so long I can't remember exactly when it was purchased but I believe I owned it for over 15 years, maybe more. I decided to buy a new scale of the same model since i was happy with the old one, and was happy to see the new scale seems to work just as great as the first one.I prefer this scale because it shows body fat , and visceral fat, among other readings, as well as weight. There are so many variables in your overall weight, looking at just weight number is not giving you the full picture. Your body fluctuates in water composition, adding or subtracting to your overall weight. Also your body fat is a very important component of overall health. This is why is dislike BMI. BMI does not take into account muscle mass or body type, just height and weight. While BMI may give a quick overview for some, it may be inaccurate in measuring heath in others. I personally have a more muscular build and a larger torso than my height would normally have, so my BMI is always high. So I prefer to look at body fat percentage.I feel the weight is acceptably accurate on this scale and the body far percentage seems accurate as well when I compare to other body fat readings. I also really like the visceral fat reading, this is an important measure of health. While I can't attest to the accuracy of the visceral fat reading, after many years of use and recording my numbers. In general the visceral fat is higher when my overall body fat is higher and lower when body fat is lower regardless of my overall body weight. Tracking thisnover time can so important trends in your visceral fat levels. I also like the lean body mass feature, as well and % water, and the calories calculation feature. Overall this scale is very useful for someone wanting more information than just weight in a single number. When you look at all of these features, this scale offers a much more in depth review of overall body composition and health.Pros: shows weight, body fat %, visceral fat, water %, bone density, resting metabolic calorie calculations.One con I see is the stability of the scale, you must step on carefully it can rock if your weight distribution is uneven. This is easly preventable by stepping on carefully.