Anyways, as I was saying – if I look at impedance metrics like body fat and muscle mass, based on all the testing I’ve done historically, I don’t focus too much on the absolute values, and instead look more at trending. After all, the fact that one scale has me 2.5% higher than the other side by side is a great example of that. Undoubtedly Garmin would argue (perhaps correctly) that the newer technology/sensors/algorithms in the newer scales are indeed more accurate.

For the most part, we don’t really see major iterations in connected weight scales these days. Or these years. The repeatable pattern is every few years Withings, Fitbit, or Garmin will release a minor update of their scale with a handful of new features. Sure, a few people will upgrade their units, but for the most part this is just ensuring that the product doesn’t appear to be from nearly 5 years ago. Which is fine, it doesn’t have to be major upgrades each time. In the case of the Index S2, it retains the same expensive price as previous, but now adds the new color display and trending information. Garmin was always either 2.8kg or 2.9kg and Tanita RD953 was always 4.1kg. Each seemed confident they were correct with repeated measurements. At least one of them wasn’t. Consecutive Body Water Readings The scale proved very popular at launch, and at the time of writing (April 2021), there’s a wait of between five and eight weeks for delivery. DesignIf like me, you are vested in the Garmin ecosystem then the Index Scale makes sense for you. However, one of the reasons you bought it is perhaps to let your nearest and dearest share its features and they may well not even have a Garmin account. Here’s how you give them access. The data algorithms for body fat & muscle mass have been improved over the original Index Scale and all the data in Garmin Connect and on the scale is well presented and I find that aspect hard to fault – your day-to-day experience will be great. There are a few other niggles that I cover further below but these scales will finish off as a recommendation…for the right person.

Overall, I came away extremely impressed with the Garmin Index S2. Even if I don't totally understand all of the metrics it measures, I am grateful that they are available. More than that, the data presented has me even more interested in continuing my fitness journey because I want to learn more about how things like my skeletal muscle mass, bone mass, body water percentage have to do with my weight gains and losses. For me, it's as much an educational tool as it is a fitness tool.The electrical charge is safe for most people, but if you have a pacemaker, medical implant or are pregnant, it’s best to speak to your doctor before you use one. Are smart scales accurate? And yup, even the weather, showing the slated high/low for the day as well as the current temperature. The idea here simply being that if you’re getting ready in the morning and just going in or out of the shower, this could guide your clothing choices for the day. I'm a long time Garmin user, ever since my time in the infantry and overseas; all my GPS' are Garmin, I have a Tactix Charlie and love it, which is why this post breaks my heart a little. The Garmin Index S2 was the best of 4 relatively expensive smart scales I reviewed. However, the Index S2 experience could have been improved by a better design and onboarding process.

However, there's a couple of small design issues here that stop it from being a must-buy. For one thing, the in-app presentation of these metrics can get a bit confusing. There's only a couple of ways the information is presented, and most of these use a green sliding scale without offering too much information about your results. Are they good? Bad? Average for your sex, height and weight? Sometimes, it's hard to tell, especially with the more esoteric metrics. Note though that this is a different setup than your regular Garmin workout/structured workouts sync, see below how there’s both a Health Sync option for weight data, as well as another one for workouts/activity data. Ideally this would be more cohesively presented to a user upon any link-up, but it’s not today. Setting up the Garmin Index Scale S2 is straightforward but there are a few annoyances and one pitfall.This is usually done via a process called biometric impedance analysis, or BIA. Smart scales utilize BIA by sending a current of electricity from your feet through to your body. The electrical current travels through your fat, muscle, and bone at different speeds due to the different tissue densities, and because the current records the speed at which it travels, it can tell you how much of each you have in your body. Behind the scenes, this data is saved on Garmin Connect, and thus accessible from Garmin Connect Mobile or Garmin Connect. There’s a widget you can add to the dashboard to show your current weight. Alternatively, you can view more details in the ‘Weight’ section under ‘Health Stats’

Sports scientist Jamal Ramsay said that most smart scales measure body fat via bioelectrical impedance.I have to say, the devices on test seem archaic in the design and operation, and generally untrustworthy with their results. The Fitbit Aria 2 and Tanita RD953 were appalling considering it’s almost 2021. In isolation, I probably would have slated the Garmin Index Scale S2 but in comparison to the others, I perversely decided I liked it and will definitely keep using it! Why? A: Consistency. I have no faith that the non-weight numbers are correct HOWEVER they do ‘feel’ consistent. So whilst I won’t trust the absolute value I will place some credence in the trends the Garmin Index S2 displays each morning/evening. For body fat and the other impedance-based metrics, there’s been some under-the-hood changes including tweaks to the algorithms. The tweaks were to allow for more accuracy and more sensitivity in the measurements. There will almost certainly be some noticeable differences between readings on the original and the S2. With more sensitivity, the S2 will allow for more fluctuations and movement over time in those metrics compared to the original.” Some smart scales have limited data on the scale itself, then offer further insight and context within the app. Sadly this is not the case here. The scales and app provide the same stats, with the exception of the health trends graphs available on the app. So really all you’re getting is a history of past weigh-ins and body composition metrics, with no context or explanation. Resting heart rate and, therefore, basal metabolic rate (BMR) measurements also seem off. Nevertheless, we enjoyed using the Eufy P2 Pro, and considering the low price, it's easy to look past the scale's flaws and appreciate its many useful features. The P2 Pro might not be the best smart scale on the market, but it's worth the money – not to mention, it syncs with third-party apps such as Apple Health, Google Fit and even Fitbit. Weighing yourself on the Index S2 is not as simple as stepping on and seeing your weight pop up. Like scales of the past, you have to tap it and wait for the display to activate before you’re supposed to step on and let your weight register. Once your initials pop up, signifying that you’ve been identified, you can step off and watch your various measurements scroll through.