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Body Fat percentage wildly inaccurate, firmware algorithm update needed?

For a company that specializes in fitness and health related metrics, the Index S2 scale is an embarrassment. This morning my scales gave me a body fat percentage reading of 23.1%. This is me post work out a few hours later. Now I don't know what my actual body fat percentage is, but a look online at examples makes me fairly confident that I'm below 23.1% body fat, I'd even suspect more than 5% below, and it's said that impedance measurement can be plus or minus 5 percent. So the scales seem to be even less accurate than what would be considered the worst case scenario. Given the price of the scales, and that this is the kind of thing Garmin specialize in, it's an embarrassment. Will anything be done about it? And beyond keeping the surface of the scales clean, is there anything that can be done to try to improve the accuracy?

It seems to me that the algorithm is putting too much weight on BMI when trying to calculate body fat percentage, and that's making the measurements a complete waste of time and money.

  • I’m returning my device as well. Just picked it up a few days ago and disappointed with the results. 

  • Did going from 7 to 8 activity level help? I'm in the same 'boat' and my fat percentage is way above other devices I have used. I have manually put these into 'calibrate' the Garmin scale but it doesn't seem to have made any difference to the readings I get every time I use the scale so thought about going from 7 to 8 activity level to see if it helped?

  • Going up to 10 made no difference for me. If you get a DEXA scan  you can input that value into the app and it'll apparently help with the readings... Apparently. But overall the scales seem to be complete crap, expensive crap. Even when it comes to displaying weight I've had them give bizarre readings, ten seconds later getting on them again and I get another reading.

  • I've calibrate my Index S2 with the reading from the InBody 970 (that is certified "clinical level") 

  • How far apart were the readings between the Index S2 and the InBody 970 before you calibrated it?

  • In my case about 4% in body fat

  • Hi all, received an S2 around April and have been collecting and assessing data, ie. Body fat, etc.  I realise Garmin have been smart and provided different units, ie.  Lbs and %….  If you do transfer them to the same units, given that you have a total, the total is circa 122%.  I suspect an error in the algorithm…. But was expecting far greater accuracy than 22% - I also suspect the Bone Mass is low, but also too much deviation between results on days.

    anyone else looked into this?

  • Wait, you're saying that if you add everything up, convert percentage based measures like fat and I think water, and whatever else (haven't bothered using my Index S2  for awhile now) you get a combined weight that's around 122% of your body weight?

    If so, that's a hilarious mistake on Garmin's part, almost as inept as when NASA didn't convert miles to kilometers and slammed a probe into the surface of Mars.

  • S2 7 App

    S2 7 App

    S2 7 App

    S2 7 App

    S2 7 App

    S2 7 App

    Calc

    Calc

    Calc

    Weight

    BMI

    BodyFAT

    Skel Muscle

    Bone

    Water

    Skel%

    Bone%

    Total weight

    236.8

    33.9

    34.20%

    84.6

    11.7

    48.00%

    35.73%

    4.94%

    122.87%

    237.2

    34

    34.10%

    84.7

    11.7

    48.10%

    35.71%

    4.93%

    122.84%

    239.2

    34.2

    34.10%

    85.2

    11.9

    48.10%

    35.62%

    4.97%

    122.79%

  • Happy to share results to demonstrate.