Customer Reviews

Soehnle 63667 Gamma Tempered Glass Platform Bath Scale

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have been considering the purchase of this scale for some time. The price tag, although enough to make most people stop to think, is not unreasonable. That is, if the scale lives up to expectations.

I am happy to say I am not dissapointed. I had some small concerns due to the one poor review of the gamma here on Amazon but the overly positive reaction I have observed on other forums convinced me to give this scale a chance.
The scale is EXTREMELY solid. One of my concerns was that I am a rather large man. Indeed, the Soehnle was one of only a few scales that exceeded my requirements (at the time, I've since lost 30lbs and am continuing that direction). It handled me stepping on the far side of the glass with one foot without so much as a hiccup. No small feat.

I have weighed myself several times in different positions and have managed to change the reading 1 or 2 tenths of a pound when standing off center at the extreme edges of the glass but anywhere even remotely in the center, where you would normally end up just stepping normally onto the scale, gives consistent readings.

It took me all of 3 tries to get the hang of turning the unit on. It takes a somewhat intentional tap of the foot but not so much as to be uncomfortable or hard for my wife or even my 4 year old daughter. Yet not so sensitive that any graze or unintentional touch will set it off. It really is a most excellent balance in this respect and, I assume, will extend the life of the 9 volt battery to the limit. I'm still using the original one I put in when I got it.

As far as the display goes; I wear glasses and can read it without them. I really must assume that the reviewer who had a problem with their display had a defective unit. I can see mine clearly from any angle I've attempted to look at it from. With or without my glasses.

CONCLUSION: All in all, I am extremely pleased with this scale. It does what it does extremely well and is also extremely beautiful. It's one of the few purchases I've made that my wife COMPLETELY agrees with me on.

I bought this scale to replace a rectangular Soehnle Zeta scale that finally went to Scale Heaven after about ten years of daily use; the Zeta is definitely the superior model, and the only reason I chose a round scale this time was because the edges on the Zeta are very sharp if you accidentally bump into them.

I find no fault with the accuracy of the Gamma scale; it equals the Zeta in that respect, which is to say, very good and accurate to a tenth of a pound. However, the Gamma wobbles on hard surfaces, and it takes a much harder "thump" to activate than the Zeta scale did.

The readouts on both scales can be difficult to see, because while the numbers are large, the contrast is not great, so the light has to be just right. One excellent quality of the Gamma and the Zeta is that they weigh accurately on both carpeted and hard surfaces, a great advantage if there is no room in the bathroom for a scale.

Were I to do it over, I would buy the Zeta again, bruises and all, because all that wobbling and thumping in the morning with the Gamma can be somewhat annoying, especially if you are not a morning person. Nevertheless, the Gamma and the Zeta are both well-engineered, accurate, and worth the cost.

I have been using this scale for several months now and I have to say it is an excellent excellent product.
I live in an apartment with a smaller bathroom and this scale fits very nicely on the floor below my towel rack. I tend to take pretty hot showers and the bathroom ends up fogging up pretty bad, but the scale's glass surface either stays dry or loses that fog quickly enough that I can accurately weigh myself after I'm done.
Unlike other scales I've used and tested, this one gives a consistent and accurate reading every single time, regardless of what position my feet are in, and that's thanks in large part to the "Centerpoint" technology where the glass sits on one single metal weighing point in the center of the device to give you some consistency with the readings (as opposed to many other scales where your feet need to be perfectly aligned with 4 or more weight sensors)
The display is fine to read, even with a light directly above it, and I didn't have any problems with glare at all--just imagine a large digital watch display and that's what you can expect from this scale. Well worth the extra money, and the bonus is that it looks great too!

The scale I received also has an LCD display issue. I can read it if I'm standing behind or in front of the scale, but when I stand on the scale the display is dim. It's as if the polarization of the display is skewed for some reason. The rest of the scale appears to be extremely sturdy and well built, and the weighing mechanism appears to be accurate and consistent (my wife standing next to me read the display). But if I can't read the display while I'm standing on the scale, it's worthless to me, so one star it gets.

By the way, it appeared that this unit may have been a returned unit since the taping on the box itself seemed unusually heavy and careless, and not as if it came from the factory. If so, shame on you, Amazon. Further, the box that it was shipped in was poorly secured taped and arrived open. I am a regular customer and have never had this happen before, but another package that I received the same week from Amazon was similarly poorly secured. I'll attribute this to the Christmas rush to fill orders, but that's really no excuse.

I almost didn't purchase this scale after reading other reviews about the difficulty in reading the LCD display. I decided to go ahead because of its reported accuracy and its solid, unique appearance.

I have no idea what those individuals who have had difficulty with the readout are talking about. Their units may have been defective, although this company doesn't seem the type to scrimp on quality control. The 1" tall by 0.5" wide numbers are extremely easy to read and legible from any angle in full sunlight, overcast or indoor lighting. I can even read the scale by the bathroom nightlight!

The reproducible accuracy is very reassuring after our last scale which gave different weights by one to two pounds between repeated weighings depending on foot placement and God knows what else. My wife will weigh herself, I'll weigh myself, and then we'll repeat the sequence. The weights are the same on the second set to a tenth of a pound!

I love the transparent look coupled with the very solid feel of the scale. It has 5 rubber feet and sits very firmly on the floor. The solid glass plate is uninterrupted and easy to clean. You can switch between pounds, kilograms or the British stone system. Maximum weight is 330 lbs. Minimum weight is unknown but it appears to weigh objects over two pounds accurately. The centerpoint transducer minimizes the effect of foot placement on the weight.

I gave this scale 4 stars instead of 5 only because you have to tap it with your foot to activate it and allow it to zero before stepping onto the platform. I suppose this is a requirement of electronic scales but I would like to just step on it to get my weight. Small complaint though - I wouldn't trade that for the accuracy. My wife and I are both very pleased with the looks and functionality of this scale. It's well worth the money.

I reviewed all the comments from other buyers and settled on the Gamma from Soehnle after going to local stores and trying out 12 cheap scales and finding out every one gave me a different weight, none of them matched the weight I had at the doctors office. The Gamma is awesome: weights very accurately and consistantly, and looks great. Since its round you also don't bump yourself on sharp corners in a small bathroom. Easy to clean (surface is smooth glass). I needed to slide the switch at the bottom from European kg to American pound when it arrived, but no big deal.

This scale sounded spectacular on paper. High precision, well-established manufacturer, attractive appearance. Only problem is that the LCD dial is virtually unreadable. The numerals are plenty large but the contrast is extremely low and is optimized for a position other than standing on the scale. As you walk away from the scale, the numerals become more contrasty and legible but they no longer have anything to do with how much you weigh. To make matters worse, the glass surface creates reflections and the LCD display is beneath the glass. I tried several locations in several rooms, all well-lit, and in none of them could I read the weight displayed while standing on the scale. My vision with lenses, by the way, is slightly better than 20/20. I also dislike the fact that you have to tap it with your foot, wait for the display to zero out, and then stand on it to be weighed. I don't want a dance partner, just a scale. But if that had been the only thing I didn't like, I'd have learned to live with it. Within about 15 minutes of its arrival, it was back in the box for a return. I can't say whether this problem was unique to this unit or would be true for all examples of this model but at this price, it's virtual unusability is totally unacceptable. I usually have a very high threshold for returning stuff and almost never do it because I hate the hassle. I usually try to work around a product's limitations if they're modest. But I see no way to work around a scale that may weigh accurately but keeps the information to itself. At $100 plus shipping, this is a bit too expensive to serve merely as a bathroom ornament. Unless you have an opportunity to stand on one of these and determine whether or not the LCD on a specific unit has the same problem I encountered, you'd do well to avoid this scale and others from this manufacturer that have the same type of display.

This is a great scale and is shape looking too. I gave it a four star rating, it would have received a five if the numbers were brighter.

This scale is beautifully constructed and designed. Furthermore, it performs perfectly and reliably as a scale providing consistent accuracy to .2 of a pound. I'm not quite sure why Soehnle would have discontinued this product since it is a gorgeous and functional scale that looks great in your bathroom. Lets just hope they make them available again since I'd like to order another. If it becomes available again, BUY IT! You won't be disappointed.

Sleek modern design, easy to clean, does not take up a lot of space