These days, the best bathroom scales are also the smartest ones around. Sure, you can still find old-school mechanical scales hanging around, but why settle for just weight when you can get so much more?
Most budget-friendly smart scales offer a ton of extra features without breaking the bank. Some of them are seriously smart – they can even estimate things like visceral fat, BMR, and metabolic age or track pregnancy weight gain.
Whether you're diving into the keto diet, kicking off a new workout routine, or just want to keep tabs on your already stellar shape, bathroom scales are like your trusty sidekick. And if you're not into all the bells and whistles of smart scales, no worries – you can always opt for a basic mechanical one instead.
Best bathroom scales to buy right now
Why you can trust T3 Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Best overall
We love the Withings Body Scan because it's not just a bathroom scale; it's an all-in-one body analysis machine disguised as scales. Just like the best Fitbits, the Body Comp can measure sweat gland activity, which can indicate stress. It can also estimate vascular age and something called pulse wave velocity, the latter of which can help tell you how old your arteries are (compared to your actual age).
And while it all sounds mumbo-jumbo, the Withings Body Comp is medically certified in the EU, so one can rest assured it's at least somewhat accurate (in our experience, that's definitely the case). The weighing range is between 5-200kg (9-440lb) with 50g (0.1lb) graduation, and you can check all data collected by the scale in the Health Mate app. Better still, the price of the Body Comp includes a 12-month Health+ subscription!
What we liked the most about the Body Comp is how easy it is to use. It doesn't take any longer than weighing yourself on a non-smart bathroom scale for the Body Comp to collect health data, and we loved that the scale even tells you the weather for the day (even wishes you a happy new year on 1 January). Body composition measurements seemed on point, and we appreciated the chatbot style assistant in the Health Mate app, offering extra information about health, dieting and more.
Best affordable
The Eufy Smart Scale P2 Pro offers a comprehensive solution for health tracking, blending advanced technology with user-friendly features. With 16 body measurements, including weight, body fat, and muscle mass, it provides a detailed analysis of your health metrics. Its sleek design and clear LED screen make readings easily accessible, while Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity ensure seamless data transfer to the EufyLife app.
Despite its impressive capabilities, the scale isn't without its quirks. The 3D avatar feature, while intended to motivate users, lacks inclusivity in its representation options, potentially alienating some users. Additionally, the default daily weigh-in reminder may contribute to an unhealthy obsession with numbers for certain individuals, although this can be adjusted in the settings.
However, the scale's strengths outweigh these minor drawbacks. Its unlimited user profiles cater to entire households, including pets and babies, fostering a supportive environment for health tracking. The app itself is intuitive and easy to navigate, presenting data and trends clearly for users to monitor their progress over time.
Overall, the Eufy Smart Scale P2 Pro is a reliable and sophisticated tool for those seeking to achieve their fitness goals. Its accurate measurements, seamless connectivity, and insightful app features make it a valuable addition to any health-conscious household.
Read our full Eufy Smart Scale P2 Pro review.
Best mid-range
The Tanita BC-401, marketed as a 'health monitor,' offers a wide array of body metrics without breaking the bank. While its appearance may lack modern flair, its functionality is robust, providing accurate readings and quick measurements through the My Tanita app.
The scale measures essential metrics like weight, body fat percentage, and muscle mass, offering insights into overall health and fitness. Despite its basic design, it supports user weights up to 150 kg and includes features like bone mineral mass prediction and metabolic age comparison.
While the app lacks integration with third-party platforms, it offers comprehensive explanations of all metrics and allows users to track changes over time.
Although its precision may not match commercial-grade scales, the Tanita BC-401 is suitable for most users seeking affordable and reliable health tracking. With its ease of use and extensive data collection, it's a valuable tool for those looking to monitor their fitness journey without breaking the bank.
Read our full Tanita BC-401 Body Composition Monitor review.
Best for pregnant women
The FitTrack Beebo smart scales offer affordability alongside impressive features, including 17 body measurements and automatic health tracking. With a sleek oval design and minimalist white finish, they stand out from traditional smart scales.
Powered by four AAA batteries, they display weight under the glass, enhancing aesthetics. These scales utilize electrical signals to measure body composition, delivering 17 health measurements to a connected app for easy tracking. While battery longevity remains untested, initial performance suggests accurate results.
However, the reliance on AAA batteries is a drawback, both environmentally and practically. Despite this, the Beebo scales offer convenient and accurate health monitoring with a dedicated mode for pregnant users.
Overall, they provide an attractive option for those seeking comprehensive health tracking in a stylish package, albeit with the inconvenience of battery-powered operation.
Read our full FitTrack Beebo review.
Best for athletes
The Garmin Index Smart Scale is a popular choice among fitness enthusiasts and those looking to track their body metrics. It's designed to measure not just weight but also other important health metrics like body fat percentage, BMI, skeletal muscle mass, and more.
One of the notable features of the Garmin Index Smart Scale is its seamless integration with the Garmin Connect app, which allows users to easily track their progress over time and access more detailed insights into their health and fitness data.
Overall, the Garmin Index Smart Scale is a convenient tool for anyone looking to monitor their health and fitness goals effectively.
Best budget
Salter, the UK's most popular scale brand, launched its Bluetooth Smart Scale in early 2022. As expected from a company famous for its affordably-priced, it's cheap as chips (sorry for the British expression, we thought it was appropriate on this occasion). It can be used independently from the Salter Health app, but you might want to hook up the scale with your smartphone to unlock its full potential and access trends.
Although we appreciate the low-priced smart scale as much as the next person, it's true that these come with some caveats. For instance, the Salter Bluetooth Smart Scale isn't the most accurate when it comes to fat measurements, at least based on our experience.
The Salter Health app could be a bit more sophisticated, too, and while it isn't completely useless, it's not on par with Withing's and Fitbit's health-tracking apps. Although, that's to be expected from a scale that sells for £30 (~$37/AU$52) and comes with a free app. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, as they say.
How to choose the best bathroom scales for you
Let's chat about those nifty body monitor scales, or as we like to call them, smart scales! Sure, you can still find those basic bathroom scales that only give you your weight, but let's face it, that's just scratching the surface.
Smart scales, on the other hand, are like the Swiss army knives of the scale world – they can do so much more!
From the sleek add-ons that sync with fitness wearables like Fitbit, Garmin, and Withings to the ones that look like they belong in a lab, measuring everything from visceral fat to BMR (that's basal metabolic rate, for the uninitiated), smart scales are the real deal.
And they're not just about function; they're designed to complement your lifestyle and home decor. Think more chic accessory and less clinical instrument.
Once you plug in your deets like gender, height, and age, these scales can do some serious number crunching. They'll give you the lowdown on muscle mass, bone mass, body water percentage, BMI (which is handy but can be a bit off if you're built like a tank), and even your BMR and visceral fat rating.
But here's the kicker – these scales don't just keep the info to themselves. Nope, they'll shoot it straight to your smartphone via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Talk about staying connected!
Now, before you start planning your whole life around what the scale says, remember that it's not the be-all and end-all. These stats are just estimates, not set-in-stone truths. And while BMR and BMI might not be the holy grail for super athletes, they're still pretty darn useful for the rest of us.
So, listen to what your scale has to say, but take it with a grain of salt. Use it as a guide for your diet, exercise routine, or health goals, but remember, you're more than just a number on a scale!
How we test the best bathroom scales
Testing smart scales involves multiple steps to ensure their accuracy, functionality, and user experience.
We compare the measurements provided by the smart scale to those obtained from a reference standard and professional-grade equipment if possivle. This assessment includes weight, body fat percentage, muscle mass, and other metrics.
We also evaluate functionality beyond basic weight measurement. This includes testing BMI calculation, body composition analysis, and integration with fitness apps, determining their effectiveness and relevance to users' health goals.
We assess setup ease, clarity of instructions, app intuitiveness, and display readability. Testing also includes assessing the reliability of wireless connectivity options like Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
FAQ
What is the best smart bathroom scale?
At T3, we did a test a few years back to assess the accuracy of a range of bathroom scales, using a Loughborough University lab test (water displacement) to find out a T3 staffer's exact weight. On comparing it to the scales, we found that most were inaccurate to varying degrees, except Tanita's scales.
However, exact accuracy, as with fitness wearables, is not necessarily essential. If the statistics are going in the right direction and within safe limits, it doesn't matter if your scales are a few grammes out.
That said, the best scale in terms of reliability and usefulness is probably the Tanita RD 953, which strikes an excellent balance between looks, accuracy and the range of body metrics measured. If you want to track your weight and body fat percentage alongside your favourite fitness tracking wearables, you might be better off with the simpler scales.
Are digital bathroom scales more accurate?
Digital scales are generally more accurate than mechanical scales. The mechanism used in analogue scales is not only more rudimental than digital scales, but the springs etc., will also decline over time, showing you less and less accurate readings.
Digital bathroom scales are not perfect either, but even if weight measurements are off, at least they are consistent. We recommend finding a spot in your home that's covered flat and firm to ensure your readings are as consistent as possible. You can check the evenness of the spot by trying to press down the opposite corners of the bathroom scales: if it wobbles a bit, the area is probably uneven, and the reading will be skewed.
Once the correct spot is found, make sure to measure your weight at the same time of the day. The best time to measure your weight is in the morning before you have your breakfast.
