At a glanceExpert’s Rating
Pros
- USB charging
- 14 measurements
- Customisable display
- Informative app
Our Verdict
This smart scale has a lot going for it and there’s very little to fault. It provides a comprehensive range of measurements, nine of which you can display on the customisable colour screen. It also has USB charging and the easy-to-navigate app provides plenty of information, clearly displayed.
If you want to start a fitness journey, a smart scale is one of the best tools you can buy. It provides an easy way to track your progress and takes the emphasis off weight to include other body composition metrics, such as muscle mass and hydration.
Etekcity, like Levoit and Cosori, is a brand owned by smart home company VeSync. In this review, we’ll be looking at its mid-priced smart scale, the HR smart fitness scale.
Design & Build
- USB charging
- Comfortable size
- Colour screen displays a choice of measurements
If you’ve ever seen a smart scale before, this Etekcity model will look familiar. It has a plastic base, with four non-slip feet and a black, glossy tempered glass platform on top. Like most smart scales, this does mean it’ll pick up fingerprints – and footprints. Its most distinctive feature is the brand name and logo, which appears on a raised badge in the centre.
Above the badge is a colour TFT screen, which will show up to nine measurements of the 14 that the Etekcity takes. You can choose the ones you want to see in the app, and toggle between kg, lbs or st.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
The HR smart fitness scale measures around 12 x 12in (30 x 30cm), which isn’t as large as some of the bigger models on the market – such as Withings scales – but should still be plenty of space for anyone to stand comfortably.
It has a maximum weight capacity of 400lb/180kg/28st and measures in increments of 0.1lb/0.05kg.
One of the best things about this scale is the fact it charges via USB, which means you never need to worry about having batteries to hand.
Performance & Features
- Easily sends data to other fitness apps
- Unlimited users
- 14 measurements
To get started, you’ll need to charge the scale and download the VeSync app, which is free and available for iOS 12.0+ and Android 6.0+. Then, set up your account. There’s no limit to the amount of possible users.
The scale connects via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and in our test, it paired to the phone without problems. If you’re outside of the US, you may have to use a VPN to receive and enter the verification code that links your account to the scale.
Once logged in, it immediately offered to send data to Apple Health, Fitbit, MyFitnessPal, Google Fit and Samsung Health, making it a good choice for anyone using those health apps.
We’d recommend the Etekcity HR smart fitness scale over the Withings Body Smart
To get an accurate measurement, you’ll need to set the scale on stable, hard flooring – not carpet. Then stand on it with bare feet. Use it in the same place each time.
The HR smart fitness scale gives 14 measurements: weight, heart rate, BMI, BMR, metabolic age, subcutaneous fat, visceral fat, body fat, bone mass, body water, skeletal mass, protein, muscle mass and fat-free body mass.
This is a really comprehensive set of metrics. Only the priciest Withings scales (the mid-range but expensive Body Comp and the flagship Body Scan) will give you wider and more detailed information – and they cost two or three times as much.
In fact, this Etekcity model costs less than the value scale in Withings’ latest line, the Body Smart, but it delivers a similar range of metrics and it has USB charging. Although Withings is the gold standard in smart scales, if your budget doesn’t stretch to one of the top two models, we’d recommend the Etekcity HR smart fitness scale over the Withings Body Smart.
When you stand on the scale, the default is for it to display your weight, your weight trend, body fat percentage and heart rate. But, in the app, under settings, you can choose up to nine of the 14 measurements to display on the scale – plus the weather. Plenty of smart scales don’t allow customisation, and many only show weight and BMI on the screen.
The display also shows remaining battery life.
You can also switch on the zero-current mode, so you can use it as a simple weighing scale if you have a pacemaker, are pregnant or want to weigh a pet or child.
One of the things that separates higher quality smart scales from the rest – apart from the number of measurements you’ll get and hardware features such as USB charging – is how well fitness data is laid out in the app and what information is provided to help you make sense of it.
The VeSync app is well designed, with all the key measurements on one page. At the top is a weight trend graph and below that are the other measurements. Click on one of these and your measurement will be evaluated (for example, as low, standard or high) with explanatory text beneath to tell you what the measurement means and how to improve it.
There’s only one translation issue that jumps out, which is when the app offers “advice for dietary”, which I was happy to overlook.
But just how accurate is the HR smart fitness scale? We compared it to a Withings smart scale and they were a close match, for what’s that’s worth. In any case, perfect accuracy isn’t the most important thing about a smart scale. Consistency is. If you use the Ekekcity scale in the same place, at the same time of day, you’ll get an accurate sense of your fitness progress – and that’s what matters.
Price & Availability
If you’re in the US, you can buy the Etekcity HR smart fitness scale from Amazon or direct from the brand itself for $79.99.
It’s not the cheapest smart scale around but for what it offers, it’s good value. If you’re looking for something more budget-friendly, check out our round-up of the best smart scales we’ve tested.
At this stage, the Etekcity HR smart fitness scale isn’t available in the UK.
Should I buy the Etekcity HR smart fitness scale?
You can buy a smart scale for less – and you could pay more. If it’s within budget, though, the Etekcity HR smart fitness scale offers everything you could want. It has USB charging and an easy-to-read display you can customise to show the measurements you want. It plays nicely with other fitness apps, supports unlimited users and has a solid app that provides plenty of information and is easy to navigate.
