Omron Body Fat Monitor and Scale

by Omron

Product Features

• Provides accurate measurement of weight, body fat percentage, and body mass index (BMI)
• Supports up to four personal profiles, so each member of your family can track their own measurements
• BMI classified at three levels: underweight, normal, overweight, and obese
• Provides measurements for people of nearly all heights (3'4" to 6' 6-3/4") and nearly all ages (10 to 79 years)
• Measures 12.2 x 11.8 x 2.1 inches (L x W x H)

Product Description

Size: HBF-400

Amazon.com Product Description

The Omron HBF-400 Fat Loss Monitor with Scale is the perfect way to track your weight loss goals, thanks to its fast, accurate measurement of weight, body fat percentage, and body mass index (BMI). Just step on the HBF-400 and in seconds you'll have much of the information that's vital to any

Simple controls and a large, easy-to-read display make fat and weight monitoring a snap. View larger.

Just step on and see your data in seconds.

weight loss or weight maintenance program.

For the Whole Family
The HBF-400 supports up to four personal profiles, so each member of your family can track their own measurements independently. Plus, an easy-to-read and large digital display makes it a snap to get the information you need.

Detailed Measurement
The weight display measures weight up to 330 pounds in .2-pound increments, while body fat percentage can be measured from 5 to 60 percent in .1 percent increments.

One of the keys to weight loss and management is tracking your body mass index, or BMI. The HBF-400 rates your BMI from 7.0 to 90.0 in .1 increments. BMI is classified at three levels: underweight, normal, overweight, and obese.

Made for Just about Everyone
The HBF-400 is set up to provide measurements for folks of nearly all heights (3'4" to 6' 6-3/4") and nearly all ages (10 to 79 years). Measurements are customized for males and females, as well.

Power and Dimensions
The HBF-400 runs on four AA batteries, and you can expect about a year of battery life when the device is used four times a day. The unit measures 12.2 x 11.8 x 2.1 inches (L x W x H). The unit weighs 4.7 pounds.

What's in the Box
HBF-400 unit, 4 AA batteries, and instruction manual.

Compare Omron Fitness Monitors
	HB-400	HB-500	HBF-306	HR-100
Measurement	Body fat percentage Body mass index Weight	Body fat percentage Visceral fat level Skeletal muscle percentage Resting metabolism Body mass index Weight	Body fat percentage Body mass index	Heart rate and pulse
Product Placement	Flat level floor	Flat level floor	Hold in front of body	Watch on wrist Transmitter around chest
Memory	4 person profile with previous reading	4 person profile 1/7/30/90 day(s) memory	9 person profile	None
Warranty	1 Year	1 Year	1 Year	1 Year
Batteries	4 "AA" (included)	4 "AA" (included)	2 "AA" (included)	2 CR2032 3 volt (included)
Estimated Battery Life	Approx. 1 year (when used four times a day)	Approx. 1 year (when used four times a day)	Approx. 1 year (when used four times a day)	Approx. 1 year (varies depending on storage and use)

Q&A - Fitness Monitors

What is the Bioelectrical Impedance Method?
Bioelectrical Impedance (BI) is considered one of the most accurate and accessible methods of screening body fat. Muscles, blood vessels and bones are body tissues having a high water content that conduct electricity easily. Body fat is tissue that has little electric conductivity. The monitor sends an extremely weak electrical current through your body to determine the amount of fat tissue. The weak electrical current is not felt while operating the Body Fat Analyzer. The monitor is calculated by a formula that includes five factors; electric resistance, height, weight, age and gender.
What is visceral fat?
Visceral fat is located around the organs. Too much visceral fat is thought to be closely linked to increased level of fat in the bloodstream, which can lead to common conditions such as high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Sedentary life style causes excess visceral fat, and exercise can reduce it quicker than subcutaneous fat (fat located under skin).
What is resting metabolism?
Resting metabolism is the energy to maintain vital functions and it counts 60 to 70% of total energy consumption. Knowing your resting metabolism can help your dietplan. If you can increase daily activity while keeping food intake at resting metabolism level, you can lose weight.
What is skeletal muscle?
Skeletal muscle is muscle attached to the bones that is used to move the body. If you do weight loss without exercise, you may lose skeletal muscle. Skeletal muscle is important to maintain your resting metabolism as well as your functionality. Monitoring skeletal muscle during weight loss is key to avoid weight rebound in the future.

Product Description

MEASURES 3 FITNESS INDICATORS-BODY FAT PERCENTAGE\, BODY MASS INDEX & BODY WEIGHT; 4-PERSON PROFILE; EASY ON/OFF SWITCH AT THE BASE; LARGE LCD DISPLAY; INCLUDES 4 AA BATTERIES

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 13 x 14 x 3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000FJQ48I
• UPC: 002765892258 073796826406
• Item model number: HBF-400
• Batteries: 4 AA batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (552 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,022 in Health & Personal Care (See Top 100 in Health & Personal Care)
  • #20 in Health & Personal Care > Medical Supplies & Equipment > Health Monitors > Scales > Digital

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

550 of 572 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Scale with Bonsuses, January 18, 2007

By 

Jacob Hantla "hantla.com" (Chandler, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Omron HBF-500 Body Composition Monitor with Scale (Health and Beauty)

As a scale the Omron HBF-500 is excellent. It is consistent, in tests with my wife and I (who are more than 100 pounds different in weight) the scale gave the same weight each of 5 times in a row that we stepped on it. So it is consistent. I am a nurse and weighed myself on our calibrated scales and found that this scale weighed me 0.5 pounds heavier than the hospital one, which can be explained by the glass of water I drank when I got home. So it is both consistent and accurate.

So what about the body fat monitor: As to the accuracy of the monitor I cannot speak. However, it is very consistent, much more consistent than the experience that I have had with the handheld-only monitors from Omron. The scale will calculate your percent body fat & your percent skeletal muscle. It will also give you a reading of your visceral body fat, which is a better indicator of your health risk associated with body fat (visceral body fat is the fat which is inside your body surrounding your organs, which subcutaneous fat is the fat that we all see just under our skin). Using these calculations and the user-defined height, weight, and age data that you enter, it will give you your resting metabolic energy needs for the day to give you an idea of how much you should be eating to lose weight in a healthy manner.

The scale has 4 user profiles so that 4 different users can use the scale and track their data. Data can be recalled letting you know what your measurements were yesterday, a week ago, a month ago, and 3 months ago.

The handle fits well inside the front of the scale. I was expecting the scale to be bulkier than it is. It is just a little taller than a normal scale and very attractive. It isn't something that you're going to need to hide between uses. Just put it where any normal bathroom scale would fit.

The scale is a little bit difficult to use if you haven't read the instruction manual. The good news is that the manual is very easy to use and very informative. Plan on 5-10 minutes of reading time when your scale first arrives. You will be glad that you learned all about what your new scale does. After skimming the manual, my wife and I are both able to operate the scale and use all of its functionality.

Price-wise, this seems like an excellent value. The cost of a high-quality scale added to the price of a decent Body-fat monitor (which won't give you the more detailed body composition detail of this hands-and-feet monitor) will be more than the price of this one unit. Also, this unit keeps all of your data in one location. So for the price, this unit was a no-brainer for me when it was time to buy a new scale after my old one stopped being consistent and accurate.

Highly recommended.

267 of 279 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Usefull Tool, March 15, 2008

By 

J. Brittain "picky shopper" (Miami Lakes, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Omron HBF-500 Body Composition Monitor with Scale (Health and Beauty)

I don't do reviews often, but this product (and/or a similar model) have taken some knocks that my experience contradicts.

First off, I think expectations need to be realistic if you are going to buy any kind of scale or monitor.
1) Weight: No two scales read the same. They may be darn close, but rarely the same. What should be expected is that the scale always reads the same weight over time. I have a dumbbell that says it's 10 lbs and I have seen three scales say it's anywhere from 9.5 to 10.3 lbs. So you can demand consistency, but realistically for most of us absolute accuracy is just not practical.

2) Body Fat or Composition: Unless you can find (and pay for) a DEXA (Dual Energy X-Ray) or Hydrostatic (full immersion weighing) test this number is totally subjective. A while back I had two physical therapist/trainers that work in a medical rehab/training facility check my composition using the calipers method ten minutes apart. The results were 29% and 34%. They were not surprised, said they were usually within 2%-3% of each other.

I don't want it to sound like I am lowering the bar here, just trying to be realistic.

So, what about the Omron HBF-500?
As for weight, my HBF-500 has said from day one that my "10lb" dumbbell is 9.6 lbs (it's mate is always 9.7). Who's right, Omron or Weider? No idea. So who cares if the scale is off by 4% or if that dumbbell is really 4% lighter than advertised? The fact is that is is consistent, and if it says that on the day I got it I weighed 296 and I now weight 275, it is that 26lb difference that is important.

Same thing for composition. I feel it is the change over time that is important, not the absolute accuracy. What I have found is that I have to be consistent in using the device. Lay off the H2O for a day and the number changes, hop on the scale after a hot shower, the number changes. Same for after a meal or exercise. I have has the best results using it once a week, at the same time of the day (for me, first thing in the morning on Mondays) before I eat and shower.

Functions/Usability:
1) Read the manual. It's not great, but after I used the thing two or three times it became simpler.
2) The memory/user functions are nice, but to be honest I think the biggest advantage of the user function is that I do not have to re-enter my age, sex, etc.. each time. Use the enclosed for or write down the results, I'm a geek so trust me when I say it's just simpler than the memory functions.

Overall I think it is a great tool for measuring changes, if not absolute numbers. And if you think about it, the changes are what matters, either as a warning that you are making progress in a direction you do not want to go, or as a reinforcement that you are doing things right and seeing results.

If accuracy is a big deal for you, pay for the professional tests, use the device at home and note the difference. The apply that correction to the measurements you get at home. For me, the $400 -$600 cost of the tests for one shot vs. the cost of the HBF-500 to use whenever I like answered the absolute accuracy question.

156 of 169 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Pleased, September 6, 2006

By 

Dylan Blitz - See all my reviews

This review is from: Omron HBF-400 Body Fat Monitor and Scale (Health and Beauty)

I originally ordered a Tanita scale and it stopped working within two weeks. (Amazon, of course, took it back with no problems.) I was so glad when the Omron scale arrived. It costs less than the Tanita but the quality is much higher. The numbers on it are very large and easy to read. Also, it is much easier to place your feet properly than on the Tanita. I can't wait to try all the features. By the way, I weighed myself over and over and my weight only varied .2 lbs. as promised. Great deal for the money!!!

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