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NOTES ON SAFETY

 Please read this instruction manual carefully before use and for further information on the individual functions.

 Danger:

Never use this unit in combination with the following medical electronic devices.

(1) Medical electronic implants such as pacemakers. 

(2) Electronic life support systems such as an artificial heart/lung.

(3) Portable electronic medical devices such as electrocardiograph.

This unit could cause these devices to malfunction, posing a considerable health risk to users of these devices.

 Warning:

Never start weight reduction or exercise therapy solely based on your own judgement. Be sure to follow the 

instructions of a doctor or specialist.

Do not use the unit on tiles or other surfaces that may be slippery, such as a wet floor.

Do not subject the unit to strong shocks, such as vibrating or dropping the unit on the floor.

Do not jump or bounce on the unit.

Do not use this unit after taking a bath, or when your body, hands, or feet are wet.

Do not step on the edge of the unit.

Do not let a physically handicapped person use this unit without any accompanied assistance. Use a handrail or so 

when stepping on the unit.

 Caution:

This unit is intended for home use only. It is not intended for professional use in hospitals or other medical facilities. 

This unit does not support the standards required for professional use.

Stand on the unit bare-footed.

Do not use a cellular phone near the unit.

Do not disassemble, repair, or remodel the unit.

Do not use batteries not specified for this unit. Do not insert the batteries with the polarities in the wrong direction.

Replace worn batteries with new ones immediately.

Remove the batteries from this unit when you are not going to use it for a long period of time (approximately three 

months or more).

Do not use batteries of a different kind together.

Do not use new and worn batteries together.

Keep this unit out of the reach of young children.

General Advice:

Do not place this unit on cushioned floor surface such as on a carpet or a mat. Correct measurement may not be 

possible.

Do not step on the operation buttons. Doing so may cause malfunction.

Do not place this unit in highly humid environment, where water may splash, under direct sunshine, in a place where 

the air conditioner blows directly, or near fire.

Do not use this unit for purposes other than measuring body weight, body fat percentage, and/or visceral fat level.

Disposal of this product and used batteries should be carried out in accordance with the national regulations for the 

disposal of electronic products.

Always keep the unit clean before use.

Wipe the main unit with a soft dry cloth.

If  necessary, use a cloth moistened with water or neutral detergent and squeeze it well before wiping the unit, then 

wipe dry with a dry cloth.

Clean the monitor before using the unit with people who have a skin or foot disease.

Do not wash the unit with water.

Do not wipe the unit with benzine, paint thinner, alcohol, or other volatile solvents.

When cleaning the unit, take care not to touch the buttons and change or delete the personal data.

If storing the unit in a vertical position, always secure it so that it will not fall over.

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INSTRUCTION MANUAL

Body Composition Monitor

Model 

HBF-214

INFORMATION ON BODY COMPOSITION

Principle of body composition calculation

Body fat has low electric conductivity

The OMRON HBF-214 measures the body fat percentage by the Bioelectrical Impedance (BI) method. Muscles and 

blood vessels are body tissues with a high water content that conducts electricity easily. Body fat is tissue that has little 

electric conductivity. The HBF-214 sends an extremely weak electrical current of 50 kHz and less than 500 μA through 

your body to determine the amount of fat tissue. This weak electrical current is not felt while operating HBF-214.

In order for the monitor to determine body composition, it uses the electrical impedance, along with your height, 

weight, age and gender information to generate results based on OMRON’s data of body composition.

Recommended measurement times

Understanding the normal changes in your body fat percentage can help you in preventing or reducing obesity. Being 

aware of the times when the body fat percentages shift within your own daily schedule will assist you in obtaining an 

accurate trending of your body fat. It is recommended to use this unit in the same environment and daily circumstances. 

(See chart)

Daily activities

Waking up

Breakfast

Lunch

Taking a bath or 

eating dinner

Going to bed

2 hours

2 hours

2 hours

Recommended time 

Recommended time 

Recommended time 

Recommended time 

Before going to bed and about 2 
hours or more after dinner or bath

Before lunch and about 2 hours or 
more after breakfast

After waking up

In the afternoon about 2 hours or 
more after lunch and before taking 
a bath or eating dinner

Avoid measurement immediately 
after eating or bathing.

Avoid Taking Measurements Under the Following Conditions:

If a measurement is made under these physical conditions, the estimated body fat percentage may differ significantly 

from the actual one because the water content in the body is changing.

Avoid taking measurements:

immediately after vigorous exercise

Please wait for 2 hours or more

after a bath or sauna

after drinking alcohol

after drinking lots of water

after eating a meal

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What is BMI (Body Mass Index)? 

BMI uses the following simple formula to indicate the ratio between weight and height of a person.

BMI = weight (kg) / height (m) / height (m)

The OMRON HBF-214 uses the height information stored in your personal profile number or when entering 

information in the guest mode to calculate your BMI classification. 

What is Body Fat Percentage?

Body fat percentage refers to the amount of body fat mass in regards to the total body weight expressed as a percentage.

Body fat percentage (%) = {Body fat mass (kg) / Body weight (kg)} × 100

The device uses BI method to estimate your body fat percentage.

Depending on where fat is distributed in the body, it is classified as visceral fat or subcutaneous fat.

What is Visceral Fat Level?

Visceral fat = fat surrounding internal organs

Too much visceral fat is thought to be closely linked to increased levels of fat 

in the bloodstream, which can lead to common diseases such as hyperlipidemia 

and diabetes, which impairs the ability of insulin to transfer energy from the 

bloodstream and using it in cells. In order to prevent or improve conditions 

of common diseases, it is important to try and reduce visceral fat levels to 

an acceptable level. People with high visceral fat levels tend to have large 

stomachs. However, this is not always the case and high visceral fat levels can 

lead to metabolically obese. Metabolically obese (visceral obesity with normal 

weight) represents fat levels that are higher than average, even if a person’s 

weight is at or below the standard for their height.

What is Subcutaneous Fat?

Subcutaneous fat = fat below the skin

Subcutaneous fat not only accumulates around the stomach but also around the 

upper arms, hips and thighs, and can cause a distortion of the body’s proportions. 

Although not directly linked to increased risk of disease, it is thought to increase 

pressure on the heart and other complications. Subcutaneous fat is not displayed 

in this unit, but is included in the body fat percentage.

What is Skeletal Muscle?

Muscle is divided into two types, muscle in internal organs, such as the heart, and skeletal muscle attached to bones that 

is used to move the body. Skeletal muscle can be increased through exercise and other activity. 

Increasing the ratio of skeletal muscle means that body can burn energy more easily, which means that it is less likely 

to turn to fat, and makes it easier to lead an energetic lifestyle.

What is Resting Metabolism?

Regardless of your activity level, a minimum level of caloric intake is required to sustain the body’s everyday functions. 

Known as the resting metabolism, this indicates how many calories you need to ingest in order to provide enough 

energy for your body to function.

KNOW YOUR UNIT

Main Unit

 Button

Touch the button to advance. Touch 

continuously to advance rapidly.

/SET Button

Turns the power on, and confirms setting 

values. Touch for three seconds or longer to 

turn the power off again.

 Symbol

Lights when the operation buttons 

are touched.

Battery Low Indicator

Foot Electrodes

Foot Electrodes

Display

The illustration shows all 

display items.

Operation Buttons

Touch the buttons with your 

fingers.

 Button

Touch the button to go back 

one. Touch continuously to 

recede rapidly.

MEMORY Button

Displays the result of the 

previous measurement.

Components

4 AAA Manganese Batteries

Instruction Manual

BATTERY INSTALLATION

1.  Open the Battery Cover on the back of the unit.

Tab

1)  Press the tab on the battery cover in the direction of the arrow to 

release the cover as illustrated.

2)  Pull the tab of the cover upwards.

2.  Insert the batteries by aligning them as indicated.

The end with the spring is for the negative (-) terminal.

3.  Close the battery cover.

1)  Align the hooks on the battery cover with the slots in the battery compartment.

2)  Push the battery cover until the tab clicks into place.

Battery Life and Replacement

Measurement values and personal profiles stored in the memory will not be 

deleted during battery replacement. When the Battery Low Indicator appears on 

the display screen, remove all four batteries. 

Replace with four new batteries at the same time.

NOTES:

New batteries will last for approximately one year (when manganese batteries 

are used with four measurements a day at a room temperature of 23°C). Trial 

batteries supplied with the unit may have a shorter life.

Do not use rechargeable batteries. This could cause inaccurate operation.

Dispose of the device, batteries and components according to applicable local 

regulations.

About the Power Off Function

Touch the 

/SET

 button for three seconds or longer

 

to turn off the power. The “OFF” symbol appears on the display 

when the power is turned off.

The power is automatically turned off in the following conditions:

If the unit is not used within one minute of “0.0 kg” appearing on the display.

If no information is entered for three minutes when entering personal data.

If the unit is not used for 30 seconds after weight result is displayed. 

If the unit is not used for three minutes after body composition results are displayed. 

10 seconds after the “Err” symbol appears on the display.

SETTING PERSONAL DATA

To measure body composition, your personal data must be set. Your personal data includes your age, gender and height. 

A.  Select a Personal Profile Number to save your personal data. The unit saves up to four personal 

profiles. Select a number 1 through 4. Use this number to enter your personal data when taking a 

measurement.

B.  Select Guest mode if you do not want your personal data stored in the memory. When you use 

the Guest mode you will need to enter your personal data each time you take a measurement. 

Measurement results are not stored in the memory when the Guest mode is used.

1.  Touch the 

/SET

 button to turn on the power.

All symbols appear on the display briefly, then the display changes to “0.0kg”.

Wait until 0.0 kg appears on the display.

NOTE: 

You can also touch the ◄ or ► button to turn on the power.

2.  Select a Personal Profile Number.

1)  Touch the ◄ or ► button to select a Personal Profile Number or the GUEST 

mode, then the number you selected blinks on the display.

2)  Touch the 

/SET

 button.

NOTE:

 If “0.0kg” is displayed, then that Personal Profile Number has already 

been registered. Choose a different Personal Profile Number or delete the 

personal data for that number.

3.  Enter your Personal Data.

SETTING THE AGE

1)  Touch the ◄ or ► button to change the age.

(Display range: 10 to 80)

2)  Touch the 

/SET

 button.

The age is set.

The gender symbols blink on the display.

NOTE:

 The age entered is not automatically updated, so be sure to update it each year after your birthday. If the 

age is not set correctly, the measurement results may not be accurate.

SETTING THE GENDER

1)  Touch the ◄ or ► button to change the gender.

2)  Touch the 

/SET

 button.

The gender is set.

The height symbol blinks on the display.

SETTING THE HEIGHT

(Display range: 100.0 cm to 199.5 cm)

1)  Touch the ◄ or ► button to change the height.

2)  Touch the 

/SET

 button.

The height is set.

The current settings for age, gender and height blink on the display, then the display 

changes to 0.0 kg.

All the settings are completed.

You can now take a measurement using the Personal Profile Number you selected or the Guest mode.

Refer to HOW TO TAKE A MEASUREMENT.

If you do not take a measurement, touch the 

/SET

 button for three seconds or longer to turn off the power.

NOTES:

Your personal data have not been registered in the following cases. Please re-register the personal data information. 

If no buttons are touched for 3 minutes while setting the personal data and the power is automatically turned off.

If the power goes off while you are making settings.

Changing Personal Data

If your personal data change, the information in the Personal Profile Number you selected must be changed for 

measurement results to be calculated correctly.

1.  Touch the 

/SET

 button to turn on the power.

All symbols appear on the display briefly, then the display changes to “0.0kg”.

Wait until 0.0 kg appears on the display.

NOTE: 

You can also touch the ◄ or ► button to turn on the power.

2.  Touch the ◄ or ► button to select the Personal Profile Number you 

want to change.

NOTE: 

If “P1” to “P4” blink on the display, then there is no personal data for the 

selected Personal Profile Number. Register personal data for the number.

 

Refer to SETTING PERSONAL DATA.

3.  Touch the 

/SET

 button to confirm the settings.

The “◄” and “►” symbols disappear.

4.  Touch the 

/SET

 button again.

“CHANGE” and “DEL” blink on the display.

NOTE: 

Touch the 

/SET

 button to cancel the operation.

5.  Select “CHANGE”.

1)  Touch the ◄ or ► button to select the “CHANGE” symbol.

The “CHANGE” symbol blinks on the display.

2)  Touch the 

/SET

 button.

The “CHANGE” is set.

The current setting for age blinks on the display.

3)  Refer to Step 3 of “SETTING PERSONAL DATA” to enter your personal 

data.

What is Body Age?

Body age is based on your resting metabolism. Body age is calculated by using your weight, body fat percentage and 

skeletal muscle percentage to produce a guide to judge whether your body age is above or below the average for your 

actual age. To know your body age is useful to improve your health condition.

The reason calculated results may differ from actual body fat percentage

The body fat percentage measured by this unit may significantly differ from the actual body fat percentage in the 

following situations:

Elderly people / People with a fever / Body builders or highly trained athletes / Patients undergoing dialysis / 

Patients with osteoporosis who have very low bone density / Pregnant women / People with swelling / Children in 

growth stage

These differences may be related to changing ratios of body fluid and/or body composition.

Thank you for purchasing the OMRON Body Composition Monitor.

Before using this unit for the first time, please be sure to read this 

Instruction Manual carefully and use the unit safely and properly.

Please keep this Instruction Manual at hand all the time for future 

reference.

HBF-214-AP_A_M15_120627.pdf

5337474-8A

Do not store the unit in the following conditions:

Where water may get in.

Extreme high temperature and humidity, direct sunshine, and dusty places.

Where there will be sudden shock or vibration.

In storage places of chemicals or where corrosive gas is present.

Do not place objects on the unit or store it upside-down.

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Visceral Fat

Subcutaneous Fat

Spine

Sample Visceral Fat 

(MRI image)

Visceral Fat

Subcutaneous Fat

Spine

Sample Subcutaneous Fat 

(MRI image)

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