Modest bathroom scale is long overdue to learn some new tricks. After all, who needs to spend precious real estate on a device whose sole purpose is to tell you how much you weigh? The category “smart scale” appears in life the early days Later internet of thingsBut head model isn’t always the best, plagued by connectivity issues and general usability issues. As such, this category has largely stagnated; There are only a handful of companies making these devices, and some haven’t updated their product lines in years.
Only recently has that started to change as newer, faster, and better in every way products have started to hit the market again. Newer smart scales can not only track multiple health metrics for multiple members of your family through sophisticated mobile apps, but also iron out all the kinks, so tracking Your weight becomes easier than ever.
How smart can the scale be? And which one should you buy? If accurate weight is the most important thing to you, don’t be too hesitant in making your decision. All the scales I tested were quite accurate. My highest and lowest weights were never more than 0.6 pounds different across all of them—which means buying one of the cheaper models was enough. But if you’re serious about weight loss or fitness, you might want to dig deeper and consider the accuracy of the supplement’s body metrics, wireless format, and overall usability. hardware and software durability and reliability. This is where I spent most of my testing to find the best smart scale. With all that in mind, I have some thoughts.
How do smart scales work?
Smart scales come in two basic types: Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The former connects directly to your phone to sync its readings. The latter uses your home’s wireless network to sync readings directly to the cloud, which your phone app can then access. Wi-Fi scales are more expensive but more flexible. While older scales often had erratic wireless connectivity, newer models have ironed out many of the bottlenecks—and firmware updates have improved connectivity.
Almost all smart scales use the same type of system to measure your additional vitals: bioelectrical impedance analysis, which involves sending a tiny electrical current onto a pin and measuring what happens when it goes down the other side. Some mathematical magic converts all of this into any number of derived measurements of things like the percentage of fat, water, and bone in your body; body mass index; and sometimes, arcana is like your basal metabolic rate, a measure of your body’s energy consumption at rest. All the scales I tested were able to sync data with Health Apple and Google Fit or Health connectiondirectly or by transmitting data through the application.
Special offer for Gear readers: Take WIRED for only $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com, full Gear coverage and a subscriber-only newsletter. Subscribing helps fund the work we do every day.
