“The Etekcity ESF00+ Smart Fitness Scale tracks a tremendous amount of data and syncs with multiple fitness apps to help you see even the smallest changes.”
- Tracks tons of data
- Connects with multiple fitness apps
- Set up multiple profiles
- Measures in 0.1 pound increments
- Slippery when wet
- Doesn't record data if your phone isn't nearby
May is National Fitness Month, which has us thinking about personal fitness. How do you know what kind of shape you’re in and if you’re making any progress when the numbers on the scale barely move an ounce? Sure, getting out of breath easily is a pretty good sign you’re not in the best shape — but does it really provide a lot of insight into your overall fitness level, except for the fact you need to get in shape? The answer: Not so much. If you love data and tracking every little part of your health journey, then it’s time to invest in a smart body scale like the Etekcity ESF00+ Smart Fitness Scale.
Data-rich design
The ESF00+ scale is what we’d call sleek. The white scale with its rounded edges features 8mm tempered glass on top for a polished look. It would fit right into any high-end modern bathroom with ease. Measuring 1-inch by 14.8-inches by 11.8-inches, it’s a bit wider than a standard scale. It’s also fairly lightweight, so it’s easy to move around the house. At the base of the scale, off to the right a bit, is a MicroUSB port used for charging the scale. A MicroUSB to USB conversion cable is included in the box. There’s also a tape measure, so you can track the inches as they fall away.
The real showstopper is the black middle panel on the scale. Once you step on the scale, you can view all sorts of data, including the percentage of fat, muscle, water, and bone. There’s also data on your weight (tracked down to 0.1 pounds), basal metabolic rate (BMR), and body mass index (BMI data). At the bottom of the black panel are BMI ToolTips — these are essentially bars that light up red and green to alert you if you’re in the right zones. If you see some red bars, that means some of your body’s composition is in “Excess.” The app will show a detailed breakdown of what areas are in excess, high, low, or standard.
The Etekcity scale uses the VeSync app to record and track data. VeSync is a hub where you can add smart home devices from Etekcity, Cosori, and Levoit. You can even set up rooms and multiple users.
It will also sync data with Apple Health, Fitbit, Google Fit, Samsung Health, and MyFitnessPal. During setup, the app asks if you’d like to share the data with any of those other apps. In our tests, it did offer to connect to Apple Health, Fitbit, and MyFitnessPal. It probably didn’t offer to connect with the other options because we used an iPhone.
Setup and installation
Setting up the Etekcity Smart Fitness Scale couldn’t be easier: Take it out of the box, peel the instructions off the face of the scale, and charge. It charges completely in about three hours. I went through that process about a month ago, and still haven’t had to charge it again even with daily use.
Connecting it to the app is a breeze. It synced immediately, then requested that we assign it a room and customize the scale icon (we didn’t, we like the generic scale picture.) The app asks a few general questions about age, height, and gender, and then you’re ready to go. The unit activates the moment you step on it. You can see the scale’s smarts at work as it takes a moment to register the weight and other data mentioned above.
The scale uses bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) technology to estimate your body’s composition. Basically, when you step on the scale, it sends tiny electronic currents through the body to analyze key biometric measurements. Don’t worry, you don’t feel a thing. What that does is provide the app with some general information about you, including:
- Weight
- BMI
- Body fat
- Fat-free body weight
- Subcutaneous fat
- Visceral fat
- Body water
- Bone mass
- Muscle mass
- Protein
- BMR
- Metabolic age
You can track this data with the app on the phone and see your progress in those categories. You can also send the data to a friend or medical professional via email. If your phone isn’t nearby and the app isn’t open when you step on the scale, it won’t track the data. That’s the only real bummer, but you can still look down at the scale and see some of that data if you have decent eyesight — though those red bars at the base of the display are hard to miss.
Our take
Overall, we like the Etekcity scale and the massive amounts of data it provides, though you definitely need real medical equipment to accurately measure all the data it collects. Still, having some kind of a baseline is useful — especially if you’re trying to get into shape and see no real progress initially. In that vein, we absolutely loved the 0.1-pound increments and the composition of our weight. After a couple of weeks of working out, we could see that the muscle mass number increased.
Is there a better alternative?
If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, the Wyze Scale S provides a fair amount of data and costs a lot less. That’s a solid option as a starting model, but if you’re committed to a weight loss regime and want to see more data, invest in a smart scale like this Etekcity unit.
How long will it last?
Scales can last a long time — at least a few years. The Etekcity ESF00+ comes with a two-year warranty. If you start to get inaccurate readings or are finding issues with the display, or it doesn’t hold its charge for long, those are all signs it’s time to look for a new scale.
Should you buy it?
Smart scales range in price from as low as $20 to over $150. At about $60, this Etekcity scale is right in the middle. It provides a lot of data, an easy way to track and share it, and it looks good, too.
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