The best smart scales (according to Wareable)

    It is probably incorrect to put the mark “translation”, since the post will still be with some “digressions” and comments, but this material is based on a recent compilation with Wareable. The portal is quite famous, popular and has its authority among the publications devoted to wearable gadgets and smart electronics.



    Their vision is:

    Fitbit Aria 2

    Smart Wi-fi scales from the once-leader of the market of fitness gadgets characterized as one of the most reliable sources of data on body composition, level of fat mass, BMI, etc. The



    device comes in two colors, has a glass surface that makes Its fairly reliable and durable. Some data are available for viewing only in a smartphone, however, some of the most requested information (% fat, for example) is immediately displayed.

    The application supports the construction of graphs of changes in body composition with the ability to add comments about food, which one way or another, of course, affects the physical condition. What particular attention is paid to - this model is designed to meet FDA requirements, whatever that means. However, these three letters next to any gadget in the West greatly increase interest in it.

    Cost - $ 129.

    Fitbit is one of those companies that has always appreciated its devices and protected its users from possible transitions to another ecosystem. The model is mostly addressed to those who already live with Fitbit and plans to continue losing weight or gaining weight with the devices of this brand. To this end, we provided for the ability to synchronize weights with Fitbit fitness trackers, explaining this by being able to observe how daily activities and workouts affect weight.

    Garmin

    Traditionally - one of the most expensive gadgets. Cost - $ 149 .



    This model is also designed for those who already own the brand's gadgets, and Bluetooth and ANT + are provided for connecting with them. Objectively speaking, there will not be anything supernatural here: a set of parameters that can be tracked will roughly coincide with the “classic”: fat, muscle, bone mass, hydration and some others.

    As a rule, Garmin owners are reluctant to look at other brands, albeit with similar capabilities, even if several times cheaper. Garmin Scales - definitely for those who have a "Phoenix". The company presented a simple solution to the problem (expensive, as usual) for those who need smart scales. Users of other devices will choose another gadget due to the lack of at least some interesting competitive advantages.

    QardioBase 2

    Libra is not interesting for its analytical capabilities: here they are generally within the scope of bio-impedance analysis capabilities. Wareable pays attention to them because there is user feedback.



    It consists in the fact that after weighing you will feel a light vibration response, indicating that the data are recorded. Also, after measuring and analyzing, you will receive a smiley (cheerful or sad) feedback that describes how you are progressing towards your goals.

    Is it worth 16 thousand rubles - hard to say.

    The basis of the smart scales - bioimpedance, or the transmission of a weak current through the body. And traditionally, this type of study is not recommended for people with a pacemaker and pregnant women. In these scales there is a mode of "Pregnancy", which probably turns off the signal. Another thing is that in this case a part of their functions becomes unclaimed, but this is, on the whole, a plus than a minus.

    Polar Balance

    Like many scales in this list, this model is also intended for a limited audience - the owners of Polar trackers, with whom the scales must be synchronized.



    In terms of functionality, everything is rather poor : weight, BMI, but data can be imposed on daily activity, which will help identify dependencies in changes.

    Scales "smart" only one of the indicators - the availability of the ability to send data to a smartphone. To date, the “smart weights” has a slightly different meaning - weights analyzers with the ability to view statistics on fat mass, bone mass, hydration, etc. Without Polar gadgets, this model is losing great value.

    iHealth Core

    Although the brand is either half, or fully purchased by Xiaomi, IHealth still releases gadgets like IHealth.



    Here the secret is in positioning. The company is known for its medical smart devices (blood pressure monitors, blood glucose meters), so that the positioning of the scales is different - a gadget for health monitoring, not a figure.

    Cost - $ 129.

    The model is no different in capabilities from the devices of its class and at the same time does not bother much on the design, unlike most major brands. Four electrodes clearly protrude along the edges of the housing. In this sense, you can buy exactly the same thing, but it is much, much cheaper, and one of the options is Xiaomi.

    Wahoo

    The simplest model from Wahoo , which has several limitations at once. First, here again - very limited analysis capabilities: weight, BMI.



    These scales are synchronized only with IOS gadgets. The Wareable portal characterizes it as one of the most convenient, with simple and fast synchronization.

    However, unlike other brand scales, such as Polar, Wahoo allows not only to work with a proprietary application, allowing you to send data to third-party software, such as MyFitnessPal, etc., which can actually be useful in conjunction with diet control.

    Scales are not ambitious, are inexpensive and perform several useful functions. By and large, they are for those who do not really want to delve into the details, control the weight, but at the same time remember it in a convenient form - in the application.

    Results of the compilation - curiously

    Firstly, it should be noted that at this stage one of the major players, Nokia / Withings, dropped out of the compilation. At the same time, the editors of the portal have repeatedly admitted that the Withings brand is one of the most beloved and respected ones for them. Probably, such an injustice is a matter of time, because some strange things happen there again in terms of the Nokia sale of Nokia's owners to the owners of ... Withings.

    As for the Withings scales, it really was one of the most innovative products for its time and to this day there are chances to take the first lines of the “charts” upon return.

    Secondly, price tags are striking. In the selection there are practically no scales, the international price of which would be below $ 100. Here you can think and try to understand why. Of course, other markets (European and Western) and a different standard of living allow people to choose and buy scales with such a price. Plus, the Xiaomi brand is not as common and does not set the bar as much as we do.

    We also approach the choice of scales in different ways. In general, the trend of changing weights is observed, and users would like to add a little more functions to ordinary household weights, but there is no desire to pay extra. Probably, the Western promo convinces the opposite, and people buy an “exclusive gadget” that really improves life and health, which seems to be worth a lot of money.

    You can pay attention to the presentation of the unique characteristics in the absence of those: great attention is paid to the details irrelevant. Plus, it becomes clear that this collection is not selling scales, but a “dock kit” to some kind of gadget, that is, it is assumed that a person already has a tracker of one of the firms.

    Do we need smart scales?

    According to some data , the market of smart weights was estimated last year at $ 180 million with a projected growth of up to $ 370 by 2025. And we are talking only about relative market leaders. These include, for example:

    • Fitbit
    • Withings
    • Tanita
    • iHealth
    • Qardio
    • Garmin
    • Omron
    • Other

    Taking into account the demand for scales, which already exist, and the brands that are involved in this, and the stereotypes that "everything is thick and in general," the niche has a future in general. But at the same time, in our reality, we can confidently say that the most popular scales are there, or the scales from the selection are not the best-selling ones here. Price tags on smart scales start at less than 2,000 rubles .

    The analysis of the weights market, according to the extract from the same report, has long been beyond the limits of such characteristics as accuracy, objectivity of data. In other words, it seems to be recognized that it works, and they are offered to choose, say, the type of platform: glass, metal, plastic ...

    It is also customary to divide the scales according to the place of use: for home, for the gym, for the medical room, etc. It is therefore logical that such attention is paid to such parameters as the number of supported profiles, automatic user recognition during weighing, cloud synchronization, etc.

    What can you measure and how does it work?

    About smart scales in our blog is written very, very much. We did this on the example of the MGB Body, but the data may be relevant for all others.

    At the core of the work is the principle of bio-impedance, which makes it possible to estimate a dozen parameters of the organism. Some applications decompose these parameters into several values, which increase the number of parameters.

    The main most sought-after indicator is the level of fat mass, which can be measured with accuracy, perhaps, by only one reference method . At the same time, on average, bioimpedance analysis in general will be comparable , even in such a truncated form as “foot to foot.”

    It turns out that all scales work the same way?

    And yes and no . By and large, each model is based on a calculator based on BigDat, but where there are electrodes, the measurements will be slightly more accurate. The more variables in the formula, the better.

    Anyway, all the scales based on bioimpedance analysis are similar to each other in accuracy, and the key role in the selection should be determined (probably) by the cost of devices and various additional tricks. For example, Yunmai has recently resorted to this: sold as Xiaomi Yunmai . Xiaomi themselves - just sell for less, that's enough. MGB Body - just lay out the metrics on several: as a result, it allows to speak about them as the most informative, and at the same time to correlate measurement data with several analyzes, to more accurately understand body composition, some Tanita models have a “switch” by body type that on the same person with a difference in seconds can give completely different numbers and percentages of data, etc.

    The most important thing is that all smart scales work fine as scales and help control weight: it is still the most understandable and most affordable, and the most necessary, most often, since excessive uncontrolled weight sooner or later becomes the cause of not the most pleasant chronic diseases.

    Take care of yourself!

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