Three Things to Know About Digital Bathroom Scales

As experts in bathroom scales, we wanted to share with you a few facts about digital scales. We’ve summed up our customer’s frequently asked questions into the following important facts about bathroom scales:

#1 Every time a digital scale is moved it needs to be calibrated.

step-on-3

Initializing the scale resets the internal parts allowing the scale to find the correct “zero” weight and ensure accurate readings. If the scale is moved and you do NOT calibrate it, you are likely to see fluctuations in your weight. Moving any digital scale can potentially affect accuracy and dependability.

Also, when certain EatSmart models are placed on the floor with the LCD light already on, the scale will display the weight of the platform (4.6lb to 5.6lb – depending on model). Always allow the scale to shut off before you stand on it for your weight reading.

The following steps can be used to calibrate any of our EatSmart Products bathroom scales:

  1. Place the scale back on a hard, flat surface (see #2 below for optimal flooring surfaces).
  2. With one foot, press the platform of the scale so that numbers appear on the display. Once you see zeros or dashes remove your foot.
  3. Wait for the scale to turn off again.
  4. Your scale is now calibrated.  Step up onto the scale for a weight reading.

Here’s a video on how to calibrate the Precision Digital Bathroom Scale:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73GGzANxKvk&w=560&h=315]

#2 EatSmart scales are engineered to provide maximum accuracy and will NOT provide accurate readings on carpeting.

Linoleum, vinyl and other softer flooring can cause small variations in weight depending on how much cushion there is. Every EatSmart Bathroom Scale has four high precision sensors in each one of its feet. We suggest placing the scale on a hard, flat surface. Optimal surfaces include ceramic or porcelain tile, hard wood or concrete.

#3 For the most accurate results, step onto the scale, stand completely still and count to three.

Moving around and shifting your weight while standing on the scale may cause inaccurate readings.  Once you step onto the scale, do not to move until your weight is locked in and displayed on the LCD screen.

Thingstoknowaboutdigitalbathroomscales3

Do you have any questions regarding Digital Bathroom Scales? Please ask us in the comments below or tweet to us @eatsmartscales.

SHOP-EATSMART-BATHROOM-SCALES

About the Author: Karen Welby is the Marketing Director of EatSmart Products. Outside of EatSmart, she is a Certified Health Coach and Running Coach. You can find her on Twitter @coach_karenw.

63 Responses

  1. It’s essential to know how digital scales works and calibrate. I was unaware that I needed to count to three first to get an accurate result on the scales. Your blog is such a good learning site for scaling and measuring.

  2. I agree that these 3 simple tips are very useful and I was not aware of them before. Watching weight is very important to see if your body is changing.

  3. Is there any section on a digital scale to step on to get a more accurate reading? Like more to then center of the scale verses a little more toward the back or front of the scale?

  4. Hi Linda, As long as you place your feet evenly on the scale in the same spot every time, you will get an accurate reading. If you have any trouble with your reading call our support team for assistance. 201-465-4381 🙂

  5. Hi,
    I have a roommate who does not like bathroom scales because she tends to get obsessive over them. We share a bathroom. Because i workout at different gyms however, I like having my own scale where I can weigh myself regularly at the same time of day on the same scale. In order to respect my roommate, I have been keeping my scale in my closet, and then occasionally bringing it into the bathroom (which is the only part of the house that isn’t carpet) to weigh myself. Do you think this regular moving of the scale back and forth will ruin its calibration? And if so, should I not bother relying on it? Or should I just make sure to follow the steps listed above?

  7. We have 2 EAT SMART scales in our house. We found they are very sensitive to an uneven floor surface – like the irregular hand-molded-style ceramic tiles in our bathrooms. The reading varies in a range of 2 lbs depending on how the scale happens to be placed on the tile. We ended putting a peice of white melamine shelving material under the scales to get a consistent reading.
    –
    For competive comparison, we switched to a FitBit Aria scale because we got hooked on the FitBit and the WiFi transmission to our FitBit accounts is a nice feature. Testing the FitBit Aria, we only get a .1 lb variation caused by the tiles. At rest, one foot can be 1/8″ off the floor and it is still with .1lb of a flat floor reading.
    –
    Surprisingly, the actual readings of the two brands are always within .1 lb of each other.

  8. Hello, I have an EatSmart Digital Scale model no. ESBS 05. It worked fine for about a year, but suddenly stopped responding. Whenever I try to use it shows the same number (5 lbs), and trust me I weigh a bit more ;-). I have tried to replace the batteries, but it didn’t help. Is there anything I can do with that? Or should I just purchase a new scale?
    Thanks a lot in advance,

  9. Att: W. Geronimo: Yay, my water-logged scale seems to have recovered! I weighed myself 3 times today and (unfortunately) got the same reading each time. Sigh. Can’t blame the scale, however. Thanks for the fast reply and offer.

  10. I got my new eatsmart digital scale the other day and it says i am 10lbs lighter than the other scale does. I tried moving it around and re calibrating it each time and i always get the same number. So it is accurate in that sense, but have there been issues with it giving the wrong weight? Im having a hard time determining whether it is the new scale or the old scale that is off.

  15. My EatSmart scale’s weight flunctuating by +/-5 lbs depending on whether my weight is on the balls of my feet or my heels (with my feet flat on the ground in both instances). These scales are cheap and not very accurate.

  16. I have digital scales and weigh every morning. For the last few weeks they give me the same weight each time down to the tenth of a pound.

  17. My scale’s batteries died and I replaced them. Since replacing batteries the scale will not turn on. I’ve tried three different sets of batteries and it sill will not turn on. Not even a backlight. Please help!

  21. we store ours on it’s side and move it out for each weighing, it reads 20lbs (I kid you not) heavier than 3 different doctors office scales that all gave the same reading. ugh

  22. How do I change from kilograms to stones and pounds.I have forgotten how to do this.Thanks.

  23. Hi Caroline,

    There’s a button on the back of the scale near the battery compartment that changes the scale from KG to LBS or Stones.

    The EatSmart Team

  24. Hi I was wondering if u could answer a question for me .. I bought a eat smart digital scale model esbs-01 .. I put batteries in .. It said I needed to auto calibrate .. It said I should weigh myself and then a “c” will appear I never see a “c “… I saw in your blog that u show how to calibrate but there is no mention of seeing a “c ” for knowing its calibrated .. I was wondering can I follow ur method for calibration for this model I just want to make sure I am getting accurate weight ,.. Thx Matt grant

  25. I followed your recommendations. The scale works great! However when I got off the scale today, it went to 0 then back to 3.8 and stayed there until it went off. What does that mean?

  26. Hello so I do find this helpful, however I’m left a little confused. So we lost our home and stay in a motel, the floor is a very hard flat surface but with some cheap carpeting that looks like gym carpet. The bathroom is very small and I don’t want the door to hit my scale. Can I use the gym type carpet floor?

  27. Hi Melissa – So sorry to hear about your home. For accurate results, we do not recommend placing the scale on ANY type of carpeting. There are sensors in the 4 feet and they are not able to get an accurate reading on carpet.

  28. Hi Martha – Did the scale go back to zero when you used it again? The 3.8 could have been the weight of the scale itself. Perhaps it recalibrated when you got off.

  29. Hi Diaphoni – We encourage you to reach out to our customer support team. They will figure out why your scale is reading incorrectly and try to troubleshoot the issue. . Please contact us directly at 866.843.3905 for immediate assistance Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm MST and one of our consumer relations representatives will work on assuring you have a 5 star experience. Thanks!

  31. I have calibrated my scale and it weighs three pounds less than a scale that I have matched weight with three other scales including a balance scale … I have another eat smart scale in a different location that is spot on with these other scales .. Any help ??

  32. Hi Earl,

    Thanks for reaching out to us and sorry to hear you are experiencing problems with your scale. A member of our customer support team will be emailing you to obtain more information about your EatSmart Bathroom Scale and help you troubleshoot this issue.

    Best,
    The EatSmart Team

  35. Hi Denise,

    Yes, that could affect the reading. There are 4 precision sensors in the feet, so missing one could cause the scale to be off balance.

    Please contact our customer service team at 866.843.3905, Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm MST, excluding holidays and they can help resolve the issue.

    Thanks!
    EatSmart

  36. I have a scale from Detecto. I used to be about 310 pounds last summer and now the scale says 295 (YAY!) Doesn’t seem like much now, but Im very happy because this summer I was stuck in the 308lbs- 305lbs range. and now Im moving actually losing weight! Anyway, when I get on the scale, it’ll say 295, when I lift it up with my toe and have it showing the ‘C’ and step on, it’ll say 301. THEN, when I get off the scale after it had said 301, it would show the ‘C’ again and when I would get back on, it would either show a different weight or my actual weight. I’ll know if its my actual weight if I get off and get on again without calibrating it and it shows the same number. Why does this happen? Is it wrong?

    NOTE* the scale does have a tendency showing me that Im 6lbs heavier after it calibrates the first time.

  37. I have a scale from Detecto. I used to be about 310 pounds last summer and now the scale says 295 (YAY!) Doesn t seem like much now, but Im very happy because this summer I was stuck in the 308lbs- 305lbs range. and now Im moving actually losing weight! Anyway, when I get on the scale, it ll say 295, when I lift it up with my toe and have it showing the C and step on, it ll say 301. THEN, when I get off the scale after it had said 301, it would show the C again and when I would get back on, it would either show a different weight or my actual weight. I ll know if its my actual weight if I get off and get on again without calibrating it and it shows the same number. Why does this happen? Is it wrong?

    NOTE* the scale does have a tendency showing me that Im 6lbs heavier after it calibrates the first time.

  38. HI Aniyah – We are EatSmart Products, and produce EatSmart bathroom scales. Unfortunately, we won’t be of much help troubleshooting another company’s scale as we do not have access to such information.

  39. I have one of the older black eatsmart scales because it showed a tenth of a pound. It is stored in a corner so it has to be moved and thus calibrated before use. Last few days, the number has been “wandering” or I might say “failure to converge”. I tried putting in 4 new aaa’s but same problem. Any ideas? Failure to converge is not in the FAQ.

  40. Hi Jordan – Thanks for reaching out. Our customer support team reached out to you last week. Please let us know if you have any other questions regarding your EatSmart scale. Thank you!

  41. How long should the EatSmart digital scale last. I have had mine for about four years and it’s never been dropped and all of a sudden it stopped working. I changed the batteries twice and every now and then I get the large C without running lines and then it’s black. I love the scale and wonder if I’m doing something wrong or if I have to purchase a new one.

  42. Hi Estrellita – Thanks for reaching out. Our customer support team will contact you today. These scales typically have a 2 yr warranty but are designed to last and there is really not an expiration date on them. They will wear out based on use and care.
    Please let us know if you have any other questions regarding your EatSmart scale. Thank you!

  44. Hi Joyce – Our customer support team will be reaching out to you to let you know the best practices for calibrating your EatSmart bathroom scale. Thanks!

  45. Suddenly my digital scale shows a 40kg difference. Until yesterday it was 79kg and today it is 115kg. Why is that?

  47. Hi Denise – Thanks for reaching out. Yes, losing one of the feet will affect the measurement.
    Please let us know if you have any other questions regarding your EatSmart scale. Thank you!

  48. I had no idea that every time that a digital scale is moved, it needs to be recalibrated. I’ve been wanting to look into learning about chemistry and different reactions. I think that I should find a digital scale that could help me to take all of the proper measurements to make sure that the reaction is as accurate as possible.

  49. I tried testing my scale to see if it was reading right so I put 2 5lb weights onot it. But it didn’t register at all. Is there a minimum weight it can read?

  50. Do heated bathroom floors (tiled) have any effect on digital scales? I weigh myself every morning at the same time when the floor is heated. This morning I had to rise at 2:00 and weighed myself (with a cool floor). I was 3 lbs heavier. Could this be the reason?

  51. As long as the scale is on a hard flat surface and has not been moved, it will not be affected by the temperature of the floor. The scale may need to be reset and you can reach out to us directly for instruction on how to do this by calling 866-843-3905 Monday thru Friday 8am-5pm MST or you may email us anytime at prodsupport@taylorusa.com.

    Please follow the reset procedure below which normally alleviates any error or issues associated with our scales.
    1. Remove the battery from the scale.
    2. Set the scale on the floor (no carpet) without the battery in place.
    3. Stand on the scale for 10 seconds (still without the battery).
    4. Carefully replace the battery without pressing any buttons or activating the scale.
    5. Set the scale on the floor (no carpet) with the battery in place.
    6. Using only one foot, tap the scale or apply just enough pressure to turn on the display. IMMEDIATELY REMOVE YOUR FOOT. (It should show dashes or zeroes)
    7. Let the scale turn off.
    8. Step on the scale for a weight reading

  52. HI Anna – You are on the right track to test the calibration of the scale, however the scales are designed to weigh bodies so we recommend that you try a heavier certified weight such as a 20lbs dumbbell or larger. While there is not a minimum specified in the user manual, we have found that it has trouble reading weights smaller than 11 lbs.

    Let us know if we can help you further by calling 866-843-3905 Monday thru Friday 8am-5pm MST or emailing us anytime at prodsupport@taylorusa.com .

  53. Hi Chris – This blog post is referring to our body weight scales. They accommodate weights up to 550lbs (depending on the model). Our kitchen scales do not have to be re-calibrated every time they are moved. Hope this helps you!

  55. Hi Leslie – Our customer service team will be reaching out. Resetting the scale should help.
    Please follow the reset procedure below which normally alleviates any error or issues associated with our scales.
    1. Remove the battery from the scale.
    2. Set the scale on the floor (no carpet) without the battery in place.
    3. Stand on the scale for 10 seconds (still without the battery).
    4. Carefully replace the battery without pressing any buttons or activating the scale.
    5. Set the scale on the floor (no carpet) with the battery in place.
    6. Using only one foot, tap the scale or apply just enough pressure to turn on the display. IMMEDIATELY REMOVE YOUR FOOT. (It should show dashes or zeroes)
    7. Let the scale turn off.
    8. Step on the scale for a weight reading

  56. Thank you for this post! My scale in my new apartment hasn’t been giving me readings that make any sense. Once I saw the word “porcelain,” I weighed myself on the scale in the bathtub (my apartment is all carpet&vinyl), and I got a reading that finally made sense!

  58. I weigh myself every morning on the same surface in my bathroom. I then take the scale and place it sideways in another room. I pull it out the next morning and repeat the process. I do not recalibrate it each day I move it. Does it need recalibrated every morning? Or is it fine to keep doing this?

  59. Hi Alex – The scale only needs to be calibrated if you finds that it begins to give erratic readings. For best results, we recommend that the scale be stored on a hard, flat surface.

  60. Hello i have got this scale. But whenever i step on it, it shows LO i dnt what does it mean. Then i move it again n again but now it doesn’t show anything else. Should i replace it? I place it in my kitchen since its the only non carpeted area plus i have to move it wheneva i wana weigh myslf.

  61. We are sorry to hear you are having trouble with your unit. As per the instruction manual, when you see the LO on the screen, it means the batteries are low. Please replace them and try calibrating the scale in your kitchen. It should work!

  62. Hi, I have a cascade digital weighing scale and recently, I have not been able to read my weight because there is a dark grey color where the weight read out is suppposed to be. What do you think is the problem and can it still be fixed?

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