Wednesday 14 September 2011

Eatsmart Nutrition Scales - accurate, digital


The scale before my purchase of this product was a heavy, bulky glass scale. Sure it looked nice, but due to small bathroom space, I couldn't leave it in one spot and still be able to shut the door. The old scale had rounded edges throughout, so I couldn't even sit it up on end to get it out of the way without risk of it toppling over. When the old one started giving me 4 different readings with each tap of the scale within one minute, I knew it was time for a change.



After looking at several diferent scales, I opted for the EatSmart Precision Premium Digital scale. There is another EatSmart scale on the market which got favorable reviews, but this one was newer and happened to be on sale and therefore cheaper. I felt a little pang of resistance because there was only 1 review at the time of my purchase, and (if you are reading this know you know what I mean) I rely on reviews in making purchases over the internet.



My purchase arrived within a week of order (I did not use expedited shipping). I took it out of the package and the thing that struck me first was how lightweight it was. I installed the four included batteries and away I went weighing everything in sight to see if I could get consistent readings. First up was my four year old daughter. She stepped on, stepped off, and stepped on again. Same weight! Next was my husband, who reluctantly performed the same task. Same weight both times!!



Next it was my turn. I, of course, was not about to weigh-in "group style." So I ran the scale up to my bathroom. I stepped on, stepped off, and stepped on again. Uh-oh. Different weight. BUT, I stepped on again and got the same weight I got the second time around. I did that three or four more times and got the same weight again and again. Afterwards, I went downstairs and read the owner's manual for the scale.



THIS IS IMPORTANT: IF YOU MOVE THE SCALE (AND I MEAN EVEN AN INCH OR SO), YOU NEED TO TAP IT ON AND LET IT TURN ITSELF OFF. THIS PROCESS IS WHAT MAKES THE SCALE ACCURATE. IF YOU MOVE IT AND IMMEDIATELY WEIGH YOURSELF, YOU WILL GET A DIFFERENT WEIGHT BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND READINGS.



The LCD screen is bright and super-easy to read. Readings appear to be accurate . . . I correlated them with an archaic dial scale I have where you can roll the dial to zero the scale. One of the surprising finds for me about this scale is that it is so slim in height that my doors can breeze right over the top without coming in contact with it. That means in my ultra-cramped quarters I don't have to constantly reposition it. Awesome!!



I highly recommend this product. Go ahead . . . buy it. You know you want to : )

Everything is right about this scale except the following:



1) The product description should make it clear that this scale cannot be used on carpet and should be mentioned in the bulletpoint list.



The scale has strain-gauge sensors in each of its four feet, thus if they are on an uneven surface the scale will output multiple changing weights. i.e. it becomes an unstable system. This is even true for very low pile carpet of apartments, almost entirely flat though enough give to render the scale useless without a solid base. So, I cut a piece of Masonite approximately 11" square and put it underneath and it works well-enough to stabilize the scale. A 12" square would work better.



The product description should clearly indicate the need for hard floors while also providing instructions on using the scale on low-pile carpeted surfaces via an additional base which could either be sold with the scale or made at home. It is then mainly an issue of knowing in advance that hard flooring is needed, and those using the scale on low-pile carpeting will need an additional base. Providing customers with this information resolves the issue prior to purchase.



2) A previous anomaly has since been effectively addressed by the company. The company president called to discuss the issue. Not only did they acknowledge it existed, they already had a fix on the way and shipped out a replacement unit.



Because of this admirable customer service I have changed my earlier review from 4 stars to 5 stars - this scale and the company that stands behind their products deserves it.



It is both an excellent scale and value. It is also aesthetically pleasing. My first and remaining impression: I love it. And I enjoy interacting with it everyday.

I have had three other bathroom scales before. All of them measured with an error up to 1 lb per weighting. I had to hit them and step at least three times and average the result to get accurate reading. Makes you want to hit them harder every time.



But this scale is a blessing.



Here are my pros:

- Fine precision, measures right every time

- Big back-lit screen

- No need to hit it, just step on it

- Has a switch for pounds and kilograms - this was very important for me and it was not written clearly on the product description

- Looks nice, feels stable and well built

- Price. Normally you would suspect to pay a premium for the best product. But here you receive it for the normal price of other similar not so good products



Cons:

- My 2 year old likes it very much and weighs herself a lot for fun. Not a con actually :)



Conclusion:

If you need a bathroom scale, look no further, BUY THIS ONE! - Affordable - Accurate - Weighing Scale - Digital'


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