Weighing benefits of smart scales
Bathroom scales have come a long way — and at a much lower price — since the first such model debuted in 2009
At $20, sensors calculate a slew of measurements, such as BMI, muscle mass and body fat.
When Withings launched the first smart body scale in 2009, it cost $160. It could not only calculate weight, it could also determine your body mass index and then let you embarrass yourself by sending the data to Twitter. In Gizmodo’s review at the time, writer Jason Chen asked, “How do we justify a $160 scale when normal scales are $20 at Target?”
At the time, I thought you’d have to be crazy to pay that much for a bathroom scale, and crazily narcissistic to post the results on social media.
Well, here we are in 2020, and I now own a smart scale that can do a lot more than the 2009 Withings. But I paid the same price as those dumb scales at Target: $20. This was a “why the hell not” purchase, and I’m glad I made it.
The scale is from Wyze Labs, the Seattle-based company started by some Amazon refugees with a goal of bringing down the cost of smart home devices. I’ve already got one of their panning security cameras and was impressed enough with its quality and features to take a leap with the Wyze Scale.
This scale looks a lot like the old Withings model — slim, with a midnight-blue glass top. Embedded in the glass are many tiny sensors. When you step on the scale, it sends a mild electric current through your body, and the sensors use impedance to calculate a slew of measurements: BMI, muscle mass, body water, body fat, visceral fat, protein levels, metabolic age and more. Tap a command in the Wyze app, and it will also record your heart rate.
Some of these numbers can be shared with other health-monitoring programs. I have mine going to the Health App in my iPhone.
Unlike other smart scales, the Wyze Scale connects to your iOS or Android smartphone via Bluetooth but doesn’t talk to your WiFi network. It supports up to eight users, and between my wife and me hasn’t yet confused who’s on the scale.
The scale records the data to the same app used to view Wyze’s cameras and control its other smart-home products. It’s a little weird to check on my cats in the living room with the same software that tracks my weight and
BMI trends. The app only provides trend charts for weight and body fat, but you can see the history of the other categories measured in a simple list. It would be nice to have these graphed, too.
The Wyze Scale has advanced features found in other smart scales, including an Athlete Mode for those who are in seriously good shape, and a pregnancy setting when you’re weighing for two. The electrical current used to take measurements is mild but can pose a danger to those with pacemakers, so you can turn it off if necessary and only track weight.
The scale uses four AAA batteries, and we haven’t had it long enough to see how long those last, though the company says they’ll last for six months. Because it’s very new — it was released in April — there’s no indication yet on its reliability. But for $20, it’s worth taking a chance.
(This story originally appeared in Dwight Silverman’s Release Notes newsletter. Sign up for free at houstonchronicle.com/releasenotes .)