How to Test Scales

There's a quick way to check your scale's accuracy.

You rely on scales to monitor your weight and to measure food in the supermarket. The scale in your supermarket is certified, but how accurate is your scale at home? In a review of bathroom scales, Good Housekeeping found that one scale measured 4 pounds too heavy. Do you trust the accuracy of your scale? There's a quick way to see if your scale is telling the truth.

Instructions

1. 

   Use a dumbbell to check your scale's accuracy.

   Find something with a known weight. This can be a dumbbell like you'd find at the gym or a 5-pound bag of flour. It doesn't matter what you use as long as you trust the weight written on it.

2. Weigh the object you chose. Place it on the scale and make a note of how much it weighs. It's a good start if the scale reads what you know your item weighs, but there's a way to double-check.

3. Weigh yourself. Make a note of what your scale reads.

4. Weigh yourself while holding your weight. If your scale measured your test weight correctly, and your weight added to your test weight equals what you see now, you can be confident in your scale.

References

• Good Housekeeping: Bathroom Scales Tested

Resources

• Consumer Reports: Scales