Best Baby Scale to Weigh at Home

Last Updated on October 1, 2020

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Babies grow at an incredible rate in the first weeks and months. In fact, at just 5 months old, your baby will have doubled their weight at birth and tripled it by 12 months.

That’s a crazy rapid growth rate when you stop to think about it. However, not all babies follow this pattern and may need closer monitoring due to premature birth or other issues.

This is when you’ll want to find the best baby scale that will give you precise, fast, and easy to capture measurements.

Too busy loving your little one? Here’s our top pick.

The right baby scale for you will depend on how you want to use it. Our pick for the best baby scale is the Health-o-Meter Grow with Me infant to toddler scale. This multi-function scale allows you to weigh your baby or toddler with consistent accuracy to the nearest ½ an ounce.

If you’re breastfeeding and looking for the most precise baby scale, the Tanita BD-815U Neonatal/Lactation Baby Scale is one of the best. This is the type of scale you’ll see at the pediatrician’s office or lactation consultants carrying due to it being able to accurately measure down to 0.1 of an ounce. However, it has a price tag that matches the very high quality and consistency that this Tanita model provides.

Best Baby Scales

Most Accurate Baby Scale: Tanita BD-815U Lactation Baby Scale

Best Scale for Baby and Toddler: Health o Meter Grow with Me 2 in 1 Baby to Toddler Scale

Best Baby Scale for Weight & Height: Unicherry Multi-Function Digital Baby Scale

Best Changing Pad Baby Scale: Hatch Baby Grow Smart Changing Pad

Best Bathtub Baby Scale: AquaScale 3-in-1 Digital Scale

Best Baby and Mom Scale: MomMed Multi-Function Scale (up to 220 lbs)

Why might I need to weigh my baby at home?

While many parents may not need to weigh your baby at home, it can be exciting to have a record of the baby’s growth. They’ll be measured during their routine well-baby visits, which can provide snapshots of their weight gain.

However, for breastfeeding mothers, it can often be hard to know how many ounces your baby is drinking. Weighing your baby before and after feeding can let you know approximately how much breast milk your infant consumed.

If they aren’t consuming enough milk or formula, it could be time to consult with your pediatrician or a lactation consultant to see how to improve milk intake.

Another reason could be for babies that are born prematurely. They are at higher risk of complications and health issues since their systems may not be fully developed. More frequently weighing a baby on a scale allows parents and pediatricians to ensure they’re developing at a good pace.

It’s also just fun seeing how much your baby is growing each day. When you’re staring at their adorable face all day, it’s hard to see how much they really change day-to-day or week-to-week.

How to Weigh Baby at Home

First and foremost, make sure your scale and baby are on a safe surface. Babies roll and move around a bunch, so there is a potential for them to fall off the scale and get hurt.

The steps to weigh your baby will depend on the type of scale being used. However, is generally how to weigh your little one.

1. Place the scale on a hard surface since the carpet may reduce accuracy.
2. Remove all clothes since that can add weight and result in an inaccurate reading.
3. Get your baby into a completely dry diaper so you’re not measuring water/pee weight.
4. Place a dry diaper on the scale.
5. Push the tare button (some may say “zero”) and wait for the scale to read zero.
6. Remove the diaper from the scale.
7. Place your baby gently onto the scale.
8. Wait for your little one to stop kicking and moving since this makes the scale jump.
9. If they don’t settle (many won’t), push the Hold button to get an average weight.
10. Finally, record your baby’s weight on their chart.

Can you weigh a baby on a regular scale?

While you technically could use a regular scale, it’s not recommended due to the high likelihood of inaccurate measurement. You can get a general weight by holding your baby while you step in the scale and subtracting your own weight.

However, you won’t be able to get an accurate reading since these scales might only go the nearest tenth of a pound. Not to mention, you’re likely holding a squirming baby.

Different Types of Baby Scales

Digital

With the highest level of accuracy, a digital baby scale is easy to use and typically able to measure down to the closest half-ounce or better. Since they are digital, many scales can also convert your baby’s weight between ounces, pounds, and kilograms in real-time. They present the final result on an LCD screen in big numbers so it’s easy to read while your little one is moving around.

Mechanical

This is the type of scale your pediatrician will likely use to measure your baby’s weight during doctor’s visits. The mechanical baby scales have little sliders that you manually balance out in order to tell you how many pounds and ounces your baby weighs.

Hanging

The hanging scale is maybe the lesser-used device for baby weigh-ins. More commonly, these baby scales are used for measuring fish and animals since there isn’t a good way to keep them still. They work by placing the baby in a cloth sling and lifting them up by a hook on the scales to get a reading.

Bath Tub

The bathtub scale is an innovative way to weigh your baby while they are already undressed for bath time anyway. These tubs can weigh your little one with or without water thanks to its zero function which subtracts the water weight.

Changing Pad

You’re likely changing baby diapers 8-10 times a day at first. With a changing pad scale, you can quickly record their weight during one of those diaper changes.

Portable

If you’re constantly on the go with your baby, a portable scale may be just what you need. They’re often smaller in size to fit in a bag that can be carried with you anywhere.

Multipurpose

Besides calculating your baby’s weight, some baby scales are capable of measuring their height or length and may come with measuring tape to get their head circumference. This often involves a spot to place their head and an extending leg piece with a ruler to capture their length.

These multipurpose baby scales often have pieces that you can remove to allow for the weighing of toddlers and older kids. It can even be used for cats, dogs, and other pets (when no longer needed for your baby).

How often should I weigh my baby?

This depends on exactly why you’re weighing your baby or toddler. In general, tracking an infant’s weight over time is a good way to assess their overall health and growth.

Unless there are health concerns like low birth weight, it’s typically sufficient to weigh your infant every few days and chart their growth to make sure everything is on track. There are some changing pad scales that help make it part of everyday life.

However, it’s especially important during the first few days and weeks after birth to monitor your newborn’s weight gain. This allows you to check if they’re growing at a normal rate and can help identify early signs if there may be any health concerns.

As a word of warning, having a scale at home can make some anxious mommies even more worried than they should be. Stay calm if your baby seems to be under or overweight until you can discuss it with your pediatrician. The range for “normal” is much larger than it seems on paper.

What is a baby growth chart and what should I be measuring?

Your pediatrician will capture three particular measurements during each of your infant’s wellness visits. The chart will help to set a baseline and keep track of your baby’s growth over time.

The 3 main measurements on the growth chart are: 

• Body Weight
• Head Circumference
• Height or Length

A baby’s growth is measured based on the World Health Organization (WHO) charts for baby boys and girls under the age of two. However, just because your child is in a higher or lower percentile on the chart doesn’t necessarily mean it’s anything bad.

Below is what the rather complicated chart looks like. However, there are many apps that simplify this charting for you and some even sync with scales to automatically populate the data.

The pediatrician will be looking at many factors and data points to determine any health concerns. After all, each one of us begins this journey through life at a different starting point.

What features should I consider on a baby scale?

Accurate Reading: The level of accuracy is important since you don’t want readings all over the chart at each weighing. Word of Caution: Unless you want to pick up an expensive scale like they have the doctor’s office, you can’t expect 100% accuracy since your baby will be moving around.

High Precision: This is most critical if you’re trying to understand how much milk the baby has consumed while breastfeeding. Some scales will be able to provide an accurate weight with great precision, sometimes down to just 0.1 ounces.

Easy to Read Screen: Babies wiggle and squirm a lot, I mean, A LOT. A bright and large digital LCD screen makes it easy to read their weight with a quick glance.

Quick Measurement: As mentioned above, they don’t like to stay still and even less so when they don’t have clothes on. You also don’t want a potty accident during the weighing, so the measurement should be done in seconds.

Hold Feature or Function: To make things easier and more accurate, most baby scales have a hold button that pauses the scale. Some also use this to average out numbers since it will jump up and down as the baby moves around.

Tare Function: If you don’t want to remove your baby’s diaper, most scales allow you to enter a tare or subtract that weight from the total. This is as simple as placing an unused diaper on the scale and pushing the tare or zero buttons before putting the baby on the scale.

Non-Slip Pad: Scales with slip-resistant padding provide you additional support as you wrestle to keep your baby on the scale. The extra grip prevents them from slipping and sliding on the smooth plastic.

Curved Tray or Pad: In addition to the padding, a curved baby tray is another safety feature that will cradle your baby to help keep them on the scale during weigh-ins.

Weight Limit: This will depend on how long you expect to use the scale. Some are made specifically for infants, while others have a higher weight capacity and can be used for toddlers or bigger kids.

Built-in Changing Pad:  A combination of a digital baby scale and changing pad are ideal to weigh your baby during this activity you do (many times) every day. These have softer padding and curved sides to keep your baby comfortable and safe.

Weight & Portability: The scale’s weight and size may be important if you’re always on the go or maybe just want to tuck the scale away when not in use. Some are able to come apart in several pieces to make them easy to move.

Battery Powered or Plug-in: Digital baby systems will require a source of power for the LCD screen and other scale functions. Most will use 2 to 3 AAA or AA batteries, but a plug-in scale will limit where you can place it.

How much should my baby weigh?

This will vary greatly based on your particular situation since the baby’s starting weight will depend on how early or late they arrived. Pre-term babies will generally be below the average baby weight while late-term babies will be larger.

Their target weight will also depend on their length or height since longer babies are naturally heavier than short babies. The WHO growth chart percentile ranges are based on weight-for-length.

We recommend using a chart to consistently keep track of the baby’s growth and discuss the results with your little one’s pediatrician.

Reviews of the Best Baby Scales

Most Accurate Baby Scale: Tanita BD-815U Lactation Baby Scale

If you’re looking for the most accurate baby scales that can measure milk intake down to a fraction of an ounce (0.1 ounces to be exact), these are the best baby scales for nursing mothers. Fair warning, you’ll experience sticker shock at first, but understand this is the type of neonatal and lactation scale that pediatricians have in their offices.

This isn’t your everyday digital scale. It was specifically designed for premature babies and those that may be struggling to gain weight. The scale has a weight gain calculator that uses a convenient memory function to track pre and post-feeding weights.

WHAT WE LOVE

• Made specifically for tracking infant weight gain from feeding
• Most precise baby scales with measurement down to the nearest 0.1 ounces or 2 grams
• Memory feature captures the pre-feeding weight and calculates the weight gain after feeding
• Great for lactation consultants helping mothers increase milk intake
• Level of accuracy makes this ideal for neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) wards, pediatric offices, or nurseries
• Operates using 4 AA batteries or can be plugged in with the AC adapter (both included)
• Ergonomic tray slopes gently to secure babies in place and is removable for easy cleaning
• Able to capture and transmit data electronically using RS-232 output

WHAT COULD BE BETTER

• Much more expensive than other baby scales
• Lower weight capacity makes it suitable as an infant scale only

Scale Precision: Increments of 0.1 ounces

Maximum Weight: 33 lbs

Scale Size: 16.1 wide by 23.6 inches long

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Best Scale for Baby and Toddler: Health o Meter Grow with Me 2 in 1 Baby to Toddler Scale

This Health-o-Meter baby and toddler scale is one you can use as the baby grows or if you’ve got two kids at home. It has a good level of accuracy with weight readings to the nearest half ounce on a large LCD display.

The scale has a “hold” feature designed to capture the weight of babies that just can’t stay still. The scale also turns into a cute teddy bear shape for toddlers when you remove the baby tray.

Health-o-Meter is a company that’s literally all about scales. This 2-in-1 baby scale is one of their most reliable and feature-packed models.

WHAT WE LOVE

• Accurate reading with measurement down to the nearest 0.5 ounces (or 0.1 kilograms)
• Large digital screen makes it easy to read the baby’s weight
• Measures in pounds, ounces, kilograms, and grams
• Infant tray has a lock to add extra stability for the baby
• Hold function to capture precise measurements for more active babies
• Converts into a toddler scale for children up to 60 pounds
• Zero Out button to adjust for diaper weight
• Scale converts into a teddy bear design when you remove the infant tray
• Includes a chart to keep track of your baby’s growth

WHAT COULD BE BETTER

• Requires 9-volt battery (not included) rather than AA/AAA batteries
• Uses average weight of moving babies (Hold function) which isn’t highly accurate if tracking milk intake
• Made specifically for babies and toddlers with a 60-pound maximum

Scale Precision: Increments of 0.5 ounces

Maximum Weight: 60 lbs

Scale Size: 12.6 wide by 23 inches long

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Best Baby Scale for Weight & Height: Unicherry Multi-Function Digital Baby Scale

Along with the baby’s head circumference, weight and height are the two most common measurements taken on a newborn. The Unicherry scale is able to record the weight and height of your little one at the same time with a built-in tape measure.

The scale features a tare/zero function, a bigger display screen, and a hold button for babies that like to move. This is a great option for parents that want to occasionally track their baby’s growth in between doctor visits.

WHAT WE LOVE

• Uses 4 sensors to give highly precise and accurate weight measurements
• Measures in increments of 0.02 pounds or 10 grams (about 1/3 ounces or 0.01 kilograms)
• Infant tray branches detach to turn into a digital scale for toddlers
• Height measuring tape is built right into the tray
• Easy to use bright LCD screen to see your baby’s weight
• Tare button makes it easy to weigh your baby with their diaper on
• Hold button captures an average weight for infants or toddlers under 44 pounds
• Baby tray has higher curved walls to make sure your baby doesn’t slide off
• Powered by two AAA batteries (included)
• High weight capacity at 220 pounds

WHAT COULD BE BETTER

• Must sit flat on all 4 sensors to evenly distribute the weight and give an accurate reading
• Infant tray is much wider than the scale which can make it prone to tip

Scale Precision: Increments of 0.33 ounces

Maximum Weight: 220 lbs

Scale Size: 11.8 wide by 23.6 inches long

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Best Changing Pad Baby Scale: Hatch Baby Grow Smart Changing Pad

This is a pretty smart baby device. The Hatch Grow Smart Scale Baby Changing Pad combines the activity of changing your baby’s diaper or clothes with getting in a quick weigh in.

The Hatch scale connects wirelessly to your phone to record your baby’s weight. On the Hatch Baby app, you can track the number of feedings, sleep, dirty diapers, weight, and height with useful charts.

The scale also measures in increments of a quarter ounce and has a feeding weight feature specifically made for breastfeeding mothers.

WHAT WE LOVE

• Smart baby changing pad with built in wireless infant scale that connects via Bluetooth to your phone or tablet
• Supports tracking breast milk intake with a feeding weight feature
• Easy to weigh your baby while changing their diaper or clothes 
• Consistently measures baby’s weight in increments of 0.25 ounces
• Infant pad is made of soft foam that is easy to wipe clean
• Synchronizes automatically with the excellent and highly rated Hatch Baby app to keep track of measurements on your phone
• Able to give caregivers and other family members access to the app

WHAT COULD BE BETTER

• No display on the changing pad to read the weight without looking at the app
• Inconsistent readings when baby doesn’t lay still during weigh in
• Need to regularly pair the Hatch and mobile device
• Highly sensitive sensors which can break under too much pressure or weight

Scale Precision: Increments of 0.25 ounces

Maximum Weight: 44 lbs

Scale Size: 16 inches wide by 29 inches long

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Best Bathtub Baby Scale: AquaScale 3-in-1 Digital Scale

The AquaScale scale for babies is the smartest baby bathtub you’ll find. This easy to use tub and scale combination simplifies weighing your infant by capturing in while they’re already out of their clothes for bath time.

The tub’s built-in temperature sensor also helps make sure your baby has a comfortable wash. There is also a removable piece that allows you to use the bathtub for young toddlers as well.

WHAT WE LOVE

• Anti-slip insert to reduce slipping and sliding in the tub
• Continuously reads water temperature to make sure the water is not too hot or cold for the baby (Fahrenheit or Celsius) 
• Large LCD screen to view the water temperature and baby’s weight
• Zero scale feature that allows you to subtract the water weight before putting your baby in to weigh
• Works as both a baby and toddler scale that helps newborns sit up and lets toddlers move around
• Easy to use with or without water for weigh-ins
• Weight can be converted between imperial and metric units on the screen (ounces or grams)

WHAT COULD BE BETTER

• Measurements are not as precise as other scales
• Baby bathtub is larger and bulkier than standard tubs

Scale Precision: Increments of 1.0 ounces

Maximum Weight: 44 lbs

Scale Size: 19.6 inches wide by 30.5 inches long

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Best Baby and Mom Scale: MomMed Multi-Function Scale (up to 220 lbs)

Are you planning to get active to lose some baby weight after having your little one? The MomMed multifunction digital baby scale makes it so that you only need one scale for the whole family.

It can weigh your baby using the infant tray attachments or you can easily remove them to weigh yourself. The versatility of this scale is hard to beat and it can withstand a max weight of 220 pounds.

The scale comes with all the functions you’ll need for a baby. This includes tare/zero, hold, and even comes with a measuring tape built into the tray for measuring height.

WHAT WE LOVE

• Max capacity of 220 pounds make it a scale for the whole family
• Foldable design makes it compact and  easy to store
• Removable infant tray branches easily and quickly converts the scale for toddler or parent use
• Tare feature lets you zero out the weight of diapers or clothes
• Hold function helps to capture readings for squirming babies
• Concave design and swivel lock make it slip resistant to keep baby safe
• Tray has an easy to use ruler to also measure baby’s height during weighings
• Bright LCD display makes seeing the numbers easy
• Operates on two AAA batteries (included)

WHAT COULD BE BETTER

• Not as precise for tracking milk intake for breastfeeding mothers
• Baby’s weight only shown in pounds or ounces with no option for both which requires conversion (example: 7 pounds 8 ounces)

Scale Precision: Increments of 0.5 ounces

Maximum Weight: 220 lbs

Scale Size: 10.2 inches wide by 23.6 inches long

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Conclusion

Our pick for the best baby scales is the Health-o-Meter Grow with Me with its versatility and reliability in providing accurate weight readings. The great part is that it’s not just for infants. This scale has removable parts that allow you to use it when they grow into the toddler stage as well.

If you’re willing to make an investment in your baby, the Tanita BD-815U Lactation Baby Scale is the most precise scale we found during our baby scale reviews. This is the only one that provides weights to just 0.1 ounce, which is ideal for those that may not be having an easy time breastfeeding and need to closely track milk intake. This scale isn’t for every mommy, but it’s great for lactation consultants and pediatricians.

Finally, if you want one scale that your whole family can use, we like the MomMed Multi-Function Scale. It can hold up to 220 pounds and gives accurate readings for babies, toddlers, or parents.