The term "self-care" is used often, constituting everything from meditation to physical exercise.
Also important are smart scales, which promise to help monitor not only your weight, but also your BMI, bone mass, and more.
While its tracking of BMI and other biometric data is questionable, one thing is indisputable: a smart scale connected to an app is one of the easiest ways to record your weight, allowing you to more easily track your weight goals. physical conditioning over time.
Over the course of a month, we tested eight top-notch smart scales, paying close attention to how well these scales pair with devices, how accurate the weighings are, how they look, and how they generally perform.
We download apps, sync Bluetooth and Wi-Fi with varying degrees of success, speak to a sports medicine professional for guidance, and weigh ourselves many, many times.
Ultimately, one kept his weight above all others.
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The best smart scale of 2021
Wyze Smart Scale
Buy it on Amazon:
USD $ 33.98 /
MX $ 2,519
Taking this slim and elegant glass scale out of the box, we were immediately convinced by its simple good looks.
The design of this scale is on par with several that we tested that were much more expensive.
It's sleek and lightweight, and it fits in places most people like to hide a scale like under the bed, a dresser, or a very slim bathroom vanity.
Most scales look similar, but the Wyze Smart Scale (
USD $ 33.98 /
MX $ 2,519
) was lighter and easier to move than most as we completed the setup process, one that was extremely straightforward.
If you already have Wyze cameras in your house, you will use the same application;
otherwise, just download the app and combine it with the scale.
After entering basic information such as date of birth and height, step on the scale for the first reading, then you will need to set any weight goals you have.
These are displayed at the top of the app, with a small graph (and a flag on the goal) to keep track of your progress.
Wyze watch: a $ 40 smartwatch is good enough
Once we paired it, we had no problem with it staying paired and saving all the information.
It can also be paired with Apple Health, Google Fit, Fitbit, and more, if you prefer to track your weight there.
We love how the numbers were displayed on the Wyze - easy to see white numbers.
Even in a steaming bathroom and on a dark morning, we didn't have to squint to read them.
It was the easiest-to-read scale we tested, as other scales had minute readings or were placed underfoot.
Wyze's scale (
USD $ 33.98 /
MX $ 2,519
) proved to be one of the most accurate we tested in terms of weight.
Compared to readings on an analog scale, the Wyze was never more than 0.2 pounds apart.
In comparison, some of the other scales, like the Fitbit Aria Air, ranged up to a pound.
Since weight can fluctuate depending on the time of day, we made sure to perform our weighings at the same times, mornings and afternoons, throughout the course of testing to ensure accuracy and avoid major spikes or drops in readings.
And those numbers were easily paired with the app, so it was easy to track our weight over time.
The application itself is very easy to use and read.
Tracks weight, body fat, muscle mass, body water, lean body mass, bone mass, protein, visceral fat, basal metabolic rate (BMR), and metabolic age.
When you open the app, you'll see your weight displayed, with an overview of how much you've lost or gained, along with other metrics.
You can set your weight tracker by week, month or year and see how that graph goes down (or up) as you hit your goals.
If you are already using a different fitness app, the Wyze scale (
USD $ 33.98 /
MX $ 2,519
) will send your information to multiple applications such as Apple Health, Google Fit and Fitbit (the company promises that soon it will also work with Samsung soon).
Pairing is simple: go to the Wyze app, click on the gear logo, and go to "Authorize 3rd Party Apps."
From there, after weighing yourself, you can click on Apple Health (for example) you will see your data under "Body Measurements".
Wyze data can be paired with up to eight devices, and we had no problems connecting an iPhone, iPad, and Android phone during our tests.
It also allows eight recognized users, so multiple family members or housemates can track your health and fitness data.
The Wyze scale's precision, easy-to-read display, and simple but helpful app, not to mention its sleek design, make it your best bet when shopping for a smart scale, especially considering its relatively cheap price of
USD $ 33.98 /
MX $ 2,519.
How accurate are smart scales?
Smart scales promise to give you a clear picture of your health and fitness without having to do a lot of work. But are your measurements of statistics like body mass index (BMI), body fat, and the like accurate? Not exactly, explains Stella L. Volpe, PhD, RDN, ACSM-CEP, FACSM, chair of Virginia Tech's Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Exercise. "I'm sure some of the technology for these scales has improved, but the Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) may still be a bit out of place, "says Volpe.
"What worries me is that they are generally not going to be as accurate as obviously high-end instruments, and that could lead people to think that they are really thin or that they are really too fat, and neither of the two could be really true. They could be somewhere in the middle, "explains Volpe.
How we test
The testing process for the smart scales was in-depth, lasting almost a month, and involved downloading many apps, learning a lot about different metrics, and talking to Volpe about how the measurements worked.
Finally, we weigh ourselves.
And again.
Here's a breakdown of our tests:
Performance
Readability:
Literally, could the numbers and information be easily read while standing on the scale?
We find out by standing on all the scales and looking at those numbers.
Accuracy:
We place these smart scales against the most basic scale, created just to measure weight, comparing its measurement of our body weight, as well as our body weight plus a hand weight.
Consistency:
We looked at whether the daily readings fluctuated a lot, while representing some holiday fluctuation on our part, to make sure they were accurate.
Technology: We
determined how easily the scales were paired with the applications and how close the devices (phones and tablets) had to be to the scale to record any reading in the applications.
Ease of setup:
For this test, we started from scratch for each scale, turning it on, connecting with any app, connecting with external apps, and making sure the Bluetooth and / or Wi-Fi connection worked.
Compatibility
How many different devices can it be paired with?
We checked if you could use your scale with your phone, tablet, laptop, and more.
App Usability:
How easy is the scale app to use, how does it present the information, and what does it track?
App Compatibility:
Do you need to use the official scale app or can it be easily paired and synced with Apple Health, MyFitnessPal, Google Health, Fitbit, etc.?
How many users can you track:
Can you add your whole family so everyone can track your metrics?
And most importantly, is that information private?
Construction
Overall footprint:
Do the scales take up a lot of space, can you easily store them, or are they cumbersome or heavy?
Design:
We look for which are the most attractive and if they are available in different colors.
Other factors
Warranty:
We analyze if the product has and, if so, how long it is extended.
Privacy:
We read each privacy policy to determine how much of your data, if any, would be shared and with whom.
Other smart scales we tested
Eufy Smart Scale P1
Buy it on Amazon:
USD $ 39.99 /
MX $ 699
This smart scale, one of two we tested from Eufy, was another strong contender.
It was easy to set up right out of the box, with a simple download of the app from the Apple App Store (it's also available for Android).
It's an attractive scale, and the app is easy to use (it can also pair with Apple Health, Google Health, and Fitbit).
The Eufy P1 was also extremely consistent and accurate during repeated daily weigh-ins.
We really liked the round edges on this scale;
If you have little ones running around, you don't need to worry that they (or you) will turn against him.
The only downside with the Eufy P1 is that while you may have 16 individual users, everyone can see each other's information.
It is up to you if you want to share his weight and progress with 15 family members.
Fitbit Aria 2
Buy it on Amazon:
USD $ 39.99 /
MX $ 699
The Fitbit Aria 2 was recently discontinued, but if you can find it, you'll get a great scale if you're already integrated into the Fitbit universe.
It's black, glass, and lightweight, slides right under a bathroom vanity, and has an easy-to-read display.
Use the company's app and if you're already tracking your workouts, weight, BMI, lean mass, and meals in the app, the Aria will make it easier and fit perfectly.
The fastest charger for your shiny new iPhone 13
You can add eight users to the scale, and by syncing with friends on Fitbit, you can share your successes.
If you're just doing a regular, unsynchronized weigh-in, it takes around 10 seconds for the numbers on the scale to appear, which some of us tested didn't like.
This is a large scale that was close to Wyze's in general points.
It's an ideal choice if you enjoy fitbit products and their app, but if you find the app a bit busy, this might not be for you.
Fitbit Aria 2
Buy it on Amazon:
USD $ 39.99 /
MX $ 699
This scale is easy to set up, but the weight and unique shape make it difficult to store.
The Qardio weighs a couple of pounds more than other scales.
It is very stylish and cool, but you cannot see the numbers clearly when you are standing on it.
We found the app a bit clunky on an iPhone, as the tabbing of information became overwhelming.
We also found that it kept tracking our guest information, even when we were online and had our phone close by with the app open.
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