Tanita HS-302 Solar Powered Digital Bathroom Scale

I have been eyeing this scale for months, waiting for a coupon or gift card or something to help me buy it, as it's rather expensive for a basic digital bathroom scale. The extra cost is worth it to me for the solar power and the biodegradable plastic, but I was hoping for a little help to make the purchase, and I've therefore been anticipating having this scale for some time now.I am not disappointed. My scale arrived several days ago in perfect condition. Having read other reviews that indicated the solar power panel wasn't able to collect enough light unless put in direct sunlight, I was a little concerned, but here's my experience:I tested it under the overhead light in my dining area, just because that's where I had opened the box and unwrapped it. The scale powered up in a matter of seconds. However, I kept trying to step on it and the scale powered down before it could come up with a reading. I figured out almost immediately that my shadow was blocking the overhead light source. I don't know if allowing it to charge for longer before using it would have helped offset the light blocked from my shadow, but I think that probably would have helped. I kept jumping on the scale really quickly because I was excited to play with it. I then moved my scale to the bathroom, where I have a couple lights on the wall over the sink. It's reasonably bright in there, but nothing extraordinary. Again, the scale turned on and was ready within seconds, and because my shadow wasn't blocking the light (since it didn't come from directly overhead), I was able to step off and on the scale repeatedly with no power problems. The scale will even turn itself on eventually in the dim light of the area right in front of the sink cabinet (where the cabinet casts a shadow). It just takes a little longer there. So I had no problems with the solar power that weren't easily solved. In my regular bathroom light, the scale always takes about 5 seconds or less to power on and become ready for weighing. (6/2/11 ETA: Apparently it holds a little bit of a charge, because it takes longer to power up when the light has been off for a while...so I've found that sometimes it takes more than 5 seconds. It has never taken more than 10 seconds so far, though. I think that's still a good time.)One thing I did notice is the different in performance when the scale is on a rug. I've never owned my own scale before - I always relied on the scales at the doctor's office and the gym - so maybe this is completely obvious to people who are used to bathroom scales...but the scale did horribly when I had it on my bathroom rug. It gave me very inconsistent results that were also wildly inaccurate. Upon moving it to the linoleum floor, I realized the scale worked just fine on a hard flat surface and had no more problems.The scale seems to measure weight very consistently. Both my spouse and I tested it by getting off and on and standing in different positions, and the scale always reads within about 0.2 pounds every time - which I can't say for other scales I've used in my life. (6//2/11 ETA: after many more uses, I have found that sometimes it gives a weight with a greater difference than 0.2 pounds, but it's never more than 1 pound and usually within 0.4 pounds.) I like that this scale measures in increments of 0.2 pounds, and I like the amount of space for your feet on the platform. It's not huge, but it's more than enough for a wide range of foot sizes, including my spouse's (he wears a men's 12). Finally, the scale has a nice clean look - very basic, blends right in with the rest of our bathroom. I know some people want scales to be able to store records of your weight or calculate your body fat or whatever, but I just wanted a scale that would tell me my weight at any given time, and this scale does that very well.I honestly can't think of anything I'd criticize about it. For me, this scale is well worth the price, and I really like it and recommend it.

I have tried a number of digital scales. I have returned most of them. Reason: They are inconsistent. Step on the scale in the same spot ten times in a row, and you get wildly different readings. (NOTE: Most of them will automatically "stick" to previous weight, so you must first "trick" it with a different weight, and then weigh yourself normally.) The Tanita will yield a consistent weight when I weigh myself repeatedly, so I am confident it is at least somewhat accurate. It is not perfect. It might deviate by 2/10 pound up or down, but I can live with that. At least it doesn't deviate by 1.5-2 lbs! Over a period of days, I track my weight, and the Tanita yields believable results. When I diet, my weight decreases by a half pound or so, and when I cheat, my weight increases accordingly. So, the scale appears to reflect realiity. As for the non-battery solar-powered feature, while this is not the reason I bought the scale, it works fine. The bathroom light offers plenty of light to power the scale. Once in a while I might cast a shadow over the light sensor, and then lose power, but that is not at all a big deal. I simply move a bit and it works fine. (And, it is nice to know I will never have to fuss with finding a new battery and swapping it in.) In summary, the Tanita is not perfect - I suspect only a professional $500 scale will yield perfect results - but fora bathroom scale in this price range, not only is it the best I have found, it is the ONLY scale I have found that isn't wildly inconsistent.

The solar power is a great idea and it does appear to be as accurate and well made as advertised. However the solar power is executed very poorly. Even during the day and with our bathroom light on the scale often does not have enough juice to function. Without a VERY well lit bathroom the scale is useless. The only way that we've been able to use this scale is to direct light from a battery powered flashlight at the solar cells. This is quite the irony as the scale was designed to be green and eliminate batteries. Perhaps Tanita could send a solar powered flashlight with every scale. I'm returning this scale.

Tanita HS302 White Solar Powered Digital Bathroom ScaleCompletely awesome! Ordered item via Amazon Prime at 0830 and received it 12 hours later by 9 p.m. that same day. Earlier this week I had to dispose of our old 15 year old Tanita solar scale because it quit working properly. I replaced it with a near-identical unit from the same manufacturer to have a reliable scale again.Some reviewers have stated that the solar function doesn't work too well. The instructions clearly depict and describe the type of light required to charge the solar cell in order for it to work. I simply pick the scale up and hold it closer to the bathroom light in order for the scale to read out, then reset it to zero and weigh myself. No big deal. We've been doing this for eons.Very reliable and accurate. I expect this scale to hold up as well as our previous Tanita solar scale.

So far this scale lives up to it ratings (highly rated in Consumer Reports). I like the solar powered aspect of the scale, no need to buy batteries so it makes life simpler (and greener too, environmentally and financially). That said, sometimes the light source isn't bright enough to get the scale to read "0.0" and allow it to weigh me. Usually not a problem in daylight since my bathroom window and lights are always sufficient. But when the sun is not out, the scale needs to be in direct light to work so it needs to be located in a bright area. Not a real problem for me but I can see how that might be annoying for someone in a low light situation.