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The best bathroom scales and smart body monitors to track your health
We home test the best bathroom scales, including digital scales with smart technology to monitor weight change and BMI
Bathroom scales have come a long way; just as a smart watch can do far more than just tell the time, so the best bathroom scales can now track everything from BMI and body fat to your heart rate. Some digital weighing scales link up with your smartphone and other devices to track your progress for 360-degree health monitoring, from bone density to hydration or muscle mass.
Some of the best smart scales will even inform you of the weather forecast - handy if you’re packing your kit for a run. This is great news for people who want to track their fitness goals. However, for some, the best weight scales will still be the most straightforward.
A good set of scales should have a clear display and be easy to use, something retro models like the Salter 145 bathroom scales do best. Size is also an important consideration: make sure the scales you eventually decide on are big and sturdy enough to accommodate you. Scales with little platform space for your feet won’t be able to accurately measure your weight - and nobody wants scales that break after one use.
Why are smart bathroom scales useful?
“Body profile analysis is a very useful tool in healthcare,” says Dr Jet Khasriya, a GP and specialist in bone and mineral biology. “Knowing how much fat, water, muscle and bone your body is made up of can give insight into whether you are achieving your health goals. Imagine a scenario where you trying to lose weight but have hit a wall. Knowing that you are adding muscle mass whilst losing fat and maintaining your water weight is reassuring.”
If you’re in the market for one, you can read our full reviews of the scales below. If you’re in more of a rush, here are our top five picks.
Best bathroom scales at a glance
- Best classic bathroom scale - Salter 145 mechanical bathroom scale
- Best value smart scale - Etekcity Digital Bathroom Scales
- Best bathroom scale for weight loss - Withings Body+ body composition Wi-Fi scale
- Best smart body monitor scale - Garmin S2 Index smart scale
- Best glass weighing scale - WW Ultra Slim Glass Scale
The best bathroom scales under £25
1. Salter 145 mechanical bathroom scale
Best classic bathroom scale, 10/10
We like: the retro design
The trusty Salter 145 mechanical scale has a rather retro look about it. Sturdy and with a generous amount of foot room to keep you balanced, the scales can hold weights up to 150kg. There are no bells and whistles but for a simple set of scales, the Salter 145 mechanical scale is a great choice.
The design and functionality don’t offer anything particularly special but, for the price, it is the very best bathroom scale you could hope for. It has a glass base, decent LCD screen, comes with a battery, and can hold weight up to 28 stone. With a 15-year guarantee, you really can’t go wrong.
The best smart weighing scales under £25
3. Salter ultra-slim glass analyser
Best budget smart scale, 9/10
We like: the readings are pretty accurate
This glass analyser receives top marks from us for ease-of-use and accurate readings of weight, body fat, total body water and BMI. It uses BIA (Bio Impedance Analysis) technology, which passes a tiny electrical impulse through the body to determine fat from lean tissue.
It’s simple to set up a personal data entry with sex, height, age, user number using the up and down and “set” buttons. A fuss-free gadget which will help you to set your goals and then track your progress.
4. Etekcity Digital Bathroom Scales
Best value smart scale, 9/10
We like: the speed at which it operates
As smart scales go, this inexpensive digital scale might just be the best tech available for the price. The second you step onto the scale’s sensors you get an immediate reading, letting you track your weight quickly and easily.
With a slick design and 6mm of tempered glass, it’s also incredibly sturdy and boasts a backlit LCD display, auto-power-off, auto-zero, low battery and overload alerts, and the ability to select your measuring unit of choice (st, kg, lb).
The best body monitors
5. Garmin S2 Index smart scale
Best body monitor 10/10
We like: it can tell weight, body mass index, body fat, muscle mass and bone mass
The shiny Garmin Index smart bathroom scale has an attractive design and pretty much all the functions you could ask for. The battery-operated model (it uses four AA cells) can keep track of up to 16 users. Make sure it’s connected to WiFi and the free Garmin Connect app as you set it up.
It measures weight, body mass index, body fat, muscle mass and bone mass. The bright LCD display has large numbers against a black background, allowing easy visibility. You can link it up to Garmin’s other smart trackers and Garmin Edge GPS bike computers, too. It provides consistent results and we recommend it highly.
6. Withings Body+ body composition Wi-Fi scale
Best scale for weight loss, 10/10
We like: the interactivity with your smart phone
Withings have merged with Nokia, so Nokia health products now work seamlessly with Withings scales.
You can connect this one to the Health Mate app to keep track of your goals and history. It works well for a variety of goals, so it’s a good option whether you’re aiming to lose weight, get active, sleep better or even monitor your blood pressure.
It recognises up to eight users and also measures fat mass, muscle mass, water percentage (to check hydration and retention) and bone mass. You can even monitor your nutrition - just tell Health Mate your target weight and how fast you want to get there, then you’ll get a daily calorie budget.
7. Beurer BG51XXL High Capacity Diagnostic Bathroom Scales
Best digital bathroom scale, 9/10
We like: you can see your muscle ratio
This bright white scale set from Beurer boasts a range of features, displaying not only your weight, but your body fat percentage, body water, muscle ratio (helpful, as muscle can weighs more than fat), bone mass (useful for ageing members of the family), and BMI.
The LCD displays are clear and easy to read, though it can get a little busy and differentiating between the five first thing in the morning might be tricky for some.
Subjectively, the scale’s ability to recommend a daily calorie intake often suggests more calories than users are used to (or arguably, need). Because of this, we advise speaking to a nutritionist or GP for more targeted diet planning.
8. Omron BF511 family body composition monitor
Best at home clinical composition monitor, 8/10
We like: how in depth the information is
More than just a set of scales, the Omron family body clinical composition monitor also gives you precise and in-depth body fat measurements. It reads not only body fat percentage, but also visceral fat, resting metabolism and skeletal muscle percentage to help you meet your fitness and weight goals. It uses both feet and hand sensors to accurately analyse and display your measurements.
If you don’t mind fiddling around with the various buttons to get the measurements you need, the Omron provides accurate, in-depth information.
Bathroom scale and smart body monitor FAQ
Dr Jet Khasriya, specialist in bone and mineral biology and GP for doctor-on-demand app GPDQ, shares her advice on how smart scales work.
How do smart bathroom scales work?
“It uses a small, non-harmful electrical impulse to measure impedance in different tissue types. If you step onto a scale with your skin exposed it can give you a rough estimate about your body composition.”
Are bathroom scales accurate?
“The best way to measure body fat or bone density is using old fashioned callipers or more modern methods such as DEXA scanning. These are, however, quite difficult to learn and not readily available to the average consumer. While it’s true that, with the more widely available health scale technology, the exact initial measurement you are given is not entirely accurate, the ability of the technology to log your readings allows you to see change over time, which in itself is a very reliable metric.”
What are the best bathroom scales available?
“I have personally tried the Withings Body analyser scales. I’ve found them useful because of their WiFi capability and iOS integration, allowing me to record my metrics by just stepping on them every morning. They have helped me keep my fluid intake in check as well as telling me whether my effort in the gym is paying off.”
What else to consider?
“Size is important: make sure the scales you eventually decide on are big and sturdy enough to accommodate you. Nobody wants scales that break after one use.
“Another factor to think about when searching for the best weight scales is their resistance to humidity. Most people keep their scales in the bathroom, and it can get pretty steamy in there. Look around for scales that won’t start malfunctioning when they come into contact with a little extra heat and moisture. In reality, this probably means avoiding bargain basement options.
“Meanwhile, if you have carpeted or uneven floors, you might want to opt for a scale with attachable carpet feet for accuracy.”
Smart body monitors and your diet
According to Dr Daniel Wright, private GP for GPDQ the UK’s first doctor-on-demand app, smart scales can be very sensitive to how much fluid is in your body. “You may want to take into consideration your menstrual cycle and caffeine and alcohol intake. This is difficult to be exact about however, given your daily diet variation and external environment factors.
“Studies comparing these machines with traditional methods did show relatively poor accuracy about body composition, principally due to the above reasons. They will give you a general picture, showing any long-term changes in your body composition. This may keep you incentivised in keeping your health at the forefront of your mind, and may be good for tracking changes with a diet and exercise program.”