The Best Bathroom Scales
We spent over 27 hours researching both standard and smart scales. After conducting over 250 weighs-ins, we determined that the Weight Gurus – 0375 is the best bathroom scale due to its wide-ranging abilities, accuracy and reliability. The Weight Gurus smart scale also provides you with a consistent body fat percentage that is tracked automatically with their phone app and is compatible with other apps like FitBit, Apple Health and Google Fit. For a standard scale, the Etekcity – EB4074C delivers accuracy and consistency, a great option if you don’t need app connectivity.
We spent over 27 hours researching both standard and smart scales. After conducting over 250 weighs-ins, we determined that the Weight Gurus – 0375 is the best bathroom scale due to its wide-ranging abilities, accuracy and reliability. The Weight Gurus smart scale also provides you with a consistent body fat percentage that is tracked automatically with their phone app and is compatible with other apps like FitBit, Apple Health and Google Fit. For a standard scale, the Etekcity – EB4074C delivers accuracy and consistency, a great option if you don’t need app connectivity.
Table of contents
The 9 bathroom scales we tested
The best smart scale: Weight Gurus – 0375
The best product will provide multiple pieces of data, the ability to connect with other apps, and is precise in its readings. It really came down to the Yunmai Premium and the Weight Gurus – 0375. They both had exceptional apps that made it easy to track your progress and body composition and were both incredibly consistent in their weight measurements. However after looking at the accuracy of the weight and fat-percentage readings, the this one stole the show.
Although reading fat using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis is not as accurate as some of the more professional methods, this bathroom scale was amazingly consistent in its fat percentage measurements. Not only did it give the same reading for the same subjects time and time again, but it also detected an average of 3.3% to 4.2% lower percentages when using different subjects with different fat contents. This means it is a consistent tracker of body fat percentage. You want to lose weight, yes, but more importantly, you want to lose fat. The Weight Gurus – 0375 lets you know when that is happening.
The Weight Gurus digital bathroom scale performed beautifully. When we used the standard 50.0 pound weights to test, and it was only off by one pound after nine weigh-ins. So in weighing 2,988 pounds it was only off by 0.17%. That’s pretty much perfect, and far exceeds the needs of most people using it to track weight.
Now let’s step off the scale and move onto the app. The integration couldn’t have been easier, plus you can connect your data with FitBit, Google Fit, Apple’s Health app, Under Armour and more. If you’re sharing the scale with friends or family, they don’t get access to your results so privacy is yours to keep.
One of our favorite features (of both smart scales that had apps): you don’t need your phone nearby! You can see your weight, BMI, body fat, water and muscle percentages on the display and it will store the data until your Bluetooth is connected, then sync automatically.
Cool side note: If you skip a day (or only do so once a week), the app will automatically input phantom weight figures to show your estimated weights from the last time you weighed yourself.
Key takeaways:
- The Weight Gurus – 0375 allows you to use its app alongside others like FitBit and Google Fit.
- It performed near-perfectly on both the accuracy testing and consistency testing only missing by 0.17% out of 2,988 lb.
- Even though BIA is not the most accurate way to measure body fat content, the Weight Guru Scale was lower by 3.3-4.2% than actual, but very reliable with its readings.
Runner-up smart scale: Yunmai – Premium
It’s a bit unfortunate for the smart Yunmai – Premium Smart Scale that it had to be compared to the Weight Gurus, because if this was the only scale you looked at, it would seem perfect. It syncs with other apps, you don’t need your phone present (it will sync once connected) and it’s accurate and consistent. However, it cannot sync with as many apps (only Apple Health, FitBit and Google Fit), and it is not as accurate in body weight or as consistent in body fat as the Weight Gurus (it measured both higher and lower than the actual).
However, this one was the only bathroom scale in our lineup that was precise to the tenth of a degree (0.1 lb). All of the others were precise to 0.2 lb increments. And it was perfectly consistent!
This is impressive, considering only half of the bathroom scales scored perfectly on this test. Furthermore, its 4.5 star rating for accuracy of weight was because it was off by only 6.4 lbout of 2,988 (0.21%). That is nearly imperceptible when using it to track your body weight. So for practical purposes, this one will fit almost all of your needs.
Key takeaways:
- This Yunmai Premium Smart Scale was perfectly consistent and has a great phone app, allowing you to easily connect with FitBit or Apple Health.
- Offers 10 body composition measurements
- It is the only precision digital bathroom scale that measured to 0.1 lb as opposed to the common 0.2.
- Although its body fat readings were above and below the actual, they were quite precise: 2.6% below and 1.7% above.
Best standard scale: Etekcity – EB4074C
The Etekcity – EB4074C bathroom scale performed perfectly in the accuracy testing and was consistent throughout. Its clear glass is eight millimeters thick and stands atop four high-precision sensors. Its mini legs have a non-slip rubber material that makes it safe to use when on those more slippery hard surfaces.
This one has one of the smaller backlit LCD displays out there at only 3.1 inches, but the bright blue background stays lit for eight seconds, allowing you to take a closer look if needed.
Like all of the scales we tested, you can just step right on to measure your weigh. It has an auto-zero function and has an automatic overload indication (and if that goes off you may want to look at the iDOO Jumbo – ES09-3089M that handles up to 440 lb).
As one of the only clear scales we looked at, you won’t have to worry about putting this one away between uses because it goes with almost any design. And there are two metal bars on the bottom which allow you to hold onto it and dry it off easily if need be. Also, the unit-button on the bottom is clear and easy to push, making it easy to switch from lb to kg.
Key takeaways:
- For a non-smart bathroom scale, the glass Etekcity – EB4074C performs very well under pressure.
- This precision digital scale uses four sensors and quad stability pad suspension that allows for accurate and safe weigh-ins.
- It has a smaller backlit lcd display, but the number will flash three times and stay put for eight seconds with a bright blue background.
Runner-up standard scale: Vive – DMD1002SLV
The Vive – DMD1002SLV is a very affordable standard bathroom scale with great performance. This one was off by just over one pound out of nearly 3,000, which earned it a grade of 99.96%. It seemed fitting to give it five stars for both accuracy and consistency.
As one of the most slim models analyzed, this six millimeter-thick glass comes in a light silvery gray and a fresh black, both of which have a modern textured look. It is a great little scale and was one of the easiest to move back under the sink in between weigh-ins. It was sturdy and light with a firm capacity to stay put on slippery tile.
This digital scale only uses two CR2032 batteries (most others require four), but it seems to be at an expense: it can only support up to 330 lb. Another possible downside to this scale was a display under three inches, though its backlight is easy to see for most of us.
Key takeaways:
- The Vive – DMD1002SLV receives an A+ for being accurate and consistent (99.96% correct).
- It is one of the slimmest bathroom scales we tested but can only support up to 330 lb.
- It’s easy to move to and from a cupboard, though it has a very modern design in two colors.
Other products we tested
INEVIFIT – Smart Scale
We’re not quite sure what caused it, but the digital INEVIFIT Smart Scale had a bit of a hiccup during the standardized weight testing. If you check out the graphs you can see it was off by quite a bit for the 100 and 150 pound tests. Other than, that this glass bathroom scale was a top performer. This was the only smart scale that didn’t have a phone app to go along with it so tracking won’t necessarily be as easy as the others but it did have body composition features. Then again, if you use these often and have a decent memory this should do just fine.
Something to keep in mind, however, is that even though the fat readings were significantly low this was actually the most consistent smart scale for that test. So if an app and the exact numbers don’t matter too much to you then this is a good choice. You can store ten users and it is able to detect the different user so you don’t have to choose yourself each time.
Kinzi – DBS-1000
The Kinzi – DBS-1000 has a sleek glass design, is affordable and is one of the most accurate and consistent scales. When we tested, it was only off by 3.8 total lb of the near 3,000. The Kinzi runs on only two CR2032 batteries and weighs up to the standard 400 lb. Another thing to note is its display: 3.3 inches (one of the biggest of the scales we found).
Unfortunately the black backlight makes it a bit more difficult to read than the normal blue. Thankfully, however, the reading stays on the backlit display for about 11 seconds, giving you more time than you’d need to read it from a closer position. Another not-so-hot aspect is the “non-slip” bottom legs. They were average at best and it was only one of a few that didn’t have great non-slip technology.
EatSmart – ESBS-01
Another standard digital bathroom scale coming in with the precision and consistency we like to see is the EatSmart – ESBS-01. It was only off by 0.2 lb on the 100 pounds weight test and 0.6 on the body weight test.
The EatSmart Scale was one of the most inexpensive bathroom scales (under $20) and had one of the biggest lcd screens that held the number for over nine seconds on a blue backlit screen. It measured weight quickly too. Also, as a pleasant surprise, it came with a free body tape measure, which was made it easy to self-measure due to its construction.
IDOO JUMBO – ES09-3089M
Biggest Scale: iDOO Jumbo - ES09-3089M
If you have large feet, weigh over 400 pounds or just like a bigger surface that is sturdy, then the iDOO Jumbo is the choice. It has about a 30% larger surface area than a standard scale, weighs up to 440 pounds and has the ‘stickiest’ non-slip pads for stability.
The last and biggest is the iDOO Jumbo – ES09-3089M. It measures up to 440 pounds. This scale also has the biggest base, with about 35% more surface area when compared to other scales. The bottom also has very sticky non-slip pads.
The iDOO has a marble-like surface that, at least artistically, puts the others to shame. If you have bigger feet or just like feeling extra safe, we’d suggest this product. There was a certain comfort experienced when stepping on this extra-sized machine.
Greater Goods – 0390
This was a very cleanly designed standard bathroom scale. The Greater Goods – 0390 was consistent and accurate (off by seven pounds of 3,000). It has a 3.3-inch “big lcd screen” display with a nice blue backlight. But your weight will only stay for five seconds after you get off (if you remain standing on the scale it will keep your weight lit up).
It’s another not-too-expensive option for your bathroom under $20. But that may come at an expense: the non-slip pads at the bottom don’t live up to their name. Also, it uses CR2032 batteries, which is not the biggest deal but it is little things like that that could leave you to want other scales.
How we selected
We scoured through review sites like ConsumerReports.org and The Wirecutter to get an idea of some of the best digital scales out there. We then dove into forums on Reddit and read through customer reviews of bathroom scales on Amazon. With about ten hours under our belt, we felt confident that we’d developed a solid base of what to look for and how to narrow down our search.
We looked at both the singular function digital scales (non-smart scales) and the multi-functional digital smart scales, which provide information on body fat, muscle mass and more. In our search of the most precise and consistent product, we compared the best ones on the market to one another, using others’ reviews and our knowledge base, ultimately ending up with nine finalists, three of which are smart.
How we tested
Consistency & accuracy
We did a lot of weighing (over 250 times in total). We weighed humans and weights. Before we get started, however, let’s briefly differentiate between ‘consistency’ and ‘accuracy’. A scale will be dubbed as consistent if it produces the same result again and again. An accurate scale is one whose readings are very close to the actual weight.
To get a feel for the bathroom scales, we weighed a subject who wasn’t holding anything. Then we weighed them holding dumbbell A (25.8 pounds), holding dumbbell B (24.2 lb) and both dumbbells A and B together (49.6 lb). And yes, the dumbbells are from the same manufacturer and are both supposed to be 25 lb. Evidently they weren’t, so we used professionally weighted dumbbells.
We went to our (newly-made) friends over at ICC Instrument Company to use the weights they use to calibrate industrial scales. These weights were 50.0 lb each, which made it at least a bit easier to spread out the weigh-ins into groups of 100.0 lb, 150.0 pounds and 200.0 pounds. We made sure the ground was perfectly level all around and then placed each of the weights on three times. When we did this, we found one scale to be perfectly accurate: the Etekcity – EB4074C.
Then, to compare consistency even further we weighed one subject ten times on each of the scales. We used the Etekcity as our baseline for comparing the reading accuracy of the other bathroom scales as it was deemed perfectly accurate and consistent from the previous test. After gathering the data we gave the appropriate rankings to each scale for the below categories, then we averaged the scores and combined them to get overall rankings.
- Accuracy of body weight readings
- Consistency of body weight readings
- Accuracy of standard weight (100.0 to 200.0 lb)
- Consistency of standard weight (100.0 to 200.0 lb)
Consistency & accuracy of body fat readings
A quick note on body fat before we look at how we tested it: body fat percentage (BFP) is the total mass divided by the total body mass. The way the smart scales measure this is with Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA). The smart scale shoots an electric current through your body and uses the resistance between the conductors to create a measurement.
In order to measure the BIA we first needed a standard measurement of BFP. There are a couple of accurate ways to measure body fat like skinfold caliper reading (instrumental body fat pinching) or hydrostatic weighing (underwater). We chose to go with the skinfold caliper testing because it has the best ratio of accuracy to repeatability, so this was our standard to which we compared the results of the BIA.
We took two subjects of similar weight, but with noticeably different fat content and had them undergo three trials of skinfold caliper testing and three BIA evaluations with each smart scale. We conducted these tests within seconds of one another to avoid discrepancies in the amount of body fat throughout the day.
Ease of use
Standard and smart scales
Because there is not too much to non-smart bathroom scales, their ratings were based on only a few things. Nowadays none of the top scales require you to tap before they turn on. All of the products we tested had the “step-on” technology, which means you can just step on without having to turn it on beforehand.
Another area we evaluated was the clarity of the display. There was not too much difference between the products here because they all have backlights and have reasonably similar display sizes. Nonetheless, we measured out the dimensions of the display and scale and compared the total surface areas — the iDOO Jumbo – ES09-3089M was the only real big difference with about a 30% bigger surface area.
The other areas we looked at here were batteries, grip-to-floor bottom (or non-slip) and transportation. We ranked them each on how easy it was to change the batteries and what type they used. We also thought about anyone who likes to keep their bathrooms scales hidden away when not in use and rated the process of moving each bathroom scale from one area to another.
Smart scales only
We broke these down into two categories for ease of use. First, we considered how easy it was to track your weigh-ins, the two smart scales that had a phone app were easier (Weight Gurus – 0375 and Yunmai Premium). Secondly, if applicable, we compared the overall user-friendliness of the phone app by adding new users to the account, tracking body weight, accessing and reading graphs, and connecting to existing apps like Apple Health and FitBit.
And we evaluated the reliability of the body fat measurement on these scales (because after reading all the other reviews and comments this was the most desired datum from smart scale users). This was determined by the accuracy and precision of the measurements.
Important features to look for
Large backlight display: Regardless of how precise a bathroom scale is, it’s useless if you can’t read the numbers on the display. Thankfully, all of the scales we tested had great backlit displays with easy to see numbers.
Design: While design shouldn’t be the primary determinant you use when shopping, you’re more likely to use it if it looks and feels good. You should consider attributes like the feet of the scale, dimensions and weight.
Weight tracking (smart scales only): This feature is incredible to have as it takes away all the tedious work that would otherwise be required to see the changes in your weight over time. This way you can easily see trends with the graphs and all the other visuals the phone apps provide for you. The Weight Gurus – 0375 can even integrate with programs like FitBit and Google Fit.
Batteries: Most of us are familiar with alkaline AAAs, but some scales use the lithium CR2032, which are flat and disc-like. Here are some graphs from Energizer that display the performance difference. AAAs seem to work better and more safely in the long run.
Standard vs. smart scales
Standard scale: Your everyday (old-school) non-smart digital bathroom scale can measure only one thing a: weight. Usually you can switch between pounds, kilograms or stones.
You may be wondering why we didn’t choose to include any spring-loaded mechanical scales. The answer is simple: mechanical ones that perform well cost about as much as a smart alternative but only give you the function of a standard scale.
Smart scale: These measure weight, but come loaded with an abundance of other features too. These can include body fat, BMI, muscle percentage, water %, bone mass, BMR and protein %.
The bottom line
For all of you exercisers, weight-losers and health-trackers, the bathroom scale is an integral part of your life. The most informative and functional smart scale on the market is the Weight Gurus – 0375 as it integrates with almost any other health app or Smartwatch program and was 99.83% accurate on just under 3,000 pounds. Also, the body fat readings were consistently low which means it can definitely be used to track your body fat.
There were, of course, others that performed well like the smart Yunmai Premium Smart Scale and standard Etekcity Glass – EB4074C. The former is a phenomenal smart scale that is precise to the tenth of a pound, and the latter was what you’d expect when buying a scale: perfectly accurate and consistent.
Top Pick: Weight Gurus - 0375
The Weight Gurus is the best scale for tracking your weight, fat content and muscle mass due to its extremely consistent measurements and graphing ability in the app. This app is unparalleled in that it will work alongside pretty much any other health app you already have.
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