bodyfat scale/Calipers/handheld, which is most accurate?

[reasonle]

I am trying to get down to 18% body fat (female) and right now my body fat scale (not an Aria) measures me around 21% depending on the day.

Of the three options (scale, handheld analyzer, calipers) which is the most accurate?

Thanks!

[WendyB]

I say calipers.

Body fat scales are really not accurate. They are close tho

[Dominique]

As far as I understand, none of them are accurate. A scale would emphasize fatness/leanness in your lower body (because it sends an electrical current through your feet); likewise, a handheld device would emphasize your upper body. A BIA device that would send the current through both your hands and your feet (eg. the Tanita BC-558) would presumably be more accurate (but BIA is still very sensitive to the hydration level of your body). My understanding is calipers are best used by fitness professionals (eg. personal trainers), who have a long experience of their use. The "gold standard" is considered to be a DXA (aka DEXA) scan, but it's expensive and may not be easily available.

FWIW, @Michael recently mentioned another method called "air-displacement plethysmography". It appears to be much less expensive than DXA.

[Heybales]

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@reasonle wrote:

I am trying to get down to 18% body fat (female) and right now my body fat scale (not an Aria) measures me around 21% depending on the day.

Of the three options (scale, handheld analyzer, calipers) which is the most accurate?

Thanks!

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They can all be upwards of 5% accurate, along with measurement calculators.

Up to, any good thing can be fouled up accidentaly. Even Bodpod or hydrostatic methods if you worked out hard day before and were retaining a bunch of water in the muscles for repair. False extra LBM, so untrue smaller BF%.

The scale is measuring resistance up one leg and down the other. Handheld same method, hand to hand.

Skin calipers in the hands of an experienced person are still extrapolating skin folds to total body fat.

All of them used incorrectly will make it much worse than 5% though. See scale manuals, but if dehydrated or super hydrated, you'll throw the BIA units off. More sodium than normal or expected recently through them all off too, for one thing since you'll weigh more.

Here's some measurement calcs to throw in to the mix too.

http://www.gymgoal.com/dtool_fat.html

Average all the methods together for decent estimate.

And does the exact % matter? Do you have to wear a sign on your back stating what it is somewhere?

Or you going by looks.

Because it may be news for you, you may have some body parts that will NOT lose fat, all while other areas are looking sickly, and that could lead to what appears a high number. Think J-Lo.