Thanks to modern research and technology, there are lots of ways that people can lose weight and activate a healthy lifestyle. Everything from protein shakes, detox drinks, weight loss pills, diet tablets, and most recently, body fat calipers were all made to help people fight weight gain and obesity.
Aside from knowing and having all these aids, it’s best to understand how to use them. Trainers and fitness professionals are big believers in using both equipment and health supplements to achieve the results you want. In the same way that diet should go with exercise, diet tablets or protein shakes are best used along with fat scales or calipers. Consistently tracking your results will get you in the right mindset for consistent progress.
If you are looking for body fat calipers to go with your health supplements, then we’re here to help. We’ve put together a product list of our best body fat caliper choices in 2020, and we also discussed the ins-and-outs of selecting and using body fat calipers. With our guide, you can boost your progress towards a fit and healthy you.
Let’s get started.
Want to know which body fat caliper was our top pick? Check it out below…
Editor’s Choice: Neiko 01408A
Why is it the best?
- Large and readable LCD screen
- Made from stainless steel
- Accompanied by storage and battery
- Can measure threefold
- Simple and intuitive design
- Durable and long-lasting
Product Listings
1. Neiko 01408A
Neiko, as a brand, is among the best names among body fat caliper producers. Their body fat caliper models will last longer and provide a user-friendly experience. This caliper is electronic, so it can easily give you measurements for your depth, step, and inside diameter. It provides much-needed precision and accuracy to the closest millimeter.
Aside from very accurate readings, you won’t even have to squint to read what it says. The LCD screen on the caliper is large and suitable for people who may have difficulty reading small numbers. For convenience, there are also batteries and a case that come along with the purchase.
Highlights
- LCD screen
- Made from stainless steel
- Comes with battery and storage
- Can measure inside and outside diameter, step, and depth
Pros
- The screen is easy to read
- Precise and accurate measurements
- Intuitive and easy to use
Cons
- Will not measure in percentage
2. EAGems Digital
The EAGems digital body fat caliper is a great piece of equipment that is very durable, trustworthy, and user-friendly. It uses a large LCD screen for easy reading and to avoid any strain on the eyes. It also uses a position lock to maintain precision and accuracy. The caliper itself is water-resistant, which comes in handy if you’re using it in a sweaty situation.
Overall, this company has an excellent reputation for being in the market for so long. More than ten years of experience has given EAGems one of the most trusted names in the industry. This caliper won’t disappoint.
Highlights
- Stainless steel
- Hard plastic case
- Position Lock
- LCD Screen
Pros
- Water-resistant and durable
- Extra precision and accuracy
- The company offers excellent customer service
Cons
- Bulky and inconvenient to store
3. Tacklife DC01
If you’ve heard of the DC01, you might have heard about how affordable it is. Despite its great price, it gives very accurate readings. As a brand, Tacklife has a vision for improving everyone’s quality of life. It embodies this vision by creating a very user-friendly and energy-efficient caliper. It also uses a large LCD screen to give you the readings without straining your eyes
The DC01 is waterproof and can give three kinds of measurements. Indeed a convenient tool for weight loss, the DC01 will make your life easier.
Highlights
- Waterproof material
- Large LCD Screen
- Energy-efficient
- Stainless steel
Pros
- Good accuracy and precision
- Can measure in three different modes
- User-friendly
- Affordable
Cons
- Reported battery issues
4. Creative Health Slim Guide
This caliper is made from an ABS material that does well in measuring body fat in terms of percentage. Not all calipers directly give you percentage information, so this Creative Health Slim Guide caliper is handy for precisely that.
It’s very affordable and reliably accurate. This caliper has been in production for almost 50 years and is still a crowd favorite among health professionals. It will also last you possibly your whole life thanks to the robust stainless steel body.
Highlights
- Made from ABS material
- Has parts made from stainless steel
- Been around for 50 years
Pros
- Durable and trustworthy
- Comes with a book
- Measures in percentage
Cons
- Has a plastic base
5. Sequoia Fitness TrimCal 4000
Sequoia Fitness came out with high quality and trusty body fat caliper, the TrimCal 4000. Also made from ABS material, this caliper can deliver information in fat percentage relative to your gender and age. The TrimCal 4000 is an excellent choice for daily skinfold measurements. It’s also easy to bring around because of its easy-to-store shape.
Highlights
- Sleek and simple design
- Easy to bring around
- Made from ABS Material
- Gives a fat percentage
Pros
- Accurate and precise measurements
- Good for daily use
Cons
- Vague instructions
6. Clockwise Tools DCLR-0605
Clockwise Tools came out with this exciting and innovative caliper, the DCLR-0605. It uses a depthometer’s groove for measuring, which is relatively new in model and technology. However, it can deliver a more reliable result. It also gets IP54 protection from sweat and moisture, which creates an overall long-lasting body fat caliper that will hold up through the years and give you accurate readings.
Highlights
- Uses depthometer’s groove
- Has IP54 protection
- Made with stainless steel
- Large LCD screen
Pros
- Very accurate and precise
- Calibrated
- Long-lasting and durable
Cons
- No connecting table
7. TENGYES Digital Caliper
If you haven’t heard of TENGYES, they’re well-known for how accurate their measurement tools are. They also use reading-friendly implements such as thumb rollers and gliding mechanisms. It is one of the crowd favorites on the body fat caliper market thanks to these nifty additions.
TENGYES also offers excellent customer service. Their items come with a 5-year guarantee, so you can trust the company to take care of your purchase in case of damages.
Highlights
- Has IP54 Protection
- Resistant to rust and water
- Made from refined steel
- Comes with thumb roller and glider
Pros
- Durable and long-lasting
- User-friendly
- Comes with good customer service
Cons
- Hard to change the length
- Cannot calibrate as fractions
8. FstDgte Digital
The FstDgte body fat caliper specializes in being a handy body fat caliper to bring around while being accurate and precise. Its design allows for compactness and portability. FstDgte also makes sure to keep its items affordable while getting more than your value for money. This particular body fat caliper’s quality can undoubtedly compare to some of the more expensive calipers on the market.
Highlights
- Very affordable
- Has a hold function
- Compact and portable design
- Large LCD screen
Pros
- Eco-friendly design
- Accurate and precise
- Can be carried anywhere
Cons
- Material not that durable
9. Gyros DIGI-SCIENCE
Gyros created a professional body fat caliper that’s great for both trainers and personal use. The measurements come in outstanding accuracy and precision. The caliper performs well thanks to its materials, calibration, and is even supported by a battery warranty. It also comes with a great ABS switch, solidifying its place among the top body fat calipers.
Highlights
- ABS material and measurement
- Large high-resolution LCD screen
- Comes with a battery warranty
Pros
- Precise readings
- Durable and long-lasting
- Good for professional use
Cons
- On the more expensive side
- Uses manual calibration
10. iGaging
Another great model for portability and travel, the iGaging body fat caliper is another one of our favorites. It takes measurements in fat percentages and skinfold. The LCD screen is also large despite the entire device’s portability, so you don’t have to worry about squinting to read it. The caliper uses ABS material, which is strong enough to last for years. It’s also relatively affordable, which we very much appreciate.
Highlights
- Made from ABS material
- Large LCD screen
- Portable design
Pros
- More affordable
- Easy to read
- Comes with battery
Cons
- Not as long-lasting as steel material
How We Ranked
We ranked our choices by overall user-friendliness, durability, and accuracy of the caliper. Our top choice may not be the cheapest, but you certainly get your value for money. Some models may also be hardier than others, but our top choice balances a good body fat caliper’s most critical aspects.
Who Should Purchase These Body Fat Calipers?
These body fat calipers are most appropriate for individuals looking to get fit and lose excess weight. Using tools like body fat calipers are best done in tandem with health supplements such as protein shakes or diet tablets. Some of these calipers are recommended by professionals and can also be used by professionals.
How Do I Pick an Excellent Body Fat Caliper?
Accuracy
A body fat caliper is useless if it is not accurate. Of course, every body fat caliper will claim to be the most precise or the most accurate. However, be wary of these claims. From our experience, a caliper’s accuracy can best be judged by how the skinfold sites that get measured. An accurate measurement not only demands an accurate caliper but also a proper way of obtaining that measurement. Before you use a body fat caliper, make sure you know where exactly to get your measurements.
You should take note that computing for body fat percentage is a pretty complicated process. Many values are taken into account to deliver the data you need to know regarding your fitness and health. Other factors such as age, gender, height, and such all come into that estimation. Most calipers will take care of all these computations, but not all of them will be entirely consistent with their measurements and calculations. One good way to test a caliper’s precision would be to take the same skinfold site measurement several times and see if different values come out.
Customer service
Skinfold body fat calipers will vary in customer service. It is primarily dependent on the brand that offers the caliper. Warranty can be anywhere as long as one year or five years. Some brands even offer a lifetime warranty. You should look for a company that has good reviews of their warranty and customer service. If the brand has an extended and trustworthy warranty, you can replace or have your caliper repaired if it ever sustains damage. It might not seem so crucial on cheap products, but since body fat calipers can be a bit costly, it will be very beneficial to know that the brand will take care of you even after your purchase.
Features
Calipers come in two basic categories: manual and digital.
Manual calipers do manual measurements through its two jaws and basic measurement scale. To use it, simply pinch the appropriate skinfold area and take the reading the caliper gives you. In terms of usage, manual calipers are reliable. They don’t depend on batteries or electronic and digital factors. They are also more affordable. However, they take a lot of practice to use since things are done manually and prone to user-error.
Digital calipers, on the other hand, are much more prevalent in recent years. They save a lot of trouble in terms of manual reading. They’re also more comfortable to use when measuring skinfold. You no longer have to rely on your own experience and accuracy; the caliper will tell you the value just with a button’s push. Digital calipers can also be paired with tape measures since they give you more relevant measurements, such as your arms and waist.
There are several parts to a digital caliper.
First are its two jaws, the external and internal. The distance between these jaws is measured. There is the main arm that is used to steady the tool itself. It also has a sliding arm that is often made from stainless steel and used to manipulate the jaw easily. To lock the jaws in place is a locking screw. The data collected from the measurement is shown on the LCD screen, which should be an easily readable size.
Benefits of a Body Fat Caliper
The main benefit of a body fat caliper is to understand your body better. It will provide you with data such as your body fat percentage, which you can use to maximize your health or diet regimen. It does this by measuring your skinfold in certain areas. It then uses a specific formula to compute your fat percentage and is all done in comparison to an ideal health standard. However, other measurements might need a tape measure to achieve.
For some calipers, the body fat percentage is not displayed right away. Under these circumstances, you would have to perform the computations yourself. The most popular way to compute body fat percentage is the Jackson & Pollock formula. Here is how it works:
1.10938 – (0.0008267 multiplied by the sum measurement of the abdomen, chest, and thigh in mm) + (0.0000016 multiplied by the square of the sum measurement of the abdomen, chest, and thigh) – (0.0002574 multiplied by your age)
This formula gives your body density, translating to a different formula for body fat percentage.
Once you know your body fat percentage, you can be classified according to different categories. From heaviest to lightest, these are: obese, overweight, normal or acceptable, fit, and athletic. According to the American Council on Exercise, these vary according to gender as well. In the case of women, the healthy amount of body fat is about 10-13%. For men, it would be around 2-5%. Obesity is categorized by 25-32% body fat or more.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you use a body fat caliper?
You pinch a specific skinfold site between the jaws of a caliper. A digital caliper will compute you a value that you may have to input into a formula.
How do you compute body fat percentage?
The most popular formula for computing body fat percentage is the Jackson & Pollock formula. You would need at least three other measurements to achieve this. However, different calipers will come with instructions on getting these measurements and values.
Am I in the healthy body fat percentage range?
How fit you are can vary according to your gender. There are different ideal body fat percentages for men and women. For men, a healthy percentage is between 10 and 25%. For women, the ideal is between 15 and 30%.
Recap
If you’re trying to get fit or simply lose some weight, a body fat caliper is a great tool to track your progress. These take measurements of your skinfold and, using specific formulas, will help you know your body fat percentage. Similar devices like smart scales have a similar function. Of course, one’s progress depends highly on their age and gender.
The great thing about calipers is that they’re reliable, relatively affordable, and usually portable. They’re a great convenience for anyone who is into fitness. Our best body fat caliper is Neiko 01408A, thanks to how well it balances durability, accuracy, and user-friendliness. But if you don’t think this caliper is for you, consult our buying guide to provide you with enough information in finding the best product.
Whether you choose from our list or select your own, purchasing the best body fat caliper is a worthwhile investment to help you track your fitness progress.
1 thought on “The 10 Best Body Fat Calipers in 2023”
Hi,
How to turn calliper measurements into bmi?
For example what is an appropriate bmi from just one to three belly measurements.
I know a bunch of guys with Callipers they use for work. They are fat. They say the bmi table lie. The table do not fit them because they are very strong, but also fat.
You should have a 5 min bmi article to determine obesity. Pinching belly fat and using a tape measure or ruler can give an example of a bmi over 30.
I understand one measurement is not very accurate, but it will get people started. They may later take more measurements to try to prove they are not fat, just to prove they are really fat.
It is a needed article and could go viral.