It’s been a few months since Garmin announced their Index WiFi Scale (at $149), so it’s time to dive in on an in-depth review and see how things have shaped up. Most importantly: Is the scale worth the premium over others on the market?
While Garmin has a long (and mixed) history of scale integration with 3rd parties via ANT+ scales, this is actually the first scale they’ve made themselves. And unlike those past scales, this one is all about WiFi. Sure, it has ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart – but only for setting it up.
I’ve been using the scale now for a few months, so I’ve got a pretty good idea of how well it works. Like always, I’ll be sending the loaner scale back to the folks at Garmin here shortly. So, if you found what you read here useful, consider using the links on the side to support the site.
With that – let’s begin!
Unboxing:
The scale comes in a box not unlike most other scale boxes. Except, this one is lime green.
On the back, there’s the circle of life logo. This serves to remind you that the extra 18 chicken wings you ate at the Super Bowl after the generous helping of 9-layer dip will require more than just a walk around the block to clear out.
Cracking open the box you’ll find the scale wrapped in a protective sleeve. It’s also got a paper manual sitting atop it:
Below that you’ll find four little black pods. These are for use on carpet. If you only have hard wood/tile/etc floors, you can throw these at unsuspecting people within your household. There’s also four AA batteries.
If we unwrap the scale, here’s the prettiness that we get:
Ok, with that in mind, let’s get this thing setup.
Setup & Configuration:
While the scale is wireless, it is not powerless. For that you’ll need to grab those four AA batteries that came with it, and crack open the compartment door on the back of it.
You’ll also notice two buttons/sliders right near it. One button allows you to change between stones (weird British thing), pounds (weird American thing), and kilograms (everyone else on earth).
The other button is for triggering a reset and/or pairing of the scale. Before getting all press-happy though, you’ll need to know that in order to setup the scale you have to have either a computer (with the ANT+ adapter), or a mobile phone on iOS/Android/Windows Phone. If you lack at least one of those things, I really can’t help you.
In my case, I’m going to use the Garmin Connect Mobile app for my phone. But I’ve also done the computer route too. Once you’ve got the app open you’ll search for a new device, and specifically, the Index Smart Scale:
Now is the time you finally get to press some buttons. Or rather, one button. On the back of your scale go ahead and press that little reset button to get the scale all excited. This may or may not be the first time someone has thrown a wrench at you for pressing their buttons.
The app will find the scale via Bluetooth Smart, and then confirm pairing with it:
A few seconds later it’ll complete pairing and then go on to ask you for your name. This is the name that’s displayed on the unit itself when you step on (so multiple people can use it). It also needs you to validate height and gender, so it can do its math magic around other metrics.
Next, it’s time to pick out a WiFi network. Typically, you’ll choose your own here:
Then it asks you for the password:
Note that the scale won’t work with WiFi networks that require you to sign-in (such as at a hotel). And while we’re at it, note that it does indeed require WiFi. The Garmin Index scale DOES NOT transfer weight data over Bluetooth Smart or ANT+. Both of those channels are ONLY used for setup. Again, it must connect to a WiFi network to be useful.
With that – we’re setup and ready to roll!
In the event you have others in your family, you can invite them to use the scale. This allows their Garmin Connect accounts to tie into the scale. Garmin supports up to 16 people to use the scale at once (making it appropriate for the Brady Bunch, or your entire tri team). But more on that in a later section.
(In case you’re wondering, the scale can only remember one WiFi network at a time. I actually brought it with me while travelling in November and December, pairing it to my phone at the time. And then re-pairing it back when I got home.)
The Basics:
Now that the setup is done – here comes the complex part: Stepping on the scale. I know, there are so many ways you could approach this. From the left…or the right. Or just stepping straight on top. But no matter how you mount your scale, the result is the same: It wakes up and tells you your weight.
You need not kick it first to zero it (though sometimes I do). Rather, you just get on. Within 1-2 seconds it’ll have your weight and blink it at you. It’s exceedingly quick.
Next, it’ll ask you your name. Why? Well, because it needs to validate that before giving you other body metrics. It’ll take its best guess at who you are, and as long as your weight and others in your household are semi-far apart, it’ll likely nail it. But if you’re within a few pounds of each other then you’ll just tap your foot until you see your name listed.
Once that’s done it’ll come back to you with additional metrics. A small icon along the button indicates which metric it’s showing you. It goes left to right, and the first is BMI:
Then, it shows you Body Fat Percentage:
Then Water Percentage:
Then Muscle Mass:
Then finally Bone Mass:
Meanwhile, along the top you’ll see a small progress bar, this indicates the unit uploading via WiFi to Garmin Connect. When it’s done – it’ll give you a little checkbox, and then shortly afterwards turn off.
And with that – the entirety of the scale’s hardware capabilities has been written about. Donzeo.
But wait – what about accuracy?
Well, that’s where things get tricky. First, because the scale doesn’t record more than two measurements for the same time, that makes it tricky for me to just get on and off the scale 10 times in a row to see how consistent it is and have that data recorded (a common complaint among smart scales in general). Still, despite my lack of automated means – I did step on and off the scale numerous times, and would get the same values. So, that’s a good sign.
Next, how does it compare to other scales? Well, I’ve got about a dozen scales floating around the DCR Cave right now. But focusing on the most comparable models (Fitbit Aria & Withings WS-50), I was getting either identical weight values, or within .1-.2 pounds. Pretty common, and actually in-line with what I saw years ago when I did scale testing.
Finally – if I look at metrics like body fat and muscle mass, those are at least staying consistent (within 1-2%). Given I haven’t changed much, this is to be expected. What I’ve seen in the past is that while these metrics may not be absolutely accurate, they are at least consistent. Ultimately though, for me I don’t put much value in these extended metrics using electro impedance like other scales (nor do I put much value in people using calipers, most folks screw that up – despite having done it ‘hundreds’ or ‘thousands’ of times).
App & Website:
There are essentially two main ways to view your data from the weight scale: From the Garmin Connect website, and from the Garmin Connect Mobile phone apps (iOS/Android/Windows Phone). And technically, on Windows desktops, you can also use the Windows Universal app to also view the data too.
Starting with the website and on the dashboard view, you’ll see a widget of your weight, as well as a small graph. You can customize the graph to add a specific weight goal, as well as change the week.
Meanwhile, on the scale widget, you can jump in to invite other users, or tweak some basic user settings (such as height, gender, time zone etc…).
Next, if we click on the ‘weight’ option, we can dive deeper into the data and charts. The first and default chart is your weight chart. It simply plots your weight against various time frames that you can adjust (7 days, 4 weeks, 6 months, 12 months).
However, you can also click the drop-down box to change to other metrics from the scale:
Meanwhile, along the bottom are the given data points from your scale. You can see each metric that’s recorded by the Index Scale, as well as the date. You can also manually add your weight if you know it (such as while travelling).
Lastly on the site you can add a ‘Goal’ metric, which simply shows up as a black line on all your graphs. You can see below I added a goal at 175lbs, and then it added a black line there. Goals can only be added for weight, not for other categories (i.e. BMI, Body Fat, etc…).
All of this data looks basically the same on the mobile app. You’ll dive through a number of layers (why it can’t be added to the main health dashboard is a little odd), and get down to the Weight options:
From there you can change the view, but the default will show you the averages for the past 7 days, and then below that you can click on any individual measurement to get details for it.
Everything is pretty straightforward here. The one thing that is missing however is the ability to export your weight scale data (something both Fitbit and Withings provide). I would think a very simple CSV export of date/weight metrics would be perfect.
Device Integration:
One of the chief complaints about Garmin devices in the past has been that it doesn’t ‘pull’ data from Garmin Connect back to the device itself. For example, your weight data. If you updated your weight on Garmin Connect, it would never update on your watch.
However, that’s no longer the case.
Back in the November/December timeframe I noticed that my weight started being correct on my devices. It used to be that I pretty much just set the same weight across all my devices, and I’d fluctuate +/- 2-3 pounds within that weight depending on the workouts I did. However, now, it correctly updates every time it syncs.
Or at least, every time it syncs via the mobile app. It does not appear to sync my existing weight when I connect via Garmin Express (desktop), nor via WiFi.
That may be because the sync is actually happening on the mobile app. You’ll notice there’s a ‘User Settings’ option under the devices menu. So it appears that it’s that little bit of connective tissue there that’s pulling it all together.
While I haven’t tested every device out there, that menu does appear on the Fenix3/Fenix3HR, FR230/235/630, and Vivosmart HR. It probably now appears on numerous others.
Of course, the singular benefit of this functionality is that your calorie counts will be slightly more correct. Obviously, it’s rather negligible for your calories if your weight goes from 178lbs to 176lbs. However, if your goal is to lose weight (and a lot of it), then it’s handy that the device is lock-step with your scale.
Other Users:
You can add up to 16 users on the Index Scale, where each person’s data is tied to a Garmin Connect account. Note that other scales have tapped out at 8-12 users. So in order to be a user on the scale, you must have an account on Garmin Connect. Not that it’s a tough requirement, creating an account is free and only takes a second.
Once that’s done, the ‘owner’ of the scale can go ahead and ‘invite’ other people, either via the desktop app or the mobile phone app. You’ll find a list of your ‘connections’ (friends), or you can just search for people.
Once invited, they’ll show up in your list of users:
Then, over on the account that you invited, you’ll go ahead and accept the invitation and specify your height/gender/etc (likely already there from your Garmin Connect settings). You’ll notice it asks for a weight; that’s to allow it to figure out who you are automatically as a guesstimate. Once you weigh-on once, it’ll then update that field automatically.
From there it’s as simple as standing on the scale like before, and then it’ll auto recognize you based on your weight. If it fails to do that, you can simply select your name from the list of names on the scale.
3rd Party Integration:
This will be a very short section. At present, Garmin does not have any integration enabled for 3rd parties except MyFitnessPal – and even that doesn’t seem to work consistently.
Unlike other companies in the space (everyone else being Under Armour, Fitbit, Withings), Garmin doesn’t have an API that allows any 3rd party to tap into the data. As such, other apps can’t get your weight data, making it rather limited.
This is especially odd because the person most likely to purchase the (more expensive) Garmin Index Scale is the person who already has multiple pieces of Garmin gear. Thus, within that line of thinking, that same person is likely to be data hungry/savvy and using 3rd party platforms like Training Peaks, Strava, or Sport Tracks to manage their training. Yet, those are the platforms that Garmin does not currently transmit weight to.
While no doubt MyFitnessPal is huge in terms of tracking calories and weight, given the integration doesn’t seemingly work half the time, it seems like a missed opportunity. Plus, with Withings scales being sub-$100, most folks are just going to go that route anyway for weight in MyFitenssPal. As I don’t believe most folks will care about the advanced metrics like muscle mass.
Either way – there’s really no excuse for Garmin not offering 3rd parties the weight data (nor any ability for you to export it out yourself). They already have the platform (Garmin Connect Auto Sync) setup to do exactly this. To simply send the weight .FIT file to 3rd parties along with the activity .FIT files is trivial. Yet still, three months after release – nothing has changed there.
Bugs & Quirks:
Now, the Garmin Index scale is not without its oddities. For the most part, it does exactly what you ask to it do: Confirm your suspicions that you’ve eaten too much pizza.
Weighing more than once per day: However, there are some undesirables within it. Most notable is that it doesn’t record more than one measurement per day per user. So if I step on the scale prior to a long run in the morning, it’ll record that value to Garmin Connect. But, if I step on the scale again after my run – then the earlier data record is oddly discarded – keeping only the last data point per day.
Garmin says they’re working to enable multi-point recordings, but don’t have a specific timeframe for implementation. It sounds like it may still be a few months away.
Setup: Some folks have had issues with WiFi setup and connectivity. In my case, I did not have issues on a final production unit. However, I did have troubles earlier on. It appears that almost all setup/configuration troubles folks have had were in the first few weeks of the product. Subsequent software updates (mostly on the phone apps), have made that process pretty solid.
MyFitnessPal: While Garmin has a partnership with MyFitnessPal to sync weight data, it seems to work sporadically. Sometimes the weight shows up, sometimes not. And sometimes it shows up days later without explanation.
No Athlete mode: While not a huge issue to most, there lacks an athlete mode, which means that some bio-impedance metrics like body fat % can be inaccurate on those who are super-active.
As you can see, it’s not a huge list of quirks, but minor things to be aware of.
And, ultimately my original post pretty much holds just as true now as it did a couple of months ago. Your choice in scale really comes down to where you have your data, and which devices you currently use.
While there are additional features like muscle mass and body fat on some – the accuracy of such metrics is questionable at best. So for me, I’m just focusing on weight. If my weight is right, and if I’m exercising regularly – everything else falls into place.
And again, for me, the lack of the ability for Garmin’s scale to sync to sites like Training Peaks makes it far less appealing than others such as the Withings Scale. On the flip-side, if you don’t use 3rd party platforms and only use Garmin Connect, then the Garmin Scale is pretty much a one-stop shop (albeit one that’s more expensive than other options).
Lastly, in that other comparison post I do talk to some of the more creative ways to get a 3rd party scale’s data (like Fitbit and Withings) into Garmin Connect. So you do still have cheaper options.
Said another way: There’s nothing wrong with the Garmin Index Scale hardware – it’s solid. It’s the backend software that makes it a harder sell for many athletes.
Summary:
So – do you get the Garmin Index Scale or not? Basically, it all comes down to one question: What platform are you using to monitor your weight, and do you want the extra advanced metrics? If that platform is Garmin Connect, and if you want those advanced metrics – then the Index Scale is solid and generally works well.
However, if you don’t care about advanced metrics and you use other platforms for your weight – then you can save a bunch of money and get a Withings or Fitbit scale. They’re just as easy to use and provide the same base weight data.
Which isn’t a slight on the Garmin scale itself – again, it works just fine. It’s quick, efficient, easy to use, and is pretty much trouble-free. Rather, it’s a complaint about the platform. And these days – platforms are everything.
With that – thanks for reading!
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I like the subtlety of “I’ll be sending the loaner scale back” vs. “I’ll be sending the loaner scale back and getting my own” as in other reviews. But let’s assume it’s just because you have a pile of scales already. ;-)
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The lack of data syncing to Training Peaks is a killer for me.
Have Garmin given any kind of indication that they’re planning to implement this in the future? As you say, the majority of the software infrastructure is already there, so it would seem relatively trivial to support it. Or is it perhaps a deliberate business decision to keep the users locked in to GC and/or MFP?
Either way, a device that’s only serving a closed-shop doesn’t warrant a premium price-tag to me.
No indication. I’ve asked numerous times and kinda let them know it’s a bit of a deal killer – but from what I’ve heard from both Garmin and other companies interested in integrating, there’s no movement at all going on with that front.
That’s disappointing, I really hope they reconsider this.
If I still have to manually enter my data into TP every morning then they’re hardly doing any better than my current dumb scales that cost <10% of what these retail for.
You state that the ability for data syncing with 3rd parties is already in place and have noted (correctly I think) that the lack or sync is a deal breaker for many.
What is your best guess for Garmin’s strategy in deciding to keep this closed?
What would be Garmin’s strategy to open this up if…
A. Other companies just aren’t interested right now?
B. Footing the bill to integrate to other companies’ websites cost more than the revenue generated by extra scales sold?
A) But other companies are. We know Sport Tracks is, as is Training Peaks (since they do it for other scales today). And, we know consumers are (which is really what counts).
B) The cost to integrate is virtually non-existent for Garmin. The Garmin Auto Sync service could easily just send the Weight.fit files to 3rd parties just like it sends activities. In fact, they likely added code to keep that from happening automatically.
…but then people that don’t even use Garmin products otherwise would buy the scale too which wait. That would just be good for consumers and Garmin! I’ve got nothin Ray. C’mon Garmin.
Only a year late to this discussion. But just on the subject on Garmin connecting to 3rd party apps. Bizarrely although there’s no problem with other Garmin products the Index fails to sync from Garmin Connect to MFP. However if weight is added manually into MFP it will sync (backwards) clearing Connect of all data except the new weight. Kind of useless
We inquired with the Garmin API team about 3rd party sync support and they responded that there are no plans to allow synching Smart Scale data to any platform other than Garmin Connect.
Looking at the picture with all the scales they all look similar style-wise and it wouldn’t surprise me if they were all coming out of the same factory hence the consistent readings across products (maybe same error too).
Ray do you know if this is the case?
Hmm, hard to say, but I doubt it. I think it comes down to them all using the same tech, and that the environment is pretty straight forward. Meaning, putting a device in the bathroom and weighing it isn’t hard or complex engineering. And, electrical impedance is generally well understood (even if easily tricked).
You said that from the end of last year the weight in your garmin devices is being updated Ehen syncing via the app.
This doesn’t work with my devices. Is there anything within the settings I missed?
You need to sync via the Garmin Connect Mobile app. I don’t know if it’ll work on all devices, but if you check the ‘Devices’ option within the GCM app, and if there’s a ‘User Settings’ option, it’ll likely sync automatically. Not all devices have that option.
I am using a Withings WBS01 that I have had for years. I believe that it syncs with MFP which, in turn, syncs my weight with Garmin Connect. Whatever path this information follows, today’s weight always auto-magically uploads to both my fenix3 and VSHR. I guess, in this sense, my aging Withings scale actually works better than the Garmin one as it never fails to sync with MFP and will update my Garmin devices as often as I weigh in and sync them.
Not surprisingly, my Edge 705 dies not get automatic weight updates.
On ours we’ve noticed it will not provide metrics, other than weight, for our 10 year old son. He’s only about 5′ 1″ and bounces between 97-100 lbs. I’ve tried modifying his birthdate to make him older than 18, thinking it may be a child privacy issue, but that didn’t change anything. Now I’m beginning to believe it may be tied to his weight being too low some other aspect i’ve not thought of. Thoughts?
In any event we have loved ours and we are pretty much a Garmin family so it integrates well overall. Although my son gets mad at the scale when it shows he has went below 100 lbs again. I keep telling him time and Mother Nature will definitely fix that issue.
Any ideas on how the **** to get the firmware to update? I have had the software update notice for a fortnight now…… “Index Smart Scale, Version 2.50” just cannot get it on!
It updates by it’s self tru the WiFi connection. My scale arrived yesterday and after setting it up i got a FW update notice in my Garmin Connect. After using it this morning and checking my connect the notice was gone, i checked the scale (remove one battery and put it back in) i saw it was on 2.50.
Any luck with this yet? I think I have a similar issue. My GarminConnect says that version 2.50 has been available for a while now, and my scale has been on 2.40 since I set it up about a month ago (i just checked the scale by doing the battery in/out move described by Mario K here. Will this update automatically through the wifi eventually, or should I go through the set-up process again?
The real body mass (not water, food and recycled food) doesn’t fluctuate in a single day anyway. Even weekly measurings are enough if the training and food intake is consistent. Why would someone obsess about weighing more in the evening compared to the morning is beyond me.
Weighing less after exercise allows you to monitor sweat and fluids so is useful. Weighing multiple times a day just to find your weight would be pointless as far as I can see.
Exactly, especially for those living in hot/humid environments. For example, when living in Washington DC for long runs, it was very common that I’d come back 5-7lbs lighter. By looking at my weight before/after a long run on a hot day (which is every day between April and October), I could judge how well I hit hydration. It’d also serve as a reminder for other factors during recovery too.
Good post Ray but I believe your conclusion is wrong in a slightly subtle way. If the platform were lacking that might be forgivable. You and I both know the platform is just fine though and fully capable. Someone at Garmin has made a very deliberate decision to be anti-competitive here and disable various functions that the developers have probably had to comment out. Apple health integration works. They chose not to enable weight sync. Web platform sync works, they chose not to enable weight sync. I’d suggest a better conclusion is vote with your wallet and send a message that in 2016 that’s not OK any more. I agree for some it makes sense to buy, but only because Garmin are being douche bags with their API!
I don’t disagree. I tried to aim for a phrasing that didn’t have douchey in it however ;):
“Either way – there’s really no excuse for Garmin not offering 3rd parties the weight data (nor any ability for you to export it out yourself). They already have the platform (Garmin Connect Auto Sync) setup to do exactly this. To simply send the weight .FIT file to 3rd parties along with the activity .FIT files is trivial. Yet still, three months after release – nothing has changed there.”
I think in this case it deserves to be phrased like that. Someone at Garmin has made a very clear choice against playing nicely and they need to be told what a dumbass that makes them. Unfortunately you have to be a nit nicer than that, but hopefully Garmin read these comments and us customers can be as direct as we want. I like Garmin generally, I have thousands of pounds worth of their kit for boating, biking, driving, hiking, running, swimming, but honestly it annoys me that they are preventing my Withings scale sending weight data inwards, and that when they did eventually decide to join the bandwagon and offer their own scale it doesn’t support third parties. As I said, in 2016 that’s really not OK when it’s a business decision. If it were the case that they had a boatload of work to do to enable this then fine but that’s not the case.
It wasn’t really a comment on the article, you clearly did mention it. It was just that one line in the summary saying the platform is the issue, as you said elsewhere the platform is just dandy :)
keep in mind, Garmin is a company makes most of their income in selling hardware, for them (in a business logic) it makes very little sense to open data to 3rd parties as the ones who are using Garmin Connect mostly have already an Garmin device hence it would not attract other ‘potential’ users outside, to buy a new Garmin device, on the other side companies like Fitbit (even owning today most of their revenues with some would say overpriced activity trackers) spending a huge amount of efforts on the software experience side to attract customers into their ecosystems that is not ultimately based on hardware revenues only
What you’re saying does not support your argument.
At the moment Garmin have it completely backwards, in that you can spend your money on another company’s hardware and get that data wherever you like (including Garmin Connect) but if you spend your money on the Garmin Index then you’re locked into their system.
Yes, I’m already a Garmin customer and use Garmin Connect, but they’re discouraging me from buying more of their hardware (i.e. this scale) by locking it down to their own platform that’s not making them any money.
what I meant was if you buy today an competitor scale you won’t get the automatic weight updates to your watch (as with the Index scale) nor the additional metrics into garmin connect so for you as garmin customers they pave you the way in saying if you spend this money they give you these extras but they only do this in selling their scale to you hence it’s less likely if Garmin would open this for other scales as their own as you would probably not buy their more expensive scale then
The not integrating weight and the other metrics with TrainingPeaks/sportstracks/etc part is what is confusing me the most. What do they have to gain there? Those companies only provide analytical software and really don’t threaten Garmin’s market share at all as far as I can tell. The only things I can think of are that A) if a company that garmin intends to compete against (ie. UA) has already subscribed to their auto sync service, they might currently have no way of preventing them from getting the weight, B) garmin wants to capture the new user market in their ecosystem and finally C) while it seems far fetched, maybe Garmin has designs on getting into the analytics market.
I’ve literally bought dozens of Garmin fitness products dating back to the FR305 but without hesitation this was the worst experience and product I ever bought. I seldom if ever return products but after 3 weeks I had enough. The scale was a mess for me… had to kick it to turn on (50% of the time it wouldn’t turn on if you just stood on it first), setup was a mess (albeit this was early in the launch), the BF% was nearly 7+% lower than displayed for me on competing wifi scales (Aria etc.) and nowhere close to reality because it appears Garmin chose to split the difference of the normal and athlete profiles on other scales. The BF% also was more variable for me day to day then on other scales. MyFitnessPal sync was totally broken the first month after launch and it was “fixed” shortly after the returned the scale but as Ray says it is still intermittent. Having only one weigh in per day without over writing online data is INEXUSABLE on a $150 scale. It’s beyond crazy that I was scared of getting on the scale and ruining my daily morning wake up data point even if I wanted to weigh myself before and after a run etc. It’s a total mess and this is coming from a guy who lived with the buggy 405 launch, the buggy edge 510, the buggy GPS accuracy of the 620 at launch, the mess of Garmin connect “modern” launch and more.
The scale for me was the worst fitness product from Garmin ever.
I took mine back. Reasons:
1. Flakey wifi connection despite isolating channels etc.
2. Single reading per day is terrible.
3. Very laggy on the foot tap.
4. Extremely easy for other users to overwrite your daily reading.
Might get it again if the fix it in the future but there is no way I would be waiting for an update to come out given the current state of my Fenix 3’s GPS accuracy.
Have you had any issues with it being extremely sensitive turning on? I just have to walk past my scale and it turns on. I also had it set up next to my trainer (which is on a mat and I wasn’t doing anything intense) and it just constantly cycled through turning on and off until I stopped pedalling.
If I drop something heavy in the same room, it’ll flicker on. But otherwise walking past it doesn’t trigger it. It probably helps that it’s on wood flooring on concrete, so there’s very little play in the floors here.
Been using mine for 2 weeks now.
Not once has it sent the data to MyFitnessPal – 920XT workouts are syncing to MFP so I know my accounts are set up correctly.
What’s worse, if you manually enter your weight in MFP, it overwrites your scale’s data in Garmin Connect deleting the body fat % metrics etc.
Annoyingly in Garmin Connect web, if you want to see run data in miles, you can only view weight data in pounds. Change to kilograms and you get kilometres.
My body Fat % is roughly the same as yours Ray. However I am currently a bit chubby with just a few hours of exercise in the last few months… plus it’s a good 5% below my Tanita scales… so don’t believe it. Use it for trending only.
These are things they can fix but I find it sloppy and disappointing.
I’ve had a similar experience with the withings WS50 on carpet. Even when I placed a 1/4″ piece of plexi glass under it. It does seem pretty accurate now that I have placed a 3/4″ piece of plywood under it. And my carpet isn’t overly thick. But with just the included plastic feet, it was under reporting by a couple of pounds.
Your “few Quirks not a big deal”? Seems like some pretty serious short comings. In particular the only recording saved is the last value of the day. If you weigh yourself after that 20 mile run and are down 5 pounds, that’s going to mess up your data big time. Pretty much making any kind of weight trend useless.
The lack of reliable integration with other sites would also be a deal breaker for me.
I have a ton of Garmin devices but would have to totally disagree with your assessment that that is a good reason to stick with Garmin here. This just doesn’t sound like a competitive product until they fix some of these issues.
The craziest part is it is the most expensive scale in the wifi space too. The list of problems remains huge but I will admit it is likely most could be fixed by firmware updates and software backend changes in time but the scale launched in late November and her we are a couple months later and nothing so far other than improving the setup it seems.
The challenge is that not everyone is like you or I (data focused & multi-platform).
I was actually talking with friends about it last week a bit, walking through the options. Their response was that for them, they weren’t really concerned with those aspects (the lack of 3rd party sync or even the multi-day weigh-ins). For someone just aiming to lose weight and using a Vivosmart HR, it’s actually a pretty good compliment.
And of course, you could use MyFitnessPal as a 3rd party sync engine – but we all know how well that works. Sometimes it breaks (for no reason), and sometimes it’s just a PITA to get working. So for someone that just wants a ‘easy button’ solution, this does fit.
I do try and balance in reviews that my audience is more than just hardcore athletes, but at the same time, I also try and make it clear for each audience to decide whether it’s the right device for them.
Garmin for the past decade has done an amazing ($billion) job threading the product needles, from low end to high end, vertically and horizontally. I’ve complained often about how many $&% models they have, but somehow, the strategy works, and it’s hard to question the profit results.
But… Apple.. Fitbit – these companies are chomping at the fashion / “low” end… And UA is like a beast coming on strong, maybe a year or two. Technically MFP is now a competitor to Garmin, no?? It’s all very interesting.
Ray, it appears that the BMI, bodyfat % and muscle mass only appears if you use the Garmin scale? I have the Withings… Is there a way to get these data uploaded to Garmin Connect? It seems only weight is registered.
as Ray describe in his other post “A Weighty Decision: Deciding on a WiFi Weight Scale”(link to dcrainmaker.com) it only syncs weight via the workaround withings -> fitnesspal -> garmin, the previous post is also a good reado for the whole topic!
Well it’s not just that it doesn’t sync – as Kien suspected you don’t get those fields shown if you don’t connect a Garmin scale to your account, nor can you enter those fields manually (which is really dumb). I’d love to keep track to bf% and enter it manually twice a week, but buying a scale just to get a single parameter unlocked is in the “wtf” zone.
I have exactly the same issue with the Tanita scales that such with the old forerunner but Garmin connect still doesn’t present the information in the app.
Thanks for this review I’ve been waiting for Ray !
You mentionned that “in order to be a user on the scale, you must have an account on Garmin Connect”.
Provided that I have setup the scale correctly for me (so with my account) and let someone else without an account use the scale, will it still work ? I.e. will it still indicate the weight and eventually other metrics without uploading them to Garmin Connect ?
Thanks !
JM
Technically anyone can step on the scale and then it gives the little question mark icon (the one seen in the picture at the beginning of the ‘Summary’ section. However, I can’t really figure out where that data goes. It just seems to evaporate (on a Withings Scale, the unknowns data just goes into a bucket to assign to a user or discard).
Thanks very much, Ray!
Weighing more than once per day issue and Bluetooth only for setup and only wi-fi transfer of data is not written in the manual!
And these things are very, extremely important, I was going to by this today but luckily you wrote the review last night :)
Shame on Garmin!
I’m not aware of any scales that integrate there. In theory with the old MapMyFitness backend, it would have worked behind the scenes (sorta, barely). But now, nothing to my knowledge.
great, thats too bad. The idea of a wifi scale integration is fantastic and something I desire. Possibly a deal breaker. If the FR235 didn’t have so many issues especially given its price tag, I’d be more interested in that rather than the tomtom.
For those of you who are on the fence about getting any scale – get one! I love how easy it is to log in your weights etc daily. I had a Eat Smart Scale for $40 that provides all the functions of this expensive Garmin scale but you can’t beat the convenience of the Garmin.
Ray – on a side note – have you considered adding bullet points of Pluses and Minuses for some of your readers who may be limited on time to read the entire review? Ive been passing your site onto new readers and they appreciate the length of details you offer but perhaps a “quick take” would be a friendly supplement
I do add bullets from time to time in reviews that are pros/cons. The challenge I have is that I find too often people don’t balance the importance of a pro/con.
For example, on this, if I outlined the pros as ‘Just works’ (which it does for me), and left it as that, while listing a bunch of cons about issues with 3rd parties, no weigh-in, etc.., then people for whatever reason see that as a negative product, without reading whether or not it matters. They just look at chunks of text – big vs small.
Of course, it works both ways. Sometimes a single con is a huge one, but not valued as such. It’s sorta the same reason I long stopped giving ratings to products. People just base everything on a single number, without utilizing critical thought. ;)
Ray is totally spot on. The scale is a pleasure if you are stranded in the walled garden. It is trouble free re wifi compared to my first gen Withings scale. link to midpackgear.com
I don’t own the scale yet, still trying to justify the purchase. I had this thought and am wondering if it would be worth the effort or not for being able to have multiple weigh-ins on the same day without messing up the actual trend of your typical weigh-ins.
Would it be worth it to add another user (JB primary and JC secondary) for yourself. You would weigh in as normal to create your base line data point (for that day or week) and then when you need your second weigh in (after a run or workout) in the same day, tell the scale you are the secondary user instead of the primary. It is my understanding that you would need to have a new Garmin connect profile if you actually wanted to track the second weigh ins, which I could see as being a hassle to log into and out of accounts. However, if you didn’t want to track that secondary weigh in you wouldn’t need to do anything, just let the scale deposit it into wifi/Garmin Connect land.
Does this seem like it is something that could work around the multiple weigh-ins until Garmin actually allows you to have multiple data points on the same day? Or would it be too much effort to work around Garmin’s lack of flexibility on the issue?
Just curious. Why would you spend more to go through this hassle vs just getting a Withings? Even before I got a wifi scale, I found Garmin Connect so lacking in the way it handled weight that I was happy to be using non Garmin software to manage this. And I’m heavily invested in Garmin in terms of devices for my family and friends.
I’m also quite invested in Garmin devices (yeah!) and therefore Connect (oh no!) – every time I mulled over getting a non-Garmin device it just didn’t happen out of personal preference on the device site (and I do not see the websites of other big players being better either really). It is a shame that Connect is so underwhelming and more importantly nothing seems to change in Garmin’s approach on improving this; and I’m supporting this dire fact by buying their devices still, my ambivalent decision every time.
So for a Wifi-scale I was thinking of getting a Withings or other non-Garmin – but I know me, if the integration with Connect is not working seamlessly, it’s just not something I’d use getting the data up there.
So the ‘second user’ Garmin scale ‘solution’ came to my mind as well – but I bet for the two-three times I’d weigh myself more than once/day a week there would be at least one time it would be a hassle and I would forget to swipe and get it registered to the wrong account (getting furious, of course ;-). And I would have to scribble the additional e.g. post long run weight data somewhere else anyway.
In the end, I think I’m just better off in keeping doing weight manually and resisting the ‘new toy’ pull here with the scale functionality being what it is…
ekutter-the simple answer is to stay in the Garmin ecosystem. I don’t do enough multiple weigh ins (maybe 3 or 4 times a year just to see a difference after a run) for this to be much of an issue, just wondering if this could be a solution. Long answer is that if I invest in a wifi scale, I would want to be able to see all of the data from the scale on my tracking site. It sounds like I would be able to get the weight data from the Withings to Connect, but not the other metrics that are the reason I want from the scale. Because Connect and Strava are the only websites that I use and I do not want to add another site that I would have to check,I am willing spending more to stay in the Garmin ecosystem. Granted either would be easier than my current set up with a regular scale and manually entering weight into Connect every day.
Mike P- I think we are in the same camp. I am fine with getting the Withings, but not getting all of the data from it into Connect would be my biggest drawback. I too worry about forgetting to switch users, so that is another thing that makes me want to wait and see if Garmin will add the ability to have multiple data points before I jump into the wifi scale game which is hard since the new toy pull is hard to resist.
On the topic of setup. I bought the Garmin Index in January and had a terrible time getting it to connect to my router which included spending about an hour on the phone with Garmin support to no avail. What I finally figured out is that my Linksys WRT 1200AC router was set to mixed mode and not WPA2 due to some old hardware on my network that didn’t play well with WPA2. Once I changed the router setting to WPA2 the setup worked like I had originally expected it to and I have had no issues with the scale. Thought this might help someone who may encounter similar issues.
Hi guys.
Got everything working just fine, no problems. Also, added my wife with a new account without any problem. But… One thing that’s killing me it’s the body fat% reading coming around 9% where it should read around 15%…
Have gone through all the configurations (I can think off) but can’t seem to solve this. Any Ideas? Help, please…
I only wish I had 9%…
Thanks
I have the same issue. It keeps telling me I’m 7.9% body fat which is absurd. I know what I look like when I’m 8% and it’s not how I look right now. Additionally, my Omron scale puts me at roughly double what the garmin says. I reached out to garmin and they said that while it was not a widely reported issue they would try to determine the cause of the readings and a solution.
I wanted to let you know I had the exact same issue and solved it.
My body fat is about 15% and the scale gave me 9% or less.
This has to do with “No Athlete mode: While not a huge issue to most, there lacks an athlete mode”
I believe you actually you can change this setting.
When configuring the scale with my android phone the fist time the last user profile setting was “low med of high” activity.
As I run 5 times a week, and do some other sports I selected “high” and I got a very low fat %.
After this I removed the device from my Garmin account and ran the setup again, this time selecting “med” activity.
Now the scale gives me a fat percentage of 14,8.
So I guess that the “high” setting should only be used for professional athlete’s :-)
I’ve been using the scales since Xmas and have been having issues with the body fat measurements. Although my weight is seems very accurate my body fat measurement fluctuates from 10.3 to 13% daily.
Hi Ray,
you said “In case you’re wondering, the scale can only remember one WiFi network at a time. I actually brought it with me while travelling in November and December, pairing it to my phone at the time. And then re-pairing it back when I got home.”
I’m trying to use mine away from home at the moment where there is no wifi. I had read somewhere you could create a hotspot on your phone and use that to sync. Is that what you did? I managed to do it once but since then the scales refuse to connect to my hotspot (iOS). switching off the phone etc had no effect. And why did Garmin decide not to allow sync via a phone using Bluetooth?
Best wishes, Scott.
Great post. I’ve been eyeing this since it was announced, but am unconvinced even though I’m pretty much 100% Garmin Connect.
The main reason for that is I can’t find a definite answer is if there is a “Guest” mode. I’ll be the only user in the household who will actually be recording data. My wife will probably be interested in checking her bf% every now and then, but doesn’t have a Garmin Connect account and isn’t interested in one. Sister-in-law will probably be the same.
If I’m the only registered user, will the occasional rando’s data be sent to my account? Can you set up a guest mode that won’t upload anywhere, but just display the metrics? That’s assuming, of course, I can convince the guest user to actually select guest in the first place. I figure that if that’s not an option, I can create a dummy Garmin Connect account for guest users and have it dump data to that.
I had thee same question, and after buying and trying the scale, it took a bit of figuring but it definitely does.
In theory the scale should detect that the user on it doesn’t closely match one of the registered users, and display a guest icon (a little dude+question mark). This means you’ll only see the weight, not the other metrics (which require height, gender, etc).
For me, with a brand new scale with, when I weigh myself and log it to my Garmin Connect account it works perfectly. When I weigh someone else 20lb lighter, it decides that person is me, and associates it with me. I assume this will get better with more data history for it to go on.
It’s still possible to get around this though -the trick is to tap with your right toe when it shows the wrong name, and each time it detects the tap it will change to the next user, finally ending up on the guest user.
It needs quite a firm tap, and if you miss it, then you end up with your measurements being overwritten by the other user.
Like I said, from what I read this should improve over time, unless your other user is quite close to you in weight.
Thank you for the review – I do have a question: “How would this type of scale help me lose weight vs a $30 digital scale?”
Let start by saying that I am 51 – 5’ 8” and 220 pounds and have been cycling since the 80s. I am a recreationally cycler and I put in about 50+ mikes a week on and off road. (RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS has slowed me down a bit this year).
In the 90s I raced DH for GT and at 200 back then the weight was mostly muscle mass – now not so much it has moved to the belly!
For the past 4 years I have struggled to get below 215 – calories in vs calories out is not always the formula. Anyway – asa data guy – I am always looking for an edge that might just help me get past this roadblock – thus the reason for my question.
For me, it is consistent tracking (daily first thing in the morning) and graphing. Ignore your daily weight but pay attention to your 7 day average. This gives you relatively quick and accurate feed back if you are on track. Keeps you honest with yourself.
So if you are dedicated enough to log this every single day, the $30 scale is just as good, and maybe better because you are paying more attention to the data. Scales like this will help you not forget to log the data which is huge for most people. But you still need to look at the data. Beyond that, there is no magic to these scales. None of the advanced metrics are going to help you achieve your goals because they aren’t accurate enough.
I agree. I think it all boils down to one thing: Will you actually log what you weight when you weigh yourself.
If you look at that number, and think “Oh, I just had a big meal, that must be it, I’ll skip logging today”, then the $30 scale won’t work. You can mentally pretend it didn’t happen (trust me, I’m a pro at it).
With a connected scale, you can’t. It remembers – instantly, and forever. It’s thus a great motivator when you look a charts for 5 weeks and realize not every day was a big meal.
When I did this last years – I logged everything, food, water, exercise, weight & sleep.
I did so at a granular level – even logging vitamins – I have a fitness tracker for the daily and I use an Edge for all my cycling. Did this for 2 months – it’s a lot of data and even though I am a data programmer by day – it’s was rather overwhelming to try and figure out what to actually do with it, or make any sense out of it?
Now – I just ride, but it would be very nice if I could drop at least 20 pounds and get under 200 – I know this would greatly improve my cycling experience – and really… that’s what this is all about right?
I’m using it for a couple of weeks now. It works fine.
I really mis
1) multiple per day option , as noticed to monitor dehydration.
2) In connect it doesn’t mention the time of measurement (diff. Morning or evenings).
3) Add notes , for example “had a pizzaparty yesterday” to explain fluctuations isn’t possible in connect?
The % of bodyfat is in this scale about 5% less then in other devices i use. :-(
“Weighing more than once per day: However, there are some undesirables within it. Most notable is that it doesn’t record more than one measurement per day per user…”
Well yesterday – I received my scale form Amazon (after a lot of research) and have it all hooked up and running. One of the major reason I picked the Garmin over the others was the ability to have the scale update my account consistently in the morning and then use the scale through the day (before / after an exercise) to see water weight, etc.
Well that is no longer the case – at some point form the time you wrote this review and today – Garmin made a change in the system so that OVERTIME you get on the same it updates your account?
Well that would not be so bad EXCEPT that now when you step on the scale it OVERWRITES any existing data form that day?
So, if your consistently getting not he scale int he morning when you get up to track your weight loss and where that loos is coming from and then get on the scale after fueling and hydrating before a ride – you have now just jacked up your metrics! From a statistical standpoint, this is the dumbest thing they could have done?
I think you misinterpreted Ray’s original comments. It’s always only saved the last measurement of the day. That is one of the things many of us said would be a non-starter with this scale for exactly the reasons you mention.
And it’s not just this scale, it’s Garmin Connect itself. If you have weight from a Withings scale fed to Garmin Connect via MyFitnessPal, it only keeps the latest measurement of the day. With a Withings scale, at least, you can go to the Withings web site/app and see every measurement, but so far as I know, Garmin Connect only ever shows you the last one of the day.
I called Garmin and ask a fairly simple question – I thought.
I asked: “How would you feel if you git up in the morning and did a 60 spinning ride in your trainer, went about your day and then after work took a 2hr road rode ride – but instead of GC recording BOTH rides as individual data – id deleted the earlier ride and only kept the data for the last ride?”
He said: “That would be stupid!”
I asked: “Then why are you doing it for the weight data?”
(Just to be clear, per my original statement in the post, I think Chris just misunderstood what I wrote).
I totally agree, it’s stupid (and why I noted it in the post). I did ask Garmin about it at MWC, and they are working on a fix. They didn’t have a timeframe for that, but I’ll circle back again and see if they can nail down one.
Ray I believe you may need to readdress the following statement
“MyFitnessPal: While Garmin has a partnership with MyFitnessPal to sync weight data, it seems to work sporadically. Sometimes the weight shows up, sometimes not. And sometimes it shows up days later without explanation.”
Yes Garmin has a “partnership with MyFitnesspal to sync data but NOT WEIGHT data.
Garmin has confirmed to me that weight data was NEVER a feature to transfer.
I believe that needs to be clear for buyers of the scale; your data will not transfer. But let’s request it – read below.
Thank you for contacting Garmin International.
The weight information not transferring, is not an issue that needs fixing, it is simply not a feature. I have included a link below, where you can submit an idea to our development team. The more people that make this suggestion, the more likely it will be implemented. You are by no means the first person to ask about weight syncing to MyFitnessPal.
www8.garmin.com/contactUs/ideas/
Now if your calorie information is not syncing, we do have troubleshooting steps for that.
MyFitnessPal:
To disconnect MyFitnessPal:
Garmin Connect Mobile:
Open the app Menu:
Android: Touch the Menu icon (3 horizontal lines in the upper left)
iOS – Touch the ‘More’ icon (bottom right)
Select Settings
Select 3rd Party Apps
Select MyFitnessPal
Garmin Connect website:
Select Menu (3 horizontal lines in the upper left)
Select Calories In/Out
Select Disconnect from MyFitnessPal (small print at the bottom of the page)
MyFitnessPal website:
Sign into the MyFitnessPal account
Select ‘APPS’ near the top of the page
Select Garmin Connect on the right
Click the ‘DISCONNECT’ button
To reconnect MyFitnessPal to Garmin Connect:
Computer:
Select the Menu (3 horizontal lines in the upper left)
Select Calories In/Out
Select Connect to MyFitnessPal
Sign in to your MyFitnessPal account
Mobile application: Reference the following FAQ:How do I link Garmin Connect Mobile to MyFitnessPal?
But we know that’s incorrect (their statement), since there are numerous users here in the comments section having semi-functional weight sync (both in this post, and the preview post). As I noted, sometimes it works…and sometimes not.
MyFitnessPal is owned by Under Armour, who now produces a line of competing devices including a scale.
I think it’s a bit naïve to assume that these tight data partnerships which existed before MFP was bought will continue on, infinitely into the future.
I think this is a case of buyer beware, especially since Garmin has explicitly stated they don’t intend to share weight scale readings with partner apps.
I use both the index scale and myfitnesspal and can tell you for certain that garmin has sent them my weight intermitently for a total of 15 separate days since I got my scale on Jan 12. During that time there was only one period where the weight was sent on consecutive days; 4 straight days from feb 15 to feb 18. Feb 18 is also the last day that weight was successfully received.
Unfortunately there is a bug in Myfitnesspal/Garmin where if you manually update the weight in myfitnesspal it will override the weight data from Garmin and kill the rest of the data in garmin connect.
I found a way to sync index weight to My FitnessPal.
It works, but not straight forward.
In Garmin Connect mobile I go into settings > user settings, tap weight. Make an edit in weight, just scroll back and forth. No need to change the actual weight. Save and go back and out.
MFP will have updated your weight next time you log in.
Well, spoke with Garmin again today and and due to their overly arragont attitide, I’m sending my scale back for a refund.
I have been a long time Garmin supporter, nearly 20 years, and with the issue I have had (and continue to have) with the Edge 1000 and now this – I’m done supporting them!
I’m oddly quite similar stats to you Ray, but on first use of the Garmin I notice the estimation for muscle and bone mass were wildly different between the two (lbs): Bone: 7.3 vs. 15.7 and Muscle: 139 vs. 77.4
Must be different assumptions.
Tanita:
Weight 185.4 lbs
Percent Body Fat 20.9 %
Percent Body Water 53.8 %
Muscle Mass 139.4 lbs
Bone Mass 7.3 lbs
Index:
Weight 185.1 lbs
BMI 25.1
Percent Body Fat 19.4 %
Percent Body Water 58.8 %
Muscle Mass 77.4 lbs
Bone Mass 15.7 lbs
Brad,
I also got both Tanita 1000 plus and garmin index, my muscle mass almost fell in half and bone mass doubled between Tanita and garmin (garmin halfed my muscle and doubled bone mass), same for my wife. I understand Consistent readings is what matters , but can anyone tell which scale reports closer numbers to reality ? Im sure someone weighed the bones of a dead person and there is an acceptable range out there
Hi and thanks for your reviews
But on the same matter FWIW my Garmin scale synced with myfitnesspal this morning 03/8/16 but last time it did it previously was on the 03/02/16.
I like the scale and we are 4 in the family and it auto recognises all of us. I personaly step on the scale when I get out of bed in the mornings. But I like the autolog versus writing it down in a book that my kid splash water on.
I have a ANT+ Tanita BC1000 scal. Garmin Connect app syncs the weight form the web based Garmin connect website, however ignores all other metrics. Is there a way to get Garmin Connect app to register all the other measurements produced from the Tanita scale, like it does for Garmin Index smart scale?
Great website, been following you for ages. Love the mix of tech and fitness.
I just got these scales to replace my Withings ones which died. Apple no longer stock the Withings and Withings do not ship to NZ, so I had to get a refund and replace them with these.
So far, the scales are fine. Connect is a different matter. I have no metrics beyond weight in the app version and on the web version, no drop downs but weight.
I am wondering if this may be a browser issue (Safari) as the drop down boxes on the Garmin Support site are blank too.
Do you have Garmin Connect connected to MyFitnessPal? MyFitnessPal will overwrite all other Index metics if it syncs back to Connect so that only weight exists in Connect. This has been an issue since the Index was released and Garmin and MFP just point fingers at each other…instead of solving the issue.
I did – I have deleted that link and it seems to be working now, thanks. Hope they fix the bug.
I have also noted that it seems not merely to record only one weight per day, but only the first one of each day. It is not replacing that with later weights on the same day.
Also I have had some big discrepancies – 2Kg difference on weighing events only 1 minute apart!
I can not express how satisfied and impressed I am with the Withings scale – it simply does the job that I needed. You can make this machine the part of your daily life once it is in your bathroom.
With no hassle, you would be allowed to track your weight everyday with this helpful kit. I guarentee you that you would be so much helped to maintain your diet and maintain your weight with this Withings scale.
I would instantly buy this scale if Garmin Connect wouldn’t stop third parties from using their API. The 5000$ fee is a bad joke. Posting to their us forums about this topic seems to be a no go. They closed down my thread which should have been located here:
I changed over from the Aria to the Index in January – at the moment I am not amused at all! My first Index Scale would loose the WLAN settings every 3-4 Days. I had to setup the WLan fresh after 3-4 days of use. The Scale would search and find nothing over and over again. Entered the setup menu on my phone and wothout changing anything the WLAN worked again. Not Funny at all.
Tried a different Router, changing the settings in the router with Garmin rep., Using a Devolo Access Point, using an AVM Access point, tried a AVM Repeater and even differnt rooms in the house.
Nothing Helps.
Last week I agreed on a Change out and on Saturday a got the Relacement Scale.
Damn, this one is even worst. It Looses the settings Every morning!
This looks to be a Software bug.
At the Moment I CAN NOT Recommend this Scale to anyone.
I have told so may People in the gym and at work to wait….but the question is, How Long????
GARMIN Fix this Software!
This needs to be said and People need to be aware of the Problems with the Index.
The Forum has a few People with the same Problem and the German Hotline told me the Problem is known…but there is no soulution?
Are we supposed to accept this? seting up the WLAN Network on the scale every day?
Step on, no WLAN, setup, WLAN Network add, exit step on the scale….
I for one am very dissapointed and if this problem is not fixed soon, I will return the scale and start my Aria back up….
My % body fat (24.9%) seems very high compared to my relatively low BMI (20). I am 5ft 5″ and weight 54.5 kg. On other devices I could put in that I exercise a lot and always have done but don’t seem to be able to do this here. Can you do this on the scales or in the app?
This is easily the worst Garmin device (of many) I’ve ever purchased and used. The first one I got never worked right, recording, displaying and reporting only weight and BMI. I sent it back and got a replacement (via Amazon). The 2nd one worked OK (with some erratic behavior) for a few months but in my most recent successful weigh-in it displayed my weight then appeared to reset itself. I can no longer get past the wrench icon. I tried a reset and setting it up via the iOS app with no luck. My initials were lost and when I tried to reestablish them the app repeatedly reports “Network Connection Error” and the scale continues to show the wrench icon. I tried taking the batteries out for several hours then holding down the reset button until the display turned white. This time I had to re-configure my WiFi setting in the app but I ended up in the same situation: “Network Connection Error” and a persistent wrench display on the scale.
I replaced a FitBit Aria (which never gave me any trouble) with this scale so all my activity and health data would be in one place (Garmin Connect) but sadly I’m again missing my weight and related data.
I paid too much money for something of such poor quality.
After owning it for a month there are two huge problems:
1. My 2 year old has stepped on it and it decided that was me (~145lb) automatically. Which makes no sense whatsoever. So then it overwrites my data with that of a 26 lb person.
2. It routinely prevents my wife from selecting her own profile when she uses the scale. It gives her a choice of my profile or nobody.
On #1, any chance your two year old in the process of trying to weight themselves selected you? Would be an easy thing to do if they were just playing on the scale. Otherwise, it would have defaulted to the question mark.
Thanks Ray. Nope. I’ve watched it happen multiple times. Swear on my life. I agree with you that it *should* default to the “??” symbol but it doesn’t consistently. I spoke w/garmin this morning and they want me to clear out the “bad data” whatever that means. Are you still using yours w/no problems?
Have you set up a user for your 2 year old?
When trying to set up a user for my 1 year old (which runs over the scale from time to time) I think the only alternatives were to include him as 10+ years old and above 1 meter.
Garmin should really allow for include all ages and heights as potential users as their connect platform.
I’m not finding these any more reliable or accurate than the Withings scales they replaced.
The first weight in the morning is often 2 kg lower than if I do a second one 2 minutes later and yesterday the scales told me I had lost 8kg in 24 hours.
I now have no idea which figure is the accurate one (if any) and frankly am now looking at returning these to replace them with another brand to see if that is any better, unless anyone can suggest a fix for the erratic behaviour?
Greetings Ray. I’ve been wanting a “Smart scale” since I read your Tanita BC-1000 review about 3 years ago but haven’t purchased one yet. After reading your review of the Garmin Index it sounds like just what I’m looking for. I really like all the features it has, however, there are a lot of negative comments and reviews about it out there which leads me to ask you- Some 6 months now after your initial write up, and 2 months after your in depth review would you recommend this scale?
I want a smart scale to aid my weight loss and fitness improvement and as I have all Garmin products and like all the features the Index has it sounds like just what I want. In addition to the basic weight-BMI-body fat measuring I’m also interested in the bone and muscle mass measuring capability. For bone mass I think that over time it would show if I’m maintaining, gaining, or losing bone mass as I age (And improve my fitness). And the same with muscle mass. Over time wouldn’t it show if I’m gaining, losing, or maintaining? And if gaining muscle mass, then my fat mass and BMI should show as going down, right? So I want to use this to track weight and fat loss, BMI decrease, and hopefully also see muscle mass increase and bone mass staying same or increasing. I’m thinking long term here, getting an initial measurement now and then weekly tracking to see where I’m at in a month, 6 months, a year, 2 years, etc. As a side note- I’m also able to go for fitness assessments through the Army and get measured in a Bod-Pod, so it would be interesting to compare results.So why not just go to the Bod-Pod? Simple. I like gadgets (And this will be easy to use at home).
Really feel let down by garmin with this product. I bought these scales on the back of all my other products are gramin. 920xt, 235, 810. But the lack of 3rd party integration is a major let down, especially given how poor their own platform garmin connect is. The data from all my other devices transfer to trainingpeaks etc no problem.
Unfortunately they seem far more concern about wheeling out a new product every week than getting the products spot on and retaining their long standing customers. Just look at how many running watches they have out at the moment, its nigh on impossible to know which to chose. I personally think Garmin as company needs to get back to basics and do what they do best, produce good products that work. they maybe trying to target the 16-20 market thinking they have more years in them, but those of us that have grown up using Garmin products deserves some level of service from gramin too. All it would take is a competitor to really get its act together and there could be a major power shift.
Hi, Just wanted to let you know, that the connect app, will in fact show the weight form the smart scale, as a “snapshot” and not just buried way down in the menus. Notice the button line of icon in the picture.
But there is a trick you need to do, if you have had the app installed for a while. Not sure from when, exactly. Anyways, you need to uninstall and reinstall it and then you will see weight as one of the options to be shown on the main snapshot page.
Discovered this by coincident when setting up Vivosmart for my mom, and tracked it back to a re-install. There might be an easer way, but since all content is online, there is no real penalty of the re-install.
And pls. No comments on the actual weight! But I have a FTP of 824 watt, so I should be good, right?
Sorry if I missed this in another comment, but I believe you wrote that the software updates happen automatically over wifi. Is there something I have to do to make this happen?, as mine has never done this. Months ago, I did a reset, and re-paired w/ my phone and wifi to get it to go from 2.30 to 2.50, but I haven’t been able to make that process work again. It never updated to 2.60, but I’d like to get the new 2.70 installed.
It seemes quite impossible to add users to the weight. I have now tried several times with different users, but it does not work. This should really work easily, but Garmin has made this product pretty useless. I cannot recommend this prosuct to anyone that what to use it with more than one user.
My new Garmin Scale is not showing body fat percentage or the other metrics on Garmin Connect.
I have had the scale for about 45 days now and it has added the body fat just a few times at first then suddenly stopped.
It synchronizes the body weight every time but not the other metrics.
Can anyone tell me if they have had any issues with this and if there is a simple fix.
I would avoid this product like the plague. WiFi issues are more than just an anomaly, just head over to the Garmin forums to see the pain people are having.
I have been a Garmin user for over 20 years and stay with them because of the data on their Cloud platform (lock in). Their support is slow and like drawing teeth – scales still not working despite set-up saying OK, they refuse to connect over WiFi and as a result will not Firmware upgrade, connecting via desktop and ANT should solve it but NO classic Garmin poor architecture means that the scales will ONLY upgrade over WiFi –
Over the years I have found their new products work about 1 in every 3. This is just another one of their dogs. Oh by the way stay away also from their latest Vívoactive HR that is also about as accurate as pinning the tail on a donkey. If you tempted by their Varia Vision In-sight Display, be prepared for similar set-up pain as the Index scales.
Garmin has a fairly robust system for getting your fitness data out and partner APIs. You’re not locked in at all – especially compared to competitors such as Polar.
We continue to recommend Withings as the goto WiFi scale. Unfortunately the future has gotten a bit murky wit the Nokia acquisition. :\
I’m afraid my experience with Garmin and data management is another story that has large chunks of my historic records corrupted when they did the upgrade from the former MotionBase to Connect. Daft thing was, it all seemed to be fine, then when they had some teething with Connect things started to corrupt. Garmin Support have been completely inept at getting their heads around the issue and if you don’t chase them they will not follow things up.
I tried Withings but found their readings varied too much against other trusted scales such as Tanita BC1000. I upgraded to the Withings WS-50 thinking things would improve but they just got worse.
I guess I will have to stick with my TANITA BC1000, they are trusted, having tested them to be within fractions of specialised scales.
Has anyone else found that the Garmin Smart Scale doesn’t-won’t-can’t measure less that 7% BF. When I get to that and below it simply records 7%. I’ve checked on other devices and they go fairly accurately well below that.
Ray have you heard?
I have the same problem of getting exactly 7% BF for the last week. Other measurements have fluctuated marginally so it is strange that BF hasn’t fluctuated as well… it seems to be a known bug on the Garmin forum. I have adjusted my “activity class” from 8 down to 7 (as anything of 8 or higher is apparently considered to be an athlete which reduces the BF measurement, even though I exercise a that level according to the guidance provided by Garmin) and hopefully that will provide a fix, although I’m yet to find that out.
They know they have a software issue but continue to sell the scale without a solution. That is from their tech people that I just got off the phone with. The workaround they have suggest, is to get the ANT+ device and leave it plugged into your computer. I am sending my scale back and getting a Withings Scale instead. They started out having to play nicely with others while the Garmin scale really only works with Garmin when it works.
Just got off the phone with Garmin for the third time with no resolution on setting up the wifi on my Garmin Index scale. My Verizon router and the scale do not appear to like each other. As usual the Garmin people were very polite. I feel that they are stuck between a rock and a hard place. The help line is only available during banker’s hours M-F and for what ever reason Garmins software engineers always seem to be behind the eight ball with their designs. You can only set up the Index scale on a computer if you get their ANT+ adapter which is sold separately. This is a marketing oddity that I fail to understand. Just put the Ant+ adapter in the box if you are going to require it for set up. I do not want to use the tiny keyboard on my phone to set up any device. If I am going put out a $150 for scale I expect it to work out of the box without having to jump through a series of hoops like I was trying to set up a printer back in the 90’s. You bring the printer home and find out that the cable it sold separately and once you buy the right cable you still have to go through the set up labyrinth. The rules of DOS system operation are supposed to be gone but not with Garmin for some reason they are still living in the 90’s. They want to sell high end items with low tech ideas. There is no reason a scale advertised as a wifi scale should not be able to go through its set up with only minimal trauma to the purchaser. It should be computer compatible out of the box without a fancy adapter. I bought an Apple pen the other day took it out of the box plugged it into my iPad and the set-up was complete. Not everyone has a smart phone and without a smart phone initial set just is not going to happen (I do have a smart phone but many of my patients do not). Also on the list once I became annoyed with the setup that is still in play, most people have a name that is longer than three letters. I am not interested for any reason in producing a nickname so my scale will recognize me, just let it use my name. So thumbs down on this little irritant also. Until Garmin understands the people most people work and therefore are not available to sit on hold M-F during a working day I will always give Garmin’s help line the lowest rating. They primarily sell their products to active people. These are going to be people that are busy during the work week and use their product after hours and during the weekend. Therefore it is going to be after-hours and during the weekend that problems are discovered but there is no one to talk to resolve these problems as they occur. So people are allowed to fester until they can make time to call Garmin during a work day. Many Thumbs down and a big fail for this Garmin until they fix this.
But the scale says it requires a smartphone to configure…as does pretty much every other smart scale out there. You have such a device with your iPad, so not sure why you wouldn’t want to use it. The ANT+ option is offered as a secondary option to configure, but it’s not required.
That said, I’m still not clear what the problem is you’re having, besides some sort of issue with connecting to your router. If there’s something that they said that was an engineering change – I’d push for it. But even following the WiFi thread someone else posted, the last post there was nearly a month ago, and so it doesn’t seem too systematic (anymore so than other WiFi scales and the occasional router oddity).
Hardly saying the Index is perfect (or even near perfect), but, I’m just not sure I understand the complaints here.
Brand new out of the box from clever training. And it took me hours of added removing adding back. iPhone app, iPad, mac with garmin express. After factory reset a few more attempts I was finally able to get it on the mac with ant+. Not a very simple process and very frustrating. :(
It was stuck like most people. Wrench wifi icon and a X in the right hand corner. It seems like a server issue and not wifi maybe. But I think people assume it’s the wifi. IDK….. just know after the first hour I was ready to send it back. Took a break came back and got it working.
This was more venting about the lack of ease of use. Currently I haven’t been able to link the scale to anything since I have not been able to link the scale to my router (they put in a ticket to the engineers and I am now waiting). According to Garmin the scale only moves data around via wifi and uses bluetooth for set up only (why not bluetooth too if it is already on the scale). If you are going to require a Anti+ device for set up then put it in the box don’t tell me that you can send me the device 7-10 day after i purchased the device. I am not a tech person and was just looking for a wifi scale to cut out the middle man with logging data. The set up for this scale ranks up there with setting up a printer in the 90’s. Wifi connectivity should be part of a high end scale without having to order a anti+ device to set up or enable the bluetooth for data transfer or put a USB cable in the box to plug into the router for set up. Using the iPad is out. I have found in the past that using Garmin connect on my iPad and my phone leads to problems and more phone calls to Garmin’s help line which I just do not like to do. So I just do not open the app on my iPad and that has fixed that problem. A $150 scale should work out of the box. It’s a bathroom scale that does some math. I recently set up a wifi security camera with pan/tilt capabilities and various alerts within minutes of taking it out of the box. This is a scale that just needs to transfer some numbers. It should not be this difficult. It should just work and it doesn’t. It should not take multiple phone calls to solve a connectivity issue with a major carrier (I use Verizon). This would not be an issue if the problem was handled or if I hadn’t had similar problems with my Fenix 3 watch.
Having spent HOURS on my first Index bought from Garmin trying to get it to work:
1. Multiple attempts to get it to work through i-device set-up doing full re-set between attempts. Despite setup-saying it was successful I get the Wrench icon and X in top right with nothing more than weight reading.
2. Resorted to the Ant+ set-up route and again whilst it appears to set-up successfully, the same result, Wrench icon and X in top right with nothing more than weight reading.
3. The above was tested with x3 different Wi-Fi devices to ensure this was not a WiFi issue, and it made no difference, so this eliminates the WiFi/Router as a source:
a. Ubiquiti enterprise WiFi system.
b. D-Link bog standard home WiFi router.
c. Kanex portable travel Access Point.
I then spend 40 minutes on a call with Garmin going through much of the above with them on the phone. They did an RMA and I returned the unit, 2 weeks later I got a replacement new unit.
You guessed it same saga all over again. Just about to call Garmin and see if I can get a refund. These are simply NOT fit for use and breach the offer of sale as they DO NOT WORK.
To be accurate, they don’t work for you. They do work for many. Probably most.
I, too, have had trouble with the set-up and also returned my first unit ’cause I never got readings other than weight and BMI. I also had a problem with what appeared to be a failed automatic update which forced me into rigamarole similar to yours (though nowhere near as protracted), but I did get it working again.
There clearly is an issue, but the blanket statement that “they do not work” is simply false.
I just got off the phone with Garmin support for the fourth time. They finally said that yes the WiFi setup is a known problem and they do not currently have a solution for it. The work around is to get the ANT+ device and leave it plugged into your computer. This seems to fix the problem. They had no comment on why they don’t include the ANT+ device with the scale, they just decided not to. My problem with Garmin is that they have a known problem without a solution and are continuing to sell the scale without accepting responsibility for the product/software issue when they occur (at least its not catching on fire). They did offer to send me an ANT+ stick for free but I declined. I don’t want to have to go plug the ANT+ device in every time I want to sync the scale. They will not refund my money and take the scale back because I did not buy it directly from them so I will have to go through Amazon for the return. My advice is buyer beware. I am still waiting for the Garmin engineer”s find a solution for the 1.6 billion steps my Fenix 3HR watch thinks I walked on Jul 11. They don’t allow editing of steps on the users end or on their end. So there is sits. Most steps walked in a day, a month and year 1.6 billions steps. That works out to around 33,772.9 miles/hr. I could have cleaned up in Rio this summer.
I’m afraid my experience is that the ANT+ advice was not a solution, as I have been down that route.
The ANT+ provides Bluetooth connectivity facilitating the same set-up process you would do on an i-device, albeit PC UI based. Once you complete the ANT+ set-up the scales stop showing a Bluetooth connection icon and revert to the WiFi + Wrench dead end that I got to using an i-device setup.
Garmin Express provides NO direct managed of the scales, the settings bounce you to the Garmin Connect website. I had hoped that there would be a means to push a firmware update as my scales are stuck on v2.4 when I understand v2.7 is available. But nothing. At least Garmin could update Garmin Express to allow firmware upgrades this way, it would seem to be a logical way of reaching out to remedy devices in the wild.
For now the ANT+ advice from Garmin would indicate that they are grabbing at straws. A questionable solution.
Hi, I bought my scales three weeks ago. They setup perfectly. Then they stopped syncing via Wi-Fi. At present when I step on the scales it does not show my name and only shows the spanner (yep can’t finish the set up to Wi-Fi even though it shows as connected on my iPhone). Yet on Garmin Connect it shows my weight and goal weight only with no other stats.
Could this be linked to iOS 10 or are others having problems via android devices.
There does seem to be a systematic problem that a large number of users are having. The symptoms are that the setup doesn’t complete and the scale is stuck on the wrench icon. As it picks up the final setup from garmin connect, it never quite finishes and won’t update to the website.
I have this problem and so do others in the comments. Garmin support haven’t been that helpful – inconsistently telling me it’s a “known issue” that they can’t help with now or telling me to switch it on and off again… There is very little feedback from Garmin over whether they think this is an issue with the hardware, the wifi, or with Garmin Connect (although experiences of swapping out scales and trying different wifi suggests the latter).
I know this isn’t a problem that everyone is seeing, but it is a problem for a large number of users – and it appears to be the same problem for all of them. At the moment, I wouldn’t recommend buying this product until we can see this issue being resolved. Is there any way you can shed any light on this?
Mine just started doing this. Replaced the batteries, wouldn’t connect, Factory reset it to redo setup. now stuck on the wrench after setting up wifi, Connect on phone and Garmin express bith say setup complete :-(
So apparently there is an issue with the Garmin Index and the synching/setup of data to Garmin Connect. I spoke with Garmin technical support this morning (Angel) and they have an internal open case that expires on 9/30. I’m not 100% sure what I’m going to do. This is the second scale that I’ve gotten from them and am pretty much set on just saying forget it and buying the Fitbit Aria or something else. I’m just heavily invested in the Garmin ecosystem and wanted to make it all nice and homogenous. Other than the 30th of September, they don’t have an ETA.
I noticed the same thing. I came here for answers but maybe I’ll have to call garmin to better understand why this happens. Anytime my dog drops his toy on the floor or barks the scale turn on
I was really apprehensive after reading the comments on this post about the Index scales I’d just ordered…. however the scales arrived today, and have set up first time, no problem, with additional users added easily, and all uploaded to the respective GC accounts within a minute or so….
Router is just a standard BTOpenworld router, nothing sophisticated…. FWIW, the upgrade to 2.7 happened over wifi seamlessly, and all set up was done via mobile connect app… really hapy with the scales…
I went Garmin rather than Withings etc, because I and the rest of the family are all heavily invested in Garmin tech for run, bike and swim, so made sense
Any idea what happened to the update that is supposed to add the ability to take multiple readings per day? (That every other scale on the market can do?). Could it be that this update would also possibly sort out the really goddamn irritating MFP sync that despite being plastered on the box has never worked properly and wipes out all the additional metrics apart from weight?
Also, on a slightly related note I’m curious if the ‘use multiple trackers per day and have them all contribute to activity’ thing is still in the works?
I should have read all the shared experience here before venturing to order this scale.
The initial set-up does not get to the point of identifying wifi networks present around (8+) and keeps looking for hours.
I will ship it back and get refunded within the next days.
About third party integration. RunKeeper and Garmin Connect are able to sync, and there’s a website link to developer.garmin.com talking about a “Garmin Connect API”. I don’t know how useful this API is…
This smart scale sure looks very promising! Calipers are still superior when it comes to measuring body fat than this (uses BIA measurement which can lack precision)
I returned my Garmin Scale and picked up a WS-30 from withings. It syncs to myfitnesspal which connects to Garmin and does everything I need and even gives me a weather forecast before I head out for the day.
I use garmin for all fitness products and would have liked to stay with them for the scale, but the lack of integration with MFP was a huge problem for me.
If Garmin added calorie tracking I would ditch MFP and keep the index scale. Unfortunately that’s not an option
This is more of a question about Garmin Connect – just found out the wife has ordered a newer Withings (we have the first generation) – is there a way to get that weight track out and into Garmin Connect / onto my Fenix 3 HR?
Anyone know if the data transfer to MFP has gotten any better? I run the Vivoactive HR and have noticed that MFP is now incorporating my daily step counts from the Garmin, so does that mean that the weight and body metrics are porting over now as well? Anyone know?
We got the scale yesterday. As Fenix users, we were able to setup the scale practically without reading the instructions! Took less than 10 minutes. Set it up via Android and connected to the secure home Wifi. He added me as an invitee, I accepted and then we both weighed and were able to see the data on Connect. We have Wifi and Bluetooth setup for our Fenixes too. I’m a data geek and understand to take these things with a grain of salt, however it’s nice to get a ballpark figure for these data points. It helps complete the overall picture of focusing on our health and the decisions we make, or don’t make.
Nice review on the Garmin scale. I was looking for something that you just touched on. You noted you don’t put much value on the extended metrics based on “electro impedance” . This is what I wondered. How does it determine an estimated value of these numbers? Are you saying there is no value to these because they are not accurate or because the numbers themselves are not useful. I am thinking if they were a least close and consistent and you could find a true trend that would be useful. Right?
Ron
Quick comment because the number of comments from unhappy users here gave me pause before buying. When it went on sale again for the new year, I caved and bought from the amazon link. I now wish i had recorded the setup process, I’m conservatively estimating it took 3 minutes from the time I had the batteries installed before the scale was 1) paired with the garmin connect app on my phone, 2) connected to my home wifi, and 3) transmitting data to both. The 3rd step happens automatically BTW. Completely understand the frustration earlier users have expressed, in my case the current process could not have been more straightforward.
Same for me. I was bracing for a nightmare but no, batteries in, connect to wifi, enter password, invite the girlfriend, done. Very clever.
I think it would be good on these comments to have them inverse, as you have to trawl through loads of negativity. Actually Ray, is it worth writing a mini update for this at all now the GC app had been updated and shows the metrics etc on the dashboard? I’ve not been able to get weight sync to MFP yet for my girlfriend, she has an Apple Watch and so there is no other data to push across and hence MFP and GC don’t seem to want to talk ??
My first one didn’t work. The replacement did. I think it’s important to acknowledge the problems some people have had, especially in the context of waiting 3 months for a satisfactory resolution. Garmin support was mixed – mostly friendly but nothing happened quickly.
How can they create a wireless scale and not have a mac address readily available for people with a mac address filter? Makes this scale utterly useless for me.
I also second the suggestion of an update. Wondering about firmware and/or feature updates, as well as any possibility of a second generation of this scale being released any time soon.
I was lucky in that I didn’t really have any WiFi issues that some folks had (seemed to be tied to certain routers/etc…). Thus largely speaking nothing has changed with respect to the review itself.
I don’t have an easy way of changing comment ordering on a single post though. :-/
These are a complete waste of time Ray. On my second set now and they have never got passed the set up. Not once has either pair completed set up, given me a BMI etc.
Hey, no. Just took them back to the shop who rang Garmin who replaced them that day. Thought I would try my luck on second set and nope, same issues. They really should not sell product that requires me to contact their support team as the product doesn’t do what it says it will do. shouldn’t they just sell stuff that works? That seems reasonable
By the sounds of it, things do just generally work for most people these days.
In most cases with the scale and WiFi, it’s usually due to something in your router that’s causing issues. Support is usually pretty good at figuring that out and unblocking whatever the blocker is. It’s likely just something silly that’s easy to fix, and more than likely has nothing to do with the scale itself.
Generally speaking, Garmin support is pretty good on the phone. How long it’ll take will probably vary. With the WiFi scale, my guess is they’ll either have you up and running in a few minutes, or it’ll take a lot longer.
Or, you can hit up the Garmin forums and troubleshoot yourself, though, it sounds like that’ll take more time for you: link to forums.garmin.com
I think Randy up above nailed it (in response to NRG). For the vast majority of people, these work out of the box. But for whatever reason, there are certain edge cases with certain WiFi routers that can issues. That’s no different than other WiFI scales (i.e. Withings or Fitbit), which you’ll find also have equal numbers of people that fall into those edge cases. In fact, one of my routers at the studio wasn’t working with the latest Withings scale, whereas my home ones work just fine.
Again, I think that the problems that people are having with this product are being ignored. Garmin support was not helpful for me. Each call took 40 minutes to get through and ended up with me being told to “turn it off and turn it on again” (they were super friendly and nice while telling me this). I received one email response that said pretty much your message: “lots of people aren’t having these problems”, which isn’t really that helpful for me. I was sent an ANT+ stick that also didn’t help. Eventually, I got a replacement that worked. I’m happy with the product right now, but that doesn’t mean that my bad experience hasn’t left a negative feeling about Garmin.
And blaming people’s routers is not acceptable. The product has to work in the real world.
I’d also emphasise here that the problem is not likely to be with the router. My replacement scale worked out of the box on the same router that the previous scale didn’t work with. The symptoms I was getting were the same as described on the Garmin forums (not getting past setup/wrench icon etc). A flaky and unreliable wifi implementation is not an excuse to blame the router when I have many other devices that work fine with it. If certain ports need opening etc, then this should be clearly documented in the setup guide.
I agree, it sounds like a router problem and not a scale problem. If you look further up the comments in here someone mentions security settings where the scales don’t work.
I have quite a few wifi products where I have spoken to manufacturers about the hardware, but when I look on their forums it’s always a settings issue.
There are at least 3 ways to set up your scales to your router, the easiest is with your phone and the scales sat next to the router. If you have repeaters in the house then turn them off, especially if they have the same ssid as it will just cause you more initial connection issues.
Thanks Ray and all. Ray, love your work but I am not sure why you are on the Garmin bandwagon here? What othere devices do you own in your everyday life (that have wifi clearly) that have meant you needed to troubleshoot and make router changes to connect? I would say zero. This is completely unacceptable from garmin in the days of plug and play.
Looking at my last few garmin buys:
Vectors: fiddly, expensive, pods prone to break
235: HR is a complete joke, already on my second and could be third but realise sending it back makes no difference to the joke of a measuring system they have
Scales: need I say more
It really seems like garmin are making a lot of rubbish by pushing product to market way too early….
I’m generally on the bandwagon of numbers. In this case, the number of people still having Scale connectivity issues is really quite tiny – like – almost unheard of tiny.
I’m also on the bandwagon of at least trying to get support. When someone comes along and says they don’t want to even try calling support to fix something, I really can’t help them. At least make an effort.
As for other WiFi devices that don’t work – absolutely I do. Heck, the Withings scale is one. Also had problems with a Dropcam (Nest Cam) too. Whether or not one wants to accept it, the reality is that WiFi router setups vary significantly, and the tiniest of things can cause any other devices problems. One should at least try basic troubleshooting before throwing in the towel. Else I agree, a $15 scale from Walmart might make more sense.
It’s funny, I actually say in the summary not to buy it…yet people keep buying it. ;)
My point is more general, and has nothing to do with this product: If you have a problem, just try basic troubleshooting. I do that all the time with my iPhone, and The Girl’s iPhone. Her iCloud login signs her out every 24 hours right now. It’s annoying at @#$#. Eventually we’ll go to an Apple Store and figure it out.
The fact of technology is sometimes people have problems. Sometimes those problems are self-inflicted, and sometimes they are the result of poor design. Just last night someone went on a *massive* rant about almost this exact same thing on Wahoo’s products and connectivity and sucking and blah, blah blah. Basically, a triple-size version of what I’ve read here.
And then this morning…
…they came back and said “My bad, it was just my internet provider”. At least that person tried troubleshooting.
After hours of mucking around they still won’t connect.
I am returning this second set for a refund.
What would you recommend as a scale that does weight/body fat and maybe BMI that isn’t wifi? I think it will be easier for me just to manually update garmin connect than bother with wifi again.
Honestly, for non-connected scales, I’d just go to Target/Walmart/etc and pickup any old cheap scale.
Back a few years ago I did a test of a crapton of scales against a calibrated pro level scale. And what we found was that when it came to weight – even the cheapest of Target scales were just as accurate.
When it came to Body Fat, even the most expensive scales were basically guessing.
Mine worked out of the box no wifi issues on a Cisco router. One to try is check parental control on your router and internet as this has been know to block smart devices. Well here in the U.K. On BT internet.
Just returned mine after one day. It was a pain to pair it via Bluetooth the first time. Then wanted to reset it to change my level because the %fat was too low, and I gave up.
I’ve had my scale for a year now. Use it every day. Never had any problems whatsoever. I guess, if the product just works you don’t have the need to write in these forums. On the other hand you might get help troubleshooting here. That doesn’t mean the scale sucks. Really, it doesn’t.
I’ve been using the Garmin scale for about a year now and it has been working well. I just switched internet service providers and the scale stopped communicating to Garmin. I’m using the same WIFI so I know it is not a WFI issue. I believe that the new ISP modem is blocking the port that the scale uses to connect to the internet. After searching I can’t find any details about this. I’ve emailed Garmin support about this, but I was hoping that this group might have someone who knows which port to open. Will post a solution if I hear from Garmin.
I recently migrated from android to IOS, and as such I set up my apple health account for fun (I’m sure you know that google fit is a joke). I was pleasantly surprised that garmin sent more data that I expected.
Garmin is now successfully exporting weight, BMI and body fat % to the health kit. (along with steps, HR and basic sleep stats)
I know lack of 3rd party support was a main reason for discouraging people from getting this, so I though it might be worth updating that section :-)
Anyone else that has been getting upload error, since about a month now.
You get the “X” at the end of the progress bar. But even so the measurement data reaches Garmin Connect anyway (??). The error is intermittent. Some days showing up, some days not. I use the scale once a day, in the mornings.
Interesting to hear that other have the same problem.
I made a short video, showing the error.
Not very good video, but you see the error, and can read my comments. link to youtu.be
I bought this scale to keep track on my body fat and get it slowly lower while maintaining muscle mass, keeping in mind that absolute figures might not be precise, but numbers should be consistent and that I should focus on trend…
However I’m getting quite variable total weight and fat % (as well as absolute fat). I’d assume total weight is different every day mostly because of changing water level, but scale tracks water level, muscle mass and bone mass pretty consistently.
As you can see, difference between min and max weight is 2,1kg in 4 days, mostly (2kg) in FAT!
Max Fat % was 15%, min 12,5%, again in 4 days…
I measure myself every morning just once I wake up, naked, empty of liquids :) Weight is setup to normal activity, in settings I’m activity 7. There was no unusual activity/long training session, etc which could influence that. Such spikes repeat more or less every week…
Are this numbers ok? I’d expect more stable numbers to be honest.
I have an older model Withings that I’m looking to replace. My wife and I both have Garmin Vivoactive HRs. Based on your review and recommendations about staying in the same device ecosystem, we’re leaning towards the Garmin Index.
Do you know if Garmin is planning a refresh this year, or if they typically update devices on a schedule? If there is a new one in the pipeline, I’ll wait.
“This will be a very short section. At present, Garmin does not have any integration enabled for 3rd parties except MyFitnessPal – and even that doesn’t seem to work consistently.”
Ray there is zero integration with myfitnesspal. i believe this should be updated so readers know what they’re getting into.
That said any update from Garmin on integration? it has just been a year+
We pinged Garmin’s API development team when the scale came out about API support for sync of weight data (into SportTracks). The answer was a very terse: Nope. And No Plans.
I don’t believe you will ever see Garmin Scale data sync to 3rd party apps because simply there is no business/sales case to support it. If it’s a deal breaker go with something like Withings, being mindful they’ve been acquired by Nokia ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Hey Ray, thanks for the review, but the Index Scale just is not syncing with MyFitnessPal. I bought mine in January 2017. My Garmin Connect Account is receiving the weight data, and Garmin Connect will sync all my other data (calories, activities, etc.) with MyFitnessPal, just not the weight. I was bummed to find out that people have been having trouble with this issue for a year. I’ve emailed support at both Garmin and MyFitnessPal, but haven’t had any response. None of the forums yield any fix to the issue. If anyone out there has a solution, please let me know. Thanks.
It really does not sync to MyFitnessPal, and this has apparently been an issue for over a year. Neither Garmin or MyFitnessPal will email me back about it… from the tech forums it looks like they are worn out from saying “there is currently no fix for this.” Please let me know if you have found an answer that I haven’t.
The very first line of my section above on ‘3rd party integration’ says (which is in ‘Heading 3′ font – massive’):
“This will be a very short section. At present, Garmin does not have any integration enabled for 3rd parties except MyFitnessPal – and even that doesn’t seem to work consistently.”
Next, in *bold* no less, I say:
“MyFitnessPal: While Garmin has a partnership with MyFitnessPal to sync weight data, it seems to work sporadically. Sometimes the weight shows up, sometimes not. And sometimes it shows up days later without explanation.”
What’s misleading about that? I literally say it sucks. Straight-up, full-flippin’ stop.
Ray you say it works 50% of the time. That’s implying that at some point the other scale metrics are imported and that’s never been the case. Most normal users outside this forum will never figure out how to click on myfitnesspal – progress – weight – click out – etc to import the weight. BTW this isn’t isnt attack at you whatsoever. The scale has been a frustrating product and users should know what they’re getting into. More so after a scale update many of us on the garmin forum have innaccurate body fat readings.
So there STILL isn’t really any way to get my weight into Training Peaks? What is Garmin’s problem?
I have a Withings scale, but want to change as
1) there is some weird switch issue that causes it to change from kgs to lbs all by itself (and draining the batteries in the process), and
2) the Withings > Training Peaks transfer also seems borked these days. Any recommendation for a scale with a reliable means of transferring this data?
FWIW both the Withings and Garmin Smart scale are supported by SportTracks and work perfectly. If there is a transfer problem to TP it’s probably on their end, not Garmin. Recommend you open a support ticket with TP.
Please investigate and add the below information to your review (to warn other unsuspecting users…)
After two months of use my Index scale data suddenly jumped from fluctuating between 11 and 13% fat down to a 7.0% constant reading (no matter how much I ate or drank). My bone mass increased overnight by 10%, % water shot up from 65 to 70%. After a week of frustration I found the following link : link to forums.garmin.com and then remembered I changed my activity class to level 8 the night before all my trouble started!
I changed it back to activity class 7 and now I can use the scale again – please warn users that the scale is not usable or accurate if set above activity level 7.
Thanks for your brilliant reviews – keep up serving the sporting community the way you do!
On paper, Index Scale is a very good product, offering direct connection to garmin, providing some simple efficient metrics. However in practice, lack of syncing with garmin and weird issues with the scale made this practically unreliable. Also the support from Garmin regarding this product is practically non existent.
I think this product was an experiment, a failed experiment, made by Garmin with customer’s money.
Can anyone confirm if Garmin made an update to track multi-point weigh ins? My weight will fluctuate up to 7 lbs / day based on activity and water intake. I’d love to track that better!!!
:))) basically everything that the Index Scale should be … is the Tanita Ironman Scale: Consistent detailed and comprehensive metrics.
The only ‘con’ for tanita in general is that they are behind with the connected technologies and they have lots of work with the mobile app. But for everything else is levels up if compared to garmin scale.
I have had two of these scales, and both have stopped calculating anything other that weight after a couple of weeks. I had purchased one to monitor my body fat levels leading into Boston, and in a day it went from 9% to 7% and locked all values from that day on. Only water % would change. I returned it using Garmin’s convoluted returns process and the replacement did the same thing.
Thank you for the review. I am weighing Garmin Index Wifi Smart Scale versus UA scale. I use Garmin Connect primarily but have it connected to MyFitnessPal (secondary use). Since UA scale uploads to MyFitnessPal the UA scale might connect with Garmin connect through MFP. I am not sure if the data can flow from MFP to GC. I am testing. Do you know? Thank you.
Just a heads-up… Data from the Garmin scale is now integrated with SportTracks. Every time you weigh yourself, your current weight and body fat percentage will automatically be sent to SportTracks and displayed on the Health page. You can also easily import your entire Garmin Index Scale history to SportTracks, where you can analyze your data season over season.
Hi we just brought the new scale. I have set it up on my iphone Garmin app and now my husband trying to add to his. It keep coming up with can’t find device on my husbands garmin account when adding device. i have reset and tried again and again. Still can not get his Garmin to recognise. I have added him from my app but can not see invite. Is this because he can not find device? Need help please with adding 2nd person in family
I may have missed this somewhere in the review, but are you saying the scale won’t sync directly to your phone via BT on the CIQ app? It has to do this over WiFi to the desktop then sync to your mobile device? Trying to decide if my wife will use this as our scale just broke:-( Maybe the FitBit is a better bet.
Thanks for the quick response Ray. Very odd that the scale won’t connect directly to a BT enabled device like your smart phone….? Hmmm. Not quite sure I understand that. Either way, Love the website, it must take a ton of work. Thanks for all of your behind the scenes hard work.
Sure, you could. The scale doesn’t much care about the source of the WiFi, as long as it’s not like a hotel/Starbucks style and requires a login page (which your phone hotspot wouldn’t).
I got an Index Scale about a month ago. It came with S/W 2.70.
Garmin Connect shows that S/W 3.00 is available, but the scale is completely unwilling
to fetch it.
The scale send weight to Connect just fine…so Wifi Works.
Is there any magic to get it to pull updates?
(seems like there’s no support group at garmin for scales)
Good review, but I have one question and one possible correction. First the question: can this scale be used without a Garmin Connect account? I’m looking for a scale that keeps my data in Apple Health (see correction below) – i.e. with me – and doesn’t require me to share it on some 3rd-party server somewhere.
The possible correction: I got here because this scale was advertised on the Apple site as having integration with Apple Healthkit – i.e. supposedly all the data collected by the scale makes its way into the Apple Health app. But in your article, you say that the only way to view the data is through the Garmin app or via their web site?!
The BMI, body %fat, and weight data do show up in my apple health app on my phone. You do need a Garmin Connect account as the scale sends the data via wifi to the account. You will also need the Garmin app on your phone. I don’t have any connection between my Garmin account and my apply account/phone except the fact that the Garmin app is on my phone. I assume the Apple app is taking the data from Garmin.
I have been looking all around and have not been able to find the information for which I am looking. As a self-described gadget dork I am attracted to the Garmin scale. It’ll give me more information than I will ever need. However, my wife does does not have a GC account and will not be using the scale the same way I intend to use it. Could she use the scale to check her weight without having an account?
I just got the scale and I can not get it to sync to my app on my phone. What am I doing wrong? It’s paired and liked to my wifi, but I can not see it on my app.
Anyone else getting wildly inaccurate body fat % readings? I just got the scale and it is reading a body fat % of 7%. There’s no way. I’m in 15% at best, probably more like 18-20%. I didn’t expect complete accuracy but I wanted to use the scale to measure trends. At 7%, this seems like a throwaway metric. If this is just the way this device is it’s going back to the store. Any ideas?
I got exactly the same issue. I tried to change my activity level from 7 to 6 but I’m still a 7.00% Fat without any variation from a day to another. Maybe I should try to change my activity level to 8 …
I also wanted to get the trend since I know these numbers aren’t accurate.
But having no variation at all is very surprizing.
I also use a withings WS-50 (normal mode) which gives me some body fat variation when the Garmin is stuck to 7.00%.
I’m not sure if I’m doing something wrong here … Maybe Ray could enlight us on this problem ?
exactly the same problem here. For 2 months since I bought the scale I was at 11.5-12.5% body fat. Since 3 days ago it shows me constantly 7% (also, sudden gain of 0,4 kg in bone mass, I got a new extra bone, I suppose….). I wrote an e-mail to Garmin support, still waiting for their response. It sucks, sorry, I am 1.90m tall and 80 kg, this is no way 7% body fat, we don’t need a 170 euros scale to tell us that….
For last few days the same problem – before used to have around 12% body fat, now it’s constantly 7% and I guess it went to other metrics (having higher water, bones… )
This scale is waste of money and I think we should really send it back and ask for refund to finally get Garmin attention.
Hello,
For about a couple of weeks I have been seeing weird behaviors in Garmin connect syncing up data from my Garmin scale (like weight not syncing at all, or only the weight not the other metrics, weight being copied from one day to an other without taking any new measure, etc…)
I have contacted Garmin support but didn’t get a very meaningful answer.
Last measure I took today, my body fat dropped to 10% (I wish), and didn’t sync up properly (I guess it did at some point since I see the data in apple health app, but got over written by some other measure in garmin connect)
Anyone experienced this as well ?
Thanks,
Thibaut
Sorry Andrea, but my ability to predict the future 18 months before it happens is limited. I can’t predict that on some random September day a year and a half later that Garmin Connect would start halving the body fat values.
But since it sounds like you have such a capability, I’d ask why you’d have bought the scale then – since you knew it would break on this day in the future?
I’m sort of annoyed at the inability to store multiple readings a day, so I started having a look at the JSON that Garmin Connect supplies to the browser in the background. As it turns out, the time stamp being provided for each reading is supplied at millisecond precision. Before getting the Index, the manually entered readings are always for 00:00:00 on the day they were entered, but for readings from the Index it’s possible to see the exact second that the reading was uploaded. Theoretically, there’s no technical reason that they can’t store multiple reasons per day in the background.
In fairness, I’m betting that the issue is that there’s extra work displaying the graph if there’s multiple readings per day. However, there’s plenty of decent ways of averaging out multiple readings for a day when generating the graph.
It’s actually a little tougher to add another person. Can you walk through all the steps including getting on the scale and having the second person tap through whatever? I tried to add my husband and it deleted me. And then we tried again and same thing. So I am the only one that uses it.
Hey, my weight page on Garmin Connect mobile app looks different from the one you have shown and I can’t find the options to add BMI records etc. Am I doing something wrong?
I’ve been dithering about getting one of these for quite a while.
So, a heads up to those in the UK who may be like-minded – currently on offer for less than £100 at Amazon (use DCR’s link above) and also Currys PCWorld..
I have this scale and agree the lack of integration is annoying. You can get your weight to appear on your edge computer but it doesn’t store or upload it. I enter the weight directly into the connect phone app. The stupid thing is that this weight is only stored in the phone app and doesn’t appear on the Garmin desktop dashboard. Weird.
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Some time ago it was said that Garmin were going to add the ability to store multiple weight readings in a day. As far as I can tell this has not happened? Are they still planning to do that or have they forgotten about Index completely now?
My Scale was working fine but for the last two weeks doesn’t seem able to upload at all – despite me setting it up from scratch again.
With a lack of confidence in withings – now Nokia, what scale would you suggest for a new purchaser?
Hi, I currently have a withings scale but after the news of them going under I was looking into the Garmin scale as we’re a Garmin family – would you suggest buying the Garmin scale or would you be confident that the withings is going to remain usable albeit with no new updates?
Hello, I would be careful buying this scale. Just like you I have a Withings scale but I added a Garmin scale for better integration in the Garmin ecosystem. Worked fine until a month ago. Since then the weight data does not upload at all. Tried a lot of debug stuff but no luck. If you go to the Garmin forum you see I am not the only one. By far. No reaction from Garmin whatsoever. For the moment I probably have the most expensive NOT connected weight scale in the market.
I can only tell everybody not to buy this scale.
The sync is still broken, a lot of people complaining about body fat stuck to 7%, the last firmware is over a year old. Nothing is happening on that front.
Sync problems seem to be a bad NTP server from Garmin, but they just don’t care. If you bought the scale, they got your money and ran.
Looking at link to forums.garmin.com is quite scary!! in my case has been since dec 2017 that i’m getting a big X after every synchronization and looks like everybody are affected by this bug,…..are you experiencing the same? already changed 2 router and 2 internet provider, 1 scale but situation still stagnant and no reply/update from Garmin Tech…..do you have any news on this matter?
This was a great review! Any idea if weight is recorded and sent to the app of the scales owner for a non invited user? Withings does this which others in my family hate. In short is there a way to be an anonymous user?
Now that it’s 2018, do you have scale updates? Have they changed at all since you wrote these reviews? Curious to see if they haven’t improved at all .
the scale connected as you described and it showed weight and BMI results in my Garmin connect but not the other metrics. Did I miss a step or is this common?
Hi
I have my GARMIN INDEX and I am using it for 1 year but after vacation time when the scale was left for about 2 month without touching it I tried to re-use it but it’s not switching on. I tried with all different batteries but without success.
Please advise
Thanks for your reviews. I purchased the Index today, and have spent 3 hours trying to get it to find my WiFi APs – I’ve tried everything and from reading the Garmin Forums, the WiFi connection is extremely flakey, which is bizarre as this is the only way that the Index can upload the data to Garmin Connect! I’ve tried emailing Garmin, but no response so this will be going back to the store tomorrow.
I bought this with a view on some of its shortcomings thanks to this review.
However things have gone from ‘shortcomings’ to ‘this thing is almost unusable’ over the past 9 months.
Most days it takes 5-10 measurements before the scale will actually talk to Garmin’s servers. The scale makes it look like it can’t find your WiFi, but the good folks on Garmin’s support forums have been able to deduce it’s actually a fault with a Garmin server. This has been a long time issue which Garmin are aware of, but have yet to resolve.
If I am lucky enough to get the scale to sync without spending 10 minutes measuring and Re-measuring myself, then a new problem exists…. well, “new” as in since June 2018.
The scale measures body fat (as long as you don’t set your activity level to 8 or above… then you only get 7% no matter what.) If you have the app talking to Apple Health then it sends your Body Fat% to Apple Health as… no, not Body Fat%, but BMI.
It sends BMI as well, so every day I do manage to get a reading to sync I end up with both BMI and Body Fat % in BMI. It’s a massive mess.
And worst, Garmin support have repeatedly blamed Apple stating “We don’t push data, Apple pulls it”. Which is both a cop-out and a LIE. I’ve checked Apple’s developer documentation on HealthKit and spoken to senior Apple support staff and they confirm that the only way data gets in Health is by Garmin sending it.
When challenged on this Garmin told me alternatively; “(sending body fat as BMI) is they way it is supposed to work”, and “there is a support case for this… and no time frame for when it will be looked at”.
Any chance of turning off the update available bug in connect? i was on 3.0 since i got the scale and it always said update available. Yesterday i swapped out the dead batteries and the display said 3.10 so it is getting the updates. but still says update available. Rolling with a splash of ocd :)
I received one of these today and it did successfully sync to MFP immediately. However I’m waiting for it to send the measurement to TrainingPeaks per the sync tool linked from here: link to peaksware.uservoice.com
Is anyone using this scale and having it send the metrics over to TrainingPeaks? If so how long does it usually take to show up?
I’ve just replaced my Withings ws-50 with a Garmin Index. I have to say that I prefer the Withings but it doesn’t sync to Garmin so I replaced it.
The new scale is syncing to Garmin fine. In the mobile app I can see the weight measurements. It’s not however syncing to my edge 1030. The whole reason I got the scale was for accurate FTP VO2 and other measurements on my Edge but at the moment it still has the weight that I manually entered.
The issue I find with the garmin is sometimes you got to weigh yourself twice as the first time it’s well off.
In general there is a 0.2k difference between the garmin and withings scales.
The withings cardio is always consistant. I have both and use both as I also have the withings steel sport hr and often wear my garmin fenix 5s and steel sport at the same time. The withings scale gives more reliable readings but love the look of the garmin better
Bought one today 4APR19 in the USA. Wouldn’t connect via BT to phone/app, but after reading I saw the use of WPS on my router – Xfinity/comcast, western USA Puget Sound area. It then connected to the Garmin Connect on the web and the iPhone linking weigh in data.
I was hoping your review would have included a statement on whether the scale provided additional metrics of Physique Rating, Visceral Fat, Metabolic Age and Daily Calorific Value which are measured by the Tanita BC1000 Inner Scan. I assume because they are not mentioned then they are not available.
I can confirm that it doesnt include Physique Rating, Visceral Fat, Metabolic Age and Daily Calorific Value. I was suprised when I did step on my Garmin scale for the first time today and that wasnt included. I had to google and did find this review and your question. I can also confirm that values regarding water, fat and muscles isnt compareable between Tanita and Garmin.Only reason to stop using my Tanita is that it requires me to keep my old Forerunner 610 to actually automatically sync my Tanita scale with Garmin Connect. I am not convinced to start using the Garmin scale instead of the Tanita… :)
I’ve just found out that Garmin Index Scale doesn’t measure visceral fat and metabolic age, which are important measures for me. I precisely have the Forerunner 610 and I want to keep it! So I would like to buy a Tanita scale compatible with my FR 610 and that also offer me visceral fat and metabolic age and other measures.
Great article as always, thanks.
Quick question, Garmin connect allows manual input of weight only. Can I import a weight.FIT file manually?
I’m thinking of editing the file manually to add fat % etc then doing a manual import of the file.
Also wondering about a simple app on the watch (Forerunner 935) could probably do this as well. Anything out there?
Lastly, can someone post a link to an example of a weight.FIT file.
Thanks
Miles
Curious if the multi-point weight recording ever arrived or if it is still a single measurement per day? I can’t seem to find that info on the Garmin site.
Only recently the site and app have changed to add a time field when entering your weight. I haven’t tried, but I guess it is multi-point now.
I do enter my weight manually once a day (in the morning), so I haven’t tried if it really works. Before buying one I would certainly check (easily done in the app/on the site now).
Any rumors on a new scale coming out in the near future? Preferably one that measures bodyfat below 7% for those of us who are leaner? I’m hoping (with the rumors of the Fenix 6 series about to be announced later this month) that there will be a new scale that fixes the BF measurement problem so I can finally buy/use the Garmin scale.
If you have an Index scale, and you want to send that data anywhere besides Garmin, I have an app called Smart Scale Sync which will let you send your weigh-ins to Strava, Fitbit, TrainerRoad, Peloton, Concept2, and Polar Flow. The connections to Garmin, Fitbit, and Strava are API based. It’s been popular amongst TrainerRoad users: link to forum.trainerroad.com
Not really. Weigh-ins now carry a time stamp, but there is no way to see anything other than the last recorded measurement in either the Mobile Connect app or on the web.
Perhaps Garmin is storing more than one recording per day if you do so, or perhaps not. But without changes to the app/web there’s no way of seeing that anyway.
Hi, I use Index Scale for a month now. I have noticed that when my body weight goes up, then my body fat %, muscle weight goes up as well, but water % goes down. When my body weight goes down, i.e. after running, fat % and muscle weight goes down as well, but water % goes up. It happens every time and there is always same pattern – body weight up, water % down, body weight down, water % up. Could you tell me if there is anything wrong with my scale? Thank you
My experience is the same and the same patterns/trends. I don’t think this thing actually “measures” anything but weight, the other parameters are just some bogus calculations. At least my bone mass is staying constant!
Good morning, Ray,
1. After reading the comments posted since your review in 2016, I am assuming that the Garmin scale can now sync with Training Peaks.
2. But it still is not as robust as some of the Tanita scales that measure things like visceral fat and Physique.
The article also raises another question. I like to exercise and track my progress, but I am by no means a hard core trainer/athlete. I have MFP, TP and Garmin Connect. I just got the VENU which makes Garmin Connect more convenient than TPs and MFP, although I still need MFP to track nutrition since Garmin Connect only syncs nutrition data with MFP. So with that background, besides the coaching and training plans that are available on TPs, what else do I give up if I stop using TPs and rely solely on Garmin Connect to track my activity levels?
if they do still sell them, dont buy one! Have had years of intermittent wifi/connection issues. Now after replacing the battery its permanently stuck in setup. Garmin dont seem interested. Total junk!
Agree with Mark above. Utter sh1te product. Years of it disconnecting from bluetooth. Garmin Connect App forgetting it ever connected the scale. Scale attaching via bluetooth but the App can then not remember the details of the scale. New Adding Product never finds the scale. IT IS NOW IN THE BIN AND THE PROBLEMS ARE SOLVED.
Hi Ray
I returned my index to Garmin Australia who informed me that my scale was faulty and that the scale was now discontinued, so I was unable to receive a replacement. I was offered and received a refund instead.
This in spite of the index still for sale on the Garmin au site.
I’d push back on that from Garmin AU Support to be honest. That’s BS. If you pushed back hard, I’d love to see a copy of the ticket number (you can e-mail it to me, just ray at my domain). Garmin is pretty clear about their support commitments, and this runs afoul of that.
Ray. ticket number is in your inbox.
I asked garmin support for an explanation as to why, if discontinued, the product was still for sale on the garmin website. I got the response “we do not have any scales within our product range” (that was feb 13th).
I’m curious has there every been any update to mark c’s ticket?
Now that it supports multiple weigh-ins a day, I am inclined to buy… grab one quickly now, while you still can, or wait for the very hypothetical (?) Index Scale 2? It may never come, like the foot pod was also discontinued without a replacement? But then why would Garmin add multi weigh-ins if they are discontinuing this product line.
I’m curious has there every been any update to mark c’s ticket?
Now that it supports multiple weigh-ins a day, I am inclined to buy… grab one quickly now, while you still can, or wait for the very hypothetical (?) Index Scale 2? It may never come, like the foot pod was also discontinued without a replacement? But then why would Garmin add multi weigh-ins if they are discontinuing this product line.
I got no reply from gatmin apart from my unit was faulty and gatmin had none to replace. I got a full refund. With that refund I purchased a new one from my local retailer. Jbhifi . I set it up. Still had the issue with second user being kicked off until gatmin fixed it at their end. As of now its working perfectly.
Hi, do you know if Garmin are planning on rolling out a new smart scale any time soon? My previous non-Garmin smart scale has died and contemplating upgrading now. Should I buy the Garmin one now or wait?! Love your site, and have been using it for year. Keep it up!
Garmin really shouldn’t sell this piece of garbage. Mine suddenly dropped of the wifi and after many many attempts with different firewalls, access points and an ant+ stick (and help from Garmin support which is great) i got a new one. Same problem. I can get it to occasionally work on my Iphone but not consistently. I haven’t had any issues with any other product and my house is an IoT inferno. Lost intrest, just going to recycle it an move on.
I’ve had no end of problems with WiFi. The only time it ever works consistently is when I use some type of range extender. Then it doesn’t have the password issue and connects happily with WPA2.
I now have my scales in my dining room, which is sub optimal, but at least they connect.
First time your review has let me down Ray. I have an expensive paper weight now, stuck on the ‘wrench’ screen. Super disappointed in Garmin. Can you add an update to stop others from buying this.
I have never had a problem with my unit, ever. I LOVE It. I love the additional opportunity to weigh more than once a day (and delete the extra weigh-ins if needed/wanted).
THAT SAID. The instructions are ABOMINABLE regarding adding another person. I follow the instructions to the letter until they end. And they end with inviting someone else to use the scale. What happens then? My husband accepts the invitation then steps on the scale and he’s not there. We add him by restarting the scale, then I disappear. We add me, go through all the steps, then I go to weigh myself and I’m not an option. The only way to add me on the scale is to restart the scale then he disappears. What in the heck. I need step by step instructions beyond “invite” another user. Done. That person accepts that invite. THEN WHAT? No more instructions. I’ve asked this before and no one ever responded.
Seriously, are you all the only people that uses the scale? All one-person scales?
Funny, I have very few problems with Garmin devices, but the scale is actually a problem. My problem is that it often does not sync to wifi after weighing. It doesn’t even try. Very strange.
I haven’t seen a pattern as to when or why this should happen. However, I turn my wifi off every night and on in the morning. My guess is that I might get less problems with the sync if I didn’t turned off wifi?
I read some comment about using wifi without password, perhaps that is the way to go, but I’m already using wifi successfully with FR935, Fenix 5X Plus and Fenix 6X Pro Solar so it feels unnecessary to change.
I use wifi with wpa2 password and works all ok. Just moved wifi from cisco WAP to a unifi one ans all still ok as used same ssid and password. I just made sure i was on an unused wifi channell or one that was used the least. Make sure is not near things like microwaves or other equipment that puts out interference. Should not make a difference if its turned off at night or not. Try some different DNS server settings on your router like 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8 etc.
Okay. The issue is not the wifi. What is they key to getting the other person to show up on the scale as person Number 2 after he accepts my invite? What is the last missing step?
If you look on garmin connect under devices the select the scale and then device settings and then manage people does the other person show up ? Also open connect on their phone and look under devices and see if the scale is there and then check their user settings are there correctly.
He never shows up as option on the scale after he accepts. We’re all on the same WiFi. Maybe with the new update we’ll try again. Maybe that’s the issue. Once he accepts, and he steps on the scale, It should be that he just toe taps til he sees his name, correct?
Once he sets up his user settings for his initials (2 chars) and details he steps on scale and it should show up if it does not show his initials try tapping the top right corner to select or sometimes comes up with a ? And you select the initials again.
Thank you. We’ll try that tomorrow. We just could never get his initials to come up–even with tapping. I figured it was stupid user error, but maybe it was something else. Thank you for being so kind to me. I’ve had Garmins since 2002, but for some reason, this has vexed me.
This is still junk – stuck on 7.0% body fat for me since purchase. My bone mass fluctuates more than my body fat according to the scale. Put my eight year old on – he gets 6.0%. Wife gets realistic body fat to four significant figures. Garmin Support think this is all as should be. Today I impersonated my wife on the scale – despite the fact it should be reading *my* body fat it reported her figure.
I’ll be complaining until Garmin give me a full refund, invoking trading standards.
I like the scale and ability to record data in Garmin Connect. But I agree that, other than weight, the body composition data seems to be junk. Consistently claims that my body water INCREASES after long rides in NC summer heat/humidity when my weight decreases by several pounds.
I’m in the market for wifi scales, and being a family who has multiple Garmin devices would like to keep the data in Garmin Connect. I’ve seen rumours of a Garmin Index Scale 2 back end of last year, does anyone know when the release date is likely to be? As do not know whether to hold off purchasing the 1st version or not.
Hi Ray,
are you experiencing problems with the scale since 6/26? I’m having connection problems (third WiFi element blinking, X in upper right). Read about an update at the Garmin forum. Any news on that?
Thanks for your work!
I’m having EXACTLY the same issue.
I’m going to contact Garmin support tomorrow.
I’m apprehensive that it won’t be fixed easily – I’ve had the same index scales for around 3 years and they’ve been intermittently unreliable.
It’s a shame, because when they work as they should they’re great and I really like them.
I’ve just tried the scales and they’re working as normal again.
I don’t know if anything that I did made a difference. I removed them from GC App,
reset them,
reconnected them to the App (including to the original wifi connection),
changed the 4 letter user name.
Then Deleted all weigh-in data in the App, back to 26/06.
Then left them alone for a couple of hours.
All working perfectly now.
Hi Ray,
are you experiencing problems with the scale since 6/26? I’m having connection problems (third WiFi element blinking, X in upper right). Read about an update at the Garmin forum. Any news on that?
Thanks for your work!
Very cool how this scale tracks your data in Garmin Connect to show trends. However, other than weight, which appears to be very accurate, I don’t think it actually measures the other parameters (% fat, % water, muscle mass, bone mass). For example, I weighed myself before and after a 3 hour ride in North Carolina summer heat/humidity with a heat index of close to 100 deg. Sweated a ton, as you can imagine. Post-ride weight was 6 lbs less than pre-ride (all water, right?), but the scale claimed body water INCREASED by 2.3%, muscle mass decreased by 1.6 lbs, and body fat decreased by 3.2% (I wish). According to Garmin, “The Garmin Index™ smart scale uses bioelectrical impedance to calculate your body composition. The device sends a small amount of electrical current (which you will not feel) from one foot through your body to the other foot. The device measures the electrical signal after it passes through your body to estimate aspects of your body composition”. Sounds very scientific, but from my experience, it seems that it is only “measuring” weight.
Great review, as always, but if you could expand on your statement about a crucial decision point
that seems really counter-intuitive I’d appreciate it.
“The black version is impossible to keep clean, white is half-possible”
Typically on a scale you’ll get water/sweat droplets, which generally turn whiteish in color, also, most dust is a grey/white color. So, both of those things happily stick to the scale, and since the glass sits atop the black coloring, it’s crazy visible.
Whereas with white, both those things aren’t visible.
Yep, the S2. But from what I’ve read, I am very skeptical that it actually “measures” anything but weight. % body fat, water, muscle mass, and bone mass are likely to be calculated rather than measured. With the exception of bone mass (which never changes), the other parameters only seem to vary in relation to weight. I can ride or run in the heat, or ride my trainer and sweat a ton, and the S1 will claim that my body water will increase. Obviously that isn’t what is happening. A nice scale but caveat emptor.
I have noticed over the last couple of days that my scale has started recording random weigh ins in the middle of the night.
I weighed myself every morning this week at around 6 AM but looking back through the records there have been measurements recorded at midnight, 2 AM, 3 AM, midday – seemingly completely random times. All the measurements are around what I weighed when I stood on the scales but only have the weight, not any of the other metrics.
I did not weigh myself today and there are 5 measurements recorded…
Anyone else seen anything like this? I am wondering if it’s recording a measurement whenever it wakes up if someone walks past and it wakes up.
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I like the subtlety of “I’ll be sending the loaner scale back” vs. “I’ll be sending the loaner scale back and getting my own” as in other reviews. But let’s assume it’s just because you have a pile of scales already. ;-)
Shh…I’m not allowed to get any more scales right now. But don’t worry, I’ll sneak it in. ;)
A variation on Rule 12?
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The lack of data syncing to Training Peaks is a killer for me.
Have Garmin given any kind of indication that they’re planning to implement this in the future? As you say, the majority of the software infrastructure is already there, so it would seem relatively trivial to support it. Or is it perhaps a deliberate business decision to keep the users locked in to GC and/or MFP?
Either way, a device that’s only serving a closed-shop doesn’t warrant a premium price-tag to me.
No indication. I’ve asked numerous times and kinda let them know it’s a bit of a deal killer – but from what I’ve heard from both Garmin and other companies interested in integrating, there’s no movement at all going on with that front.
That’s disappointing, I really hope they reconsider this.
If I still have to manually enter my data into TP every morning then they’re hardly doing any better than my current dumb scales that cost <10% of what these retail for.
what is the best way to get Fitbit / aria data into Training Peaks? I have not consistently got it to work but some tools I used to use went away.
You state that the ability for data syncing with 3rd parties is already in place and have noted (correctly I think) that the lack or sync is a deal breaker for many.
What is your best guess for Garmin’s strategy in deciding to keep this closed?
What would be Garmin’s strategy to open this up if…
A. Other companies just aren’t interested right now?
B. Footing the bill to integrate to other companies’ websites cost more than the revenue generated by extra scales sold?
A) But other companies are. We know Sport Tracks is, as is Training Peaks (since they do it for other scales today). And, we know consumers are (which is really what counts).
B) The cost to integrate is virtually non-existent for Garmin. The Garmin Auto Sync service could easily just send the Weight.fit files to 3rd parties just like it sends activities. In fact, they likely added code to keep that from happening automatically.
…but then people that don’t even use Garmin products otherwise would buy the scale too which wait. That would just be good for consumers and Garmin! I’ve got nothin Ray. C’mon Garmin.
completely agree with Adam, lack of integration with Training Peaks is a total deal killer. If it had that integration, I’d buy it today.
Agree. No sync, no scale. :(
Only a year late to this discussion. But just on the subject on Garmin connecting to 3rd party apps. Bizarrely although there’s no problem with other Garmin products the Index fails to sync from Garmin Connect to MFP. However if weight is added manually into MFP it will sync (backwards) clearing Connect of all data except the new weight. Kind of useless
We inquired with the Garmin API team about 3rd party sync support and they responded that there are no plans to allow synching Smart Scale data to any platform other than Garmin Connect.
One can easily send Garmin data about weight to MfP which then can upload it elsewhere. Ya just lose everything—except actual weight
In the pic of all the different scales it is remarkable how similar the aesthetics of the designs are
I am sure there is not a lot you can do with a scale but someone could have tried to be a little different
Looking at the picture with all the scales they all look similar style-wise and it wouldn’t surprise me if they were all coming out of the same factory hence the consistent readings across products (maybe same error too).
Ray do you know if this is the case?
Hmm, hard to say, but I doubt it. I think it comes down to them all using the same tech, and that the environment is pretty straight forward. Meaning, putting a device in the bathroom and weighing it isn’t hard or complex engineering. And, electrical impedance is generally well understood (even if easily tricked).
You said that from the end of last year the weight in your garmin devices is being updated Ehen syncing via the app.
This doesn’t work with my devices. Is there anything within the settings I missed?
You need to sync via the Garmin Connect Mobile app. I don’t know if it’ll work on all devices, but if you check the ‘Devices’ option within the GCM app, and if there’s a ‘User Settings’ option, it’ll likely sync automatically. Not all devices have that option.
I am using a Withings WBS01 that I have had for years. I believe that it syncs with MFP which, in turn, syncs my weight with Garmin Connect. Whatever path this information follows, today’s weight always auto-magically uploads to both my fenix3 and VSHR. I guess, in this sense, my aging Withings scale actually works better than the Garmin one as it never fails to sync with MFP and will update my Garmin devices as often as I weigh in and sync them.
Not surprisingly, my Edge 705 dies not get automatic weight updates.
Hi Ray and thx
After resetting my 920 everythings syncs fine.
No idea about the reasons. Anyway thx
Just one question… How are you gonna get that permanent marker cleaned off your computer screen?
The eraser tool, obviously.
You should be able to add the weight info on the dashboard. Disconnect from garmin mobile, reboot the iphone than login to garmin mobile…
Regards
On ours we’ve noticed it will not provide metrics, other than weight, for our 10 year old son. He’s only about 5′ 1″ and bounces between 97-100 lbs. I’ve tried modifying his birthdate to make him older than 18, thinking it may be a child privacy issue, but that didn’t change anything. Now I’m beginning to believe it may be tied to his weight being too low some other aspect i’ve not thought of. Thoughts?
In any event we have loved ours and we are pretty much a Garmin family so it integrates well overall. Although my son gets mad at the scale when it shows he has went below 100 lbs again. I keep telling him time and Mother Nature will definitely fix that issue.
Any ideas on how the **** to get the firmware to update? I have had the software update notice for a fortnight now…… “Index Smart Scale, Version 2.50” just cannot get it on!
It updates by it’s self tru the WiFi connection. My scale arrived yesterday and after setting it up i got a FW update notice in my Garmin Connect. After using it this morning and checking my connect the notice was gone, i checked the scale (remove one battery and put it back in) i saw it was on 2.50.
Any luck with this yet? I think I have a similar issue. My GarminConnect says that version 2.50 has been available for a while now, and my scale has been on 2.40 since I set it up about a month ago (i just checked the scale by doing the battery in/out move described by Mario K here. Will this update automatically through the wifi eventually, or should I go through the set-up process again?
Not recording more than one weight for a day is really annoying me. Fingers crossed they fix that soon.
Get a Withings instead, that records every time you step on the scale and offers loads of ways to get your data too.
The real body mass (not water, food and recycled food) doesn’t fluctuate in a single day anyway. Even weekly measurings are enough if the training and food intake is consistent. Why would someone obsess about weighing more in the evening compared to the morning is beyond me.
Weighing less after exercise allows you to monitor sweat and fluids so is useful. Weighing multiple times a day just to find your weight would be pointless as far as I can see.
Exactly, especially for those living in hot/humid environments. For example, when living in Washington DC for long runs, it was very common that I’d come back 5-7lbs lighter. By looking at my weight before/after a long run on a hot day (which is every day between April and October), I could judge how well I hit hydration. It’d also serve as a reminder for other factors during recovery too.
Good post Ray but I believe your conclusion is wrong in a slightly subtle way. If the platform were lacking that might be forgivable. You and I both know the platform is just fine though and fully capable. Someone at Garmin has made a very deliberate decision to be anti-competitive here and disable various functions that the developers have probably had to comment out. Apple health integration works. They chose not to enable weight sync. Web platform sync works, they chose not to enable weight sync. I’d suggest a better conclusion is vote with your wallet and send a message that in 2016 that’s not OK any more. I agree for some it makes sense to buy, but only because Garmin are being douche bags with their API!
I don’t disagree. I tried to aim for a phrasing that didn’t have douchey in it however ;):
“Either way – there’s really no excuse for Garmin not offering 3rd parties the weight data (nor any ability for you to export it out yourself). They already have the platform (Garmin Connect Auto Sync) setup to do exactly this. To simply send the weight .FIT file to 3rd parties along with the activity .FIT files is trivial. Yet still, three months after release – nothing has changed there.”
I think in this case it deserves to be phrased like that. Someone at Garmin has made a very clear choice against playing nicely and they need to be told what a dumbass that makes them. Unfortunately you have to be a nit nicer than that, but hopefully Garmin read these comments and us customers can be as direct as we want. I like Garmin generally, I have thousands of pounds worth of their kit for boating, biking, driving, hiking, running, swimming, but honestly it annoys me that they are preventing my Withings scale sending weight data inwards, and that when they did eventually decide to join the bandwagon and offer their own scale it doesn’t support third parties. As I said, in 2016 that’s really not OK when it’s a business decision. If it were the case that they had a boatload of work to do to enable this then fine but that’s not the case.
It wasn’t really a comment on the article, you clearly did mention it. It was just that one line in the summary saying the platform is the issue, as you said elsewhere the platform is just dandy :)
keep in mind, Garmin is a company makes most of their income in selling hardware, for them (in a business logic) it makes very little sense to open data to 3rd parties as the ones who are using Garmin Connect mostly have already an Garmin device hence it would not attract other ‘potential’ users outside, to buy a new Garmin device, on the other side companies like Fitbit (even owning today most of their revenues with some would say overpriced activity trackers) spending a huge amount of efforts on the software experience side to attract customers into their ecosystems that is not ultimately based on hardware revenues only
What you’re saying does not support your argument.
At the moment Garmin have it completely backwards, in that you can spend your money on another company’s hardware and get that data wherever you like (including Garmin Connect) but if you spend your money on the Garmin Index then you’re locked into their system.
Yes, I’m already a Garmin customer and use Garmin Connect, but they’re discouraging me from buying more of their hardware (i.e. this scale) by locking it down to their own platform that’s not making them any money.
what I meant was if you buy today an competitor scale you won’t get the automatic weight updates to your watch (as with the Index scale) nor the additional metrics into garmin connect so for you as garmin customers they pave you the way in saying if you spend this money they give you these extras but they only do this in selling their scale to you hence it’s less likely if Garmin would open this for other scales as their own as you would probably not buy their more expensive scale then
The not integrating weight and the other metrics with TrainingPeaks/sportstracks/etc part is what is confusing me the most. What do they have to gain there? Those companies only provide analytical software and really don’t threaten Garmin’s market share at all as far as I can tell. The only things I can think of are that A) if a company that garmin intends to compete against (ie. UA) has already subscribed to their auto sync service, they might currently have no way of preventing them from getting the weight, B) garmin wants to capture the new user market in their ecosystem and finally C) while it seems far fetched, maybe Garmin has designs on getting into the analytics market.
I’ve literally bought dozens of Garmin fitness products dating back to the FR305 but without hesitation this was the worst experience and product I ever bought. I seldom if ever return products but after 3 weeks I had enough. The scale was a mess for me… had to kick it to turn on (50% of the time it wouldn’t turn on if you just stood on it first), setup was a mess (albeit this was early in the launch), the BF% was nearly 7+% lower than displayed for me on competing wifi scales (Aria etc.) and nowhere close to reality because it appears Garmin chose to split the difference of the normal and athlete profiles on other scales. The BF% also was more variable for me day to day then on other scales. MyFitnessPal sync was totally broken the first month after launch and it was “fixed” shortly after the returned the scale but as Ray says it is still intermittent. Having only one weigh in per day without over writing online data is INEXUSABLE on a $150 scale. It’s beyond crazy that I was scared of getting on the scale and ruining my daily morning wake up data point even if I wanted to weigh myself before and after a run etc. It’s a total mess and this is coming from a guy who lived with the buggy 405 launch, the buggy edge 510, the buggy GPS accuracy of the 620 at launch, the mess of Garmin connect “modern” launch and more.
The scale for me was the worst fitness product from Garmin ever.
I took mine back. Reasons:
1. Flakey wifi connection despite isolating channels etc.
2. Single reading per day is terrible.
3. Very laggy on the foot tap.
4. Extremely easy for other users to overwrite your daily reading.
Might get it again if the fix it in the future but there is no way I would be waiting for an update to come out given the current state of my Fenix 3’s GPS accuracy.
Have you had any issues with it being extremely sensitive turning on? I just have to walk past my scale and it turns on. I also had it set up next to my trainer (which is on a mat and I wasn’t doing anything intense) and it just constantly cycled through turning on and off until I stopped pedalling.
Thanks
If I drop something heavy in the same room, it’ll flicker on. But otherwise walking past it doesn’t trigger it. It probably helps that it’s on wood flooring on concrete, so there’s very little play in the floors here.
Been using mine for 2 weeks now.
Not once has it sent the data to MyFitnessPal – 920XT workouts are syncing to MFP so I know my accounts are set up correctly.
What’s worse, if you manually enter your weight in MFP, it overwrites your scale’s data in Garmin Connect deleting the body fat % metrics etc.
Annoyingly in Garmin Connect web, if you want to see run data in miles, you can only view weight data in pounds. Change to kilograms and you get kilometres.
My body Fat % is roughly the same as yours Ray. However I am currently a bit chubby with just a few hours of exercise in the last few months… plus it’s a good 5% below my Tanita scales… so don’t believe it. Use it for trending only.
These are things they can fix but I find it sloppy and disappointing.
Also, don’t bother on carpet. Even with the plastic black feet it had me between 5kg and 20kg too light,
I’ve had a similar experience with the withings WS50 on carpet. Even when I placed a 1/4″ piece of plexi glass under it. It does seem pretty accurate now that I have placed a 3/4″ piece of plywood under it. And my carpet isn’t overly thick. But with just the included plastic feet, it was under reporting by a couple of pounds.
small typo in the basic section ‘… focusing on the most comparable models (Fitbit Area & Withings WS-50)…’
the Fitbit one is called “Aria”
Thanks! That area has been fixed now. ;)
Your “few Quirks not a big deal”? Seems like some pretty serious short comings. In particular the only recording saved is the last value of the day. If you weigh yourself after that 20 mile run and are down 5 pounds, that’s going to mess up your data big time. Pretty much making any kind of weight trend useless.
The lack of reliable integration with other sites would also be a deal breaker for me.
I have a ton of Garmin devices but would have to totally disagree with your assessment that that is a good reason to stick with Garmin here. This just doesn’t sound like a competitive product until they fix some of these issues.
The craziest part is it is the most expensive scale in the wifi space too. The list of problems remains huge but I will admit it is likely most could be fixed by firmware updates and software backend changes in time but the scale launched in late November and her we are a couple months later and nothing so far other than improving the setup it seems.
The challenge is that not everyone is like you or I (data focused & multi-platform).
I was actually talking with friends about it last week a bit, walking through the options. Their response was that for them, they weren’t really concerned with those aspects (the lack of 3rd party sync or even the multi-day weigh-ins). For someone just aiming to lose weight and using a Vivosmart HR, it’s actually a pretty good compliment.
And of course, you could use MyFitnessPal as a 3rd party sync engine – but we all know how well that works. Sometimes it breaks (for no reason), and sometimes it’s just a PITA to get working. So for someone that just wants a ‘easy button’ solution, this does fit.
I do try and balance in reviews that my audience is more than just hardcore athletes, but at the same time, I also try and make it clear for each audience to decide whether it’s the right device for them.
Garmin for the past decade has done an amazing ($billion) job threading the product needles, from low end to high end, vertically and horizontally. I’ve complained often about how many $&% models they have, but somehow, the strategy works, and it’s hard to question the profit results.
But… Apple.. Fitbit – these companies are chomping at the fashion / “low” end… And UA is like a beast coming on strong, maybe a year or two. Technically MFP is now a competitor to Garmin, no?? It’s all very interesting.
Ray, it appears that the BMI, bodyfat % and muscle mass only appears if you use the Garmin scale? I have the Withings… Is there a way to get these data uploaded to Garmin Connect? It seems only weight is registered.
as Ray describe in his other post “A Weighty Decision: Deciding on a WiFi Weight Scale”(link to dcrainmaker.com) it only syncs weight via the workaround withings -> fitnesspal -> garmin, the previous post is also a good reado for the whole topic!
Well it’s not just that it doesn’t sync – as Kien suspected you don’t get those fields shown if you don’t connect a Garmin scale to your account, nor can you enter those fields manually (which is really dumb). I’d love to keep track to bf% and enter it manually twice a week, but buying a scale just to get a single parameter unlocked is in the “wtf” zone.
I have exactly the same issue with the Tanita scales that such with the old forerunner but Garmin connect still doesn’t present the information in the app.
Thanks for this review I’ve been waiting for Ray !
You mentionned that “in order to be a user on the scale, you must have an account on Garmin Connect”.
Provided that I have setup the scale correctly for me (so with my account) and let someone else without an account use the scale, will it still work ? I.e. will it still indicate the weight and eventually other metrics without uploading them to Garmin Connect ?
Thanks !
JM
Technically anyone can step on the scale and then it gives the little question mark icon (the one seen in the picture at the beginning of the ‘Summary’ section. However, I can’t really figure out where that data goes. It just seems to evaporate (on a Withings Scale, the unknowns data just goes into a bucket to assign to a user or discard).
Thanks very much, Ray!
Weighing more than once per day issue and Bluetooth only for setup and only wi-fi transfer of data is not written in the manual!
And these things are very, extremely important, I was going to by this today but luckily you wrote the review last night :)
Shame on Garmin!
Ray,i am heavily leaning towards getting a TomTom spark cardio. Any idea which scale works best (or at all) with the TomTom app?
I’m not aware of any scales that integrate there. In theory with the old MapMyFitness backend, it would have worked behind the scenes (sorta, barely). But now, nothing to my knowledge.
great, thats too bad. The idea of a wifi scale integration is fantastic and something I desire. Possibly a deal breaker. If the FR235 didn’t have so many issues especially given its price tag, I’d be more interested in that rather than the tomtom.
For those of you who are on the fence about getting any scale – get one! I love how easy it is to log in your weights etc daily. I had a Eat Smart Scale for $40 that provides all the functions of this expensive Garmin scale but you can’t beat the convenience of the Garmin.
Ray – on a side note – have you considered adding bullet points of Pluses and Minuses for some of your readers who may be limited on time to read the entire review? Ive been passing your site onto new readers and they appreciate the length of details you offer but perhaps a “quick take” would be a friendly supplement
Thoughts?
I do add bullets from time to time in reviews that are pros/cons. The challenge I have is that I find too often people don’t balance the importance of a pro/con.
For example, on this, if I outlined the pros as ‘Just works’ (which it does for me), and left it as that, while listing a bunch of cons about issues with 3rd parties, no weigh-in, etc.., then people for whatever reason see that as a negative product, without reading whether or not it matters. They just look at chunks of text – big vs small.
Of course, it works both ways. Sometimes a single con is a huge one, but not valued as such. It’s sorta the same reason I long stopped giving ratings to products. People just base everything on a single number, without utilizing critical thought. ;)
Ray is totally spot on. The scale is a pleasure if you are stranded in the walled garden. It is trouble free re wifi compared to my first gen Withings scale. link to midpackgear.com
Is the fat% influenced by class of activity from GC user setting?
Btw looking fwd from Garmon feedback (may be to you) about integration of health data sync with St3 or TP
I don’t own the scale yet, still trying to justify the purchase. I had this thought and am wondering if it would be worth the effort or not for being able to have multiple weigh-ins on the same day without messing up the actual trend of your typical weigh-ins.
Would it be worth it to add another user (JB primary and JC secondary) for yourself. You would weigh in as normal to create your base line data point (for that day or week) and then when you need your second weigh in (after a run or workout) in the same day, tell the scale you are the secondary user instead of the primary. It is my understanding that you would need to have a new Garmin connect profile if you actually wanted to track the second weigh ins, which I could see as being a hassle to log into and out of accounts. However, if you didn’t want to track that secondary weigh in you wouldn’t need to do anything, just let the scale deposit it into wifi/Garmin Connect land.
Does this seem like it is something that could work around the multiple weigh-ins until Garmin actually allows you to have multiple data points on the same day? Or would it be too much effort to work around Garmin’s lack of flexibility on the issue?
Thanks for any help.
Just curious. Why would you spend more to go through this hassle vs just getting a Withings? Even before I got a wifi scale, I found Garmin Connect so lacking in the way it handled weight that I was happy to be using non Garmin software to manage this. And I’m heavily invested in Garmin in terms of devices for my family and friends.
Definitely see where both of you are coming from.
I’m also quite invested in Garmin devices (yeah!) and therefore Connect (oh no!) – every time I mulled over getting a non-Garmin device it just didn’t happen out of personal preference on the device site (and I do not see the websites of other big players being better either really). It is a shame that Connect is so underwhelming and more importantly nothing seems to change in Garmin’s approach on improving this; and I’m supporting this dire fact by buying their devices still, my ambivalent decision every time.
So for a Wifi-scale I was thinking of getting a Withings or other non-Garmin – but I know me, if the integration with Connect is not working seamlessly, it’s just not something I’d use getting the data up there.
So the ‘second user’ Garmin scale ‘solution’ came to my mind as well – but I bet for the two-three times I’d weigh myself more than once/day a week there would be at least one time it would be a hassle and I would forget to swipe and get it registered to the wrong account (getting furious, of course ;-). And I would have to scribble the additional e.g. post long run weight data somewhere else anyway.
In the end, I think I’m just better off in keeping doing weight manually and resisting the ‘new toy’ pull here with the scale functionality being what it is…
ekutter-the simple answer is to stay in the Garmin ecosystem. I don’t do enough multiple weigh ins (maybe 3 or 4 times a year just to see a difference after a run) for this to be much of an issue, just wondering if this could be a solution. Long answer is that if I invest in a wifi scale, I would want to be able to see all of the data from the scale on my tracking site. It sounds like I would be able to get the weight data from the Withings to Connect, but not the other metrics that are the reason I want from the scale. Because Connect and Strava are the only websites that I use and I do not want to add another site that I would have to check,I am willing spending more to stay in the Garmin ecosystem. Granted either would be easier than my current set up with a regular scale and manually entering weight into Connect every day.
Mike P- I think we are in the same camp. I am fine with getting the Withings, but not getting all of the data from it into Connect would be my biggest drawback. I too worry about forgetting to switch users, so that is another thing that makes me want to wait and see if Garmin will add the ability to have multiple data points before I jump into the wifi scale game which is hard since the new toy pull is hard to resist.
On the topic of setup. I bought the Garmin Index in January and had a terrible time getting it to connect to my router which included spending about an hour on the phone with Garmin support to no avail. What I finally figured out is that my Linksys WRT 1200AC router was set to mixed mode and not WPA2 due to some old hardware on my network that didn’t play well with WPA2. Once I changed the router setting to WPA2 the setup worked like I had originally expected it to and I have had no issues with the scale. Thought this might help someone who may encounter similar issues.
Hi guys.
Got everything working just fine, no problems. Also, added my wife with a new account without any problem. But… One thing that’s killing me it’s the body fat% reading coming around 9% where it should read around 15%…
Have gone through all the configurations (I can think off) but can’t seem to solve this. Any Ideas? Help, please…
I only wish I had 9%…
Thanks
I have the same issue. It keeps telling me I’m 7.9% body fat which is absurd. I know what I look like when I’m 8% and it’s not how I look right now. Additionally, my Omron scale puts me at roughly double what the garmin says. I reached out to garmin and they said that while it was not a widely reported issue they would try to determine the cause of the readings and a solution.
Hi Mario,
I wanted to let you know I had the exact same issue and solved it.
My body fat is about 15% and the scale gave me 9% or less.
This has to do with “No Athlete mode: While not a huge issue to most, there lacks an athlete mode”
I believe you actually you can change this setting.
When configuring the scale with my android phone the fist time the last user profile setting was “low med of high” activity.
As I run 5 times a week, and do some other sports I selected “high” and I got a very low fat %.
After this I removed the device from my Garmin account and ran the setup again, this time selecting “med” activity.
Now the scale gives me a fat percentage of 14,8.
So I guess that the “high” setting should only be used for professional athlete’s :-)
Hope this help you.
Kind Regards,
Glenn
Hi,
I’ve been using the scales since Xmas and have been having issues with the body fat measurements. Although my weight is seems very accurate my body fat measurement fluctuates from 10.3 to 13% daily.
Has anyone else been having these issues?
Hi Ray,
you said “In case you’re wondering, the scale can only remember one WiFi network at a time. I actually brought it with me while travelling in November and December, pairing it to my phone at the time. And then re-pairing it back when I got home.”
I’m trying to use mine away from home at the moment where there is no wifi. I had read somewhere you could create a hotspot on your phone and use that to sync. Is that what you did? I managed to do it once but since then the scales refuse to connect to my hotspot (iOS). switching off the phone etc had no effect. And why did Garmin decide not to allow sync via a phone using Bluetooth?
Best wishes, Scott.
Great post. I’ve been eyeing this since it was announced, but am unconvinced even though I’m pretty much 100% Garmin Connect.
The main reason for that is I can’t find a definite answer is if there is a “Guest” mode. I’ll be the only user in the household who will actually be recording data. My wife will probably be interested in checking her bf% every now and then, but doesn’t have a Garmin Connect account and isn’t interested in one. Sister-in-law will probably be the same.
If I’m the only registered user, will the occasional rando’s data be sent to my account? Can you set up a guest mode that won’t upload anywhere, but just display the metrics? That’s assuming, of course, I can convince the guest user to actually select guest in the first place. I figure that if that’s not an option, I can create a dummy Garmin Connect account for guest users and have it dump data to that.
Thanks.
If it’s an unrecognized user, the measurements basically just vanish. They don’t get tagged onto your account.
I had thee same question, and after buying and trying the scale, it took a bit of figuring but it definitely does.
In theory the scale should detect that the user on it doesn’t closely match one of the registered users, and display a guest icon (a little dude+question mark). This means you’ll only see the weight, not the other metrics (which require height, gender, etc).
For me, with a brand new scale with, when I weigh myself and log it to my Garmin Connect account it works perfectly. When I weigh someone else 20lb lighter, it decides that person is me, and associates it with me. I assume this will get better with more data history for it to go on.
It’s still possible to get around this though -the trick is to tap with your right toe when it shows the wrong name, and each time it detects the tap it will change to the next user, finally ending up on the guest user.
It needs quite a firm tap, and if you miss it, then you end up with your measurements being overwritten by the other user.
Like I said, from what I read this should improve over time, unless your other user is quite close to you in weight.
my fenix 3 isn’t syncing my weight (user profile) with GC.
how can i use this feature or am i looking in the wrong setting?
Are you syncing via mobile app, or via desktop/WiFi?
via Bluetooth/GC.
My fenix displays my weight Setting in “User Profile”, which i typed in at the beginning of my fenix use.
or do i have to look somewhere else?
Same here. no sync to the Fenix 3.
Bluetooth is always on. the Index or the Portal ist not passing the accutal weight to my watch.
Garmin Index Wifi Scale
Thank you for the review – I do have a question: “How would this type of scale help me lose weight vs a $30 digital scale?”
Let start by saying that I am 51 – 5’ 8” and 220 pounds and have been cycling since the 80s. I am a recreationally cycler and I put in about 50+ mikes a week on and off road. (RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS has slowed me down a bit this year).
In the 90s I raced DH for GT and at 200 back then the weight was mostly muscle mass – now not so much it has moved to the belly!
For the past 4 years I have struggled to get below 215 – calories in vs calories out is not always the formula. Anyway – asa data guy – I am always looking for an edge that might just help me get past this roadblock – thus the reason for my question.
For me, it is consistent tracking (daily first thing in the morning) and graphing. Ignore your daily weight but pay attention to your 7 day average. This gives you relatively quick and accurate feed back if you are on track. Keeps you honest with yourself.
So if you are dedicated enough to log this every single day, the $30 scale is just as good, and maybe better because you are paying more attention to the data. Scales like this will help you not forget to log the data which is huge for most people. But you still need to look at the data. Beyond that, there is no magic to these scales. None of the advanced metrics are going to help you achieve your goals because they aren’t accurate enough.
I agree. I think it all boils down to one thing: Will you actually log what you weight when you weigh yourself.
If you look at that number, and think “Oh, I just had a big meal, that must be it, I’ll skip logging today”, then the $30 scale won’t work. You can mentally pretend it didn’t happen (trust me, I’m a pro at it).
With a connected scale, you can’t. It remembers – instantly, and forever. It’s thus a great motivator when you look a charts for 5 weeks and realize not every day was a big meal.
When I did this last years – I logged everything, food, water, exercise, weight & sleep.
I did so at a granular level – even logging vitamins – I have a fitness tracker for the daily and I use an Edge for all my cycling. Did this for 2 months – it’s a lot of data and even though I am a data programmer by day – it’s was rather overwhelming to try and figure out what to actually do with it, or make any sense out of it?
Now – I just ride, but it would be very nice if I could drop at least 20 pounds and get under 200 – I know this would greatly improve my cycling experience – and really… that’s what this is all about right?
I’m using it for a couple of weeks now. It works fine.
I really mis
1) multiple per day option , as noticed to monitor dehydration.
2) In connect it doesn’t mention the time of measurement (diff. Morning or evenings).
3) Add notes , for example “had a pizzaparty yesterday” to explain fluctuations isn’t possible in connect?
The % of bodyfat is in this scale about 5% less then in other devices i use. :-(
thanks
SERIOUS FLAW!
Ray you wrote:
“Weighing more than once per day: However, there are some undesirables within it. Most notable is that it doesn’t record more than one measurement per day per user…”
Well yesterday – I received my scale form Amazon (after a lot of research) and have it all hooked up and running. One of the major reason I picked the Garmin over the others was the ability to have the scale update my account consistently in the morning and then use the scale through the day (before / after an exercise) to see water weight, etc.
Well that is no longer the case – at some point form the time you wrote this review and today – Garmin made a change in the system so that OVERTIME you get on the same it updates your account?
Well that would not be so bad EXCEPT that now when you step on the scale it OVERWRITES any existing data form that day?
So, if your consistently getting not he scale int he morning when you get up to track your weight loss and where that loos is coming from and then get on the scale after fueling and hydrating before a ride – you have now just jacked up your metrics! From a statistical standpoint, this is the dumbest thing they could have done?
I think you misinterpreted Ray’s original comments. It’s always only saved the last measurement of the day. That is one of the things many of us said would be a non-starter with this scale for exactly the reasons you mention.
And it’s not just this scale, it’s Garmin Connect itself. If you have weight from a Withings scale fed to Garmin Connect via MyFitnessPal, it only keeps the latest measurement of the day. With a Withings scale, at least, you can go to the Withings web site/app and see every measurement, but so far as I know, Garmin Connect only ever shows you the last one of the day.
So what are people doing to get around this?
I called Garmin and ask a fairly simple question – I thought.
I asked: “How would you feel if you git up in the morning and did a 60 spinning ride in your trainer, went about your day and then after work took a 2hr road rode ride – but instead of GC recording BOTH rides as individual data – id deleted the earlier ride and only kept the data for the last ride?”
He said: “That would be stupid!”
I asked: “Then why are you doing it for the weight data?”
He said: “I’m not sure I should answer that.”
(Just to be clear, per my original statement in the post, I think Chris just misunderstood what I wrote).
I totally agree, it’s stupid (and why I noted it in the post). I did ask Garmin about it at MWC, and they are working on a fix. They didn’t have a timeframe for that, but I’ll circle back again and see if they can nail down one.
Fta mass is different by 6-7% compared to tanita o withings, choosing athlete mode and 10 as level of athlete
Ray I believe you may need to readdress the following statement
“MyFitnessPal: While Garmin has a partnership with MyFitnessPal to sync weight data, it seems to work sporadically. Sometimes the weight shows up, sometimes not. And sometimes it shows up days later without explanation.”
Yes Garmin has a “partnership with MyFitnesspal to sync data but NOT WEIGHT data.
Garmin has confirmed to me that weight data was NEVER a feature to transfer.
I believe that needs to be clear for buyers of the scale; your data will not transfer. But let’s request it – read below.
Thank you for contacting Garmin International.
The weight information not transferring, is not an issue that needs fixing, it is simply not a feature. I have included a link below, where you can submit an idea to our development team. The more people that make this suggestion, the more likely it will be implemented. You are by no means the first person to ask about weight syncing to MyFitnessPal.
www8.garmin.com/contactUs/ideas/
Now if your calorie information is not syncing, we do have troubleshooting steps for that.
MyFitnessPal:
To disconnect MyFitnessPal:
Garmin Connect Mobile:
Open the app Menu:
Android: Touch the Menu icon (3 horizontal lines in the upper left)
iOS – Touch the ‘More’ icon (bottom right)
Select Settings
Select 3rd Party Apps
Select MyFitnessPal
Garmin Connect website:
Select Menu (3 horizontal lines in the upper left)
Select Calories In/Out
Select Disconnect from MyFitnessPal (small print at the bottom of the page)
MyFitnessPal website:
Sign into the MyFitnessPal account
Select ‘APPS’ near the top of the page
Select Garmin Connect on the right
Click the ‘DISCONNECT’ button
To reconnect MyFitnessPal to Garmin Connect:
Computer:
Select the Menu (3 horizontal lines in the upper left)
Select Calories In/Out
Select Connect to MyFitnessPal
Sign in to your MyFitnessPal account
Mobile application: Reference the following FAQ:How do I link Garmin Connect Mobile to MyFitnessPal?
With Best Regards,
Aaron
Customer Care – Fitness Team
Garmin International
But we know that’s incorrect (their statement), since there are numerous users here in the comments section having semi-functional weight sync (both in this post, and the preview post). As I noted, sometimes it works…and sometimes not.
Ray as of today NOBODY is getting their data transferred to myfitnesspal via the garmin forums. link to forums.garmin.com
My brother out in nyc who is very tech savvy hasnt either been able to sync data.
I believe it’s not happening anywhere.
Amyone here care to say if they’re getting the data transferred????
MyFitnessPal is owned by Under Armour, who now produces a line of competing devices including a scale.
I think it’s a bit naïve to assume that these tight data partnerships which existed before MFP was bought will continue on, infinitely into the future.
I think this is a case of buyer beware, especially since Garmin has explicitly stated they don’t intend to share weight scale readings with partner apps.
Right, it’s (apparently) no longer working. But it was, as a number of folks in that thread on the 2nd page note it was working.
I’ll poke someone…
I use both the index scale and myfitnesspal and can tell you for certain that garmin has sent them my weight intermitently for a total of 15 separate days since I got my scale on Jan 12. During that time there was only one period where the weight was sent on consecutive days; 4 straight days from feb 15 to feb 18. Feb 18 is also the last day that weight was successfully received.
Unfortunately there is a bug in Myfitnesspal/Garmin where if you manually update the weight in myfitnesspal it will override the weight data from Garmin and kill the rest of the data in garmin connect.
Thanks for checking with them.
I checked with Garmin folk. They’re working to address the nowbroken/inconsistent sync issues (for both weight and general MFP stuffs).
Thanks Ray, I assume they gave no timeline?
Correct.
I found a way to sync index weight to My FitnessPal.
It works, but not straight forward.
In Garmin Connect mobile I go into settings > user settings, tap weight. Make an edit in weight, just scroll back and forth. No need to change the actual weight. Save and go back and out.
MFP will have updated your weight next time you log in.
Well, spoke with Garmin again today and and due to their overly arragont attitide, I’m sending my scale back for a refund.
I have been a long time Garmin supporter, nearly 20 years, and with the issue I have had (and continue to have) with the Edge 1000 and now this – I’m done supporting them!
I own both the Tanita BC-1000 and Garmin Index.
I’m oddly quite similar stats to you Ray, but on first use of the Garmin I notice the estimation for muscle and bone mass were wildly different between the two (lbs): Bone: 7.3 vs. 15.7 and Muscle: 139 vs. 77.4
Must be different assumptions.
Tanita:
Weight 185.4 lbs
Percent Body Fat 20.9 %
Percent Body Water 53.8 %
Muscle Mass 139.4 lbs
Bone Mass 7.3 lbs
Index:
Weight 185.1 lbs
BMI 25.1
Percent Body Fat 19.4 %
Percent Body Water 58.8 %
Muscle Mass 77.4 lbs
Bone Mass 15.7 lbs
Brad,
I also got both Tanita 1000 plus and garmin index, my muscle mass almost fell in half and bone mass doubled between Tanita and garmin (garmin halfed my muscle and doubled bone mass), same for my wife. I understand Consistent readings is what matters , but can anyone tell which scale reports closer numbers to reality ? Im sure someone weighed the bones of a dead person and there is an acceptable range out there
I also have both, and have seen wildly inconsistent reading on the Tanita. The Garmin is more or less the same.
Hi and thanks for your reviews
But on the same matter FWIW my Garmin scale synced with myfitnesspal this morning 03/8/16 but last time it did it previously was on the 03/02/16.
I like the scale and we are 4 in the family and it auto recognises all of us. I personaly step on the scale when I get out of bed in the mornings. But I like the autolog versus writing it down in a book that my kid splash water on.
I have a ANT+ Tanita BC1000 scal. Garmin Connect app syncs the weight form the web based Garmin connect website, however ignores all other metrics. Is there a way to get Garmin Connect app to register all the other measurements produced from the Tanita scale, like it does for Garmin Index smart scale?
Great website, been following you for ages. Love the mix of tech and fitness.
I just got these scales to replace my Withings ones which died. Apple no longer stock the Withings and Withings do not ship to NZ, so I had to get a refund and replace them with these.
So far, the scales are fine. Connect is a different matter. I have no metrics beyond weight in the app version and on the web version, no drop downs but weight.
I am wondering if this may be a browser issue (Safari) as the drop down boxes on the Garmin Support site are blank too.
Any ideas?
Marcus,
Do you have Garmin Connect connected to MyFitnessPal? MyFitnessPal will overwrite all other Index metics if it syncs back to Connect so that only weight exists in Connect. This has been an issue since the Index was released and Garmin and MFP just point fingers at each other…instead of solving the issue.
I did – I have deleted that link and it seems to be working now, thanks. Hope they fix the bug.
I have also noted that it seems not merely to record only one weight per day, but only the first one of each day. It is not replacing that with later weights on the same day.
Also I have had some big discrepancies – 2Kg difference on weighing events only 1 minute apart!
I can not express how satisfied and impressed I am with the Withings scale – it simply does the job that I needed. You can make this machine the part of your daily life once it is in your bathroom.
With no hassle, you would be allowed to track your weight everyday with this helpful kit. I guarentee you that you would be so much helped to maintain your diet and maintain your weight with this Withings scale.
I would instantly buy this scale if Garmin Connect wouldn’t stop third parties from using their API. The 5000$ fee is a bad joke. Posting to their us forums about this topic seems to be a no go. They closed down my thread which should have been located here:
link to forums.garmin.com!
While I agree with you and the statement you quote from Garmin is pretty dubious, your post remains and the thread is not locked.
I changed over from the Aria to the Index in January – at the moment I am not amused at all! My first Index Scale would loose the WLAN settings every 3-4 Days. I had to setup the WLan fresh after 3-4 days of use. The Scale would search and find nothing over and over again. Entered the setup menu on my phone and wothout changing anything the WLAN worked again. Not Funny at all.
Tried a different Router, changing the settings in the router with Garmin rep., Using a Devolo Access Point, using an AVM Access point, tried a AVM Repeater and even differnt rooms in the house.
Nothing Helps.
Last week I agreed on a Change out and on Saturday a got the Relacement Scale.
Damn, this one is even worst. It Looses the settings Every morning!
This looks to be a Software bug.
At the Moment I CAN NOT Recommend this Scale to anyone.
I have told so may People in the gym and at work to wait….but the question is, How Long????
GARMIN Fix this Software!
This needs to be said and People need to be aware of the Problems with the Index.
The Forum has a few People with the same Problem and the German Hotline told me the Problem is known…but there is no soulution?
Are we supposed to accept this? seting up the WLAN Network on the scale every day?
Step on, no WLAN, setup, WLAN Network add, exit step on the scale….
I for one am very dissapointed and if this problem is not fixed soon, I will return the scale and start my Aria back up….
My % body fat (24.9%) seems very high compared to my relatively low BMI (20). I am 5ft 5″ and weight 54.5 kg. On other devices I could put in that I exercise a lot and always have done but don’t seem to be able to do this here. Can you do this on the scales or in the app?
a great way to approximate body fat is taking a look at what definition you have.
link to traineatgain.com
Hi thanks the pictures are great and I would guess I am at the lower end of this but I was hoping the scales actually can do it more accurately?
Juliane
This is easily the worst Garmin device (of many) I’ve ever purchased and used. The first one I got never worked right, recording, displaying and reporting only weight and BMI. I sent it back and got a replacement (via Amazon). The 2nd one worked OK (with some erratic behavior) for a few months but in my most recent successful weigh-in it displayed my weight then appeared to reset itself. I can no longer get past the wrench icon. I tried a reset and setting it up via the iOS app with no luck. My initials were lost and when I tried to reestablish them the app repeatedly reports “Network Connection Error” and the scale continues to show the wrench icon. I tried taking the batteries out for several hours then holding down the reset button until the display turned white. This time I had to re-configure my WiFi setting in the app but I ended up in the same situation: “Network Connection Error” and a persistent wrench display on the scale.
I replaced a FitBit Aria (which never gave me any trouble) with this scale so all my activity and health data would be in one place (Garmin Connect) but sadly I’m again missing my weight and related data.
I paid too much money for something of such poor quality.
After owning it for a month there are two huge problems:
1. My 2 year old has stepped on it and it decided that was me (~145lb) automatically. Which makes no sense whatsoever. So then it overwrites my data with that of a 26 lb person.
2. It routinely prevents my wife from selecting her own profile when she uses the scale. It gives her a choice of my profile or nobody.
On #1, any chance your two year old in the process of trying to weight themselves selected you? Would be an easy thing to do if they were just playing on the scale. Otherwise, it would have defaulted to the question mark.
Thanks Ray. Nope. I’ve watched it happen multiple times. Swear on my life. I agree with you that it *should* default to the “??” symbol but it doesn’t consistently. I spoke w/garmin this morning and they want me to clear out the “bad data” whatever that means. Are you still using yours w/no problems?
Weird indeed.
I haven’t used mine much lately.
Have you set up a user for your 2 year old?
When trying to set up a user for my 1 year old (which runs over the scale from time to time) I think the only alternatives were to include him as 10+ years old and above 1 meter.
Garmin should really allow for include all ages and heights as potential users as their connect platform.
I’m not finding these any more reliable or accurate than the Withings scales they replaced.
The first weight in the morning is often 2 kg lower than if I do a second one 2 minutes later and yesterday the scales told me I had lost 8kg in 24 hours.
I now have no idea which figure is the accurate one (if any) and frankly am now looking at returning these to replace them with another brand to see if that is any better, unless anyone can suggest a fix for the erratic behaviour?
Greetings Ray. I’ve been wanting a “Smart scale” since I read your Tanita BC-1000 review about 3 years ago but haven’t purchased one yet. After reading your review of the Garmin Index it sounds like just what I’m looking for. I really like all the features it has, however, there are a lot of negative comments and reviews about it out there which leads me to ask you- Some 6 months now after your initial write up, and 2 months after your in depth review would you recommend this scale?
I want a smart scale to aid my weight loss and fitness improvement and as I have all Garmin products and like all the features the Index has it sounds like just what I want. In addition to the basic weight-BMI-body fat measuring I’m also interested in the bone and muscle mass measuring capability. For bone mass I think that over time it would show if I’m maintaining, gaining, or losing bone mass as I age (And improve my fitness). And the same with muscle mass. Over time wouldn’t it show if I’m gaining, losing, or maintaining? And if gaining muscle mass, then my fat mass and BMI should show as going down, right? So I want to use this to track weight and fat loss, BMI decrease, and hopefully also see muscle mass increase and bone mass staying same or increasing. I’m thinking long term here, getting an initial measurement now and then weekly tracking to see where I’m at in a month, 6 months, a year, 2 years, etc. As a side note- I’m also able to go for fitness assessments through the Army and get measured in a Bod-Pod, so it would be interesting to compare results.So why not just go to the Bod-Pod? Simple. I like gadgets (And this will be easy to use at home).
So, your thoughts? Thanx.
Cheers,
Mark
So would you recommend these scales for a daily weigh in to use with garmin connect?
Can I add my daughters to the scale?? I´m having some troubles trying to do that!
Really feel let down by garmin with this product. I bought these scales on the back of all my other products are gramin. 920xt, 235, 810. But the lack of 3rd party integration is a major let down, especially given how poor their own platform garmin connect is. The data from all my other devices transfer to trainingpeaks etc no problem.
Unfortunately they seem far more concern about wheeling out a new product every week than getting the products spot on and retaining their long standing customers. Just look at how many running watches they have out at the moment, its nigh on impossible to know which to chose. I personally think Garmin as company needs to get back to basics and do what they do best, produce good products that work. they maybe trying to target the 16-20 market thinking they have more years in them, but those of us that have grown up using Garmin products deserves some level of service from gramin too. All it would take is a competitor to really get its act together and there could be a major power shift.
So yesterday I did three weights within 4 minutes. Got a spread of 3.4 kg between them.
Ridiculously inaccurate. Which is correct? First? Last? Average? None?!
Hi, Just wanted to let you know, that the connect app, will in fact show the weight form the smart scale, as a “snapshot” and not just buried way down in the menus. Notice the button line of icon in the picture.
But there is a trick you need to do, if you have had the app installed for a while. Not sure from when, exactly. Anyways, you need to uninstall and reinstall it and then you will see weight as one of the options to be shown on the main snapshot page.
Discovered this by coincident when setting up Vivosmart for my mom, and tracked it back to a re-install. There might be an easer way, but since all content is online, there is no real penalty of the re-install.
And pls. No comments on the actual weight! But I have a FTP of 824 watt, so I should be good, right?
Sorry if I missed this in another comment, but I believe you wrote that the software updates happen automatically over wifi. Is there something I have to do to make this happen?, as mine has never done this. Months ago, I did a reset, and re-paired w/ my phone and wifi to get it to go from 2.30 to 2.50, but I haven’t been able to make that process work again. It never updated to 2.60, but I’d like to get the new 2.70 installed.
It seemes quite impossible to add users to the weight. I have now tried several times with different users, but it does not work. This should really work easily, but Garmin has made this product pretty useless. I cannot recommend this prosuct to anyone that what to use it with more than one user.
Hi!
Do you know how exactly the % of body fat/muscle mass is obtained and/or calculated?
Thank you!
My new Garmin Scale is not showing body fat percentage or the other metrics on Garmin Connect.
I have had the scale for about 45 days now and it has added the body fat just a few times at first then suddenly stopped.
It synchronizes the body weight every time but not the other metrics.
Can anyone tell me if they have had any issues with this and if there is a simple fix.
I would avoid this product like the plague. WiFi issues are more than just an anomaly, just head over to the Garmin forums to see the pain people are having.
I have been a Garmin user for over 20 years and stay with them because of the data on their Cloud platform (lock in). Their support is slow and like drawing teeth – scales still not working despite set-up saying OK, they refuse to connect over WiFi and as a result will not Firmware upgrade, connecting via desktop and ANT should solve it but NO classic Garmin poor architecture means that the scales will ONLY upgrade over WiFi –
Over the years I have found their new products work about 1 in every 3. This is just another one of their dogs. Oh by the way stay away also from their latest Vívoactive HR that is also about as accurate as pinning the tail on a donkey. If you tempted by their Varia Vision In-sight Display, be prepared for similar set-up pain as the Index scales.
Garmin has a fairly robust system for getting your fitness data out and partner APIs. You’re not locked in at all – especially compared to competitors such as Polar.
We continue to recommend Withings as the goto WiFi scale. Unfortunately the future has gotten a bit murky wit the Nokia acquisition. :\
I’m afraid my experience with Garmin and data management is another story that has large chunks of my historic records corrupted when they did the upgrade from the former MotionBase to Connect. Daft thing was, it all seemed to be fine, then when they had some teething with Connect things started to corrupt. Garmin Support have been completely inept at getting their heads around the issue and if you don’t chase them they will not follow things up.
I tried Withings but found their readings varied too much against other trusted scales such as Tanita BC1000. I upgraded to the Withings WS-50 thinking things would improve but they just got worse.
I guess I will have to stick with my TANITA BC1000, they are trusted, having tested them to be within fractions of specialised scales.
Hi Ray,
I know you said the index won’t share its data to training peaks and other apps, do you know if it will share to my fitness pal?
I note you can connect mfp and strava in the garmin connect app, so am hoping the scale will match up with mfp?
cheers,
daz
Hi,
Apologies if this has been answered elsewhere.
Have Garmin come up with a fix for being able to measure weight more than once per day without deleting the previous entries of that day.
Thanks!
Not yet. Over on the Garmin forums (link to forums.garmin.com) it’s a recurring comlaint.
Has anyone else found that the Garmin Smart Scale doesn’t-won’t-can’t measure less that 7% BF. When I get to that and below it simply records 7%. I’ve checked on other devices and they go fairly accurately well below that.
Ray have you heard?
I ate too much ice cream this summer to validate that piece independently.
I have the same issue. Body fat percentage is exactly 7.0% every time I ever weighed (> month), even though all the other data fluctuates a bit daily.
The body fat percentage indication is precise for other people with a BF% > 7% though.
Other scales at gyms I used are able to report a BF% under 7. I also wonder why Garmin Index doesn’t.
I have the same problem of getting exactly 7% BF for the last week. Other measurements have fluctuated marginally so it is strange that BF hasn’t fluctuated as well… it seems to be a known bug on the Garmin forum. I have adjusted my “activity class” from 8 down to 7 (as anything of 8 or higher is apparently considered to be an athlete which reduces the BF measurement, even though I exercise a that level according to the guidance provided by Garmin) and hopefully that will provide a fix, although I’m yet to find that out.
Any others out there getting this issue?
link to forums.garmin.com
Got the scale on your recommendation – followed the instructions to the T.
Not working
Ever see this thread – seems a whole community is not happy and I am going to join them
link to forums.garmin.com
They know they have a software issue but continue to sell the scale without a solution. That is from their tech people that I just got off the phone with. The workaround they have suggest, is to get the ANT+ device and leave it plugged into your computer. I am sending my scale back and getting a Withings Scale instead. They started out having to play nicely with others while the Garmin scale really only works with Garmin when it works.
Just got off the phone with Garmin for the third time with no resolution on setting up the wifi on my Garmin Index scale. My Verizon router and the scale do not appear to like each other. As usual the Garmin people were very polite. I feel that they are stuck between a rock and a hard place. The help line is only available during banker’s hours M-F and for what ever reason Garmins software engineers always seem to be behind the eight ball with their designs. You can only set up the Index scale on a computer if you get their ANT+ adapter which is sold separately. This is a marketing oddity that I fail to understand. Just put the Ant+ adapter in the box if you are going to require it for set up. I do not want to use the tiny keyboard on my phone to set up any device. If I am going put out a $150 for scale I expect it to work out of the box without having to jump through a series of hoops like I was trying to set up a printer back in the 90’s. You bring the printer home and find out that the cable it sold separately and once you buy the right cable you still have to go through the set up labyrinth. The rules of DOS system operation are supposed to be gone but not with Garmin for some reason they are still living in the 90’s. They want to sell high end items with low tech ideas. There is no reason a scale advertised as a wifi scale should not be able to go through its set up with only minimal trauma to the purchaser. It should be computer compatible out of the box without a fancy adapter. I bought an Apple pen the other day took it out of the box plugged it into my iPad and the set-up was complete. Not everyone has a smart phone and without a smart phone initial set just is not going to happen (I do have a smart phone but many of my patients do not). Also on the list once I became annoyed with the setup that is still in play, most people have a name that is longer than three letters. I am not interested for any reason in producing a nickname so my scale will recognize me, just let it use my name. So thumbs down on this little irritant also. Until Garmin understands the people most people work and therefore are not available to sit on hold M-F during a working day I will always give Garmin’s help line the lowest rating. They primarily sell their products to active people. These are going to be people that are busy during the work week and use their product after hours and during the weekend. Therefore it is going to be after-hours and during the weekend that problems are discovered but there is no one to talk to resolve these problems as they occur. So people are allowed to fester until they can make time to call Garmin during a work day. Many Thumbs down and a big fail for this Garmin until they fix this.
But the scale says it requires a smartphone to configure…as does pretty much every other smart scale out there. You have such a device with your iPad, so not sure why you wouldn’t want to use it. The ANT+ option is offered as a secondary option to configure, but it’s not required.
That said, I’m still not clear what the problem is you’re having, besides some sort of issue with connecting to your router. If there’s something that they said that was an engineering change – I’d push for it. But even following the WiFi thread someone else posted, the last post there was nearly a month ago, and so it doesn’t seem too systematic (anymore so than other WiFi scales and the occasional router oddity).
Hardly saying the Index is perfect (or even near perfect), but, I’m just not sure I understand the complaints here.
Brand new out of the box from clever training. And it took me hours of added removing adding back. iPhone app, iPad, mac with garmin express. After factory reset a few more attempts I was finally able to get it on the mac with ant+. Not a very simple process and very frustrating. :(
It was stuck like most people. Wrench wifi icon and a X in the right hand corner. It seems like a server issue and not wifi maybe. But I think people assume it’s the wifi. IDK….. just know after the first hour I was ready to send it back. Took a break came back and got it working.
This was more venting about the lack of ease of use. Currently I haven’t been able to link the scale to anything since I have not been able to link the scale to my router (they put in a ticket to the engineers and I am now waiting). According to Garmin the scale only moves data around via wifi and uses bluetooth for set up only (why not bluetooth too if it is already on the scale). If you are going to require a Anti+ device for set up then put it in the box don’t tell me that you can send me the device 7-10 day after i purchased the device. I am not a tech person and was just looking for a wifi scale to cut out the middle man with logging data. The set up for this scale ranks up there with setting up a printer in the 90’s. Wifi connectivity should be part of a high end scale without having to order a anti+ device to set up or enable the bluetooth for data transfer or put a USB cable in the box to plug into the router for set up. Using the iPad is out. I have found in the past that using Garmin connect on my iPad and my phone leads to problems and more phone calls to Garmin’s help line which I just do not like to do. So I just do not open the app on my iPad and that has fixed that problem. A $150 scale should work out of the box. It’s a bathroom scale that does some math. I recently set up a wifi security camera with pan/tilt capabilities and various alerts within minutes of taking it out of the box. This is a scale that just needs to transfer some numbers. It should not be this difficult. It should just work and it doesn’t. It should not take multiple phone calls to solve a connectivity issue with a major carrier (I use Verizon). This would not be an issue if the problem was handled or if I hadn’t had similar problems with my Fenix 3 watch.
The saga continuous.
Having spent HOURS on my first Index bought from Garmin trying to get it to work:
1. Multiple attempts to get it to work through i-device set-up doing full re-set between attempts. Despite setup-saying it was successful I get the Wrench icon and X in top right with nothing more than weight reading.
2. Resorted to the Ant+ set-up route and again whilst it appears to set-up successfully, the same result, Wrench icon and X in top right with nothing more than weight reading.
3. The above was tested with x3 different Wi-Fi devices to ensure this was not a WiFi issue, and it made no difference, so this eliminates the WiFi/Router as a source:
a. Ubiquiti enterprise WiFi system.
b. D-Link bog standard home WiFi router.
c. Kanex portable travel Access Point.
I then spend 40 minutes on a call with Garmin going through much of the above with them on the phone. They did an RMA and I returned the unit, 2 weeks later I got a replacement new unit.
You guessed it same saga all over again. Just about to call Garmin and see if I can get a refund. These are simply NOT fit for use and breach the offer of sale as they DO NOT WORK.
To be accurate, they don’t work for you. They do work for many. Probably most.
I, too, have had trouble with the set-up and also returned my first unit ’cause I never got readings other than weight and BMI. I also had a problem with what appeared to be a failed automatic update which forced me into rigamarole similar to yours (though nowhere near as protracted), but I did get it working again.
There clearly is an issue, but the blanket statement that “they do not work” is simply false.
I just got off the phone with Garmin support for the fourth time. They finally said that yes the WiFi setup is a known problem and they do not currently have a solution for it. The work around is to get the ANT+ device and leave it plugged into your computer. This seems to fix the problem. They had no comment on why they don’t include the ANT+ device with the scale, they just decided not to. My problem with Garmin is that they have a known problem without a solution and are continuing to sell the scale without accepting responsibility for the product/software issue when they occur (at least its not catching on fire). They did offer to send me an ANT+ stick for free but I declined. I don’t want to have to go plug the ANT+ device in every time I want to sync the scale. They will not refund my money and take the scale back because I did not buy it directly from them so I will have to go through Amazon for the return. My advice is buyer beware. I am still waiting for the Garmin engineer”s find a solution for the 1.6 billion steps my Fenix 3HR watch thinks I walked on Jul 11. They don’t allow editing of steps on the users end or on their end. So there is sits. Most steps walked in a day, a month and year 1.6 billions steps. That works out to around 33,772.9 miles/hr. I could have cleaned up in Rio this summer.
I’m afraid my experience is that the ANT+ advice was not a solution, as I have been down that route.
The ANT+ provides Bluetooth connectivity facilitating the same set-up process you would do on an i-device, albeit PC UI based. Once you complete the ANT+ set-up the scales stop showing a Bluetooth connection icon and revert to the WiFi + Wrench dead end that I got to using an i-device setup.
Garmin Express provides NO direct managed of the scales, the settings bounce you to the Garmin Connect website. I had hoped that there would be a means to push a firmware update as my scales are stuck on v2.4 when I understand v2.7 is available. But nothing. At least Garmin could update Garmin Express to allow firmware upgrades this way, it would seem to be a logical way of reaching out to remedy devices in the wild.
For now the ANT+ advice from Garmin would indicate that they are grabbing at straws. A questionable solution.
Hi, I bought my scales three weeks ago. They setup perfectly. Then they stopped syncing via Wi-Fi. At present when I step on the scales it does not show my name and only shows the spanner (yep can’t finish the set up to Wi-Fi even though it shows as connected on my iPhone). Yet on Garmin Connect it shows my weight and goal weight only with no other stats.
Could this be linked to iOS 10 or are others having problems via android devices.
Cheers
Hi Ray,
There does seem to be a systematic problem that a large number of users are having. The symptoms are that the setup doesn’t complete and the scale is stuck on the wrench icon. As it picks up the final setup from garmin connect, it never quite finishes and won’t update to the website.
I have this problem and so do others in the comments. Garmin support haven’t been that helpful – inconsistently telling me it’s a “known issue” that they can’t help with now or telling me to switch it on and off again… There is very little feedback from Garmin over whether they think this is an issue with the hardware, the wifi, or with Garmin Connect (although experiences of swapping out scales and trying different wifi suggests the latter).
I know this isn’t a problem that everyone is seeing, but it is a problem for a large number of users – and it appears to be the same problem for all of them. At the moment, I wouldn’t recommend buying this product until we can see this issue being resolved. Is there any way you can shed any light on this?
Mine just started doing this. Replaced the batteries, wouldn’t connect, Factory reset it to redo setup. now stuck on the wrench after setting up wifi, Connect on phone and Garmin express bith say setup complete :-(
My scales work without a hitch and connect to my wifi no problem. Using Cisco wifi and router.
So apparently there is an issue with the Garmin Index and the synching/setup of data to Garmin Connect. I spoke with Garmin technical support this morning (Angel) and they have an internal open case that expires on 9/30. I’m not 100% sure what I’m going to do. This is the second scale that I’ve gotten from them and am pretty much set on just saying forget it and buying the Fitbit Aria or something else. I’m just heavily invested in the Garmin ecosystem and wanted to make it all nice and homogenous. Other than the 30th of September, they don’t have an ETA.
Well my scales recognised me and sent all data to Garmin connect. It also looked as if it was updating too over Wi-Fi. Hooray!
Weird: when there’s a sharp sound in the bathroom the scale switches on? I don’t think there’s a microphone in it, but why does it react?
I noticed the same thing. I came here for answers but maybe I’ll have to call garmin to better understand why this happens. Anytime my dog drops his toy on the floor or barks the scale turn on
I was really apprehensive after reading the comments on this post about the Index scales I’d just ordered…. however the scales arrived today, and have set up first time, no problem, with additional users added easily, and all uploaded to the respective GC accounts within a minute or so….
Router is just a standard BTOpenworld router, nothing sophisticated…. FWIW, the upgrade to 2.7 happened over wifi seamlessly, and all set up was done via mobile connect app… really hapy with the scales…
I went Garmin rather than Withings etc, because I and the rest of the family are all heavily invested in Garmin tech for run, bike and swim, so made sense
Hi Ray,
Any idea what happened to the update that is supposed to add the ability to take multiple readings per day? (That every other scale on the market can do?). Could it be that this update would also possibly sort out the really goddamn irritating MFP sync that despite being plastered on the box has never worked properly and wipes out all the additional metrics apart from weight?
Also, on a slightly related note I’m curious if the ‘use multiple trackers per day and have them all contribute to activity’ thing is still in the works?
I should have read all the shared experience here before venturing to order this scale.
The initial set-up does not get to the point of identifying wifi networks present around (8+) and keeps looking for hours.
I will ship it back and get refunded within the next days.
It syncs weight data with apple health now.
I tested this over the weekend. It only seems to sync weight manually entered into GC.
About third party integration. RunKeeper and Garmin Connect are able to sync, and there’s a website link to developer.garmin.com talking about a “Garmin Connect API”. I don’t know how useful this API is…
This smart scale sure looks very promising! Calipers are still superior when it comes to measuring body fat than this (uses BIA measurement which can lack precision)
I returned my Garmin Scale and picked up a WS-30 from withings. It syncs to myfitnesspal which connects to Garmin and does everything I need and even gives me a weather forecast before I head out for the day.
I use garmin for all fitness products and would have liked to stay with them for the scale, but the lack of integration with MFP was a huge problem for me.
If Garmin added calorie tracking I would ditch MFP and keep the index scale. Unfortunately that’s not an option
This is more of a question about Garmin Connect – just found out the wife has ordered a newer Withings (we have the first generation) – is there a way to get that weight track out and into Garmin Connect / onto my Fenix 3 HR?
I talk about it a bit here in this post: link to dcrainmaker.com
Anyone know if the data transfer to MFP has gotten any better? I run the Vivoactive HR and have noticed that MFP is now incorporating my daily step counts from the Garmin, so does that mean that the weight and body metrics are porting over now as well? Anyone know?
Thanks!
We got the scale yesterday. As Fenix users, we were able to setup the scale practically without reading the instructions! Took less than 10 minutes. Set it up via Android and connected to the secure home Wifi. He added me as an invitee, I accepted and then we both weighed and were able to see the data on Connect. We have Wifi and Bluetooth setup for our Fenixes too. I’m a data geek and understand to take these things with a grain of salt, however it’s nice to get a ballpark figure for these data points. It helps complete the overall picture of focusing on our health and the decisions we make, or don’t make.
Nice review on the Garmin scale. I was looking for something that you just touched on. You noted you don’t put much value on the extended metrics based on “electro impedance” . This is what I wondered. How does it determine an estimated value of these numbers? Are you saying there is no value to these because they are not accurate or because the numbers themselves are not useful. I am thinking if they were a least close and consistent and you could find a true trend that would be useful. Right?
Ron
Quick comment because the number of comments from unhappy users here gave me pause before buying. When it went on sale again for the new year, I caved and bought from the amazon link. I now wish i had recorded the setup process, I’m conservatively estimating it took 3 minutes from the time I had the batteries installed before the scale was 1) paired with the garmin connect app on my phone, 2) connected to my home wifi, and 3) transmitting data to both. The 3rd step happens automatically BTW. Completely understand the frustration earlier users have expressed, in my case the current process could not have been more straightforward.
Same for me. I was bracing for a nightmare but no, batteries in, connect to wifi, enter password, invite the girlfriend, done. Very clever.
I think it would be good on these comments to have them inverse, as you have to trawl through loads of negativity. Actually Ray, is it worth writing a mini update for this at all now the GC app had been updated and shows the metrics etc on the dashboard? I’ve not been able to get weight sync to MFP yet for my girlfriend, she has an Apple Watch and so there is no other data to push across and hence MFP and GC don’t seem to want to talk ??
I pre ordered it when it first came out over a year ago. Took 5 minutes to set up me and my wife and have never had a problem since. We love it.
My first one didn’t work. The replacement did. I think it’s important to acknowledge the problems some people have had, especially in the context of waiting 3 months for a satisfactory resolution. Garmin support was mixed – mostly friendly but nothing happened quickly.
How can they create a wireless scale and not have a mac address readily available for people with a mac address filter? Makes this scale utterly useless for me.
I thought this was added a long while back, shown via the app?
I’m travelling at the moment, so can’t validate it.
Just open up your router for a moment, let it connect, find the MAC address in your router then white-list it and lock your router back down.
I also second the suggestion of an update. Wondering about firmware and/or feature updates, as well as any possibility of a second generation of this scale being released any time soon.
There’s honestly very little that’s changed in the scale since release. You can see the firmware update listing here:
link to www8.garmin.com
I was lucky in that I didn’t really have any WiFi issues that some folks had (seemed to be tied to certain routers/etc…). Thus largely speaking nothing has changed with respect to the review itself.
I don’t have an easy way of changing comment ordering on a single post though. :-/
These are a complete waste of time Ray. On my second set now and they have never got passed the set up. Not once has either pair completed set up, given me a BMI etc.
Do not buy these, they are complete garbage
Have you tried contacting support though? And if so – what’d they say?
Hey, no. Just took them back to the shop who rang Garmin who replaced them that day. Thought I would try my luck on second set and nope, same issues. They really should not sell product that requires me to contact their support team as the product doesn’t do what it says it will do. shouldn’t they just sell stuff that works? That seems reasonable
By the sounds of it, things do just generally work for most people these days.
In most cases with the scale and WiFi, it’s usually due to something in your router that’s causing issues. Support is usually pretty good at figuring that out and unblocking whatever the blocker is. It’s likely just something silly that’s easy to fix, and more than likely has nothing to do with the scale itself.
OK. What is the best way about contacting support without losing 2 hours turning it on and off again?
I have identical probs to NRG above and it doesn’t look like he ever got sorted….
Generally speaking, Garmin support is pretty good on the phone. How long it’ll take will probably vary. With the WiFi scale, my guess is they’ll either have you up and running in a few minutes, or it’ll take a lot longer.
Or, you can hit up the Garmin forums and troubleshoot yourself, though, it sounds like that’ll take more time for you: link to forums.garmin.com
I think Randy up above nailed it (in response to NRG). For the vast majority of people, these work out of the box. But for whatever reason, there are certain edge cases with certain WiFi routers that can issues. That’s no different than other WiFI scales (i.e. Withings or Fitbit), which you’ll find also have equal numbers of people that fall into those edge cases. In fact, one of my routers at the studio wasn’t working with the latest Withings scale, whereas my home ones work just fine.
Again, I think that the problems that people are having with this product are being ignored. Garmin support was not helpful for me. Each call took 40 minutes to get through and ended up with me being told to “turn it off and turn it on again” (they were super friendly and nice while telling me this). I received one email response that said pretty much your message: “lots of people aren’t having these problems”, which isn’t really that helpful for me. I was sent an ANT+ stick that also didn’t help. Eventually, I got a replacement that worked. I’m happy with the product right now, but that doesn’t mean that my bad experience hasn’t left a negative feeling about Garmin.
And blaming people’s routers is not acceptable. The product has to work in the real world.
I’d also emphasise here that the problem is not likely to be with the router. My replacement scale worked out of the box on the same router that the previous scale didn’t work with. The symptoms I was getting were the same as described on the Garmin forums (not getting past setup/wrench icon etc). A flaky and unreliable wifi implementation is not an excuse to blame the router when I have many other devices that work fine with it. If certain ports need opening etc, then this should be clearly documented in the setup guide.
I agree, it sounds like a router problem and not a scale problem. If you look further up the comments in here someone mentions security settings where the scales don’t work.
I have quite a few wifi products where I have spoken to manufacturers about the hardware, but when I look on their forums it’s always a settings issue.
There are at least 3 ways to set up your scales to your router, the easiest is with your phone and the scales sat next to the router. If you have repeaters in the house then turn them off, especially if they have the same ssid as it will just cause you more initial connection issues.
Thanks Ray and all. Ray, love your work but I am not sure why you are on the Garmin bandwagon here? What othere devices do you own in your everyday life (that have wifi clearly) that have meant you needed to troubleshoot and make router changes to connect? I would say zero. This is completely unacceptable from garmin in the days of plug and play.
Looking at my last few garmin buys:
Vectors: fiddly, expensive, pods prone to break
235: HR is a complete joke, already on my second and could be third but realise sending it back makes no difference to the joke of a measuring system they have
Scales: need I say more
It really seems like garmin are making a lot of rubbish by pushing product to market way too early….
I’m generally on the bandwagon of numbers. In this case, the number of people still having Scale connectivity issues is really quite tiny – like – almost unheard of tiny.
I’m also on the bandwagon of at least trying to get support. When someone comes along and says they don’t want to even try calling support to fix something, I really can’t help them. At least make an effort.
As for other WiFi devices that don’t work – absolutely I do. Heck, the Withings scale is one. Also had problems with a Dropcam (Nest Cam) too. Whether or not one wants to accept it, the reality is that WiFi router setups vary significantly, and the tiniest of things can cause any other devices problems. One should at least try basic troubleshooting before throwing in the towel. Else I agree, a $15 scale from Walmart might make more sense.
Ray, I think you are missing the point….. Maybe I am too subtle.
Paying this kind of $ should not require me to waste hours (and I already have on both sets). This is an awful experience.
You mention little issues with these. I suggest reading your own thread there bud. Not a lot of positivity out there for this product.
Why are scales the only device that require a PhD in programming to set up via wifi?
It’s funny, I actually say in the summary not to buy it…yet people keep buying it. ;)
My point is more general, and has nothing to do with this product: If you have a problem, just try basic troubleshooting. I do that all the time with my iPhone, and The Girl’s iPhone. Her iCloud login signs her out every 24 hours right now. It’s annoying at @#$#. Eventually we’ll go to an Apple Store and figure it out.
The fact of technology is sometimes people have problems. Sometimes those problems are self-inflicted, and sometimes they are the result of poor design. Just last night someone went on a *massive* rant about almost this exact same thing on Wahoo’s products and connectivity and sucking and blah, blah blah. Basically, a triple-size version of what I’ve read here.
And then this morning…
…they came back and said “My bad, it was just my internet provider”. At least that person tried troubleshooting.
*Here: link to dcrainmaker.com
Cheers Ray, point taken. That is pretty funny on that other thread!
Thanks for all your awesome work
Hi again Ray,
After hours of mucking around they still won’t connect.
I am returning this second set for a refund.
What would you recommend as a scale that does weight/body fat and maybe BMI that isn’t wifi? I think it will be easier for me just to manually update garmin connect than bother with wifi again.
Thanks again
Honestly, for non-connected scales, I’d just go to Target/Walmart/etc and pickup any old cheap scale.
Back a few years ago I did a test of a crapton of scales against a calibrated pro level scale. And what we found was that when it came to weight – even the cheapest of Target scales were just as accurate.
When it came to Body Fat, even the most expensive scales were basically guessing.
link to dcrainmaker.com
Clyde,
The connect issue is a known error. See this thread link to forums.garmin.com
Mine worked out of the box no wifi issues on a Cisco router. One to try is check parental control on your router and internet as this has been know to block smart devices. Well here in the U.K. On BT internet.
Just returned mine after one day. It was a pain to pair it via Bluetooth the first time. Then wanted to reset it to change my level because the %fat was too low, and I gave up.
I’ve had my scale for a year now. Use it every day. Never had any problems whatsoever. I guess, if the product just works you don’t have the need to write in these forums. On the other hand you might get help troubleshooting here. That doesn’t mean the scale sucks. Really, it doesn’t.
I’ve been using the Garmin scale for about a year now and it has been working well. I just switched internet service providers and the scale stopped communicating to Garmin. I’m using the same WIFI so I know it is not a WFI issue. I believe that the new ISP modem is blocking the port that the scale uses to connect to the internet. After searching I can’t find any details about this. I’ve emailed Garmin support about this, but I was hoping that this group might have someone who knows which port to open. Will post a solution if I hear from Garmin.
Ray, an update on 3rd party integration…
I recently migrated from android to IOS, and as such I set up my apple health account for fun (I’m sure you know that google fit is a joke). I was pleasantly surprised that garmin sent more data that I expected.
Garmin is now successfully exporting weight, BMI and body fat % to the health kit. (along with steps, HR and basic sleep stats)
I know lack of 3rd party support was a main reason for discouraging people from getting this, so I though it might be worth updating that section :-)
Anyone else that has been getting upload error, since about a month now.
You get the “X” at the end of the progress bar. But even so the measurement data reaches Garmin Connect anyway (??). The error is intermittent. Some days showing up, some days not. I use the scale once a day, in the mornings.
Exactly the same thing with mine.
Interesting to hear that other have the same problem.
I made a short video, showing the error.
Not very good video, but you see the error, and can read my comments.
link to youtu.be
It is a server side problem, acknowledged by Garmin on their support forum. A fix has been promised, but there are no signs of it.
Aha! Could you give me the link to their post? So I can give to my local Garmin people? Thank you in advance!
Found it myself. Thanks anyway!
link to forums.garmin.com!
Hey,
I bought this scale to keep track on my body fat and get it slowly lower while maintaining muscle mass, keeping in mind that absolute figures might not be precise, but numbers should be consistent and that I should focus on trend…
However I’m getting quite variable total weight and fat % (as well as absolute fat). I’d assume total weight is different every day mostly because of changing water level, but scale tracks water level, muscle mass and bone mass pretty consistently.
8 succeeding days::
Total(kg) Fat(kg) Water(kg) Muscle(kg)
Day1 69,6 10,4 43,2 30,3
Day2 69,1 10 43,2 30,1
Day3 67,9 8,8 43,1 29,9
Day4 67,5 8,4 43,1 29,8
Day5 68,6 9,5 43,2 30
Day6 68,2 9,1 43,2 29,9
Day7 68,1 9 43,1 29,9
Day8 68,9 9,7 43,2 30,1
As you can see, difference between min and max weight is 2,1kg in 4 days, mostly (2kg) in FAT!
Max Fat % was 15%, min 12,5%, again in 4 days…
I measure myself every morning just once I wake up, naked, empty of liquids :) Weight is setup to normal activity, in settings I’m activity 7. There was no unusual activity/long training session, etc which could influence that. Such spikes repeat more or less every week…
Are this numbers ok? I’d expect more stable numbers to be honest.
I have an older model Withings that I’m looking to replace. My wife and I both have Garmin Vivoactive HRs. Based on your review and recommendations about staying in the same device ecosystem, we’re leaning towards the Garmin Index.
Do you know if Garmin is planning a refresh this year, or if they typically update devices on a schedule? If there is a new one in the pipeline, I’ll wait.
“This will be a very short section. At present, Garmin does not have any integration enabled for 3rd parties except MyFitnessPal – and even that doesn’t seem to work consistently.”
Ray there is zero integration with myfitnesspal. i believe this should be updated so readers know what they’re getting into.
That said any update from Garmin on integration? it has just been a year+
Not sure what you mean. It does work, just as noted, not consistently.
You can connect the two right here: link to myfitnesspal.com
And folks on the Garmin forums show that it’s sorta working as of 4 days ago: link to forums.garmin.com
@Gabe
We pinged Garmin’s API development team when the scale came out about API support for sync of weight data (into SportTracks). The answer was a very terse: Nope. And No Plans.
I don’t believe you will ever see Garmin Scale data sync to 3rd party apps because simply there is no business/sales case to support it. If it’s a deal breaker go with something like Withings, being mindful they’ve been acquired by Nokia ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Hey Ray, thanks for the review, but the Index Scale just is not syncing with MyFitnessPal. I bought mine in January 2017. My Garmin Connect Account is receiving the weight data, and Garmin Connect will sync all my other data (calories, activities, etc.) with MyFitnessPal, just not the weight. I was bummed to find out that people have been having trouble with this issue for a year. I’ve emailed support at both Garmin and MyFitnessPal, but haven’t had any response. None of the forums yield any fix to the issue. If anyone out there has a solution, please let me know. Thanks.
It really does not sync to MyFitnessPal, and this has apparently been an issue for over a year. Neither Garmin or MyFitnessPal will email me back about it… from the tech forums it looks like they are worn out from saying “there is currently no fix for this.” Please let me know if you have found an answer that I haven’t.
Copy-paste from Garmin Forums:
“In GC on android i go into user settings, tap weight. Do not edit anything, go back and out.
MFP will have updated your weight next time you log in.”
Works on iOS as well.
Maria, thanks for your help. Do you have to do that each time your weigh in?
Unfortunately, yes.
”
It works, but not straight forward.
In GC on android i go into user settings, tap weight. Do not edit anything, go back and out.
MFP will have updated your weight next time you log in.”
Thanks for the link but that confirms that it’s not working properly and hokey at best.
Can you get feedback from Garmin why they have a broken integration?
Also I believe it is still misleading that for Garmin or this site to say that it works with myfitnesspal.
I don’t get it.
The very first line of my section above on ‘3rd party integration’ says (which is in ‘Heading 3′ font – massive’):
“This will be a very short section. At present, Garmin does not have any integration enabled for 3rd parties except MyFitnessPal – and even that doesn’t seem to work consistently.”
Next, in *bold* no less, I say:
“MyFitnessPal: While Garmin has a partnership with MyFitnessPal to sync weight data, it seems to work sporadically. Sometimes the weight shows up, sometimes not. And sometimes it shows up days later without explanation.”
What’s misleading about that? I literally say it sucks. Straight-up, full-flippin’ stop.
Ray you say it works 50% of the time. That’s implying that at some point the other scale metrics are imported and that’s never been the case. Most normal users outside this forum will never figure out how to click on myfitnesspal – progress – weight – click out – etc to import the weight. BTW this isn’t isnt attack at you whatsoever. The scale has been a frustrating product and users should know what they’re getting into. More so after a scale update many of us on the garmin forum have innaccurate body fat readings.
wow – Garmin & Myfitnesspal has been consistently syncing weight data.
link to gifbin.com
So there STILL isn’t really any way to get my weight into Training Peaks? What is Garmin’s problem?
I have a Withings scale, but want to change as
1) there is some weird switch issue that causes it to change from kgs to lbs all by itself (and draining the batteries in the process), and
2) the Withings > Training Peaks transfer also seems borked these days. Any recommendation for a scale with a reliable means of transferring this data?
FWIW both the Withings and Garmin Smart scale are supported by SportTracks and work perfectly. If there is a transfer problem to TP it’s probably on their end, not Garmin. Recommend you open a support ticket with TP.
Has Garmin made any progress on pushing scale info to Trainingpeaks?
Hi Ray
Please investigate and add the below information to your review (to warn other unsuspecting users…)
After two months of use my Index scale data suddenly jumped from fluctuating between 11 and 13% fat down to a 7.0% constant reading (no matter how much I ate or drank). My bone mass increased overnight by 10%, % water shot up from 65 to 70%. After a week of frustration I found the following link : link to forums.garmin.com and then remembered I changed my activity class to level 8 the night before all my trouble started!
I changed it back to activity class 7 and now I can use the scale again – please warn users that the scale is not usable or accurate if set above activity level 7.
Thanks for your brilliant reviews – keep up serving the sporting community the way you do!
Regards
Karlwim
On paper, Index Scale is a very good product, offering direct connection to garmin, providing some simple efficient metrics. However in practice, lack of syncing with garmin and weird issues with the scale made this practically unreliable. Also the support from Garmin regarding this product is practically non existent.
I think this product was an experiment, a failed experiment, made by Garmin with customer’s money.
Can anyone confirm if Garmin made an update to track multi-point weigh ins? My weight will fluctuate up to 7 lbs / day based on activity and water intake. I’d love to track that better!!!
is normal??
get a real scale. Garmin scale is not reliable.
I tried to weigh myself before and after a workout indoors bland and I had these parameters … is not normal!
sure is not normal. I’ve had very high variances with this scale in the same day. My advice is above :).
What is the difference with the Tanita Ironman version?
:))) basically everything that the Index Scale should be … is the Tanita Ironman Scale: Consistent detailed and comprehensive metrics.
The only ‘con’ for tanita in general is that they are behind with the connected technologies and they have lots of work with the mobile app. But for everything else is levels up if compared to garmin scale.
I have had two of these scales, and both have stopped calculating anything other that weight after a couple of weeks. I had purchased one to monitor my body fat levels leading into Boston, and in a day it went from 9% to 7% and locked all values from that day on. Only water % would change. I returned it using Garmin’s convoluted returns process and the replacement did the same thing.
Thank you for the review. I am weighing Garmin Index Wifi Smart Scale versus UA scale. I use Garmin Connect primarily but have it connected to MyFitnessPal (secondary use). Since UA scale uploads to MyFitnessPal the UA scale might connect with Garmin connect through MFP. I am not sure if the data can flow from MFP to GC. I am testing. Do you know? Thank you.
Just a heads-up… Data from the Garmin scale is now integrated with SportTracks. Every time you weigh yourself, your current weight and body fat percentage will automatically be sent to SportTracks and displayed on the Health page. You can also easily import your entire Garmin Index Scale history to SportTracks, where you can analyze your data season over season.
link to sporttracks.mobi
I can get this scale free with reward points that I have BUT I plan to get the Fitbit Blaze watch…will I be able to use the 2 together?
Not really unfortunately. Two different ecosystems.
Hi we just brought the new scale. I have set it up on my iphone Garmin app and now my husband trying to add to his. It keep coming up with can’t find device on my husbands garmin account when adding device. i have reset and tried again and again. Still can not get his Garmin to recognise. I have added him from my app but can not see invite. Is this because he can not find device? Need help please with adding 2nd person in family
I may have missed this somewhere in the review, but are you saying the scale won’t sync directly to your phone via BT on the CIQ app? It has to do this over WiFi to the desktop then sync to your mobile device? Trying to decide if my wife will use this as our scale just broke:-( Maybe the FitBit is a better bet.
That’s correct.
Fitbit works the same way.
Thanks for the quick response Ray. Very odd that the scale won’t connect directly to a BT enabled device like your smart phone….? Hmmm. Not quite sure I understand that. Either way, Love the website, it must take a ton of work. Thanks for all of your behind the scenes hard work.
Is it possible to run this scale solely through the personal hotspot on my iPhone and not over a home wifi network as such?
Can you please clarify- it possible to use these scales through the personal hotspot on my iPhone, and not through a home wifi network?
Sure, you could. The scale doesn’t much care about the source of the WiFi, as long as it’s not like a hotel/Starbucks style and requires a login page (which your phone hotspot wouldn’t).
Thanks Ray-really appreciate your quick response.
I suspected as much, but couldn’t quite read between the lines of if it would.
I got an Index Scale about a month ago. It came with S/W 2.70.
Garmin Connect shows that S/W 3.00 is available, but the scale is completely unwilling
to fetch it.
The scale send weight to Connect just fine…so Wifi Works.
Is there any magic to get it to pull updates?
(seems like there’s no support group at garmin for scales)
Good review, but I have one question and one possible correction. First the question: can this scale be used without a Garmin Connect account? I’m looking for a scale that keeps my data in Apple Health (see correction below) – i.e. with me – and doesn’t require me to share it on some 3rd-party server somewhere.
The possible correction: I got here because this scale was advertised on the Apple site as having integration with Apple Healthkit – i.e. supposedly all the data collected by the scale makes its way into the Apple Health app. But in your article, you say that the only way to view the data is through the Garmin app or via their web site?!
The BMI, body %fat, and weight data do show up in my apple health app on my phone. You do need a Garmin Connect account as the scale sends the data via wifi to the account. You will also need the Garmin app on your phone. I don’t have any connection between my Garmin account and my apply account/phone except the fact that the Garmin app is on my phone. I assume the Apple app is taking the data from Garmin.
I have been looking all around and have not been able to find the information for which I am looking. As a self-described gadget dork I am attracted to the Garmin scale. It’ll give me more information than I will ever need. However, my wife does does not have a GC account and will not be using the scale the same way I intend to use it. Could she use the scale to check her weight without having an account?
Thanks…
Yep. It will still give a reading on the screen just like any other scale, just won’t sync to the service.
I just got the scale and I can not get it to sync to my app on my phone. What am I doing wrong? It’s paired and liked to my wifi, but I can not see it on my app.
Anyone else getting wildly inaccurate body fat % readings? I just got the scale and it is reading a body fat % of 7%. There’s no way. I’m in 15% at best, probably more like 18-20%. I didn’t expect complete accuracy but I wanted to use the scale to measure trends. At 7%, this seems like a throwaway metric. If this is just the way this device is it’s going back to the store. Any ideas?
Hey Michael,
I got exactly the same issue. I tried to change my activity level from 7 to 6 but I’m still a 7.00% Fat without any variation from a day to another. Maybe I should try to change my activity level to 8 …
I also wanted to get the trend since I know these numbers aren’t accurate.
But having no variation at all is very surprizing.
I also use a withings WS-50 (normal mode) which gives me some body fat variation when the Garmin is stuck to 7.00%.
I’m not sure if I’m doing something wrong here … Maybe Ray could enlight us on this problem ?
Same problem here 7%… Other values changes.
exactly the same problem here. For 2 months since I bought the scale I was at 11.5-12.5% body fat. Since 3 days ago it shows me constantly 7% (also, sudden gain of 0,4 kg in bone mass, I got a new extra bone, I suppose….). I wrote an e-mail to Garmin support, still waiting for their response. It sucks, sorry, I am 1.90m tall and 80 kg, this is no way 7% body fat, we don’t need a 170 euros scale to tell us that….
For last few days the same problem – before used to have around 12% body fat, now it’s constantly 7% and I guess it went to other metrics (having higher water, bones… )
This scale is waste of money and I think we should really send it back and ask for refund to finally get Garmin attention.
Hello,
you think its good time to buy Garmin Index? its been on market quite some time and it has few flaws. in your opinion is new updated model on the way?
Thank you for your insights
in a word: NO. first is waste of money second waste of time.
Hello,
For about a couple of weeks I have been seeing weird behaviors in Garmin connect syncing up data from my Garmin scale (like weight not syncing at all, or only the weight not the other metrics, weight being copied from one day to an other without taking any new measure, etc…)
I have contacted Garmin support but didn’t get a very meaningful answer.
Last measure I took today, my body fat dropped to 10% (I wish), and didn’t sync up properly (I guess it did at some point since I see the data in apple health app, but got over written by some other measure in garmin connect)
Anyone experienced this as well ?
Thanks,
Thibaut
Similar behaviour for me. BF dropped to half a few days ago…
Lot’s of people with the same problem.
link to forums.garmin.com
“again, it works just fine”…
Sorry Andrea, but my ability to predict the future 18 months before it happens is limited. I can’t predict that on some random September day a year and a half later that Garmin Connect would start halving the body fat values.
But since it sounds like you have such a capability, I’d ask why you’d have bought the scale then – since you knew it would break on this day in the future?
Also – while we’re at it, per the linked thread, those readings are back to normal as of a few days ago. Darn future predictions are complex…
I’m sort of annoyed at the inability to store multiple readings a day, so I started having a look at the JSON that Garmin Connect supplies to the browser in the background. As it turns out, the time stamp being provided for each reading is supplied at millisecond precision. Before getting the Index, the manually entered readings are always for 00:00:00 on the day they were entered, but for readings from the Index it’s possible to see the exact second that the reading was uploaded. Theoretically, there’s no technical reason that they can’t store multiple reasons per day in the background.
In fairness, I’m betting that the issue is that there’s extra work displaying the graph if there’s multiple readings per day. However, there’s plenty of decent ways of averaging out multiple readings for a day when generating the graph.
It’s actually a little tougher to add another person. Can you walk through all the steps including getting on the scale and having the second person tap through whatever? I tried to add my husband and it deleted me. And then we tried again and same thing. So I am the only one that uses it.
If I have my Strava and TrainingPeaks accounts connected to my Garmin Connect account, will this send my weight data to those accounts?
It will definitely sync weight data to TrainingPeaks. I don’t think I recall seeing weight data in Strava.
Hey, my weight page on Garmin Connect mobile app looks different from the one you have shown and I can’t find the options to add BMI records etc. Am I doing something wrong?
Hi Ray and scale enthusiast in the comment section,
From the post and the other comments, I understand that the Scale only allows data to be uploaded via Wi-Fi.
I am wondering: Can I use the scale while my Wi-Fi is off?
If so will the scale store measurements and automatically upload the weight with the timestamp once the wifi becomes available?
Cheers
Jakob
I’ve been dithering about getting one of these for quite a while.
So, a heads up to those in the UK who may be like-minded – currently on offer for less than £100 at Amazon (use DCR’s link above) and also Currys PCWorld..
Might just be enough to persuade me.
Hey Ray huge fan of your reviews. I don’t buy a fitness gadget without reading what you say about it first!
So my question was asked in 2005 in the first pass review of the Garmin scale so hoping something has changed:
Is there some way for me to get the Tanita BC 1000 data into Garmin Connect?
I have this scale and agree the lack of integration is annoying. You can get your weight to appear on your edge computer but it doesn’t store or upload it. I enter the weight directly into the connect phone app. The stupid thing is that this weight is only stored in the phone app and doesn’t appear on the Garmin desktop dashboard. Weird.
@Geo Maddix,
I use an old Garmin Edge 800 just for getting the Tanita BC 1000 recording in Garmin Connect. All later Edge models have this feature removed.
Ringo
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Hi Ray,
Some time ago it was said that Garmin were going to add the ability to store multiple weight readings in a day. As far as I can tell this has not happened? Are they still planning to do that or have they forgotten about Index completely now?
My Scale was working fine but for the last two weeks doesn’t seem able to upload at all – despite me setting it up from scratch again.
With a lack of confidence in withings – now Nokia, what scale would you suggest for a new purchaser?
Hi,
Stiil is not possible to Sync the weight on Garmin with TP?
Thanks!
Alex
I use link to fitnesssyncer.com to do the free sync from Garmin Connect to TP
Hi, I currently have a withings scale but after the news of them going under I was looking into the Garmin scale as we’re a Garmin family – would you suggest buying the Garmin scale or would you be confident that the withings is going to remain usable albeit with no new updates?
Hello, I would be careful buying this scale. Just like you I have a Withings scale but I added a Garmin scale for better integration in the Garmin ecosystem. Worked fine until a month ago. Since then the weight data does not upload at all. Tried a lot of debug stuff but no luck. If you go to the Garmin forum you see I am not the only one. By far. No reaction from Garmin whatsoever. For the moment I probably have the most expensive NOT connected weight scale in the market.
I can only tell everybody not to buy this scale.
The sync is still broken, a lot of people complaining about body fat stuck to 7%, the last firmware is over a year old. Nothing is happening on that front.
Sync problems seem to be a bad NTP server from Garmin, but they just don’t care. If you bought the scale, they got your money and ran.
Looking at link to forums.garmin.com is quite scary!! in my case has been since dec 2017 that i’m getting a big X after every synchronization and looks like everybody are affected by this bug,…..are you experiencing the same? already changed 2 router and 2 internet provider, 1 scale but situation still stagnant and no reply/update from Garmin Tech…..do you have any news on this matter?
This was a great review! Any idea if weight is recorded and sent to the app of the scales owner for a non invited user? Withings does this which others in my family hate. In short is there a way to be an anonymous user?
Now that it’s 2018, do you have scale updates? Have they changed at all since you wrote these reviews? Curious to see if they haven’t improved at all .
Nuttin. Basically no appreciable changes to the market.
How about now that it is 2020? Any good scales out there you’d recommend?
the scale connected as you described and it showed weight and BMI results in my Garmin connect but not the other metrics. Did I miss a step or is this common?
Hi
I have my GARMIN INDEX and I am using it for 1 year but after vacation time when the scale was left for about 2 month without touching it I tried to re-use it but it’s not switching on. I tried with all different batteries but without success.
Please advise
Don’t get this scale. Get a Tanita and use an app to move the data into Garmin Connect.
Sorry to inform you, but does have an Athlete mode. There a scale, and input a number depending on how active you are
Thanks for your reviews. I purchased the Index today, and have spent 3 hours trying to get it to find my WiFi APs – I’ve tried everything and from reading the Garmin Forums, the WiFi connection is extremely flakey, which is bizarre as this is the only way that the Index can upload the data to Garmin Connect! I’ve tried emailing Garmin, but no response so this will be going back to the store tomorrow.
I bought this with a view on some of its shortcomings thanks to this review.
However things have gone from ‘shortcomings’ to ‘this thing is almost unusable’ over the past 9 months.
Most days it takes 5-10 measurements before the scale will actually talk to Garmin’s servers. The scale makes it look like it can’t find your WiFi, but the good folks on Garmin’s support forums have been able to deduce it’s actually a fault with a Garmin server. This has been a long time issue which Garmin are aware of, but have yet to resolve.
If I am lucky enough to get the scale to sync without spending 10 minutes measuring and Re-measuring myself, then a new problem exists…. well, “new” as in since June 2018.
The scale measures body fat (as long as you don’t set your activity level to 8 or above… then you only get 7% no matter what.) If you have the app talking to Apple Health then it sends your Body Fat% to Apple Health as… no, not Body Fat%, but BMI.
It sends BMI as well, so every day I do manage to get a reading to sync I end up with both BMI and Body Fat % in BMI. It’s a massive mess.
And worst, Garmin support have repeatedly blamed Apple stating “We don’t push data, Apple pulls it”. Which is both a cop-out and a LIE. I’ve checked Apple’s developer documentation on HealthKit and spoken to senior Apple support staff and they confirm that the only way data gets in Health is by Garmin sending it.
When challenged on this Garmin told me alternatively; “(sending body fat as BMI) is they way it is supposed to work”, and “there is a support case for this… and no time frame for when it will be looked at”.
I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone currently.
Any chance of turning off the update available bug in connect? i was on 3.0 since i got the scale and it always said update available. Yesterday i swapped out the dead batteries and the display said 3.10 so it is getting the updates. but still says update available. Rolling with a splash of ocd :)
I received one of these today and it did successfully sync to MFP immediately. However I’m waiting for it to send the measurement to TrainingPeaks per the sync tool linked from here: link to peaksware.uservoice.com
Is anyone using this scale and having it send the metrics over to TrainingPeaks? If so how long does it usually take to show up?
I’ve just replaced my Withings ws-50 with a Garmin Index. I have to say that I prefer the Withings but it doesn’t sync to Garmin so I replaced it.
The new scale is syncing to Garmin fine. In the mobile app I can see the weight measurements. It’s not however syncing to my edge 1030. The whole reason I got the scale was for accurate FTP VO2 and other measurements on my Edge but at the moment it still has the weight that I manually entered.
Any suggestions on how to fix?
The issue I find with the garmin is sometimes you got to weigh yourself twice as the first time it’s well off.
In general there is a 0.2k difference between the garmin and withings scales.
The withings cardio is always consistant. I have both and use both as I also have the withings steel sport hr and often wear my garmin fenix 5s and steel sport at the same time. The withings scale gives more reliable readings but love the look of the garmin better
Bought one today 4APR19 in the USA. Wouldn’t connect via BT to phone/app, but after reading I saw the use of WPS on my router – Xfinity/comcast, western USA Puget Sound area. It then connected to the Garmin Connect on the web and the iPhone linking weigh in data.
I was hoping your review would have included a statement on whether the scale provided additional metrics of Physique Rating, Visceral Fat, Metabolic Age and Daily Calorific Value which are measured by the Tanita BC1000 Inner Scan. I assume because they are not mentioned then they are not available.
I can confirm that it doesnt include Physique Rating, Visceral Fat, Metabolic Age and Daily Calorific Value. I was suprised when I did step on my Garmin scale for the first time today and that wasnt included. I had to google and did find this review and your question. I can also confirm that values regarding water, fat and muscles isnt compareable between Tanita and Garmin.Only reason to stop using my Tanita is that it requires me to keep my old Forerunner 610 to actually automatically sync my Tanita scale with Garmin Connect. I am not convinced to start using the Garmin scale instead of the Tanita… :)
Hi.
What model of Tanita do you have?
I’ve just found out that Garmin Index Scale doesn’t measure visceral fat and metabolic age, which are important measures for me. I precisely have the Forerunner 610 and I want to keep it! So I would like to buy a Tanita scale compatible with my FR 610 and that also offer me visceral fat and metabolic age and other measures.
Great article as always, thanks.
Quick question, Garmin connect allows manual input of weight only. Can I import a weight.FIT file manually?
I’m thinking of editing the file manually to add fat % etc then doing a manual import of the file.
Also wondering about a simple app on the watch (Forerunner 935) could probably do this as well. Anything out there?
Lastly, can someone post a link to an example of a weight.FIT file.
Thanks
Miles
Thanks.
Curious if the multi-point weight recording ever arrived or if it is still a single measurement per day? I can’t seem to find that info on the Garmin site.
Only recently the site and app have changed to add a time field when entering your weight. I haven’t tried, but I guess it is multi-point now.
I do enter my weight manually once a day (in the morning), so I haven’t tried if it really works. Before buying one I would certainly check (easily done in the app/on the site now).
Any rumors on a new scale coming out in the near future? Preferably one that measures bodyfat below 7% for those of us who are leaner? I’m hoping (with the rumors of the Fenix 6 series about to be announced later this month) that there will be a new scale that fixes the BF measurement problem so I can finally buy/use the Garmin scale.
If you have an Index scale, and you want to send that data anywhere besides Garmin, I have an app called Smart Scale Sync which will let you send your weigh-ins to Strava, Fitbit, TrainerRoad, Peloton, Concept2, and Polar Flow. The connections to Garmin, Fitbit, and Strava are API based. It’s been popular amongst TrainerRoad users: link to forum.trainerroad.com
Did they ever fix the issue of being able to record more than one reading in a day?
Not really. Weigh-ins now carry a time stamp, but there is no way to see anything other than the last recorded measurement in either the Mobile Connect app or on the web.
Perhaps Garmin is storing more than one recording per day if you do so, or perhaps not. But without changes to the app/web there’s no way of seeing that anyway.
Hi, I use Index Scale for a month now. I have noticed that when my body weight goes up, then my body fat %, muscle weight goes up as well, but water % goes down. When my body weight goes down, i.e. after running, fat % and muscle weight goes down as well, but water % goes up. It happens every time and there is always same pattern – body weight up, water % down, body weight down, water % up. Could you tell me if there is anything wrong with my scale? Thank you
My experience is the same and the same patterns/trends. I don’t think this thing actually “measures” anything but weight, the other parameters are just some bogus calculations. At least my bone mass is staying constant!
Good morning, Ray,
1. After reading the comments posted since your review in 2016, I am assuming that the Garmin scale can now sync with Training Peaks.
2. But it still is not as robust as some of the Tanita scales that measure things like visceral fat and Physique.
The article also raises another question. I like to exercise and track my progress, but I am by no means a hard core trainer/athlete. I have MFP, TP and Garmin Connect. I just got the VENU which makes Garmin Connect more convenient than TPs and MFP, although I still need MFP to track nutrition since Garmin Connect only syncs nutrition data with MFP. So with that background, besides the coaching and training plans that are available on TPs, what else do I give up if I stop using TPs and rely solely on Garmin Connect to track my activity levels?
Many thanks.
Regards,
Any ideas if Garmin is going to come out with a new scale? Looks like this one was from 2016, that is getting old.
they still sell these, so you can get a brand new one that isn’t old, still today.
Sure, but there are rumours out there that a new model is just around the corner…
if they do still sell them, dont buy one! Have had years of intermittent wifi/connection issues. Now after replacing the battery its permanently stuck in setup. Garmin dont seem interested. Total junk!
Same experience as you, Mark. Utter garbage product.
Mark – When you contacted Garmin support, what did they say?
Agree with Mark above. Utter sh1te product. Years of it disconnecting from bluetooth. Garmin Connect App forgetting it ever connected the scale. Scale attaching via bluetooth but the App can then not remember the details of the scale. New Adding Product never finds the scale. IT IS NOW IN THE BIN AND THE PROBLEMS ARE SOLVED.
Hi Ray
I returned my index to Garmin Australia who informed me that my scale was faulty and that the scale was now discontinued, so I was unable to receive a replacement. I was offered and received a refund instead.
This in spite of the index still for sale on the Garmin au site.
I’d push back on that from Garmin AU Support to be honest. That’s BS. If you pushed back hard, I’d love to see a copy of the ticket number (you can e-mail it to me, just ray at my domain). Garmin is pretty clear about their support commitments, and this runs afoul of that.
Ray. ticket number is in your inbox.
I asked garmin support for an explanation as to why, if discontinued, the product was still for sale on the garmin website. I got the response “we do not have any scales within our product range” (that was feb 13th).
I see it is still for sale on the U.S. website.
I’m curious has there every been any update to mark c’s ticket?
Now that it supports multiple weigh-ins a day, I am inclined to buy… grab one quickly now, while you still can, or wait for the very hypothetical (?) Index Scale 2? It may never come, like the foot pod was also discontinued without a replacement? But then why would Garmin add multi weigh-ins if they are discontinuing this product line.
I’m curious has there every been any update to mark c’s ticket?
Now that it supports multiple weigh-ins a day, I am inclined to buy… grab one quickly now, while you still can, or wait for the very hypothetical (?) Index Scale 2? It may never come, like the foot pod was also discontinued without a replacement? But then why would Garmin add multi weigh-ins if they are discontinuing this product line.
I got no reply from gatmin apart from my unit was faulty and gatmin had none to replace. I got a full refund. With that refund I purchased a new one from my local retailer. Jbhifi . I set it up. Still had the issue with second user being kicked off until gatmin fixed it at their end. As of now its working perfectly.
Thanks for the update.
Sorry for double-posting but I was looking for my reply message and couldn’t find it so assumed it hadn’t gone through.
Super good review as always.
Just got an email from Garmin…finally multi weight ins for the day!
Hi, do you know if Garmin are planning on rolling out a new smart scale any time soon? My previous non-Garmin smart scale has died and contemplating upgrading now. Should I buy the Garmin one now or wait?! Love your site, and have been using it for year. Keep it up!
Garmin really shouldn’t sell this piece of garbage. Mine suddenly dropped of the wifi and after many many attempts with different firewalls, access points and an ant+ stick (and help from Garmin support which is great) i got a new one. Same problem. I can get it to occasionally work on my Iphone but not consistently. I haven’t had any issues with any other product and my house is an IoT inferno. Lost intrest, just going to recycle it an move on.
it’s in the network’s dns settings..
am eagerly awaiting the DCRainmaker twitter update: New garmin scale countiung corona kilos… (time to convert to metric Ray.. )
On would think it was related to DNS as I have seen that in diffrent forums. But i my case it is not.
I’ve had no end of problems with WiFi. The only time it ever works consistently is when I use some type of range extender. Then it doesn’t have the password issue and connects happily with WPA2.
I now have my scales in my dining room, which is sub optimal, but at least they connect.
I need to stop buying Garmin.
hello…!!! i d like to know if is possible to take several measuremnts the same day from the same person..??
regards..!!
It is now possible, as of a month or so ago.
thank you…!!!and that is possible because an app update or because an all new model of scale…??
Software update. I still have the same scale I’ve been using for years.
Thank you so much . That was a fast answer back…!!!
Thank you so much . That was a fast answer back…!!!
First time your review has let me down Ray. I have an expensive paper weight now, stuck on the ‘wrench’ screen. Super disappointed in Garmin. Can you add an update to stop others from buying this.
Dan
I have never had a problem with my unit, ever. I LOVE It. I love the additional opportunity to weigh more than once a day (and delete the extra weigh-ins if needed/wanted).
THAT SAID. The instructions are ABOMINABLE regarding adding another person. I follow the instructions to the letter until they end. And they end with inviting someone else to use the scale. What happens then? My husband accepts the invitation then steps on the scale and he’s not there. We add him by restarting the scale, then I disappear. We add me, go through all the steps, then I go to weigh myself and I’m not an option. The only way to add me on the scale is to restart the scale then he disappears. What in the heck. I need step by step instructions beyond “invite” another user. Done. That person accepts that invite. THEN WHAT? No more instructions. I’ve asked this before and no one ever responded.
Seriously, are you all the only people that uses the scale? All one-person scales?
Been working flawlessly since I got it many years ago. With myself and wife setup via my phone.So it recognises is both. No WiFi issues at all.
Funny, I have very few problems with Garmin devices, but the scale is actually a problem. My problem is that it often does not sync to wifi after weighing. It doesn’t even try. Very strange.
I haven’t seen a pattern as to when or why this should happen. However, I turn my wifi off every night and on in the morning. My guess is that I might get less problems with the sync if I didn’t turned off wifi?
I read some comment about using wifi without password, perhaps that is the way to go, but I’m already using wifi successfully with FR935, Fenix 5X Plus and Fenix 6X Pro Solar so it feels unnecessary to change.
I use wifi with wpa2 password and works all ok. Just moved wifi from cisco WAP to a unifi one ans all still ok as used same ssid and password. I just made sure i was on an unused wifi channell or one that was used the least. Make sure is not near things like microwaves or other equipment that puts out interference. Should not make a difference if its turned off at night or not. Try some different DNS server settings on your router like 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8 etc.
Okay. The issue is not the wifi. What is they key to getting the other person to show up on the scale as person Number 2 after he accepts my invite? What is the last missing step?
Christopher. That’s awesome. Help me with my question though. Once he accepts my invite. Literally what are the next steps?
If you look on garmin connect under devices the select the scale and then device settings and then manage people does the other person show up ? Also open connect on their phone and look under devices and see if the scale is there and then check their user settings are there correctly.
He never shows up as option on the scale after he accepts. We’re all on the same WiFi. Maybe with the new update we’ll try again. Maybe that’s the issue. Once he accepts, and he steps on the scale, It should be that he just toe taps til he sees his name, correct?
Once he sets up his user settings for his initials (2 chars) and details he steps on scale and it should show up if it does not show his initials try tapping the top right corner to select or sometimes comes up with a ? And you select the initials again.
Thank you. We’ll try that tomorrow. We just could never get his initials to come up–even with tapping. I figured it was stupid user error, but maybe it was something else. Thank you for being so kind to me. I’ve had Garmins since 2002, but for some reason, this has vexed me.
This is still junk – stuck on 7.0% body fat for me since purchase. My bone mass fluctuates more than my body fat according to the scale. Put my eight year old on – he gets 6.0%. Wife gets realistic body fat to four significant figures. Garmin Support think this is all as should be. Today I impersonated my wife on the scale – despite the fact it should be reading *my* body fat it reported her figure.
I’ll be complaining until Garmin give me a full refund, invoking trading standards.
I like the scale and ability to record data in Garmin Connect. But I agree that, other than weight, the body composition data seems to be junk. Consistently claims that my body water INCREASES after long rides in NC summer heat/humidity when my weight decreases by several pounds.
I’m in the market for wifi scales, and being a family who has multiple Garmin devices would like to keep the data in Garmin Connect. I’ve seen rumours of a Garmin Index Scale 2 back end of last year, does anyone know when the release date is likely to be? As do not know whether to hold off purchasing the 1st version or not.
Hi Ray,
are you experiencing problems with the scale since 6/26? I’m having connection problems (third WiFi element blinking, X in upper right). Read about an update at the Garmin forum. Any news on that?
Thanks for your work!
Hi Alexis
I’m having EXACTLY the same issue.
I’m going to contact Garmin support tomorrow.
I’m apprehensive that it won’t be fixed easily – I’ve had the same index scales for around 3 years and they’ve been intermittently unreliable.
It’s a shame, because when they work as they should they’re great and I really like them.
Update…
I’ve just tried the scales and they’re working as normal again.
I don’t know if anything that I did made a difference. I removed them from GC App,
reset them,
reconnected them to the App (including to the original wifi connection),
changed the 4 letter user name.
Then Deleted all weigh-in data in the App, back to 26/06.
Then left them alone for a couple of hours.
All working perfectly now.
Hi Ray,
are you experiencing problems with the scale since 6/26? I’m having connection problems (third WiFi element blinking, X in upper right). Read about an update at the Garmin forum. Any news on that?
Thanks for your work!
Hi,
Do you know if they have a plan for INDEX 2?
Just before I buy …
nothing announced, but you can probably speculate based on this:
link to the5krunner.com
Very cool how this scale tracks your data in Garmin Connect to show trends. However, other than weight, which appears to be very accurate, I don’t think it actually measures the other parameters (% fat, % water, muscle mass, bone mass). For example, I weighed myself before and after a 3 hour ride in North Carolina summer heat/humidity with a heat index of close to 100 deg. Sweated a ton, as you can imagine. Post-ride weight was 6 lbs less than pre-ride (all water, right?), but the scale claimed body water INCREASED by 2.3%, muscle mass decreased by 1.6 lbs, and body fat decreased by 3.2% (I wish). According to Garmin, “The Garmin Index™ smart scale uses bioelectrical impedance to calculate your body composition. The device sends a small amount of electrical current (which you will not feel) from one foot through your body to the other foot. The device measures the electrical signal after it passes through your body to estimate aspects of your body composition”. Sounds very scientific, but from my experience, it seems that it is only “measuring” weight.
Hey DC, have you heard of Garmin even plan on updating these scales?
where is the like button..
Great review, as always, but if you could expand on your statement about a crucial decision point
that seems really counter-intuitive I’d appreciate it.
“The black version is impossible to keep clean, white is half-possible”
Thanks… Keep safe
Typically on a scale you’ll get water/sweat droplets, which generally turn whiteish in color, also, most dust is a grey/white color. So, both of those things happily stick to the scale, and since the glass sits atop the black coloring, it’s crazy visible.
Whereas with white, both those things aren’t visible.
Wow! An 11 minute response time!!!
I feel special?
Looks like they have released a new scale now
Yep, the S2. But from what I’ve read, I am very skeptical that it actually “measures” anything but weight. % body fat, water, muscle mass, and bone mass are likely to be calculated rather than measured. With the exception of bone mass (which never changes), the other parameters only seem to vary in relation to weight. I can ride or run in the heat, or ride my trainer and sweat a ton, and the S1 will claim that my body water will increase. Obviously that isn’t what is happening. A nice scale but caveat emptor.
.
Hi Ray, this may be an odd issue I’m having but my baby keeps walking on my scale and overwriting my weight which effects my ftp on my garmin units.
I tried looking into creating a profile for her but I’m at a loss what to do for a 15 month old.
Btw with her weigh in my ftp is ridiculous. She’s only 23 lbs.
Lens.
I have noticed over the last couple of days that my scale has started recording random weigh ins in the middle of the night.
I weighed myself every morning this week at around 6 AM but looking back through the records there have been measurements recorded at midnight, 2 AM, 3 AM, midday – seemingly completely random times. All the measurements are around what I weighed when I stood on the scales but only have the weight, not any of the other metrics.
I did not weigh myself today and there are 5 measurements recorded…
Anyone else seen anything like this? I am wondering if it’s recording a measurement whenever it wakes up if someone walks past and it wakes up.