The best smart scale of 2024

Weigh yourself at the same time: To get a consistent reading when using any scale, it is important to weigh yourself first thing in the morning before you drink or eat anything. “You should weigh yourself with no clothing, or minimal clothing, and if you do, try to wear the same clothing every time you weigh yourself,” said Stella Lucia Volpe, professor and chair of the Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Exercise at Harvard University. Virginia Tech.

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

Choose a flat surface: You want to make sure your gauge is on a flat surface otherwise imbalance will throw off the reading. Make sure to weigh yourself in the same place every time.

Keep in mind that the smart scale may be faulty: Remember, just because a smart scale can provide more data than an analog scale doesn’t always mean it’s better. “Smart scales have not been shown to have high accuracy and cannot be compared to the ‘gold standard’ scales for assessing bone mineral density and body composition as they relate to body fat and lean body mass, using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry,” Volpe said. DXA).

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

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

Remember that your weight fluctuates: It’s easy to get stuck in a number, but remember that your weight is a range, not a set number, and will fluctuate throughout the day. Fluctuations can be affected if you exercise, eat more than usual, go to the bathroom, or even if your muscles ache and retain fluid.

Know that data are estimates: Smart scales include data on heart rate, bone mineral density, total body water, body fat, and more. Keep in mind that these estimates depend on your age, gender, and body weight. Therefore, these metrics 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 individuals do not have the ability to obtain bone mineral density,” Volpe said. “And body composition was assessed by DXA.”