Here is a nifty little gadget if you are in the market for a new tape measure to take easier, more accurate and consistent body measurements. It is the Myotape Body Tape Measure.

I’ve sometimes found myself having trouble taking my own body measurements. For example, how loose or tight to pull? Or trouble holding the tape while attempting to take a reading at the same time?

This tape is spring-loaded and retracts into the handle when not in use.

The handle is well-shaped to grab onto, which I normally would do, except that in this photo my other hand is holding the camera, lol.

To use, just pull the tape out the handle like a normal retractable tape. The difference is the little peg on the end. After placing the tape around the thing to be measured, slip the peg into the indention on the opposite side of the handle from where the tape pulls out. Do you see that in the photo?

Depending on what you are measuring, you can either make a loop beforehand or pull the loose end around the part to be measured. Then slip the peg into the indentation. The nice thing is that you can keep the tape loose while you get it in place.

Then de-press the button on top of the handle to snug up the tape. The spring-loaded mechanism self-adjusts to a consistent tautness. No more guessing about how loose or tight (and no more cheating!).

You only need to hold with one hand because the unit has connected into its closed loop. It’s easy to read the total measurement at the side where the tape pulls out. I usually release the peg and read off the number rather than attempting to read the number while it is still around my body. Then depress the button on top of the handle again to release the spring and retract the tape into the handle until the next time it is needed.

By the way, there is 1.75″ built into the total measurement. This is to account for the distance between the sides of the handle where the tape pulls out and where the peg inserts. Thus, this tape cannot measure something much less than a wrist or ankle. For example, it could not be used to measure around a finger or toe. But then, that is not something you or I are probably doing very often.

Here’s example of where I am taking a wrist measurement. For this, I simply had made a loop with the Myotape beforehand that was large enough to slip my hand through. Then depressed the button on the handle with my other hand. In this case it is easy to see what the total measurement reading is. But if the reading were not easy to see while the tape was still in place, I would just slip the peg out of its indentation and move the tape to where I could see. Of course, you don’t want to depress the button to retract the tape until you have your reading.

So that’s the Myotape Body Tape Measure. I could have lived without it (I have plenty of other measuring tapes), but now that I have it I find it indispensable for consistently accurate body measurements.

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