Table of Contents
Smart scales do much more than show your weight—with the ability to measure and track various body composition metrics like your body fat percentage, body mass index (BMI), and more, they serve as a true health and fitness companions. If you’re ready for an upgrade, you have a wide range of options with various features and available metrics, but how do you pick? That’s where PCMag comes in. We’ve been reviewing smart scales for more than a decade. We independently test models across a range of prices in our own homes using our own bodies to determine how they stack up in terms of accuracy and features and whether they're worth your money.
Our top pick, the Etekcity HR Smart Fitness Scale, was highly accurate in our testing and offers features that rival more expensive models, including 14 tracked metrics, Wi-Fi connectivity for remote app syncing, and a rechargeable battery. That said, we also have four other options on this list, all excellent in their own ways. Read on to find the perfect fit for your household.
Our Top Tested Picks
Etekcity HR Smart Fitness Scale
Arboleaf Smart Fitness Scale
QardioBase X
Withings Body Cardio
Withings Body Smart Scale
The Best Smart Bathroom Scale Deals This Week*
- GE Digital Scale — $26.99
*Deals are selected by our commerce team
- RELATED:
- Best Health and Fitness Tech
- Best Heart Rate Monitors
- Best Fitness Trackers
- Best Smart Home Gym Equipment
Best Overall
Etekcity HR Smart Fitness Scale
- Tracks 14 metrics
- Highly accurate measurements
- Clear, customizable display
- Rechargeable battery
- App offers details, charts, and context
- Syncs with a variety of third-party health apps
- Crowded app
- Confusing baby mode feature
The Etekcity HR Smart Fitness Scale has a colorful display that can show you a customizable list of measurements and your progress toward your goals during your daily weigh-in. Using the typical process called bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), it measures 14 metrics including body fat percentage, bone mass, heart rate, muscle mass, subcutaneous fat, and more. The scale has a rechargeable battery and built-in Wi-Fi, perks generally found on more expensive models. Its companion app does an excellent job of quickly contextualizing every measured metric with the option to dive in deep to discover what they mean and how you can improve your numbers.
This Etekcity Scale provides the most bang for your buck of any model on this list, so it's our top recommendation for most people. That said, those on a strict budget might want to opt for the Arboleaf Scale, which has a similar list of features and is often available on sale for less than $50.
Best Affordable Wi-Fi Scale
Arboleaf Smart Fitness Scale
- Tracks 14 metrics
- App helps you interpret your measurements and tracks your progress
- Supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
- Integrates with Apple Health, Google Fit, Fitbit
- Supports up to eight users
- Attractive design
- Not safe for people with implanted medical devices like pacemakers
- No heart rate measurements
- Doesn't sync with MyFitness Pal or Samsung Health
Unlike most other competitors in this price range, the Arboleaf Smart Fitness Scale connects with both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, not just the former. Its Wi-Fi support adds a notable level of convenience, enabling the scale to send your measurements to its companion app even if your phone is outside of the limited Bluetooth range. Plus, it measures an impressive 14 metrics including BMI, body fat percentage, body water percentage, muscle mass, protein level, and, of course, weight. It features an attractive design, supports up to eight different users, and syncs directly to many fitness apps like Apple Health, Google Fit, and Fitbit. We also like that the Arboleaf app clearly shows where each of your measurements lie relative to a healthy range.
If you prioritize affordability, reliable connectivity, and the number of metrics your smart scale supports, the Arboleaf Smart Fitness Scale should be at the top of your list. Just know that it's missing compatibility with a few common health apps including MyFitness Pal and Samsung Health, and it lacks a safe “weight only” mode for pregnant women and people with pacemakers.
Best for Accurate Body Fat Measurements
QardioBase X
- Tracks 14 metrics
- Highly accurate body fat readings
- Rechargeable battery
- Works on carpet
- Syncs with Apple Health, Google Fit, MyFitnessPal, and Samsung Health
- Pregnancy mode
- Bulky design
- Cluttered app
- Slow measurement speed
The QardioBase X is one of the most expensive smart scales on the market, but it supports both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi syncing, has a rechargeable battery, and even works on carpets, perks that many competitors lack. Most importantly, the QardioBase X offers highly accurate body fat percentage measurements. It measures and tracks 14 metrics, including your heart rate, muscle mass, protein, subcutaneous and visceral fat, weight, and more. It supports up to eight users, works with popular third-party apps like Apple Health and Google Fit, and offers safe modes for pregnant women and those with implanted medical devices.
If you're in search of a highly accurate smart scale to keep tabs on your weight, body fat, and other body composition metrics, the QardioBase X is an excellent choice. The price is steep, but the investment could be worth it for fitness professionals and others who need that extra precision. This model is also a compelling choice for pregnant women, as it offers a safe mode that tracks your weight change leading up to your delivery date and prompts you for pictures to create a photo diary.
Best for Arterial Health
Withings Body Cardio
- Rechargeable battery.
- Sleek, stable design.
- Low profile.
- Accurate weight readings.
- Syncs via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
- Reads weight, water, fat, bone mass, heart rate, and arterial health.
- Shows weather forecast.
- No pregnancy mode or ability to disable bioelectrical impedance.
- Back-to-back heart readings varied in testing.
- Arterial health feature is difficult to use.
- Expensive.
The Withings Body Cardio costs more than any other scale on our list, but adds a few unique features to the mix to justify its price. It reads resting heart rate through your feet and a Pulse Wave Velocity feature estimates your arterial health. The Body Cardio scale runs on a rechargeable battery if you don’t like churning through AAs. Otherwise, it features all of the same competent, app-enabled tricks as other premium models like the QardioBase X, and shows a wide variety of metrics and the weather right on the scale in case you want to prepare for your day sans phone.
If cost is no issue and you want your smart scale to measure as many unique metrics as possible, check out the Withings Body Cardio. Keep in mind that the resting heart rate measurements can be hit or miss and the Pulse Wave Velocity feature takes several days and weigh-ins to kick in, but both combine with the rest of its capabilities to offer unique insights into your health.
Best Affordable Withings Scale
Withings Body Smart Scale
- Affordable.
- Connects via Wi-Fi.
- Works with more than 100 third-party apps.
- Supports up to eight users.
- Lacks advanced metrics.
- App is a bit cluttered.
The Withings Body Smart Scale nails the basics for a great price. It only calculates and records your weight and BMI, but shows you the numbers, the weather, and where your metrics lie against a healthy range on the scale itself. It supports up to eight users and connects via both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to sync your metrics with its own robust app or 100 other third-party fitness tracking apps.
If you want an affordable smart scale and don’t need it to measure all kinds of body composition metrics that you don’t find useful, the Withings Body Smart Scale is worth a look. Yes, you can find scales that measure much more, but weight and BMI are helpful if you're trying to shed pounds and/or embark on a fitness journey. Since it’s smart, affordable, and widely compatible with third-party apps, the Withings Body Smart Scale makes for a good cornerstone of your new, healthier routine.
Do Smart Scales Work With Fitness Trackers?
Unsurprisingly, the best smart bathroom scales are compatible with the best fitness trackers. When you pair a Wi-Fi- or Bluetooth-connected scale with a fitness tracker, you typically use just one app to see data from both devices. Add in a heart rate monitor or an at-home blood pressure cuff and you have even more information on hand, without the need for a spreadsheet or notepad.
Maybe you don't want to track your weight over time, but chances are your doctors and healthcare team do. Or maybe it's not you, but someone in your family who needs to keep an eye on their weight. Smart scales are smart enough to know the difference between a few different users and can track their weights separately and privately. Sharing data among family members and doctors is usually an option, too.
Smart bathroom scales automatically log your weight every time you step on them. Many of the best scales also measure body fat, while others track bone density and water percentage. Some can even read your heart rate through your feet.
What Do Smart Scales Track?
Although many people want to track their weight and the number of steps they take in a day to get a better sense of their health, some people are a little more, shall we say, excited, to get on the scale every morning. Athletes and people who train regularly likely want a scale that has not only great features, but also a companion app and tools that can help them on their journey.
We note in our reviews which fitness and health tracking apps each of these scales supports. Some work with apps that calculate your training intensity day by day, chart your VO2 max, lactic acid threshold, and more. But if all this talk of VO2Max makes your head spin, you might prefer a smart scale with a simpler user experience.
Should You Get a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Scale?
Smart scales typically use either Bluetooth or a combination of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi scales generally cost more because they require more components to work. They're also much more convenient.
To get your daily weigh-ins from a Bluetooth scale to the app for tracking, you need a Bluetooth device by your side. If you leave your companion smartphone, fitness tracker, or running watch in the other room, you're out of luck until it's within Bluetooth range. (Some scales can save a recorded weight until the next sync, but the cheaper ones do not.) A Wi-Fi-enabled scale doesn't have this problem. It syncs your data as long as it has a signal from your Wi-Fi router. In our testing experience, Wi-Fi syncing is also more reliable, whereas Bluetooth syncing fails from time to time.
How Does Pregnancy Mode Work on Smart Scales?
Women who are pregnant or who might become pregnant have unique needs when it comes to tracking their weight. Many pregnant women probably don't want BIA measurements (think body fat, bone density, and water percentage) because scales calculate those by sending mild electrical impulses through the feet. People who have a health device implant, such as a pacemaker, should likely avoid smart scales that use BIA scanning, as well.
Some but not all scales that support BIA measurements have the option to turn them off. If available, a pregnancy/weight-only mode typically disables the BIA function so the scale measures just your weight.
Fitness Underfoot
If you're looking for a new bathroom scale, we highly recommend buying one that's smart. There's real value for individuals, families, and healthcare providers to be able to track weight accurately and effortlessly over long periods. No matter your needs, you're sure to find a scale that suits them on this list.
For more, see our ultimate guide to health and fitness tech. And make sure to check back soon because we regularly review new products.
