Soehnle Rio Fat, Muscle, Water Analysis Scale

by Soehnle

Product Features

• Measures body fat, water and muscle to .1%; recommends 'course of action' based on results.
• Features Instant On and Automatic User ID with 8-Person Memory
• 330 lb. capacity; .2 lb. increments
• Easy to clean safety glass with Large LCD Display
• Batteries included; 10-year Warranty

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Long recognized for its reputation of reliability and quality, Soehnle has sold over 140 million scales around the world since it began operations in 1868. The Soehnle 63712 Rio Body Balance Fat, Muscle, Water Analysis Scale features Soehnle's advanced technology in where diet and exercise merge.

Track your weight, body fat, and more with the Rio scale. View larger.

The Rio Body Balance Scale not only keeps tabs on your weight, but also monitors your overall body fat, water hydration, and even muscle mass. Using advanced German technology and the medically proven Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, which sends a safe, low-level electrical signal through the body -- the Rio provides you with both accurate readings in 0.1 percent increments as well as recommendations of a course of action based on the results. A memory function also givers you indications of trends by providing the results of your body fat, body water, muscle proportion or weight (absolute or relative), in daily, weekly or monthly intervals. The scale also features an automatic user ID memory for up to eight people, which means that your whole family can take full advantage of the scale's functionality. An instant-on function powers the scale up automatically as soon as you stand on it. A handsome addition to any bathroom, the Rio Body Balance Scale is made of silver components and safety glass and runs on four AA batteries. Backed by Soehnle's longstanding reputation for quality, the Rio Body Balance Scale comes with a 10-year manufacturer's warranty.

Note: Pacemaker wearers or pregnant women should not use this scale.

Product Description

This sleek design offers the most innovative technology in body analysis scales today, offering measurements of body fat, water and muscle to .1%. Overall health and well being can now be monitored at home, as the Body Balance Rio scale even recommends a 'course of action' based on one's age and gender. Additional features include instant on and automatic user ID---program the scale just once and scale will 'recognize' individual anytime one steps on the scale.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 14 x 14 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000296N4Q
• UPC: 047738637122
• Item model number: 63712/63710
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #177,801 in Health & Personal Care (See Top 100 in Health & Personal Care)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, practical and accurate, August 30, 2005

By 

esanta "esanta" (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Soehnle Rio Fat, Muscle, Water Analysis Scale (Health and Beauty)

I had been looking for one of these body fat analysis scales, but couldn't find anything that looked good enough to replace my nice glass tray scale, until the Soehnle Rio showed up in my Gold Box (thanks Amazon!).
I have been using it for a few weeks and couldn't be more pleased.

You will probably need to refer to the clear, multiple language manual the first time you use it so you can configure it for multiple people. The scale can remember up to 4 different users, and tells them apart automagically.

Unlike other electronic scales, which require you to power them up and wait for a beep before you step on them, the Rio works like you would expect: just step on it and wait for your weight to appear on the dial. Analysis then follows automatically if the scale "recognizes" you. It turns itself off automatically when you step off.

Don't let the low price fool you: this is a well made, very accurate scale with advanced features that looks gorgeous and couldn't be any easier to use. Nice work Soehnle.

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars looks nice, questionable accuracy of measurements; significant quality control issues, November 14, 2005

By 

Music Fan Jeff (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Soehnle Rio Fat, Muscle, Water Analysis Scale (Health and Beauty)

As a nice looking scale, I'd rate this 5 stars. The weight measurement seems accurate -- very close to the scales at my doctor's office and gym as well as weight measurements that seem to accurately reflect my recent eating habits and exercise habits (ie, when I have eaten a lot and expect to weigh more, I do). I do question how accurate the other measurements are, though. The muscle, fat, and water measurements are highly interdependent which, to some extent, makes sense: If you're well hydrated then you should have a lower body fat percentage. I'm not sure why higher or lower hydration should have such an impact on the muscle measurements, however, and all three measurements can vary enough from weigh-in to weigh-in (even if done in close succession) that I simply think these measurements are more "ball park" guestimates (like the calories burned counters on various cardio equipment) rather than real measurements.

I bought this scale to replace a previous weight and fat measurement device made by Tanita, hoping that this would offer more accurate fat percentage measurements. After using it for the past several weeks, I doubt that it's any more accurate than my previous, considerably less expensive scale.

So my advice to prospective purchasers is that if you want a pretty looking scale that will give you a rough guide as to the other parameters this scale measures beyond body weight, this isn't a bad purchase. If you really only need a body weight scale, however, you can get something that looks as nice for a lot less money and then use something like a tape measurer to get an idea as to how your body measures. (Of course then you need to be honest with yourself as to whether that 18" bicep is mostly fat or muscle!)

Edit on 1/26/09:

I would downgrade this scale's rating considerably now. I had to have my scale replaced about one year after purchase because it stopped doing anything other than basic weight measurement. The first replacement scale sent to me from the manufacturer did not work at all. The second one has just died in the same way as my first scale, just over two years post-replacement. The good news is that the scale comes with a 10-year warranty and the manufacturer has, so far, been good about replacing defective units. The bad news, however, is that the postage to return the defective merchandise comes out of the consumer's pocket. Given that this item isn't light and given that this is the second scale I'm having to return to the manufacturer (they didn't even want back the totally dead one they sent to me), at this rate I figure that I'll end up spending over $20 over the life of the warranty to keep getting scales that work. Factor in the hassle involved in packing the item and taking it to USPS or UPS, I just don't think this scale is worth the hassle. The scale it replaced (I'm glad I still have it) still works fine. I should add that (a) I'm the only person using this Soehlne scale and (b) I have not done anything that could have damaged either scale that broke on me.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Great while it lasted!, September 19, 2006

By 

M. Mason (London) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Soehnle Rio Fat, Muscle, Water Analysis Scale (Health and Beauty)

The scale is everything the manufacturer claims. However, with minimal use by one average sized adult, our scale lasted only about nine months. The balance part of the scale is very sound, but the battery clip that powers the electronics is poorly designed and built of very cheap components. I suspect that poor Q&A will result in a fairly high percentage of these units failing and recommend that you go elsewhere. Today, my scale will not function unless I hold the batteries by hand (not too practical when someone is standing on it...).

Conclusions:
* Scale design is nice--looks good.
* Construction of balance components is solid, glass is very strong. Design and construction of the power unit (battery) is rather poor.
* Scale functions as advertised for a normal sized (80kg/175lb) adult ... until the battery power clip dies.
* Buyers should avoid this scale in favor of something with more solid battery compartment and connections.

Hope this helps!