beurer BF 400 Diagnostic Bathroom Scale Instruction Manual

: June 4, 2024
: Beurer

Table of Contents

BF 400 Diagnostic Bathroom Scale
Included in delivery
Signs and symbols
Intended use
Warnings and safety notes
Device description
Initial use
Entering user data
Usage
Cleaning and maintenance
What if there are problems?
Disposal
Technical specifications
Warranty/service
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Download This Manual (PDF format)

BF 400 Diagnostic Bathroom Scale
Instruction Manual

beurer BF 400 Diagnostic Bathroom Scale

BF 400 Diagnostic Bathroom Scale

Read these instructions for use carefully and keep them for later use, be sure to make them accessible to other users and observe the information they contain.

Getting to know your device
Functions of the device
This digital scale is intended for weighing and providing a diagnosis of your personal fitness data.
It is intended for private use.
The scale is equipped with the following functions, which can be used by up to 10 different people:

Body weight measurement and BMI
Body fat percentage calculation
Body water content
Muscle percentage
Bone mass
Basal and active metabolic rate
The scale also includes the following additional functions:
Switch between kilograms “kg”, pounds “lbs” and stones “st”
Automatic switch-off function
Low battery indicator
Automatic user recognition

The measurement principle
This scale works on the principle of B.I.A. (bioelectrical impedance analysis). This involves the calculation of body content in a matter of seconds, using a current that cannot be felt, is completely harmless, and does not pose any risk.
When this measurement of the electrical resistance (impedance) is considered alongside constants and/or individual values (age, height, gender, activity level), the body fat percentage and other variables in the body can be calculated. Muscle tissue and water conduct electricity well and therefore have a lower resistance. In contrast, bones and fat tissue have low conductivity as the fat cells and bones are barely able to conduct the current due to very high levels of resistance.
Please note that the values calculated by the diagnostic bathroom scale only represent an approximation of the actual medical analytical values for the body. Only a specialist
a doctor can precisely establish the body fat, body water, muscle percentage, and bone structure using medical methods (e.g. computer tomography).

Included in delivery

Check that the device packaging has not been tampered with and make sure that all contents are present.
Before use, ensure that there is no visible damage to the device or accessories and that all packaging material has been removed. If you have any doubts, do not use the device and contact your retailer or the specified Customer Services address.

BF 400 / BF 410 diagnostic bathroom scale
3 x 1.5 V, AAA batteries
These instructions for use
1x warranty leaflet

Signs and symbols

The following symbols are used on the device, in these instructions for use, on the packaging and on the type plate for the device:

| WARNING
Warning notice indicating a risk of injury or damage to health.
---|---
| IMPORTANT
Safety note indicating possible damage to the device/accessory.
| Note
Note on important information
| Observe the instructions for the use
| Disposal in accordance with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment EC Directive — WEEE
| Do not dispose of batteries containing hazardous substances with household waste
| Dispose of packaging in an environmentally friendly manner
| This product satisfies the requirements of the applicable European and national directives.
| The products demonstrably meet the requirements of the Technical Regulations of the EAEU.
| United Kingdom Conformity Assessed Mark
| The device may not be used by people with medical implants (e.g. pacemakers), as this may affect their functionality.
| Manufacturer
| Do not load the scale beyond 200 kg/440 lb/31 st.| | The danger of slipping: do not step on the scale with wet feet.
| The danger of tipping: position yourself in the center of the weighing surface.| | Place the scale on an even surface. No carpet.

Intended use

The device is only intended for weighing humans and for recording your personal fitness data. The device is only intended for private use, and not for medical or commercial purposes.

Warnings and safety notes

WARNING

The scale may not be used by people with medical implants (e.g. pacemakers) as this may affect their functionality.
Do not use it during pregnancy.
Do not step onto the outer edge of the scale on just one side: danger of tipping!
Swallowing batteries can be extremely dangerous. Keep the batteries and scale out of the reach of small children. Should a battery be swallowed, seek medical assistance immediately
Keep packaging material away from children (risk of suffocation).
Important: do not step onto the scale with wet feet or if the surface of the scale is damp – the danger of slipping!

Notes on handling batteries

If your skin or eyes come into contact with battery fluid, rinse the affected areas with water and seek medical assistance.
Choking hazard! Small children may swallow and choke on batteries. Therefore, store batties out of the reach of small children.
Observe the plus (+) and minus (-) polarity signs.
If a battery has leaked, put on protective gloves and clean the battery compartment with a dry cloth.
Protect the batteries from excessive heat.
Risk of explosion! Do not throw batteries into a fire.
Do not charge or short-circuit batteries.
If the device is not to be used for a relatively long period, take the batteries out of the battery compartment.
Use identical or equivalent battery types only.
Always replace all batteries at the same time.
Do not use rechargeable batteries!
Do not disassemble, open or crush the batteries.

General notes

Please note that measuring tolerances are possible for technical reasons, as this scale is not calibrated for use in a professional medical context.
The scale’s maximum capacity is 200 kg (440 lb/31 st). The results of the weight measurement and bone mass calculation are displayed in 100-g increments (0.2 lb/0-19st: 0.2 lb; 20-31st: 1lb).
Measurements of body fat, body water, and muscle content are displayed in increments of 0.1%.
The calorie requirement is indicated in increments of 1 kcal.
When supplied to the customer, the scale is set to weigh and measure in “kg” and “cm”.
Place the scale on an even, hard surface; a hard surface is crucial for achieving accurate measurements.
Repairs may only be carried out by Beurer Customer Services or authorized retailers. Before submitting a complaint, please check the batteries first and replace them if necessary.

Storage and maintenance
The accuracy of the measurements and service life of the device depends on its careful handling:

IMPORTANT

The device should be cleaned from time to time. Do not use any abrasive cleaning products and never submerge the device in water.
Make sure that no liquids come into contact with the scale. Never submerge the scale in water.
Never rinse it in running water.
Do not place any objects on the scale when it is not in use.
Do not press the button violently or with pointed objects.
Do not expose the scale to high temperatures or strong electromagnetic fields (e.g. mobile telephones).
Protect the device from knocks, dampness, dust, chemicals, marked temperature fluctuations and nearby sources of heat (ovens, heaters).

General tips

As far as possible, weigh yourself at the same time of day (ideally in the morning), after having been to the toilet, on an empty stomach, and without clothing, in order to obtain results that can be compared.
An important point regarding the measurement: the calculation of body fat may only be made when barefoot; the soles of the feet may be lightly dampened where appropriate.
Results may be unsatisfactory if the soles of the feet are completely dry or have a large amount of hard skin since conductivity will be impaired.
Stand up straight and still during the measurement.
Wait a few hours after any physical exertion to which your body is unaccustomed.
Wait approx. 15 minutes after getting up so that the water stored in the body can disperse.
Remember that only the long-term trend is important. Short-term changes in weight within a few days are normally caused by loss of fluids; however, body water plays an important role in terms of well-being.

Limitations
When calculating body fat and other values, unusual and implausible results may occur in the case of:

Children under approx. 10 years of age
Performance athletes and body-builders
Persons with a fever, persons undergoing dialysis, persons with edema symptoms, and persons suffering from osteoporosis
Persons taking cardiovascular medicine (affecting the heart and vascular system)
Persons taking vasodilative or vasoconstrictive medication
Persons with significant anatomical abnormalities in their legs compared with their overall body height (leg length significantly shorter or longer).

Device description

Overview

Electrodes
Down button
Set button
Up button
Display

Initial use

Inserting the batteries
Remove the batteries from the protective packaging and insert the batteries into the scale (rear of the scale) ensuring that the battery polarity is correct. If the scale does not function, remove the batteries completely and reinsert them.

Changing the weight unit
When supplied to the customer, the scale is set to weigh in “ kg”. Switch on the scale by briefly applying pressure to the standing surface with your foot (approx. 1-2 seconds). Wait until “ kg” appears in the display. To the rear of the scale, there is a button where you can select “pound” and “stones” (lb, st).

Positioning the scale
Place the scale on an even, hard surface; a hard surface is crucial for achieving accurate measurements.

Entering user data

To calculate your body fat percentage and additional body values, you must save personal user data.
The scale has 10 user memory spaces which allow you and members of your family to save and access personal settings, for example.

Place the scale on an even hard surface; a hard surface is crucial for achieving accurate measurements.
Switch on the scale by briefly applying pressure to the standing surface with your foot (approx. 1-2 seconds).
Wait until “ kg” appears in the display.
Start configuring the settings by pressing the button. The first memory space flashes in the display.
Press the / button to select the desired memory space and confirm by pressing the button.
You can now implement the following settings:

User data	Set values
Users/persons	P-1 to P-10
Height	100 to 220 cm (3′ 3.5″ to 7′ 2.5″)
Age	10 to 100 years
Gender	Male ( ), female ( )
Activity level	1 to 5

Activity levels
The medium-term and long-term perspective is decisive when selecting the activity level.

Activity level	Physical activity
1	None
2	Low: little and light physical exertion (e.g. going for walks, light

gardening, simple gymnastics).
3| Medium: physical exertion, at least 2 to 4 times a week for 30 minutes each.
4| High: physical exertion, at least 4 to 6 times a week for 30 minutes each.
5| Very high: intensive physical exertion, intensive training, or hard physical work for at At least 1 hour every day.

Changing the values: Press either the or the button, or press and hold to quickly scroll through the options.
Confirming the entries: Press the button.
Once the values have been set, “ kg” appears in the display.
Now stand on the scale with bare feet whilst “ kg” is displayed.
Following the weight measurement, BMI, body fat (BF), water, muscle percentage, bone mass, BMR and AMR are displayed

Note: Your measured weight has now been assigned to your selected user and saved. This is necessary for automatic user detection.

Usage

8.1 Taking measurements
Place the scale on an even, hard surface; a hard surface is crucial for achieving accurate measurements.

Measuring weight, carrying out diagnostics
Step onto the scale with bare feet and ensure that you are standing still with equal weight distribution and with both feet on the electrodes.

Note: The measurement result will be incorrect if the measurement is taken with socks on.
The scale begins to take measurements straight away. First, the weight is displayed.
If a user has been assigned, the BMI, body fat, water, muscle, bone, BMR, and AMR are shown.

The following appear:

Weight in kg
BIA measurement and columns for interpreting the results
User memory space (e.g. “U1”)
BMI
Body fat in % (BF)
Body water in %
Muscle percentage in %
Bone mass in kg
Basal metabolic rate in kcal (BMR)
Active metabolic rate in kcal (AMR)

beurer BF 400 Diagnostic Bathroom Scale - fig 1

Note: If two or more users have potentially been recognized, the display switches between them.
Select your user by pressing the button.
If no user is recognized, only the weight and “U -” will be displayed. You can then use the / buttons to select your user.

Only measuring weight
Step onto the scale wearing shoes. Stand still with your weight distributed equally on both feet. The scale begins to take measurements straight away.
Switching off the scale
The scale switches itself off automatically.
8.2 Evaluating the results
For a simpler and easier-to-understand classification, your values are interpreted directly on the display.
Body fat percentage
The following body fat percentages serve as a guideline (for further information please consult your doctor).

Male

Age	Low	Normal	Moderate	High
10-14	<11%	11-16%	16.1-21%	>21.1%
15-19	<12%	12-17%	17.1-22%	>22.1%
20-29	<13%	13-18%	18.1-23%	>23.1%
30-39	<14%	14-19%	19.1-24%	>24.1%
40-49	<15%	15-20%	20.1-25%	>25.1%
50-59	<16%	16-21%	21.1-26%	>26.1%
60-69	<17%	17-22%	22.1-27%	>27.1%
70-100	<18%	18-23%	23.1-28%	>28.1%

Female

Age	Low	Normal	Moderate	High
10-14	<16%	16-21%	21.1-26%	>26.1%
15-19	<17%	17-22%	22.1-27%	>27.1%
20-29	<18%	18-23%	23.1-28%	>28.1%
30-39	<19%	19-24%	24.1-29%	>29.1%
40-49	<20%	20-25%	25.1-30%	>30.1%
50-59	<21%	21-26%	26.1-31%	>31.1%
60-69	<22%	22-27%	27.1-32%	>32.1%
70-100	<23%	23-28%	28.1-33%	>33.1%

Values will often be lower for fitness enthusiasts. Depending on the sporting activities performed, the training intensity, and the physical constitution, the results may still be below the stated standard values.
Please note, however, that there may be a risk to health in the case of extremely low values.

Body water content
The body water content in % is normally within the following ranges:

Male

Age	Poor	Good	Very good
10–100	<50%	50–65%	>65%

Female

Age	Poor	Good	Very good
10–100	<45%	45–60%	>60%

Body fat contains relatively little water, therefore body water content may be below the standard values in persons with a high body fat percentage. On the other hand, endurance athletes may exceed the standard values due to having low levels of fat and a high muscle percentage.
The body water calculation performed using this scale is not suitable for drawing medical conclusions, for example in the case of age-related water retention. Consult your doctor where necessary. A high body water content is generally desirable.

Muscle percentage
The muscle percentage is normally within the following ranges:

Male

Age	Low	Normal	High
10-14	<44%	44-57%	>57%
15-19	<43%	43-56%	>56%
20-29	<42%	42-54%	>54%
30-39	<41%	41-52%	>52%
40-49	<40%	40-50%	>50%
50-59	<39%	39-48%	>48%
60-69	<38%	38-47%	>47%
70-100	<37%	37-46%	>46%

Female

Age	Low	Normal	High
10–14	<36%	36–43%	>43%
15–19	<35%	35–41%	>41%
20–29	<34%	34–39%	>39%
30–39	<33%	33–38%	>38%
40–49	<31%	31–36%	>36%
50–59	<29%	29–34%	>34%
60–69	<28%	28–33%	>33%
70–100	<27%	27–32%	>32%

Bone mass
Like the rest of our body, our bones are subject to natural growth, shrinking, and aging processes. Bone mass increases rapidly during childhood and reaches its peak between the ages of 30 and 40. As we age, our bone mass then begins to reduce. You can combat this reduction to an extent with the help of a healthy diet (particularly calcium and vitamin D) and regular physical exercise. The stability of your skeleton can be further increased by means of targeted muscle build-up. Please note that this scale does not identify the total bone mass, but rather just the mineral content of the bone (without water content and without organic substances). It is very difficult to influence bone mass, although it does fluctuate slightly within the scope of influencing factors (weight, height, age, gender).
There are no recognized guidelines or recommendations.

IMPORTANT:
Please do not confuse bone mass with bone density.
Bone density can only be determined by means of a medical examination (e.g. computer tomography, ultrasound). It is therefore not possible to draw conclusions on changes to bones and bone hardness (e.g. osteoporosis) using this scale.

BMR
The basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of energy required by the body at complete rest in order to maintain its basic functions (e.g. when lying in bed 24 hours a day). This value is primarily dependent on weight, height, and age.
It is displayed on the diagnostic bathroom scale in the kcal/day unit and is calculated using the scientifically recognized Harris-Benedict equation.
This is the amount of energy that is required by your body under all circumstances and must be re-sup-
plied to the body in the form of food. If your energy intake is below this level in the longer term, this can result in damage to your health.

AMR
The active metabolic rate (AMR) is the amount of energy that the active body consumes each day. An individual’s energy requirement increases when the level of physical activity increases; the diagnostic bathroom scale calculates this by means of the activity level (1-5) that has been entered.
To maintain the current weight, the energy that the body uses must be replaced in the form of food and drink.
If less energy is taken in than is used over a long period of time, the body primarily takes the difference from the fat stores, with resulting weight loss. However, if the amount of energy taken in exceeds the calculated active metabolic rate (AMR) for a longer period, the body cannot burn off the excess energy. The excess is stored in the body as fat, leading to weight gain.

Temporal context of the results
Note: Please note that only the long-term trend is important. Brief deviations in weight within a few days are normally caused by loss of fluids.

The interpretation of the results is based on changes in total body weight, percentage of body fat, body water, and muscle content, as well as on the length of time over which these changes occur.
Rapid changes within the scope of a few days are to be considered separately from medium-term changes (in the scope of weeks) and long-term changes (months).
It can be said as a basic rule that short-term changes in weight almost entirely change in water content, whereas medium-term and long-term changes may also relate to the fat percentage and the muscle percentage.

If your weight drops in the short term but your body fat percentage increases or stays the same, you have only lost water, for example following a training session, visit to the sauna, or a diet aimed only at fast weight loss.
If your weight increases in the medium term and your body fat percentage drops or stays the same, you may have built up valuable muscle mass.
If your weight and body fat percentage both fall at the same time, then your diet is working – you are losing fat mass.
Ideally, you should support your diet with physical activity, fitness, or strength training. This enables you to increase your muscle percentage in the medium term.
Body fat, body water, and muscle percentages should not be totaled (muscle tissue also contains components made of body water).

8.3 Other functions

User assignment
It is possible to assign up to 10 scale users for a diagnostic measurement (barefoot).
For a new measurement, the scale assigns the measurement to the user whose most recently saved measurement falls within +/- 3kg. If two or more users have potentially been recognized, the display switches between them. Select your user by pressing the / button.

Deleting scale data
If you would like to completely delete all measurements and old user data on the scale, switch on the scale and press the UNIT button on the rear of the scale for approx. 6 seconds.
“CLR” will appear on the display for several seconds.
This is necessary if you would like to delete scale users who have been set up incorrectly or are no longer required, for example.

Replacing the batteries
Your scale is equipped with a low battery indicator. If you operate the scale with flat batteries, “Lo” will appear on the display and the scale will automatically switch off. In this case, the batteries must be replaced (3 x 1.5 V AAA).

NOTE:

When replacing the batteries, use batteries of the same type, make, and capacity.
Do not use rechargeable batteries.
Use batteries free from heavy metals.

Cleaning and maintenance

The device should be cleaned from time to time.
This should be done using a damp cloth and, if necessary, a small amount of detergent.

IMPORTANT

Never use abrasive solvents or cleaning products!
Never submerge the device in the water!
Do not clean the device in a dishwasher!

What if there are problems?

If the scale encounters an error during measurement, the following is displayed:

Display	Cause	Solution
U –	Unknown measurement as it is outside the user assignment limit or a
unique assignment is not possible.	Select your user by pressing the /

buttons.
BF Err| The proportion of fat is outside the measurable range (less than 3% or greater than 65%).| Please repeat the measurement barefoot, or with the soles of the feet lightly dampened if necessary.
oLd| Maximum weight capacity of 200 kg exceeded.| Loads must not exceed 200 kg.
Incorrect weight is displayed.| The surface scale is placed on is not even and hard e.g. carpet.| Place the scale on an even, hard surface.
Incorrect weight is displayed.| Not standing still.| Stand as still as possible.
Incorrect weight is displayed.| Incorrect zero point of the scale.| Wait until the scale switches itself off. Activate the scale, wait for “0.0 kg” to appear, and take the measurement again.
Lo| The batteries in the scale are flat.| Replace the batteries in the scale.
BF – – –| BIA measurement is not possible.| Please repeat the measurement barefoot, or with the soles of the feet lightly dampened if necessary. Remain on the stainless steel electrodes after weight measurement, until the body analysis values are displayed.

Disposal

Empty, completely flat batteries must be disposed of through specially designated collection boxes, recycling points or electronics retailers.
You are legally required to dispose of the batteries.
The codes below are printed on batteries containing harmful substances:
Pb = Battery contains lead
Cd = Battery contains cadmium
Hg = Battery contains mercury

For environmental reasons, do not dispose of the device in the household waste at the end of its service life. Dispose of the device at a suitable local collection or recycling point in your country.
Dispose of the device in accordance with EC Directive – WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment). If you have any questions, please contact the local authorities responsible for waste disposal.
Dispose of packaging in an environmentally friendly manner.