Wi-fi/Smart Scale: Which one is best?

imjms737
imjms737 Posts: 69 Member
edited November 18 in Health and Weight Loss
So I just bought the Withings Body Cardio smart scale on Amazon today.
It was only about $30 more than the Withings Body scale, so I dished out the extra cash for the extra functions.

I had been using a very basic bioimpedance scale that gave me body fat % and a couple other metrics, but I could only keep track of my weight and body fat. I wanted a smart scale that would enable me to keep track of other metrics, although I am somewhat dubious as to how accurate and useful many of the other metrics will be.
Also, I heard that the cardio measurements don't always work with the Body Cardio scale, which is worrying.

With that said, I am very excited to try out the Withings scale!

Do you have a smart scale, and did you find it worth it?
Which model do you have, and why do you like it?
Or why don't you have one, and why don't you like it?

Replies

  • YalithKBK
    YalithKBK Posts: 317 Member
    I have a plain-old digital scale. I have a Fitbit Charge 2 and I weight myself in the morning and manually type my weight into the Fitbit app (old-school, I know). I use Trendweight.com (connected to my Fitbit account) to track my weight trends.

    As for body fat, nothing other than a full DEXA/Bod Pod measurement can accurately track body fat. Bioimpedance is a TERRIBLE predictor of body fat percentage so buying a scale with that feature is pointless. Some people get really good estimates with calipers, but they take practice. Right now, I am not interested in my body fat percentage, nor am I willing to shell out the money for the super-accurate measuring methods. So, I just stick to my $15 scale.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    I found a Withings Body scale on a clearance table so that's what I have now. Seems pretty good on the weight, no idea on BF% and the heart rate is all over the map. But it syncs to everything so I don't have to update my weight in anything except Excel.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    Here's a really dumb question. Do these wi-fi scales need to ever plug into a wall, either to set up or charge, or are they 100% battery?
  • T0M_K
    T0M_K Posts: 7,526 Member
    I have the Aria Scale. it syncs ok. doesn't handle multiple users very well. every weight falls into my fitbit app. When i weigh in the mornings, everytime i step on it even consecutively, it weighs me slightly different. 182.7, 183.4, 182.3, 183.7. while i understand trending is most important, but FFS...weigh me the same within 20 seconds of the first time. Ultimately, as i sit here today, i don't know exactly what I weighed this morning.

    i'd like a better scale if i knew what weighed consistently.
  • T0M_K
    T0M_K Posts: 7,526 Member
    nowine4me wrote: »
    Here's a really dumb question. Do these wi-fi scales need to ever plug into a wall, either to set up or charge, or are they 100% battery?

    Aria is battery.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    edited May 2017
    nowine4me wrote: »
    Here's a really dumb question. Do these wi-fi scales need to ever plug into a wall, either to set up or charge, or are they 100% battery?

    I own a Withings wi-fi scale, it's 100% battery. You pair it and set it up with your smartphone via Bluetooth, and it then connects to your wi-fi network. No charging - when the batteries go dead, you replace them (and they last quite a while, I think it's been at least 6 months since I last changed mine).

    As to the OP, I like the Withings scale (I have the WS-50) for its connectivity. It automatically uploads my weight to MFP, Garmin Connect, Trendweight (web app), Happy Scale (iOS app) and Apple Health. I don't put much stock in the bodyfat percentage, since BIA is an inaccurate method of 'measuring' it, but I at least have seen the overall trend go downward over time. It handles multiple users fine (my wife and I both weigh on it), and if two of you are very close in weight, it shows the two users' initials and asks you to lean one way or the other on the scale to select which user it is to make sure they're being logged for the right person.
  • T0M_K
    T0M_K Posts: 7,526 Member
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    nowine4me wrote: »
    Here's a really dumb question. Do these wi-fi scales need to ever plug into a wall, either to set up or charge, or are they 100% battery?

    I own a Withings wi-fi scale, it's 100% battery. You pair it and set it up with your smartphone via Bluetooth, and it then connects to your wi-fi network. No charging - when the batteries go dead, you replace them (and they last quite a while, I think it's been at least 6 months since I last changed mine).

    As to the OP, I like the Withings scale (I have the WS-50) for its connectivity. It automatically uploads my weight to MFP, Garmin Connect, Trendweight (web app), Happy Scale (iOS app) and Apple Health. I don't put much stock in the bodyfat percentage, since BIA is an inaccurate method of 'measuring' it, but I at least have seen the overall trend go downward over time. It handles multiple users fine (my wife and I both weigh on it), and if two of you are very close in weight, it shows the two users' initials and asks you to lean one way or the other on the scale to select which user it is to make sure they're being logged for the right person.

    do you weight more than once consecutively as a double check? or one and done?
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    I have the Aria scale and have been pleased. It logs my weight and body fat % daily.

    Here is a dumb question, what is up with "cardio smart"? I mean do you run in place on the scale? I can not think of a scale measurement to determine cardio.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    Tomk652015 wrote: »
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    nowine4me wrote: »
    Here's a really dumb question. Do these wi-fi scales need to ever plug into a wall, either to set up or charge, or are they 100% battery?

    I own a Withings wi-fi scale, it's 100% battery. You pair it and set it up with your smartphone via Bluetooth, and it then connects to your wi-fi network. No charging - when the batteries go dead, you replace them (and they last quite a while, I think it's been at least 6 months since I last changed mine).

    As to the OP, I like the Withings scale (I have the WS-50) for its connectivity. It automatically uploads my weight to MFP, Garmin Connect, Trendweight (web app), Happy Scale (iOS app) and Apple Health. I don't put much stock in the bodyfat percentage, since BIA is an inaccurate method of 'measuring' it, but I at least have seen the overall trend go downward over time. It handles multiple users fine (my wife and I both weigh on it), and if two of you are very close in weight, it shows the two users' initials and asks you to lean one way or the other on the scale to select which user it is to make sure they're being logged for the right person.

    do you weight more than once consecutively as a double check? or one and done?

    I've done multiple weigh-ins a couple times just to check the precision and it's been right on (or within 0.1 - 0.2 either way), so now it's just one and done each morning.
  • imjms737
    imjms737 Posts: 69 Member
    rsclause wrote: »
    I have the Aria scale and have been pleased. It logs my weight and body fat % daily.

    Here is a dumb question, what is up with "cardio smart"? I mean do you run in place on the scale? I can not think of a scale measurement to determine cardio.

    Apparently it senses the pulse in your feet and shows you your 'pulse wave velocity', which is supposed to be a measurement of your cardiac health.
    TBH, I'm not really going to be depending too much on that, but it was only $30 more than the non-cardio version, so I just bought the cardio version.

  • Ironandwine69
    Ironandwine69 Posts: 2,432 Member
    imjms737 wrote: »
    rsclause wrote: »
    I have the Aria scale and have been pleased. It logs my weight and body fat % daily.

    Here is a dumb question, what is up with "cardio smart"? I mean do you run in place on the scale? I can not think of a scale measurement to determine cardio.

    Apparently it senses the pulse in your feet and shows you your 'pulse wave velocity', which is supposed to be a measurement of your cardiac health.
    TBH, I'm not really going to be depending too much on that, but it was only $30 more than the non-cardio version, so I just bought the cardio version.

    Let us know how you like it. I'm due for a new scale, mine is from 1785.
  • imjms737
    imjms737 Posts: 69 Member
    imjms737 wrote: »
    rsclause wrote: »
    I have the Aria scale and have been pleased. It logs my weight and body fat % daily.

    Here is a dumb question, what is up with "cardio smart"? I mean do you run in place on the scale? I can not think of a scale measurement to determine cardio.

    Apparently it senses the pulse in your feet and shows you your 'pulse wave velocity', which is supposed to be a measurement of your cardiac health.
    TBH, I'm not really going to be depending too much on that, but it was only $30 more than the non-cardio version, so I just bought the cardio version.

    Let us know how you like it. I'm due for a new scale, mine is from 1785.

    Will do!
    It's coming in today, so will leave a short review of the scale after a couple days of testing.
  • ksw98
    ksw98 Posts: 8 Member
    I'm also looking to buy a smart scale. Going to avoid the body fat/composition scales as from what I read they aren't that reliable in their measurement of those metrics anyway.
  • limex
    limex Posts: 81 Member
    I have been using the same Withing scale. I really like it. As trivial as it is, it's nice that it automatically syncs my weight with mfp. It also doesn't have a memory, in the sense that if your weight changes a little, it won't just show the same weight as last time (I've had scales like that and they drive me nuts). Works even when you put it on carpet!

    The one problem I have with it is that it frequently can't get a heart rate. Maybe 50% of the time. Must be something about the way I'm standing on it, but I haven't figured that one out yet.
This discussion has been closed.