Jennifer Allen
Fitness wearables are hugely popular when it comes to tracking every step you take, but when it comes to monitoring your weight you need a good smart scale. Here’s our top picks for every budget.
We appreciate that numbers on the scale aren’t everything. Some scales solely report your weight and that’s only telling you a very small part of your fitness story. Others may inform you of your Body Mass Index (BMI for short) but that’s also not conclusive. Some people can be considered to have an obese BMI despite being in fantastic shape, as it comes down to muscle mass ratios and other details.
Fortunately, all the smart scales featured here cover more than just the basics. They also identify what percentage body fat you have, as well as details regarding your muscle and bone mass. Some even provide you with your standing heart rate. Knowledge is power. Your body is so much more than just how much you weigh, and these scales will go some way to keeping you on top of things. Here’s our favorite of the bunch with the
Nokia Body Cardio ($180)
Essentially the “money is no object” choice, the Nokia Body Cardio isn’t cheap but it is packed full of features. At its very simplest, it tracks your weight (and related trends) over extended periods. Alongside that, it also monitors your body fat and water percentage, along with muscle and bone mass.
Impressively for a smart scale, it also provides you with your standing heart rate, proving ideal for those trying to lower their heart rate through regular exercise.
The scales themselves are stylish and small, and will work equally as well on a hard floor or a carpet. The connected Nokia Health Mate app tracks everything possible, as well as hooks up to Alexa. Simply asking Alexa to “ask Nokia” will give you insight into your health. It also works for up to 8 users with an optional “baby mode” so that the scales will even track your baby’s growth over the course of the pregnancy.
Fitbit Aria 2 ($130)
If you’re keen to get fit, odds are you already own a Fitbit wearable. The Fitbit Aria 2 happily works alongside that, adding to the wealth of information you have for your body.
The scale tracks weight, body fat percentage, lean mass, as well as your BMI (but remember, that one isn’t as useful as you’d think!). Through the Fitbit app, it syncs up alongside your steps taken, so you get a highly accurate report on how you’re doing, as well as how many calories you’ve burned throughout the day.
Like the Nokia, it recognizes up to eight users while keeping information private, so it’s perfect for the whole family. It’s stylish and lightweight too.
iHealth Core ($106)
A slightly lesser known name than the other entries, the iHealth Core still packs a punch where it counts. Besides offering weight and body fat measurements, it tracks your lean mass, muscle/bone mass, water weight, BMI, and visceral fat rating. Daily calories are also monitored with the iHealth MyVitals app recording your daily trends and readings, with the choice of setting goals to progress towards. Want even more vital stats tracked? The scale will even measure the temperature and humidity of the room—which while not particularly necessary for weight tracking is still a neat bonus feature.
Unlike the others, the iHealth Core supports 10 unique users and measures up to 400lb. It all syncs up with the app, but for those times when you can’t be near your phone, it stores up to 200 readings offline for the next convenient time. Keenly priced, it’s a quality all-rounder.
QardioBase 2 ($150)
The QardioBase 2 is keen to be more than just a way of monitoring your weight. Distinctly styled, it calculates your BMI, and body composition changes including muscle, body fat, water, and bone. Information offered is available in statistical form but there’s also haptic feedback in the guise of vibrations. Continuing the lighthearted theme, smiley emojis are also offered to demonstrate how well you’re doing. If you want to lose weight but you don’t want to get hung up on numbers, the vibration/smiley feedback is a great way to get a sense of your weight loss without staring a number in the face.
The scale and app tracks multiple users with a separate pregnancy mode also available. This mode offers extra functionality in the form of charts and a photo diary so you can monitor your pregnancy each step of the way. The scale also only needs charging about once a year, saving you the hassle of swapping batteries out or regularly recharging.
RENPHO Bluetooth Body Fat Scale ($33)
If you’re on a budget but in need of a smart scale, the RENPHO Bluetooth Body Fat Scale is a great purchase to make. The device tracks 11 measurements including weight, BMI, body fat percentage, water percentage, skeleton muscle, mass, and even your average body age.
Despite the unknown name, it’ll happily sync up with Apple Health, Google Fit, and Fitbit, so you get the best of both worlds here. It’s not the most forward of designs (the alarm clock like readout and reliance on AAA batteries are a bit dated) . However, if you’re not too bothered about a brand name or a stylish look in your bathroom, these are a good bet.
