After years of sleepiness, the smart scale world has finally woken up—driven almost certainly by the GLP-1 craze, as millions of consumers find themselves wondering if those weekly jabs are actually working.
What was previously a category occupied by dated gear has abruptly exploded, and for good reason. Today’s smart scales don’t just report on your weight; they do things like measure your heart rate and break down muscle composition, and some can even give you an eye on your heart health, courtesy of technology like integrated ECG systems. Through mobile apps, they can track all of this information over time.
The big shift in the category in the past year has been a flood of new full-body scanners hitting the market from all corners. Essentially bathroom scales with handlebar-based scanners, these don’t just use bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to measure conductivity (and, thus, body fat percentage) through your feet. They can now scan through your hands, too, giving you a much more holistic (and ostensibly accurate) look at your body metrics than a floor scale will provide. I’ve personally seen body fat percentage numbers swing up to 6 percent between the two types of scales. (Spoiler: The full-body scanner data is always higher.)
Do you really need all that information? I’ve long suggested that it’s really the trend line that matters most, not the absolute numbers, and as long as your metrics are headed in the right direction, it doesn’t matter quite as much whether things are off by a small percentage. Consistent weigh-ins are the most important part of the process, along with tracking that information over time to determine whether your diet and workout regimen (or medication routine) is getting you the results you need.
Mind you, scale prices are headed up, and new full-body scanners can now top $600 for top-tier tech. That’s part of the reason why I still recommend a standard scale for most users, as these devices are considerably less expensive, and the results they offer are likely to be good enough for all but serious athletes.
Either way, this roundup has an option for every type of user.
Updated October 2026: I've added Withings’ BodyScan 2 and new honorable mentions from Runstar, Tanita, and Withings. I've also added scales to avoid and ensured up-to-date prices throughout.
How Do Smart Scales Work?
Smart scales come in two basic flavors: Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The former connects directly to your phone to sync its readings. The latter uses your home’s wireless network to sync readings straight to the cloud, which your phone’s app can then access. Wi-Fi scales are generally more expensive but more versatile. While older scales often featured erratic wireless connections, newer models have many of their kinks worked out—and firmware updates have improved connectivity.
Virtually all smart scales use the same type of system to gauge your additional vitals: bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), which involves sending a minuscule electric current up one leg and measuring what happens when it comes down the other side. Some mathematical magic converts all of this into any number of derived measurements about things like your body’s percentage of fat, water, and bone; body-mass index (BMI); and, sometimes, arcana like your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is a measure of your body’s energy consumption at rest. All the scales I tested can sync data with Apple Health and Google's Health Connect, either directly or by passing data via the app.
When Is the Best Time to Weigh Yourself?
Most experts say that the best time to weigh in is first thing in the morning, before you’ve eaten and after you’ve used the restroom. The main reason for this is consistency: Weighing yourself at the same time every day is the best way to ensure that consecutive weigh-ins are taken under conditions that are as controlled as possible. Since eating and drinking will cause your weight to fluctuate considerably, weighing yourself on an empty stomach means you’re getting an apples-to-apples comparison each morning.
As a small bonus, your weight is usually at its lowest right after you wake up, so you potentially stand to give yourself a gentle confidence boost by stepping on the scale then instead of after dinner.
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Early Withings scales weren't great, dragged down perhaps by complications related to the company changing ownership a few too many times in the past decade. Now back in the hands of its cofounder, Withings is doing things right again, starting with the Body Comp, a much more advanced version of its earlier Body Cardio scale, which suffered from a few flaws. In contrast, the experience here is quick and painless: Step on the new Wi-Fi–enabled Body Comp and it (very) quickly runs through a series of measurements, starting with your weight and moving on to a variety of biomarkers that include heart rate, various fat and muscle measurements, vascular age, and electrodermal activity—which measures “skin response via sweat gland stimulation in your feet.” Strangely, the scale’s heart rate measurement regularly skews about 10 beats per minute too fast. It also reports the day’s weather and even forecasts air quality in your area. After the crawl of personal data, I’ve come to rely on seeing the weather on the Body Comp’s bright color display first thing each morning.
The company has resolved long-standing issues around the user having to stand in the perfect spot to get readings, and its app has matured impressively over the past few years. That’s good because this scale isn’t cheap. But as an unintentional weight-watcher, I think it’s worth it. The Withings app tracks data for up to eight users seemingly forever; I now have readings on Withings devices going back to 2010 and hope to keep the streak going well into the future.
Etekcity’s smart scale offers a bevy of features you’d normally pay for through the nose, including Wi-Fi connectivity, a bright color display, and long-term tracking of 14 biometrics that are quickly synced to your smartphone via the VeSync app (a kind of do-everything app that works on a broad group of home appliances). The scale, fortunately, doesn’t suffer from being part of this vast environment, offering an easy-to-understand interface that quickly syncs after each session and tracks your vitals by week, month, quarter, and year. It supports multiple users, and a baby mode adds extra flexibility.
The hardware is sleek and clean, and the display is customizable. You select up to nine metrics to showcase. They rotate across the screen after each weigh-in, so you don't need to turn to the app at all, unless you really want to drill down into specifics. It can even connect to Alexa devices if you want to announce your weight loss success to the entire house.
Wyze has built its entire business by offering smart home technology at a fraction of the price of other brands, and its products always manage to be capable and well-made. Its latest scale is the Wyze Scale X, an update of its old, no-frills Wyze Scale. The Bluetooth-only device displays your weight on its LED screen; you’ll need to turn to the Wyze app to get additional metrics—13 in total, including muscle mass, visceral fat, and BMR measurements.
You can share the scale with up to eight users, and there are even modes for babies, pets, and luggage, so you don’t screw up your stats before you go on a trip. As with most Wyze products, it’s an amazing value, as sale events have brought the price to as low as $20.
If two sensors are good, then 12 must be even better, right?
Full-body scanners or body composition scales hit the market a few years ago, initially coming across a bit like a novelty by offering not just a blunt look at your weight and body fat markers but a more in-depth analysis of your health, limb by limb. Electrodes built into a retractable handle send small pulses from your feet to your hands and back in various combinations, ostensibly giving you a much deeper look at your health than a simple scale, which can’t “see” above the waist, can provide.
Early body scanners felt fairly primitive. But with the BodyScan 2, Withings fully kicks out the jams, offering one of the most advanced weigh-in experiences you can find.
The scale offers two types of scans: The daily scan measures weight—hyper-accurately, thanks to a built-in leveling system that forces you to be perfectly balanced before it records the day’s number—fat, muscle, and water percentages, visceral fat, and your heart rate. Once a week, you’re urged to upgrade to the longevity scan, a 90-second experience that totals a massive collection of 60 metrics, including blood oxygen level (courtesy of a thumb-based scanner), nervous system response, and a guesstimate of your heart health. Perhaps most impressive is the inclusion of a six-lead ECG, which can even help suss out AFib situations without a trip to the doctor.
Wi-Fi connectivity beams all results to Withings’ impressive app, usually instantaneously (aside from ECG results, which take up to two days to show up because a cardiologist reviews them first). While the Withings software is extremely busy, it’s actually easy to navigate, letting you fixate endlessly on every aspect of your health.
Also consider the Renpho MorphoScan Nova for $200, the brand's latest high-end scale. It evolves the chunky metallic-pad design of the standard MophoScan (see below) in favor of a much sleeker glass base and a new app, while keeping the original's oversized handlebar-based LCD screen. For an extra $30, it’s an excellent upgrade for the better looks alone. Additional features include voice prompts during your weigh-in (which you may very well hate) and an upgraded BIA sensor that other MorphoScan devices lack. The only legitimate problem I had with the scale was pokey Wi-Fi performance, but it's generally strong enough to get the job done. The app isn’t as intuitive as Withings’, but for a third of the price of the BodyScan 2, the Nova is worth serious consideration.
Renpho MorphoScan
Renpho MorphoScan for $170: The Renpho MorphoScan full-body scanner looks surprisingly similar to the Runstar FG2015, including a near-identical display attached to the handlebars. Well, spoiler alert: They are basically the same scale. They even use the same app to collect data (you can use both scales simultaneously with the app).
Runstar Smart Body Fat Scale (FG2015) for $140: My former pick for best full-body scanner, this admittedly garish offering tracks 20 metrics and supports 24 users, effectively breaking down information, limb-by-limb, in its Starfit mobile app. USB-C rechargeability is a nice plus, but the price tag—just $140 if you buy it directly from Runstar—is probably its best feature.
Tanita RD-953 InnerScan Pro
Tanita RD-953 InnerScan Pro for $230: One of the few new feet-only smart scales to hit the market this decade, Tanita’s RD-953 is defined by its Cylonesque looks—and its relative simplicity. The costly Bluetooth-only scale scans quickly, though the placement of its display in the center of the scale, right between your feet, can be awkward for those with even a small breadbasket between their head and the floor. I also didn’t love the very high and hopefully overstated body fat reading the scale gave me, but my harshest criticism is directed at the Healthy Edge app (a different app than is used by Tanita’s other scale), which is about as engaging and motivational as a shopping list on a Post-It Note.
Withings BodyFit
Withings BodyFit for $230: The middle child in the Withings family sits comfortably between the no-holds-barred BodyScan 2 and the feet-only Body Comp Smart Scale, offering a pleasant alternative for users who want full-body analysis but don’t need (or want to pay for) the fitness extremism of Withings’s top-tier model. It’s a sleek and demure unit with a small but informative color screen, quick Wi-Fi connectivity, and fast performance—and, of course, it works seamlessly with Withings’s excellent app.
Arboleaf Body Fat Scale CS20W
Arboleaf Body Fat Scale CS20W for $50: This affordable Bluetooth scale isn’t the most eye-catching I’ve tested in light of its big silver electrodes and an oversized display that comes across as a bit garish. While weight is easy to make out, the six additional statistics showcased are difficult to read, all displayed simultaneously. I like the Arboleaf app better than the scale, where five additional metrics are available, each featuring a helpful explanation when tapped. It’s a solid deal at this price, but the upsell to get an “intelligent interpretation report” for an extra $40 per year is probably safe to skip.
Hume Health Body Pod
Hume Health Body Pod for $229: Hume Health’s Body Pod, another full-body scanner with handles, is heavily advertised—at least to the apps on my phone—and touted (by Hume) as the Next Big Thing in the world of body management. While the app is indeed glossy and inviting, I was shocked to discover how flimsy the hardware felt, that it lacked Wi-Fi, and that some features are locked behind a $100-a-year Hume Plus subscription plan. It works fine enough, but you can get results that are just as good with a cheaper device.
Garmin Index S2 for $200: Five years after its release, the Index S2 is still Garmin’s current model, a surprise for a company otherwise obsessed with fitness. It’s still noteworthy for its lovely color display, which walks you through its six body metrics (for up to 16 users) with each weigh-in. The display also provides your weight trend over time in graphical form and can even display the weather. The scale connects directly to Wi-Fi and Garmin’s cloud-based storage system, so—unlike with Bluetooth-only scales—you don’t need a phone nearby to track your progress. A phone running the Garmin Connect app (Android, iOS) is handy, so you can keep track of everything over time. Unfortunately, as health apps go, Connect is a bit of a bear, so expect a learning curve—especially if you want to make changes to the way the scale works. You can turn its various LCD-screen widgets on or off in the app, but finding everything can be difficult due to the daunting scope of the Garmin ecosystem. The color screen is nice at first, but it ultimately adds little to the package.
Omron BCM-500 for $85: With its large LCD panel, quartet of onboard buttons, and oversize silver electrodes, the Omron BCM-500 is an eye-catching masterwork of brutalist design. If your bathroom is decked out in concrete and wrought iron, this scale will fit right in. The Bluetooth unit syncs with Omron’s HeartAdvisor app (Android, iOS), but it provides all six of its body metrics directly on the scale, cycling through them with each weigh-in (for up to four users). It can be difficult to read the label for each of the data points, in part because the LCD isn’t backlit, but the app is somewhat easier to follow, offering front-page graphs of weight, skeletal muscle, and body fat. On the other hand, the presentation is rather clinical, and the app is surprisingly slow to sync. For a scale without a Wi-Fi connection, it’s also rather expensive.
Renpho MorphoScan Lite
Renpho MorphoScan Lite for $95: This new entry-level offering in the MorphoScan line is specifically designed for new GLP-1 users. It's a simpler device, ditching the handheld display and, critically, Wi-Fi connectivity. It’s also one of the flimsiest scales I’ve tested—too lightweight for you to extend the handlebars without inadvertently dragging the scale across the floor. If this were a mega-bargain in line with foot-only scale pricing, I’d be sold, but the meager savings compared to other MorphoScan scales don’t justify considering it.
Tanita RD-545 InnerScan Pro
Tanita RD-545 InnerScan Pro for $480: This monstrous, industrial scale looks more like it belongs in the mailroom than the bathroom, and its level of complexity only provides more supportive evidence. The Bluetooth-only scale is confusing to set up and difficult to use correctly, and I was only able to get successful measurements by first opening the mobile app and ensuring the scale was connected before carefully stepping onto it. Then, I had to wait for a prompt to pick up the handles (while balanced on the device). Testing feels like it takes forever, and that’s even if you get it right the first time. For $480, the scale is a questionable value at best, despite its 40 measurements offered. No Wi-Fi at this price, really?
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