When I rang my husband and asked him to pop into Argos to pick up a new set of scales on his way home from work, he firstly asked what was wrong with the old ones: "they are not working" I said. I think he thinks that I just didn't like what I was seeing and he wouldn't be too far wrong, but no, they were definitely kaput with nothing showing on the display even after a battery change and me jumping on them certainly didn't help - they simply gave up on me and so the Salter Body Analyser Scale entered my life, the poor thing!


I bought the Salter Body Analyser Scale for one reason alone - they were the cheapest digital display set of scales that Argos stocked and I had an Argos voucher. The scales were reduced from £15.99 to £7.99 which I thought was an absolute bargain and as far as I was concerned all scales are the same, right? Wrong! These are not just any old scales that just measure your weight - these have the added bonus of measuring body water percentage and body fat so it is now written down in front of me exactly how much lard I'm carrying around - if this isn't an incentive to lose it, I don't know what is!


~*~ The Design ~*~


These scales are matt silver in colour, predominantly made from tough plastic. They measure 27 cm square and stand 3.5 cm off the floor. On the top of the scales there are two crescent shaped pieces of metal and these are the sensors that measure your body details accurately. The digital display is large in size so there is no problem seeing it when you are standing on them and the reading is black on a grey background. There are four buttons - on/off, up, down and set which are used to set the scales. Overall these scales have a simple and sleek appearance and I am happy to have them on display in my bathroom.


~*~ In Use ~*~


The first time that the scales are used, you have to pull the battery tab out as they come complete with the two CR2032 (lithium cell) batteries that are required to power the scales. There is a small switch on the underside in order to select stones, pounds or Kg so you should select your desired setting prior to use. If you are using these scales on carpet, four carpet attachments are enclosed which cover the feet so they will be accurate - I always use mine in the bathroom where we have a hard floor so these feet are surplus to my requirement but it is good that they are supplied in case you only have carpeted floors, this is not something I have ever come across before and I have owned many sets of scales!


If you just want to weigh yourself, the scales have to be nudged and they turn on automatically - you stand on the scales and your weight is displayed. It takes five full seconds for the reading to be shown which is quite a long time, in my opinion to be stood there with your fingers crossed. If you are measuring in stones, these scales give a reading to the nearest eighth of a pound which I really like because sometimes half a pound can make all of the difference to how I feel (in kg it measures to the nearest tenth). When I first used these I thought that there would be no need to read the instruction booklet in order to use these, after all they are just a set of scales, but I was wrong. After much fiddling I gave up and read the manual which I should have done in the first place! I was put off because it was a proper big booklet, but in reality it is in lots of different languages and the English section is only two pages so easy enough to decipher, however I do think that using these scales is slightly over complicated so if you just want to jump on quickly and get a measurement - these are not the scales for you.


In order to get a full body analysis firstly you have to set it for yourself which means that you have to tell it your sex, height and age. Once you have done this the scales remember your data each time it is used and it is capable of storing twelve people - you use the up and down buttons to select yourself. To get your analysis the scales have to be turned on using the on/off buttons, simply nudging it will not work if you want the full works. Within a few seconds of standing on the scales (without socks and preferably with damp feet) the display flashes through your settings then comes the telltale moment of fat percentage and body water. NB Your measurements are not displayed to the rest of your family, only the initial data that you give it which is a blessed relief!


~*~ My Thoughts ~*~


Overall I have been pleased with my purchase, especially at the price that I paid. I thought I simply wanted to weigh myself but the added features have given me a boost to my weight loss. At first I took my measurements every day and they rarely changed which made me despondent, but now I use them once a week and I can see a real difference in the measurements. These scales look nice, and they feel sturdy whilst standing on them and not at all as though they are about to snap under the pressure and overall they feel like a good quality product.


The instruction book gives comprehensive instructions for use, and also tables so you can compare your readings with what they ideally should be which I think is an excellent idea. There is a question and answer section that helps you to interpret your data and how to improve the use of the scales, for example, using them at the same time during the day with similar clothing and it also reassures you that the current that is passed through the body in order to get the readings is completely harmless. Maintenance advice is given to ensure optimum performance of the product, but this is mainly common sense like only wiping it with a damp cloth and not to submerge it in water - as if?!


It is easy to inter-change between imperial and metric data on all counts and the very specific measurements (water and fat are measured to 0.1%) are encouraging. I have stood on these scales several times within a few minutes and they always give identical readings which leads me to believe that these scales are very accurate - also in comparison to what my doctor says, these are spot on. These scales are suitable for the whole family, they even have a child mode and athlete mode and it will store the data of anyone up to the age of 99. These are safe to use during pregnancy, but because of fluctuations in body mass, it is best to only use them in weight mode but this product should not be used if you have a pacemaker.


Salter Body analyser scales come with a fifteen year guarantee on working parts which I think is extremely generous and shows how much confidence the makers have in this product. As stated, I got mine from Argos but they are also on the high street and on the internet but at a wide price range (£8- £40!) so check before you buy.


Also posted on Ciao under my username chilcott1