I bought the Fitbit Aria scale since I had already been using a Fitbit Ultra and have been tracking steps, distance, calories burned, flights of stairs climbed, active score, and sleep stats with my Fitbit Ultra already. This Aria scale integrates in nicely on the Fitbit.com site, and the weight and Body Fat% stats show up in the dashboard right below the steps and other stats. You can then drill down further to get the individual measurements over time and see some charts over time too.One thing to note: setup was very easy, but you do need to use a WIFI connection to do the setup (i.e. if you try to do the setup over a Ethernet wired computer that does not also support WIFI, the setup won't work). I brought a laptop that was running over WIFI into my bathroom to do the setup and that worked great. I already had an account on Fitbit.com so that made setup even easier. Setup only took a minute or two you just need to know your password for your network since you will enter it during the setup procedure. My network uses mixed mode 802.11 b/g/n and WPA2 encryption, and the scale connected no problem.
The thing I really like about the scale is that you can earn weight badges for every 5 pounds lost, so that is motivating to see on the Fitbit site and in your email inbox. These show up under your accomplishments section on the site, in the same place that your steps and flights badges are if you have a Fitbit step tracker too.
As far as accuracy is concerned I do see a very slight fluctuation in the weight and BF% numbers when I take repeated measurements. I have found that when I stand in a certain way, I can get consistent readings though. Otherwise the weight may fluctuate by .2 pounds or so, and the BF% by .2% or so. The important part is tracking the rate of change, and that works great on the website.
I added my family members and that was easy to do (and you can have a total of 8 people registered to the scale), you just need to send them an invite and then they log in to their Fitbit accounts and accept and then they can use the scale too (they need Fitbit.com accounts too see their results online). You can set privacy so that others can't see your weight and BF% results, and you can specify privacy by groups (i.e. friends Vs public). You also assign a 3-character name to each person (MOM, DAD, initials, etc) and then the scale will send the data to the right account for each measurement.
The scale also has a guest mode, so if somebody that is not registered to the scale weighs themselves on it, the data will post to your account under GUEST. That is a little stealthy I think.... the people won't know their weight was just recorded. And note that you can delete measurements from the website too, for those guests if you want or even your own if you maybe take a measurement at night right after eating and it is several pounds higher than your morning measurement. I typically only keep my morning measurements and delete any I take later in the day.
As for value I do think it is a little overpriced. At maybe $99 or $79 it would be a great deal I think, but if this allows me (along with the Fitbit Ultra) to finally achieve my weight loss goals then I guess I'd have to say that the price was worth it!
There is not much for a printed 'owners manual' included so that my offset some people, but you really don't need one since the first step is to go to the site and you will get all the info you need there.
All in all, I am really pleased with this scale. It sure is keeping me honest with my weight loss goals since I have my account opened to my family members to see so it offers built in accountability. Thanks for reading.
(Note that I do not own the Withings scale so I can not make any comparisons of this scale against that one)
Update: since people were asking I bought the scale at a local store since they became available in stores prior to Amazon having them available online. Amazon started selling them on 4/30/12, but I bought mine locally on 4/24/12 and have been using it since. I am an avid Amazon shopper but in this case I didn't want to wait!
Functionally, there are a few problems. First, connecting the scale can be a challenge. The process includes broadcasting the ID of the scale, connecting to this "wifi network" on the phone, and then switching the network of the phone back to your personal wifi network. It took me several tries but eventually it worked and has worked flawlessly since. Unfortunately I've forgotten the exact problem I experienced but I do recall having to switch networks while my phone displayed a webpage that was reading "connecting". Anyway see this page: if you run into trouble. In contrast to this setup process, all other scale settings (users and their profiles) are very easy to setup once the scale is working correctly with the network. Additionally, I haven't had any issues with connectivity once the scale was setup correctly the first time.
Secondly, the scale must be used on a hard surface. In our bathroom, a rug sometimes slips slightly under the edge of scale and can really throw off the reading. If this happens, my reading can be confused with my wife's and the scale can start to get confused. Fortunately, all the readings are stored online and the erroneous readings can be easily removed on the website. If the scale is free from the rug, it never confuses my wife and my readings.
Finally, the body-fat reading is precise but probably not accurate. By default, the scale is set to regular for a user and read my body fat read ~12.5%. After I switched to "slim" body type, the reading dropped to ~6%. Using a handheld body fat tester I'm around 8-9% . The good thing is that this reading, like the weight, is very repeatable. Also, it's clearly independent from the weight measurement. For example if you drink a bunch of water and wait 10 mins, your weight will be up but you body fat reading may fall. Of course, what's happening is that the scale is simply measuring an electrical signal and then converting this to a % body fat. Ideally, the Fitbit site would let you input your exact body fat number (taken with a vibrational or displacement measurement) at a point in time and this number could be used to calibrate the electrical to % body fat conversion. To my knowledge, no consumer scale allows this calibration to be done today. To me it's not a huge issue as the body fat is consistent and a useful metric as I increase my lifting and muscle mass.
This leads to perhaps the greatest strength of this device; statistics. Many folks roll their eyes when you tell them that your scale uploads your weight to the cloud. However, body weight fluctuates throughout the day and week. With this scale, I've found myself weighing myself several times per day and looking at my data over a week or month, clear trend lines can be seen despite the daily fluctuations. Ultimately, this is the reason that I bought the scale and makes me very happy.
I held off on rating this scale until I had used it for several weeks. Iniitally, (after the setup headaches) I would have leaned towards 3 stars. During the first 1-2 weeks, my frustrations with body fat settings and trouble with the rug in our bathroom, I would have probably gone with 4 stars. However, understanding these issues and more importantly, seeing the benefits of frequent weight measurements, I couldn't be happier with the purchase. I strongly recommend that anybody happy with their Fitbit and serious about achieving their weight loss goals, take a good look at this high quality product.
Buy Fitbit Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale Now
*Packaging & Contents-The scale comes in a small box within the retail box. The scale comes ready to be put on the floor, just take a plastic tab from the battery compartment. Inside there is a flier that gives you the website to do the setup.
*Setup
-EASY!! I see many reviews complaining about the setup. Not my case. This are the steps I took.
-Took scale out of the box and placed it in the floor without turning it on.
-Downloaded the setup software from the fitbit website to my macbook and run it.
-Logged into my previously created fitbit account.
-I turned on the scale by quickly stepping on it and steeping off.
-Then the software on the computer asks you if you want to use the wifi network you computer is using, and that's it. It will automatically find the scale and use your previously stored password to set it up. (if you have other wi-fi networks close to you, remember to put the scale as close to your router as possible. Your router has to be b/g compatible.)
*Scale
-I ordered the black glass scale and it looks good. When you step up, it weights you and recognizes the user to give you a fat %. Online you can look at your BMI and fat vs. lean mass.
Guests users will only see their weight because there is no height to calculate a fat%.
I think it is very accurate when it comes to fat% by "bio-electrical impedance analysis" versus my skin fold calculations.
*Important note:
It's important that you weight yourself at the same time everyday. I would recommend as soon as you wake up as a good daily reference. The Bio-electrical analysis depends on the electrical conductivity of your body (fat is not a good conductor). So remember that if you are dehydrated your conductivity is less (increasing your fat%), or if you have to much water in your system it will increase your conductivity (decreasing your fat%).
This is not a medical equipment, don't expect an exact result.
Read Best Reviews of Fitbit Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale Here
*Edited to clarify my use of BMI & fat percentage as interchangeable concepts*Fitbit has the exact approach that I am looking for in fitness devices: worry free. I embraced the fitbit pedometer philosophy of set up and then update a journal wirelessly. It works for me.
So when the FitBit Aria was introduced and I got past the sticker shock, I realized it was a necessary addition for me given my lifestyle and infinite fitness procrastination. Rather than manually entering weight numbers (what a chore!) this gadget inputs it for me.
Yes, it makes a difference. It also helps that it is very sleek looking and sexy (for a scale). And it seems to work from a quite a distance (dependent on your wifi network strength) and does not require any other antennas.
Why four stars? Because it galls me to admit that the simple action of input weight numbers manually is often too much for me. But for that e-link, there are lower cost options like "Eatsmart Precision Plus Digital Bathroom Scale" ($36.95) or the fancier "Ozeri Touch 440 lb Digital Bath Scale" ($48.95); both are well reviewed. That is over a $70 premium for an e-link.
Setup is very easy, I don't understand what problems other reviewers are having. The issue may be that getting to the actual download site is not as intuitive as it should be. You can use any of these options listed at this link (I hope this link gets thru the Amazon link police. If not, simply google "Aria Scale Set-up Questions" and select the fitbit link).
help.fitbit.
comI think that the link above is far more useful than the "manual". I used the PC zip file and there was no issue.
There are a couple of things that are not intuitive but still easy:
1. If you have multiple users you have to set up on one account and then send emails to invite the others. Up to eight fitbit users can hook up to it. The steps are as follows:
(i) Administrator is the first person set up
(ii) Administrator has to send an email invite from the dashboard
(iii) The new person has to accept email invite
(iv) The new person has to go on the scale and take a measurement it will log as "guest" on the web log
(v) then the administrator has to go into the measurements on their FitBit account and assign that new "guest" weight measurement to the new person (there is a pull-down menu option). Maybe the person can self-assign at the scale but if that option was available we missed it and had to go back to the admin's account.
(vi) After that, all future weight measurements go just to that person.
(vii) Note that the person's privacy settings do apply but only after the administrator has assigned that measurement to that person.
2. The scale figures out who is on the scale and confirms by displaying the initials after it gives you the weight and body fat in percent.
3. If the scale can't figure out who you are then it asks you to choose from options. so far it easily identifies everyone so I have not seen this actually in use.
4. if you are not one of the registered people then it will assume you are a guest and simply mark you as such.
5. you can't see the other's weights unless they share it (guests do not have that option).
6. it seems to have a great wi-fi range so I have not had issues with that.
7. it is not intuitive how you get to the scale from the dashboard. under devices (right hand side under "app gallery learn more" icon), there is a "Devices" panel. In rather light letters you will see that "Scale" has been added to the right of "Tracker" (if you have a FitBit pedometer). That is how the administrator (the first person to set up) can get to the scale settings.
8. Fat Percentage is a little gimmicky in my opinion. Consumer Reports will not even rate Fat Percentage scales because the technology is inherently inaccurate (google "why CR doesn't test body fat scales"). Even the best bathroom scales have a 5% error margin or more in body fat readings. I don't know the Aria's accuracy but after using it for nearly two weeks I would say that I have seen a 5% fluctuation that I cannot entirely explain. Now that I am following the tips below, it seems to be giving a steady and more consistent reading. Consistent does not mean accurate. If someone has more data on Aria fat percentage accuracy then please do add your comments.
TIPS FOR BEST FAT PERCENTAGE READINGS
a. Best to use fat percentage to measure progress as the readings are not entirely accurate. Reviews on other scales have linked fat percentage accuracy to price, so maybe Aria is more accurate than most.
b. Measure yourself at the same time of day and under the same conditions. Some advise to drink the same amount of water one hour before each measurement and most advise to not do it when dehydrated (like after exercising). I just do it first thing in the morning.
c. If you are so inclined, try the gold standard "DEXA Scanning" or "hydrodensitometry" (water immersion). I am not that fanatical. Honestly, for me, even 5% accuracy is just fine. Those other tests go for $40 $75 and can be done at health clubs and doctors' offices.
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I have searched the web and now I see some of you on Amazon are having the same problems with this scale. I began the scale setup process, which is 4 steps. Each time the scale would get to step 4, waiting for confirmation from fitbit.com, the scale displays a "WiFi ERR" message on the LED screen. I looked at my firewall and I placed the scale in the DMZ of my network. No luck!! This scale is compatible with IEEE 802.11b and I had that covered also. Finally, I decided to try the scale in stand alone mode. Immediately, the scale read my weight, but did not give me any feedback on my body fat nor BMI. I did some research and realized that you had to be barefooted. Again I tried the scale (barefooted of course), no luck again. So today, I will be returning the scale because I think it has a defect. I am disappointed because the scale is expensive and fitbit does not have chat assistance nor a phone help line. Also, I sent my log files to support@fitbit.com, and I did not receive a confirmation that my help case was opened or my message was received. They really need to revamp their customer support.
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