We are all different shapes, sizes and builds, so tracking your weight gain or weight loss is complex: step onto the scales and the kilos or pounds displayed is just a part of the picture. Imagine being able to look inside your body to see what’s behind that singular figure? How much is fat compared to how much is muscle, bone and water? Well, some of the best bathroom scales for measuring body composition are (kind of) like getting a glimpse inside yourself.
Smart scales, an increasingly popular type of weighing scale, measure body composition using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), which passes a small and safe electrical current through your body. “The scale measures how easily [this current] moves,” explains Dr Vijay Nayar of Healthium Clinics. “Muscle and water conduct electricity well, whereas fat and bone resist it. Hence the scales estimate the proportions of each tissue you have.”
Getting a better idea of your body composition can help you track any health goals, such as losing fat and gaining muscle, more effectively. But if you find the multiple metrics baffling, Dr Naveed Asif, GP at The London General Practice, explains what’s worth your attention: “Muscle is dense and heavier than fat, so [measuring this reveals if you’re] getting healthier and leaner or just storing more sedentary energy, or fat. Muscle mass is also key to assessing overall strength and metabolic health.
“Visceral fat data reflects “skinny fat”, the hidden fat around organs which is closely linked to increased heart disease and diabetes; and your BMR (basal metabolic rate) is a useful guide to how many calories you need at rest to maintain normal body function.” He adds that some scales can measure extras such as water percentage and bone mass, a decline in which can signal a risk of fractures.
Smart scales allow you to create individual profiles (useful in multi-person households), and can be paired with accompanying apps for more comprehensive readings and analysis.
To see how useful and accurate these weighing machines are, I tested bathroom scales, both smart and digital, from brands including Withings, Renpho and Salter. Read on to see which scales could be taking up residence in your bathroom.
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The best bathroom scales for 2026 are:
- Best overall – Withings body smart bathroom scale: £89.95, Amazon.co.uk
- Best budget buy – Beurer BF451 body analyser scale: £34.99, Argos.co.uk
- Best for comprehensive data – Renpho morphoscan nova body composition scale: £180, Argos.co.uk
- Best value for money – Salter body insight smart scale: £60, Argos.co.uk
- Best for small bathrooms - Eufy electronic smart scale C2: £24.99, Argos.co.uk
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Withings body smart bathroom scale
Best: bathroom scales overall
Why we love it
- Comprehensive data and trend analysis viewable on app
- Colour screen is easy to read
- App includes well-presented health advice and tracking
Take note
- Takes up more floor space than others
- Expensive
Want an upbeat start to your day with a weigh-in and a weather report? This Withings smart scale gives you just that, alongside a range of body composition data. After a straightforward profile set-up, I stepped on to be greeted with a few measurements: weight (with trend chart), fat and muscle percentage, visceral fat score and heart rate, before moving onto today’s weather and air quality (bit bizarre but it can impact health), and ending with a positive affirmation and a cheery “see you soon” emoji. I could clearly see all of this via the small, but very bright and colourful display screen.
Over on the app, I could view even more metrics, all well-presented with individual trend charts. The app also tracks areas such as sleep, menstrual and respiratory health but that requires syncing with other Withings devices, so I couldn’t explore the app’s full potential. However, for tracking weight and body composition alone, the Withings scales and app are very user-friendly without being intimidating or boring, making them the best bathroom scales I tested overall.
Key specifications
Buy now £89.95, Amazon.co.uk
Beurer BF451 body analyser scale
Best: budget bathroom scales
Why we love it
- Large range of body composition data viewable on app
- Affordable
- Easy to set up
Take note
- Not most stylish
- Connects best with phone in hand
The Beurer BF451 body analyser is the best budget bathroom scale I tested. Behind its not so sleek look sits a surprisingly in-depth level of body composition data, including metrics such as protein percentage and AMR (active metabolic rate) often only available on more expensive devices. When I stepped on the scales (following an easy profile set-up), it ran through a handful of key measurements before switching off. If I missed anything (it’s a quick scroll), I had to reach for my phone to view it on the app.
Luckily, despite the app’s rather pedestrian appearance, it delves into a wealth of data, full of explanation about what it all means, from the importance of tracking subcutaneous fat, to the difference between ‘lean’ and ‘soft lean’ mass. It’s a shame that only weight history is displayed in chart form, and all other metric data is listed, but that data is pretty vast, which is excellent value at £35.
Key specifications
Buy now £34.99, Argos.co.uk
Renpho morphoscan nova body composition scale
Best: bathroom scales for comprehensive data
Why we love it
- Large range of metrics (including body mapping illustration)
- Full colour screen displays lots of data
- App can breakdown each metric with trending charts, alongside overview
Take note
- Expensive (priciest on test)
- Takes up fair bit of floor space
Renpho’s morphoscan nova body composition scale includes a retractable handle with thumb sensors: I had to grip this while holding my arms at 45 degrees while it scanned my body. I almost woke up the household when using it with the sound on (it plays tinkly music when measuring), but I could quickly lower or mute the volume. It’s fairly large but being shiny black, it almost blends into any bathroom floor.
As for the data, it would be quicker to list what this smart scale doesn’t measure. The huge range of metrics covers the standard fat, muscle, bone, water and metabolic age, but also interesting extras such as protein percentage. On the app, I could dive into each metric for detailed analysis including trends, mass vs percentage, and even an illustrated map of my body to show exactly where I was gaining or losing fat and muscle (interesting to see my right leg to be slightly more muscular than my left).
I could also view a lot of this data on the scale itself via the full colour screen, meaning I didn’t have to reach for my phone every time (unlike many of the scales). Although intimidating at first, this is a sophisticated smart scale that was surprisingly easy to set-up and use. If you’re serious about tracking your physical health, this Renpho scale might just about be worth the expense.
Key specificaitons
Buy now £180, Argos.co.uk
Salter body insight smart scale
Best: value for money bathroom scales
Why we love it
- Large range of metrics (including body mapping illustration)
- Affordable full body composition scale
Take note
- Display sometimes difficult to see clearly
- Not many metrics displayed on scale itself
Like Renpho, this Salter scale includes a retractable handle I held away from my body for an accurate reading. It plays a cheery piece of music while scanning so I could always tell how long to hold still for (you can mute this for quieter mornings). Unlike Renpho, there is no additional screen so, frustratingly, you can only view the full body analysis including an illustrated map of body fat and muscle distribution, plus all metrics in detail, via the app. This only updates if you have your phone nearby, which is not something I always have first thing in the morning.
The scale only displays weight, BMI and fat/muscle metrics and I sometimes found it hard to view the white digits against the white background, particularly at certain angles in bright daylight. I had to giggle at the baby/pet mode which explicitly suggested you could also weigh watermelons. At £60 you get a similarly impressive level of data for a third of the price of Renpho’s morphoscan, making it a great value choice.
Key specifications
Buy now £60, Argos.co.uk
Eufy electronic smart scale C2
Best: bathroom scales for small spaces
Why we love it
- Easy to use
- Small and portable
- Good level of body composition data viewable on app
Take note
- Limited data displayed on scales
Compared to other bathroom scales in this test, Eufy’s was quite cute and didn’t take up much floor space. Its brightly lit display was easy to read, but it only ever told me my weight unless I had my phone in hand. I had to open the app and update to reveal a host of data, all clearly presented in mass and percentages, along with charts showing trends over time and indications of where I sit on the sliding scale from low to high for each metric.
I can’t picture a scenario where you need 16 individual profiles that the scale allows, but it did let me delete any random weigh-ins it queried (my children frequently hopped on, potentially messing up my stats). It’s a simple looking device that delivers a surprising amount of data for just £25.
Key specifications
Buy now £24.99, Argos.co.uk
Omron viva smart scale and body composition monitor weighing scale
Best: bathroom scales for ease of use
Why we love it
- Clear scrolling display
- Simple to use app
Take note
- Fewer metrics available than other smart scales
- Fairly expensive for the level of data
This glossy black Omron smart scale isn’t super stylish but looks nice enough. After setting up a couple of profiles, I hopped on and the large clear display recognised me straight away. It scrolled through my measurements fairly quickly, although it usefully continued scrolling for about a minute after I’d stepped off so I had time to take in the results.
Connection to the app was strong (Omron was positioned in the loft room bathroom, far from my phone on the ground floor), but the data it tracks is fairly limited and presented in quite a dry way (chart or list) compared to other smart scales. Blood pressure, activity and temperature tracking data is also available, but only if paired with other Omron devices or manually entered. It’s easy to use and doesn’t overwhelm, but is quite expensive for what you get.
Key specifications
Buy now £80, Amazon.co.uk
Garmin index S2 smart bathroom scale
Best: bathroom scales to pair with fitness tracker
Why we love it
- Tracks a wide range of data beyond weight
- Data and graphs are clearly displayed in the Connect app
- Very easy to set up if you have an existing Garmin device
Take note
- Not the most responsive
- Requires the Garmin Connect app
If you’ve got a Garmin watch, its index S2 smart bathroom scales integrate seamlessly with the Garmin Connect app. The app took me through the setup, and I didn’t have to consult the instruction manual. I even got a ‘Garmin fan’ badge after adding the scales as my second device, which I thought was a nice touch.
I tested these alongside my Withings scales, and the data was very consistent between both scales with little discrepancy. The Garmin scales collect a wide range of data alongside weight, including skeletal muscle mass, bone mass, body water and more. This is all presented in a bright scrolling display on the scales and clearly in the Connect app, with graphs that make the data easy to track and spot trends in. The breakdown of the data by day, week, month and year is also really useful when it comes to tracking changes over time.
My only bugbear is that the scales don’t consistently wake up when you step onto them, which in the morning, when you’re not at your most patient or energetic, can be a little frustrating. Lightly tapping the scales with your toe before stepping on them can help with this. The switch to change from kilos to stones and pounds is also tucked away at the bottom, but is easy to use once you locate it.
Tested by Sabrina Sahota
Key specifications
Buy now £129.99, Argos.co.uk
A&D Medical UC-502 weighing scale
Best: bathroom scales for weighing luggage
Why we love it
- Lightweight and slim
- Quick and easy switch between metric/imperial
- Cheap
Take note
- For weight only (no body composition data)
Sometimes you just need to know how heavy something is: either yourself, luggage, parcels, or a pet or small child as you fill in a medical form. This simple (non-smart) digital scales from A&D Medical let me do just that. No faffing about to set up profiles, download an app or connect via Bluetooth – I simply opened the box, placed it on the bathroom floor and hopped on to weigh myself.
It automatically switches on as you step on it, and the clear measurement is displayed for a few seconds even after you step off, before turning off completely. I could easily switch the display between metric and imperial by pressing a small button on the back, no complicated reconfiguring required. A simple but useful scale that’s a bargain at just £11.
Key specifications
Buy now £11, Ao.com
Your questions about bathroom scales answered
What are the best bathroom scales?
For its easy-to-read display, wide range of metrics, well-presented app analysis, and overall upbeat disposition (if you can call a device upbeat), the Withings body smart bathroom scale is the best overall, particularly as there are more expensive models on the market for this level of data.
But if £90 is a little too steep, the Beurer BF451 body analyser scale is an excellent budget buy, providing realms of detailed metrics for just £35; you just have to except that the scales and app aren’t the fanciest on the market. If you’re really taken with the idea of seeing exactly where on your body you’re losing or gaining fat and muscle, Salter’s body insight smart scale is a decent alternative for the much pricier (albeit superior) Renpho morphoscan.
How I tested bathroom scales
For the past few weeks, two bathrooms in my house have been covered in multiple weighing scales: hopping on and off them in succession every morning (yes, all of them daily) turned out to be the best way to compare the data and usability of each model against each other.
I downloaded all accompanying apps, set up profiles and, following guidance for accurate measurements from Drs Nayar and Asif (see below), I weighed myself first thing every morning, ensuring my feet were bare, clean and dry when taking the readings. These are the areas I was scrutinising:
How do smart scales work?
Smart scales work on the principle of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). By standing on (and sometimes holding) the electrodes built-in to the scales, a small, safe electric current passes through the body, which can distinguish between fat, muscle, water and bone content. The scales analyse based on the user’s gender, age and height, which you input when creating your profile.
How accurate are smart scales?
Body weight and composition will naturally fluctuate day-to-day, even throughout the same day, so to ensure the most accurate readings both doctors recommend using them at the same time every day; preferably first thing in the morning after using the loo, and before you eat or drink anything.
“BIA is sensitive to levels of hydration, food intake and temperature,” says Dr Nayar. “Avoid measuring after exercise as sweat loss will lead to dehydration and hence over-estimate body fat. Measuring after large meals should also be avoided as food and water retention will distort readings.”
He warns that smart scale figures are estimates, not direct measurements, with a margin of error anything between three to eight per cent.
What’s the best way to use smart scales?
To allow the body to conduct the electrical current effectively, you need to stand on the scales with clean and dry bare feet (remove any shoes or socks). All the smart scales tested recommended I also stand as still as possible for a few seconds while measurements were taken. The two models that feature a handle with thumb sensors (Renpho and Salter) also required my arms to be still and held at a 45 degree angle away from my torso, for an accurate measurement.
Does the accuracy of smart scales differ for men and women?
“Men generally have higher muscle and lower body fat. Modern smart scales understand and may adjust for the difference between genders and therefore can adapt measurements to provide a more accurate and real-life analysis,” says Dr Asif.
Dr Nayar adds, “Measurement in men and women varies, especially as women experience cyclical changes in fluid retention due to hormonal fluctuations. As a result, the percentage of body fat may appear to increase when premenstrual due to water retention. Hence, I advise premenopausal women to compare readings at the same phase of the cycle for longer-term trends.” This may be trickier to account for in perimenopause and menopause, when hormonal fluctuations can be more unpredictable, so longer-term tracking can help reveal more meaningful trends.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Over the years, fitness and lifestyle writer Kerry Law has tested and scrutinised the marketing claims of all kinds of health-related products for national publications, including the best juicers, massage guns and omega-3 supplements for IndyBest. She often writes about fitness trends and challenges, such as trying yoga in a weighted vest, seeing what happens when you swim every day for a fortnight, and re-starting Couch to 5K after giving up on running. She is currently training for a yoga teacher qualification, so is a big advocate for building low-impact recovery and relaxation into any fitness schedule.
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