The best smart scale of 2024

Weigh yourself at the same time: To get a consistent reading when using any scale, it’s important to weigh yourself first thing in the morning, before you’ve had anything to drink or eat. “You should weigh yourself with no or minimal clothing on, and if you do, try to wear the same outfit every time you weigh yourself,” said Stella Lucia Volpe, professor and head of the department of human nutrition, food and exercise at Virginia Tech.

Volpe recommends weighing yourself no more than once a week. “If you weigh more than that, you’ll see fluctuations in your body weight and it can be frustrating if you’re trying to lose weight,” she said.

Select a flat surface: You want to make sure your scale is on a level surface or this imbalance will change the reading. Make sure you weigh yourself in the same place each time.

Note that the smart scale may have disadvantages: Remember that just because a smart scale can offer more data than an analog scale doesn’t always mean it’s better. “Smart scales have not been proven to be highly accurate and cannot be compared to ‘gold standard’ measures for assessing bone mineral density and body composition as it relates to body fat and lean body mass, which is achieved through using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA),” Volpe said.

Most people don’t have access to a Dexa scan, so the next best thing is a smart scale. “The smart scale can provide an estimate of body fat and total body water; but keep in mind that the ‘gold standard’ ways of measuring them would provide more accurate data,” explains Volpe.

Make sure it is set to zero: As with any scale, you need to make sure it is set to zero to get an accurate reading.

Remember that your weight varies: It’s easy to get caught up in some number, but remember that your weight is a range, not an exact number, and will vary throughout the day. Fluctuations can be affected if you exercise, eat more than normal, go to the bathroom, or even if your muscles are sore and retaining fluid.

Note that the data is approximate: Smart scales include data on your heart rate, bone mineral density, total body water, body fat, and more. Note that these are estimates based on your age, gender and body weight. Therefore, these scales are not completely accurate. “Knowing that these scales provide an estimate – but not the highest accuracy – is important, but it can help provide some guidance to the user of these products, especially when many people may not have the ability to determine their bone mineral density and composition of the body as assessed by DXA,” Volpe said.