Digital scales are electronic devices used to measure weight. Digital scales come in a variety of sizes and colours and are made from a variety of materials. Digital scales differ from traditional scales because they function based on the principle of load cell technology in which electronic load cells sense the weight of objects under certain conditions. Once the weight is calculated it is transferred to digital or electronic signals and then displayed in a digital format. They are available in different models, brands, sizes, and shapes, and usually come with batteries as well as calibration weights, scale pads, and trays. Digital scales, like every other type of product, vary in prices and quality
There are various types of digital scales available on the market. Digital scales are classified based on how they are used. Nevertheless, scales of one type can be used for other purposes as well. The most popular types of digital scales are bathroom, kitchen or food, postal, point of scale, pocket size and laboratory digital scales. Recently, scales have been taken to the next level and are able to make other calculations aside from weight. These scales are referred to as smart scales and can calculate calories and other nutritional information.
In general, kitchen food, diet, and nutritional scales are used to calculate the amount of food one consumes and allow, therefore, the calculation of the caloric intake. These types of digital scales are used by anyone who watches what and how much they eat and vary sizes, detail and of course price. These types of digital scales accompany other technological nutrition calculating tools.
Bathroom digital scales are the ones used to measure the weight of someone’s body. They are the evolutionary equivalent of the traditional bathroom scale and are used to get exact information of someone’s body weight. These types of scales are referred to as bathroom scales because they are most often kept in the bathroom of a home.
Postal scales are used to weigh small to medium sized objects and are referred to as ‘postal’ because they are widely used at post offices to weight mail and parcels. Most digital postage scales available on the market are programmed in a way that calculates the exact postage required to mail a certain size and weight object to a particular destination. They are ‘smart’ scales, just like some digital food scales. in a way that the scales are programmed with postal rate information. This helps the scales to adjust rates each time the value changes and to display the right amount for postal services.
Digital scales come in various sizes and sensitivity as well. Aside from all of the above types of scales, smaller ones exist to measure the weight of smaller objects. Jewellers use these types for weighing gold, silver and other valuable items. These types are extremely accurate. There is no space for error when a few grams can be worth a thousand dollars. In this category belong smaller and more versatile types of scales that have highly portable features. They are referred to as pocket scales, because they usually can fit in your pocket.
Lastly, one more highly accurate type of scale is the scientific or laboratory scale used primarily in medical and scientific fields. These types can weigh a grain of rice, or in some cases a particle of dust.
As you can see digital scales vary in types, sizes and accuracy. Depending on what you want to weigh you can find a digital scale that suites your needs.