The ability to check our body stats at home has come a long way in recent years. Smart scales can now do more than just let you know how many pounds you might have gained or lost. In addition to telling you your current weight, smart scales can also display your BMI, body composition, hydration and even heart rate, depending on the model you choose. This can be helpful because it gives you a range of tools to help you better understand your health, rather than just being guided by your weight.
But anyway, how important is it to know your weight? Will it really help you lose weight? Well, according to a study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing and the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, weighing yourself every day can not only help you lose excess pounds, but also help you maintain the weight loss in the long run.
Another benefit of smart scales is that many of them work with fitness trackers. Some scales can be paired with a tracker, while others require you to enter data manually. Both can help you get a more accurate picture of where you are on your fitness journey. But are fitness trackers really useful? They do, according to a University of Minnesota study, and they're well worth the investment for those looking to lose weight. Here's our list of the best fitness trackers, according to the experts.
With that said, it's time to take a deep dive into the best smart scales on the market right now and discover which models 10 experts think are the best of the best. If you have your own thoughts on any smart scales, we'd love to hear them in the comments.
Checklist: The best smart scales rated by experts
1. Withings Body Plus
Tom's Guide found this to be the best smart scale overall. “It has an attractive design, collects more information than any other scale, and displays the data in an easy-to-understand app. Sync via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and every weigh-in is automatically displayed in the companion Health Mate app program. With the measurement history at your fingertips, you can see which parts of your routine are getting you the results you want.”
Forbes likewise praised. “The Withings Body+ strikes the right balance between design, price and features, which is why we chose the best overall smart scale. Withings captures a wide range of body metrics – including muscle mass, bone mass, water, fat mass , BMI, etc. — obviously go all in on measuring your health and fitness data.”
CNET explains that this mode will sync with most fitness apps. “The Withings Body Plus scale is a great choice if you want to be able to sync up to 100+ third-party apps like Apple Health, Google Fit, and MyFitnessPal to your scale.”
2. Weiss scale X
Forbes highlighted the extensive data this smart scale collects. “This easy-to-use smart scale uses LEDs to display your weight, but simultaneously measures and collects data related to 12 essential metrics such as BMI, body fat percentage, heart rate, bone mass, and muscle mass. This data is instantly transmitted to your smartphone.”
Live Science says: “We really like the heart rate monitoring feature that works with your smartphone. Put your fingertip on the phone's rear camera and within seconds you can see your resting heart rate. If you're wondering how Stay healthy, which can help indicate cardiovascular health and is a good place to start. A lower RHR may be a sign of a strong cardiovascular system.”
Tom's Guide mentions a downside, but it still made it to their top picks list. “The downside of this cheap and delightful smart scale is the app, which doesn’t really give you a lot of information to back up the huge amount of data. While users know they have good muscle mass, there’s little information on whether that number is Considered acceptable for overall health. While this is nitpicking, all in all it's a great, affordable machine.”
3. Renpho Smart Body Fat Scale
If measuring body fat is important to you, Sports Illustrated voted this model the best in its category. “The RENPHO Smart Body Fat Scale has four high-precision sensors that measure body fat using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA). BIA involves measuring the rate at which painless, low-level electrical body fat and fat-free mass data.”
People also voted for this smart scale because of the cost. “For those on a budget, Renpho is a great option. The brand’s smart body fat scales are very easy to set up, thanks to Bluetooth connectivity and a user-friendly mobile app. You can add up to four user profiles and add them in the app. Various metrics are programmatically tracked, including body fat, BMI, BMR, muscle mass, and metabolic age.”
Despite its low cost, Very Well Fit found the model to score well. “While this scale was the third cheapest of the 20 scales we tested, it scored in the top six—scoring higher than many of the more expensive options. The Renpho Smart Scale is a great budget-friendly option. We of testers found it easy to set up, read, and use, giving it a perfect 5 out of 5 in all three areas.”
4. Fitbit Aria Air
As you can imagine, this one is perfect for Fitbit users, as NBC News puts it, “This smart scale syncs with your existing data and helps monitor your progress. The scale comes in two colors — black and white — the brand says it can track weight and BMI, as well as metrics provided by the wearable FitBit, such as steps and hydration levels.”
CNN Underscored really highlighted this point, “The lower-priced Fitbit Aria Air was a bit difficult to set up. First we had to download a firmware patch for the Air, then the Fitbit app. It was easy after the patch, but we didn't like the extra A step of.”
Sports Illustrated says: “If you're a Fitbit aficionado, look no further than the Fitbit Aria Air. This scale syncs with the Fitbit app via Bluetooth, turning your data into an easy-to-read graph to measure your weight.” Progress over time. If you wear a Fitbit that also syncs with the app, the graph will combine the data and show how your daily activity level affects your weight.”
5. Withings Body Cardio
Another smart scale from Withings made the top 5 list. Says Very Well Fit: “Withings reports that users who set weight goals on the app lose twice as much weight as those who don't.” The scale also syncs to popular apps, including MyFitness Pal, allowing you to Nutrition can be tracked. Our tester loved this feature because she was able to monitor her food intake while tracking other health metrics.”
Tech Rader highlights the higher price point, but says it might be worth it, depending on your personal goals. “It's a premium scale and the price is commensurate, but if you're interested in making long-term changes and improving your health, not just losing weight, it's well worth the investment.”
As the name suggests, this model is also suitable for those concerned with cardiovascular health. As Forbes explains: “If you care about your heart health and how it affects your weight and ability to be physically active, then this is the smart scale you need. When you step on this scale, about 30 Seconds later, in addition to measuring your weight, it will perform a cardiovascular screening. The scale also tracks body composition measurements such as body fat, muscle mass, and bone mass. One of the additional measurements it captures is your vascular age — an accurate indicator of heart health.”
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