TechRadar Verdict
The Salter Curve Smart Analyser scale is thoughtfully designed, and gives consistent, accurate measurements. It's let down by its dated companion app, which is cumbersome to use and makes weighing in and checking your stats more work than it needs to be.
Pros
- +
Consistent measurements
- +
Range of body composition metrics
- +
Can send data to Apple Health
Cons
- -
Dated smartphone app
- -
Have to sync data manually
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One-minute review
The Salter Curve Bluetooth Smart Analyser is a body composition smart scale, which means it uses bio impedance technology to differentiate between different types of tissue - body fat, water, muscle and bone. It can also calculate your BMI and BMR (basal metabolic rate) and sync all the data with your phone so you can track your progress.
In our tests, the scale itself performed well; its measurements were generally very consistent, and closely matched those from the commercial body composition scales at our gym.
It's also well designed from an accessibility perspective, with clearly marked areas to position your feet, and a bright, clear display that's easy to read when standing. Its platform is slightly larger than usual, topped with robust toughened glass, and the rubberized feet fitted as standard prevent slipping on hard floors (carpet feet are also included, but using bathroom scales on carpet is generally not recommended),
Unfortunately the Salter Curve is let down by a dated app, which it very out of keeping with the smart, modern design of the scale itself, and small inconveniences here and there mean we’re inclined to recommend a scale from the likes of Withings, Garmin or Eufy instead.
Design
The Salter Curve scale is available in black and white, and has a premium feel with a toughened glass surface. Clearly designed with accessibility in mind, the platform is a little larger than average (306mm x 336mm, with areas marked to help you position your feet correctly. The reverse LED display is bright and easy to read while standing. It takes three AAA batteries (included).
It’s interesting to note that the scale comes with swappable feet for hard floors and carpet; most electric scale manufacturers advise against using the scale on carpet, as the pile absorbs some of your weight and can make the reading inaccurate.
Performance
We had one anomalous reading at the start when the scale miscalculated our body fat, but otherwise the Salter Curve scale was one of the most consistent we’ve tested, producing the same measurements repeatedly when we re-weighed ourselves several times.
Other than that initial blip, the body composition scores also impressed us, closely matching those from the commercial scale at our local gym.
We had no issues establishing or maintaining a Bluetooth connection either, and because the scale doesn't use Wi-Fi, setup is fast and straightforward. Up to eight users can connect to a single scale, which is handy for families, though it's a shame you can't assign names to be displayed on the scale; instead, each user simply has a number.
Stepping straight onto the scale will allow you to see your weight on the display, which is useful for quick check-ins. If you've moved the scale since you last used it, you'll need to tap it with your foot to calibrate it before using it.
For your weight and body composition data to be taken and sent to your phone, tap the center of the scale with your foot, then tap the central button below the display and use the arrow buttons select your user number. Most smart scales will detect which user's phone is connected and select the correct profile automatically, so this extra step is a little frustrating.
Once the display shows zero, step on and the scale will display your full stats. You can then open Salter’s app, tap the menu button at the top right, select ‘Add data’ and tap the plus arrow. Most smart scales will send this data to a connected phone automatically, so again, it's disappointing that this extra step is necessary.
Companion app
Unfortunately the Salter MiBody smartphone app looks very dated, and lets down this otherwise good scale.
As with any smart scale, you'll need to begin by setting up an account and entering your height and gender so the app can calculate your BMI. Once that's done, you can set a target weight to aim for, import body composition data, and enter body measurements manually if you'd like to record more comprehensive metrics.
Your data is presented in icons on the app’s homescreen. You’ll only see weight and body fat by default; to view the scale’s other readings, tap the menu icon at the top right and select ‘Add icons’.
Tapping any icon will show a graph where you can track your progress over time. You can zoom in and out by pinching, and we appreciate the graph’s trend line, which helps you overlook small daily fluctuations caused by water and food weight.
However, it’s a shame that the graph’s Y axis starts at your lowest measurement and ends at your highest. If your measurements all fit within the ‘normal’ range, for example, you can’t see how close you are to being under or overweight, because the boundaries aren’t shown.
If you have an iPhone, you can sync your data with the Apple Health app, which has a cleaner, more accessible interface.
Buy it if
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