Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I just got this scale to replace an older digital scale that broke, and I'm very impressed. To weigh yourself, you step on the scale, wait about 3-4 seconds for the scale to stabilize, and look at the reading. The weight is easy to read -- large numerals with a backlight. The only drawback of the backlight is that it will increase battery usage. You have a choice of units -- pounds, kilograms, or stones. The scale itself is very sleek and low profile. It's 11.8 inches (width) x 11.7 inches. Some scales (both digital and analog) make a clunking sound as you step on, but this is totally silent. Like most digital scales, it has to be placed on a hard surface such as tile or wood. Some digital scales have a "fake repeatability." That is, if you weigh yourself, and then hold a small weight and step on again, it gives exactly the same value. This scale doesn't have this undesirable feature. If you hold a small weight, it gives an honest result. I measured the variability of nine readings. The range (max minus min) was 0.4 pounds, and the standard deviation was 0.12 pounds. This is excellent, and much better than my previous scale. I think that the absolute reading is very close to correct, but I haven't had a chance yet to compare this scale to the one at my doctor's office. The instructions warn that the glass surface is slippery when wet. It's not a scale you want to use after stepping out of the shower or bath. Update January 2011: After 18 months (and one battery change), it's still working perfectly, but I want to add one more point that other reviewers have mentioned. You do need to remain very still after you get on the scale; otherwise the reading may not lock. To make it work, I stand still for about 5 or 6 seconds. Just stand still and look straight ahead; don't look down at the scale until this time has passed. Occasionally the first reading fails. In that case, step off, wait for the display to go off, and get on again. If the first try fails, the second one almost always succeeds. A person with a balance problem, however, would have difficulty getting a good reading. I've confirmed that this scale displays a weight extremely close to the one at my doctor's office. (There's no guarantee, of course, that other scales of this model will be equally accurate.) Update March 2014: After almost 5 years, the scale still works perfectly and still agrees with the scale at my doctor's office to within less than a pound. Batteries have lasted from 14 to 24 months. If the scale starts acting flaky (e.g., turning off unexpectedly), replace the batteries, even if you don't see the low-battery indicator displayed.