7 of the best smart scales – reviewed

7 of the best smart scales – reviewed

Weighing yourself used to be a simple process: you stepped on the scales, winced at the dial, then lied about the figure to your significant other. These days, there’s more to it. A new breed of smart scales can now track all manner of stats, from BMI and body fat to heart rate, plot your progress on your smartphone, and even link with your fitness band for true 360-degree health monitoring. We’ve put the best models through their paces to see which is best entrusted with your precious BMI info.

NOKIA BODY+ (£90)

Despite Nokia’s decision to drop the heart rate tracking, the Body+ remains an impressive set of scales, with reliable accuracy and seamless set-up. The Health Mate partner app, is a minimalist affair with acres of white space; think luxury hotel spa lobby. During our test it never froze, the data synced smoothly from Apple Healthkit, and the scale measurements transferred quickly. Sleep, weight, heart and activity alerts can be set to remind you to do a whole load of different things, too. Verdict: These stylish scales are a real motivator for the doughy and dynamic alike, despite their lack of heart-rate tracking

FITBIT ARIA (£100)

If you’ve invested in one of the many excellent Fitbit health trackers and want to get a better idea of your overall health, then the Aria is an ideal option. The combination of activity, weight and fat data builds a useful health profile, and thanks to the simple smartphone apps and detailed online software, everything works seamlessly. It takes its time to calculate and even longer to transfer data, but Wi-Fi removes the need to have your phone on you, leaving you to just hop on daily just like you would a standard set. Verdict: Thanks to the all-encompassing Fitbit ecosystem, the Aria remains the easiest way to track your vital statistics

TANITA RD-901 BLUETOOTH BODY COMPOSITION MONITOR (£147)

The RD-901 packs in the tech and we appreciate the sheer depth and accuracy of health data collection available, but the setup lacks simplicity. Tanita has stepped back to the 90s with a dated design and weak instructions. Connecting via Bluetooth shouldn’t be this complicated. The design also feels more like a cheap digital watch than cutting edge health monitor. Still, once you’ve set up your account and start to record your health data, you’ll be treated to an enormous amount of information. Verdict: Like having a full medical each morning, but you’ll need to be clued up to make the most of the data

WAHOO BALANCE BLUETOOTH SMART SCALE (£47)

Compared to the rest on test the Wahoo Balance is a bit basic, lacking the technology to calculate fat percentage for instance, which makes them more suited to someone dieting and weight watching rather than into fitness training. As a basic set of connected scales they’re more than acceptable. The setup is seamless and requires minimal faff and the Bluetooth connection was quick. The Wellness app offers little in the way of information and motivation so we’d recommend using one of the compatible apps like Apple Health. We’re also disappointed that Wahoo’s other health tech doesn’t all sync together. Verdict: A decent set of bathroom scales that just happen to be Bluetooth-connected

UNDER ARMOUR UA SCALE (£129)

Over twenty short minutes with the UA Scale, Stuff’s weight fluctuated by as much as three kilograms, which hardly inspires confidence. It also failed to recognise us on more than a few occasions and even added some erroneous data to our profile. That said, the clear majority of weigh-ins proved as accurate as the rest on test, the bright scrolling display offered plenty of instant feedback and the scales feel solid underfoot. All the data feeds into the exceptional UA Record App which makes it easy to set goals, view your progress and geek out over piles of personal data. Verdict: Decent design with enough to keep you stepping back on, but the real draw here is the UA Record app

QARDIOBASE (£130)

Turns out there’s a pretty good reason why more bathroom scales aren’t small, stylish and round: they tend to wobble – and that’s every bit the case with QardioBase’s small 12.5in disc. Still,set-up is straight forward and despite some misgivings there’s something really pleasing about a big green smiley face looking up at you first thing in the morning. Accuracy is on a par with the rest on test, but despite having data on water, bone and muscle composition, there’s not much information to help you make sense of the data. Verdict: This gorgeous but wobbly scale offers up plenty of stats, but the simple emoticon feedback will appeal to dieters rather than fitness nuts

GARMIN INDEX SMART SCALE (£150)

Garmin’s Index Smart Scale is impressively simple to set-up and a pleasure to use. The large, scrolling display offers all the detail you’ll need, including body fat and bone mass, so there’s no need to jump into the app every day to see all your stats. Accuracy was reasonably consistent, although an erroneous body fat reading of 8.5%, while flattering, was laughably off. Double-checking the mistake also highlighted the fact you can only log one weigh-in per day, and the scales will override the previous result with the new one. But overall the Index is a superb set of scales, and if you’re already invested in the Garmin ecosystem, they’re close to a must-buy. Verdict: Impressive design, great display and more data capture than the rest, but a lack of compatibility means they’re best suited to Garmin lovers