Fitbit Aria 2 scales

HAS FITBIT TIPPED THE SCALES ON WEIGHT-TRACKING ACCURACY?

TAKING NOTE OF your bodyweight might seem like a task that’s too minor to require automation, but if you’re actively attempting to lose some kilos, or you want to keep track of your weight for a raft of other health purposes, noting it down daily can become a more laborious process than you might think. Smart scales like this second-generation Fitbit Aria will take a lot of the menial labour out of keeping tabs on your flabs, and they can also offer greater insights into the nuances of your body’s composition.

The Aria 2 scales are pitched as featuring improved instrument accuracy and much simpler setup process over their earlier incarnation -- a feature that’ll be appreciated by anyone who suffered through the involved setup of the original Aria scales. A little squarer and sitting fractionally higher off the ground, the Aria 2 doesn’t look drastically different from its predecessor, although it does feature a new display that is much more responsive.

There isn’t much difference when it comes to weight measurement either, although the new scales have slightly changed how body fat percentage is calculated. Across five individual tests, the two scales generally reported weight measurements within 300g of each other, while the Aria 2 scales pegged body fat percentage at between 1.6 and 3% lower than the original Aria in all instances. While this correction is, seemingly, a considerable step towards more accurate overall body fat percentage readings, the relative body fat measurements of the original Aria scales are still extremely useful for weight management.

There’s little reason to upgrade if you already own the original Aria, then, but for those just stepping up to smart scales there’s still plenty to sing about with the Aria 2.