Body Fat % on Index S2 Smart Scale Seems Inaccurate

I’m having issues with this as well. Body fat % is way off from my other scales

Garmin-Kevin

+1 on the BF% being less than useful

I had the original Index, stuck at 7% as many have mentioned

The S2 with the proper settings for my age reads me at nearly double (18.1%) my current DEXA (9.3% current, as of the last week) 

The birthdate adjustment mentioned by some can get me down to 13.1%, but that is still off by almost 50%, not even close after applying a change that should not be necessary in the first place.

I have various other scans that support the remaining Garmin Index and S2 data is accurate to a reasonable extent - the DEXA, InBody, and EVOLT 360 - all from the same day as the S2 and Index, both. I'd be happy to share the data to help get this resolved. (Note: I realize Garmin probably does not care about the InBody or EVOLT, but the data is available for comparison purposes, if Garmin would like to consider those inputs - else the DEXA was performed on a GE Lunar Prodigy Primo)

I can't take credit for this inspiration, and it's buried in this thread at least once if not more, but it's worth repeating - Edit your profile and increase your 'Activity Class'.  Changing mine from 7 (that felt apt for my weekly hours of activity) to 10 changed my BF % from 28% to 23%.  The latter is at least within shouting distance of my InBody result of 22.1 from six months ago.  I'm resisting the urge to tinker with my age, as Garmin is already adjusting my 'fitness age' downward by seven years.   I'm not trying to argue this is a 'fix' - only that it seems to fudge the metric calculation in a direction many of us would like.  For those of you trying to demand a fix from Garmin, I applaud your optimism - at best they'll offer us the likes of an Index S3 "... with improved body metrics" priced around 150% of what we paid for our S2s (and no trade-in option).

Hi Kevin,

I also logged a ticket about this (19059939K1) months ago, had the index s2 exchanged, was told there might be an update after the problem continued and eventually didn't hear back. Today the scale changed the body fat 1% up after weighing in twice in 2 minutes. I keep deleting the weigh-ins that seem to be off, because they mess up my fitness age. Having that calculated based in the wrong body fat data is frustrating. 

I took delivery of my Index S2 scale last week and have had problems with the scales showing inaccurate readings compared with my Tanita BC-1000 scales. The Tanita scales have been calibrated to be within 2>4% of formal medical body fat readings etc, which seems to mirror other experiences form users in these forums, so I know the Index S2 is way off. It seems to approximately double the Body Fat readings which then pushes off many of the other readings rendering the Index S2 somewhat useless.

Following some investigation, the issue I have tracked to the fact that there is no ‘Lifetime Athlete’ setting available in the Index S2 user settings. This is available through the Garmin Edge 800 / 810 User Profile settings that sync's my Tanita BC-1000 readings.

If I switch ‘Lifetime Athlete’ off on the Garmin Edge device(s) the Tanita Body Fat readings get closer to the Index S2, although it is still off by approx 4>6% so somewhat academic as the Tanita still gives greater accuracy.

So the question I have for Garmin is why is there no ‘Lifetime Athlete’ setting in the Index S2 user profile settings?  On the evidence working with my Tanita through the Garmin Edge 800/810 this would possibly make the Index S2 device useful with a better degree of accuracy, albeit still @4>6% off the Tanita which still gives greater accuracy.

For now this is an Index S2 heading back to Garmin until this gets sort out.

The scale is not accurate. Not only the body fat is wrong but the weight too. I took one reading after wake-up and the second 5 minutes later after I went to the bathroom. I was heavier in the second reading. The device is useless and there is no solution visible.

I've also found variances in weight in consecutive measurements, enough to cause concern for the accuracy of the device as a whole. I did not notice this with the original Index, but the S2 seems to be more particular about zeroing out and if you stand on it too soon, or too late, I've see a pound or more difference in back-to-back weight-ins. The SCALE should be a VERY accurate scale... it is... a scale! 

Add me to the case. I have same issues.

Garmin-Kevin

This scale is not accurate, it's so bad it's a joke or almost a crime to sell it. People will see the fault data, believing it's true, and damage their bodies in the process. I'm around 19% bf but with this scale i can't go under 25% bf. So imagine if i where to take this seriously. Then i would drop to a possibly health hazardously low weight, before this scale would put me in a reasonable bf%. 

This scale is basically putting healthy normal people in the obese category. It's not ok.

Edit: i played around with activity level for a while, and for some reason 7 yielded the best measure at 24% for me. For some reason if i went higher my bf% increased as well.