Are Measuring Tapes Accurate When It Comes To Height?

[Trevorblack2014]

My mate is 5 foot 8 and am at least a few inches taller then him but according to the tape am only 5.9...and my mate knows his own height after being mesured by a doctor.

[Baldric]

Did he have shoes on when measured?

[Baldric]

Or is it possible at your age he's grown a bit?

[jomifl]

Stand against a wall, use something firm and square like a book to tranfer the height of the top of your head to the wall and measure the height on the wall. Trying to measure someon's height directly with a tape measure is full of errors and best avoided.

[Trevorblack2014]

I dunno if he did but am still at least 2 inches taller when barefoot and with him stil with shoes on but according to measure tape am 5.9...when he is 5.8 (well taller when i measured him.

[Trevorblack2014]

2 People measured me, according to one who used a airspray can and tape said 5.8 (he is 5.3) and my mate measurment was 5.10 and a half.

[dunnitall]

I have this problem too. I know I was taller a few yrs back but my doc measured me shorter....must be their measuring stick, or summat!

[Zacs-Master]

It's a well known fact that tape measures are inaccurate for measuring height. Especially in a leap year.

[Prudie]

tapes are accurate, measurers less so

[Old_Geezer]

Lie down. Then you'll be measuring width and be ok. Were you measuring in a high gravitational field ?

[mikey4444]

To be really accurate you will need to use a stadiometer, like medics use.

As boys, my brothers and I were measured up against the door pillar in the kitchen. We stood to attention while Dad put a carving knife along the top of head ( very carefully ! ) and made a mark on the pillar. He then took his tape measure out and measured the mark off the floor. About as accurate as we needed back then.

[jomifl]

Prudie, that is the truth of it.

[Hopkirk]

Your father measured your height with a carving knife, Mikey?!?

[-Talbot-]

Were you and your mate really measuring your height.....or ?