Why Hospital Scale Price Comparisons Aren’t Apples to Apples!

When it comes to choosing a hospital scale, it is important to look well beyond the initial sticker price. While some of the highest quality scales may cost you more upfront, there are a variety of factors that contribute to the actual, long term cost and return on investment of a professional hospital scale. Read on to discover what you should consider, in addition to price, when choosing a scale that is right for your hospital or clinic setting. 

Upfront Costs of Hospital Scales

Upfront costs do indeed vary based on the overall quality of the hospital scales you are comparing. While the first “upfront” cost you are probably thinking about is the sticker price, there are also other initial implementation costs associated with acquiring, installing and training pertaining to hospital scales in a medical setting. 

Consider costs of training associated with the hospital scale you are considering, as staff training is a primary factor in choosing medical devices to implement. You want scales that are easy to use, therefore requiring less time and money to train staff. Befour healthcare scales are just that. They are simple to operate and require very little training to use safely and efficiently. Every scale in Befour’s Professional Medical Scale product line utilizes the same, 7-button display console. Once staff familiarizes themselves with a single scale, they can effortlessly operate any other model of scale within the product line. Eliminating the need to retrain staff on a new hospital scale will save time - and as a result, reduce costs associated with training downtime. This is true whether you’re a hospital administrator or biomedical team planning for staff training and implementation.  

With Befour, you can also choose a hospital scale that fits your needs. Choosing a scale that is tailored to you or your patients’ needs will certainly save you time and money without the requirement of additional equipment or replacements before the scale has reached the end of its lifespan. For example, if you need a scale that can accommodate a wide range of individuals, you can choose from our bariatric scales that have weight capacities up to 1000 lbs., meeting the needs of all patients. We also feature hospital scales that are made with elderly populations in mind, offering more support, such as integrated handrails, and other features, allowing clinicians to use one model of hospital scale to treat patients of all ages.  

Hospital Scale Maintenance Costs 

The primary way you will see long term savings from purchasing any of our Befour hospital scales is in the drastically reduced maintenance costs over time. Indeed, Befour scales have very low overall maintenance costs when compared to their competitors. You can expect these cost savings due to extended battery life, an outstanding warranty, an impressive product lifespan and hassle-free disposal.  

Did you know that Befour scales have the longest battery life in the medical scale industry? Well, they do! A single set of standard, D-cell alkaline batteries, for one of our hospital scales has an average lifespan of over two years. This will save you and/or your organization significant money in reduced battery replacements. In addition to the financial savings of the physical batteries themselves, there is also a cost savings realized when biomed personnel and clinicians reduce the number of times they have to actually replace batteries in a scale. After all - Time is Money!

Now, let’s say something does go wrong with your scale before its expected lifespan is up. After all, mishaps do happen. Befour offers one of the longest warranties in the industry. We have a team of service engineers ready to answer questions and assist with troubleshooting, offering general support throughout the life of the scale, even after the initial warranty has expired. In the rare chance an issue did arise, most often, all you have to do is remove the front panel of the display console and ship that component to us. We’d say that is much easier than shipping an entire scale! And on top of that, our warranty covers the shipping back to your facility.  

Longevity of a Hospital Scale 

The lifespan of a hospital scale should also be considered when evaluating different options. If a scale is only designed to last 3-5 years in the field, that scale will need to be replaced more often, increasing overall costs. Befour scales are engineered and manufactured for repetitive use in demanding environments and if properly cared for, can last up to 20 years in a hospital setting. During that estimated 20 years, a competitive hospital scale of less quality may need to be purchased again and again over the course of time to replace the initial purchase. Useful life of a scale may require a bit of research to uncover data points to evaluate, but none-the-less, is a factor that should be considered when making a final decision on a hospital scale.   

And, finally, you can expect cost savings from a Befour scale even when you eventually need to dispose of it. Our scales are constructed with eco-friendly components and no hazardous materials. Hospitals that purchase medical scales from other brands find themselves paying a fee for disposal of certain materials commonly used in medical scale construction, and those fees can be costly and add up! 

Turn to Befour for Long Term Value

As you can see, price alone will not help you determine the best hospital scale for your needs and long term investment. The life-long value of a Befour scale outshines our competitors on a variety of measures. If you need a hospital scale contact Befour today.