Omron HBF-306C Handheld Body Fat Loss Monitor

After reading over several reviews of this product, mostly VERY high praise, I placed my order. I then went back and read all the one star reviews, to see what the gripes people had with the product were. They seem to mainly be that the product is not precise, that is, taking one reading after another yields a wide range of results. I got concerned that I made a bad choice, but the purchase was already complete. My item arrived today (VERY fast with the free super-saver shipping, I must say) and I've gotten a chance to test it for myself.I found that it is VERY precise. MUCH more than expected actually. Precision means repeated tests yield results very close together, while accurate means the results are close to the actual value. I cannot speak on its accuracy, since I do not have a known accurate method of testing my fat % to compare it to. But most of the reviews complain of imprecision, but I can say from my testing is not an issue.I did ten repeated readings using the correct positioning (standing up, arms straight out 90 degrees from body). The readings were ALL within 0.2% of each other. From my experience with statistics, I can say with 95% confidence that my body fat reading is 17.30% plus or minus 0.14%.I then started toying around with all the wrong positions. I did sitting, with arms in the correct position, and got an average of 17.58%. Looks like sitting skews the reading upwards just slightly. But the range of values was still quite small, and I can be 95% certain that the value is 17.58% plus or minus 0.17%, only a tiny increase in uncertainty. That result was pretty close to the correct position result, surprisingly.Now, all the very inaccurate positions:-Sitting, arms bent at 90 degrees: 14.98 +/- 0.41%-Standing, arms bent at 90 degrees: 15.66 +/- 0.27%-Standing, arms bent and out slightly forward, so screen is easily visible by glancing down (likely a commonly used incorrect position since it's the position that allows you to be most comfortable while most easily viewing the readout): 15.96 +/- 0.23%So, as long as your position remains the same over multiple readings, even incorrect positions yield quite consistent results. I can only imagine that if repeated readings yield vastly different results, it's due to a variety of positions used during the readings. OR a faulty device. Or maybe there's something funky about your body that the device just doesn't like - a few reviewers commented that it just plain doesn't work with some people, so maybe with others it works but is inconsistent.In any case, unless you are working towards a very specific body fat % goal, you're probably using this to help observe your fat loss better (rather than just using your weight, which could drop slower than expected due to increases in muscle mass from working out more), which means you're more interested in relative values anyway. So regardless of whether it's accurately reading your body fat %, you'll get use out of it by seeing how the values change in relation to what they were before. And as long as it's precise, you're good to go. So follow the directions in the manual about body position, about when to measure in relation to meals and working out, and you can feel good buying this product, because it's a great deal and gives you much better insight into your weight loss than the number on a scale.

want a reason to stay on the healthy diet. If you give up before monitoring your body fat and measuring inches, you are looking for the easy way out. This is the easiest way to monitor body fat, just a few clicks and it gives a great reading.I started a lifestyle change around xmas time and like usual followed with a new years resolution to make a lifestyle change. As a PE teacher and former college athlete i was not setting a great example to my students and players. While in college I had done body comp tests to better understand the practice and each method. Like most reviews will say there are pros and cons to each but I actually witnessed a study against the gold standard, under water weighing, the omron did very well. If i remember right most amateurs with the calipers where not doing so hot. This seemed to me,factoring in the ease of use and speed of response that this is the best way to go.Personally my girlfriend and I use it at least once a week to monitor fat loss. We use it at the same time every morning every week, take two readings and use it for feedback on our diet progress. Women especially dont always lose lbs on the diet we have implemented so I wanted extra proof and motivation to keep at it as a family. As a teacher I will be using it as a tool in physical education to explain healthy body weight and body comp.I know that many factors can skew the numbers here but you dont have to be a rocket scientist or even know what a variable is to use common sense and test the same way every time. If you control your hydration variable alone you should be fine.for 30 bucks get this product, use it the right way and you will be able to track your progress and tweak your diet and fitness routine to see the results you want

After doing a decent amount of research on this particular method of determining body fat percentage I was thinking it would be a waste of time. Over and over again I read how it would vary a lot and not give very accurate readings. With no other alternatives that looked much better or in this price range I decided to give this product a try and see for myself. I have used it every day since the day I received it to look at an average as opposed to basing any conclusions of one reading once a week. It never varies more than one percent from day to day. As far as I can tell the readings it is giving me are very accurate. To get results that are this consistent I created a definite routine with it. I use it in the morning just after I get up before I eat anything. You have to hold the unit in the exact same place every time, and with the same amount of pressure. I have noticed the tighter I hold it the lower the body fat percentage it displays. I choose to use a medium grip that is easy to reproduce day after day. I have been strength training since receiving this product and tracked my progress. In conjunction with the use of a scale I have seen my weight drop and my body fat percentage stay the same if I am eating too little and losing muscle. I have seen my weight and body fat percentage drop if I have a good balance of exercise and diet. I have also seen my weight stay the same and my body fat percentage drop when I am eating a lot and doing intense workouts. Without this product I would be completely in the dark as to my progress. It has helped me fine tune my workouts and diet, which has probably shaved months off the time it would take me to do it just using a scale and looking in the mirror to see if I am gaining or losing muscle. If you use it consistently and apply some common sense to this product I think you will find it a cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle. After reading hundreds of reviews on this product and others that are similar, I have concluded that most of the problems other people experience with it have to do with improper use. Unfortunately, there are a lot of great products with bad reviews because consumers refuse to spend the time to do a little research and apply a little common sense.