Okay, so I bought the iHealth HS5 and loved most of it. (See previous post.) However, I hated the app, the site, and the “cloud.” Hated them enough to return the scale. I am back to weighing myself holding Britny to see how much she weighs. That was actually my favorite part.
Since I returned the iHealth HS5, I bought the Fitbit Aria at my local Kohl’s. This is what I know so far.
- It is not accurate on carpet.
- It feels substantial and well made, not plastic and fragile.
- It is very easy and fast to setup, and the app guides you through the setup (no paper guide required).
- The same app for all Fitbit products; app is user-friendly and has a clean, minimalist design.
- Does not seem to calibrate quickly, as the iHealth did after several weigh-ins.
- Very fast user recognition, measurements and upload.
- Standard scale size, as opposed to the much larger iHealth HS5.
So, some good things, some not so good. So far, it has not given me the same exact set of numbers twice in a row (if the same weight, not the same body fat %, or vice versa). Also, it does not recognize Britny, as she only weighs about 22 lbs. Will check on that again, as it should track from 20 lbs. up. I like it better than the iHealth HS5, only on the basis that it is functional because the software/app/website behind it is functional and user-friendly.
I will post further once I have had time to truly appreciate its pros and cons.
Updated 8/26/2014 –
- It will weigh Britny, if I wait for it to say “Step On” and then she sit on it fully.
- It needs to be in a somewhat permanent location. If you move it from one place to another then you need to recalibrate it (3-5 weigh-ins), and if you store it sideways you also need to recalibrate it (5-7 weigh-ins).
- If you sync your FitBit app to other apps or websites (i.e. MyFitnessPal), then the first weigh-in is sent to them, which is a problem if you have to recalibrate. However, this is easily fixed by deleting the calibration weigh-ins from the Weight dashboard on your FitBit app, not the Aria measurements.
Other than the recalibrating, which be easily solve by finding the Aria a permanent placement, I have come to like it significantly better than the iHealth HS5, and again it has practically everything to do with the software integration issues. iHealth should really work on their platform, as it is … pathetic.