Medical Inside

Purpose of this machine is to motivate you to exercise and become fit, because if you are in the majority, you have high BMI, high fat percentage of body weight and high visceral fat. Looking at those numbers will scare you and hopefully motivate you. And then you can monitor your progress towards that goal by using this machine.

Using this machine is not easy! It is one of those electronic machines with monochrome display where each button has several functions depending on how you press it and if you lose the manual, the machine is basically just a bathroom scale. Thankfully they have a manual available for download and it is strongly recommended that you do that. Machines like this should not be difficult to use and even if they could not simplify it, why couldn’t they put a sticker with basic instructions on this machine? Every time you need to change something and use it for first few times, you need the user’s guide. So download the user’s guide and keep on computer or Google Docs so that it is within easy reach.

And please read the manual before you use it, you will need it. Even after reading the manual and following every instruction to a tee, you will still be frustrated. For example first it under weighed me by 52 lbs! Aghast, I leafed through the manual to troubleshooting and then find out that the machine has to be used on a hard and level floor, not on the carpet. Why couldn’t they put that in the instructions? It is definitely not like a toaster. Not only is the machine made in China, even the instructions are written in China!

After all that, if you are still motivated to buy this machine, then here are the pros & cons:

PROS

Hopefully it motivates you to exercise and become fit, assuming it is accurate & consistent; and if you are an organized, disciplined person with self control who keeps the manuals handy and is good at using electronic machines.

CONS

1. User unfriendly.

2. Poor instructions.

3. Have to use at same time every day for accurate comparison and cannot use 2 hours after meals.

4. Need to keep manual handy.

5. Other than storing basic user profile (age, sex, height) it does not store measurements or transfer records to computer or web site.

6. Does not always work: it said my 18 year old son’s measurements were outside the measurement range! The ranges are all for 20 years or older.

7. No technical support phone number or even e-mail and I am not sure if they even provide it.

I have not used it long enough to vouch for the accuracy & consistency. It comes with a card where you can keep logs for 30 days but you should probably make a spreadsheet to keep records on computer. Make copies of that card and keep it handy with a pencil, right next to the machine, to be able to write the measurements.

Something like this can be utilitarian if it is easy to use, does not require manual every time you need to use it, stores measurements, or transfers it to computer or even better, transmits by wi-fi or cellular modem to a web site where you can analyze or measure your progress.

In conclusion, I am not sure how beneficial this machine is in practice. It appears to be one of those things which looks good on paper or in packaging but is difficult to use not only technically but also behaviorally. But, just like you can use treadmill as a cloth hanger, it will function as a weighing scale.
Rating: 2 / 5

Have been testing the scale for several weeks now and am very satisfied. It seems to offer very good accuracy and provides the added benefits of BMI measurement. With so much technology here though I wonder why some time of data interface was not included. It would be nice to be able to transfer information to a PC with Omron softare like they provide for Blood Pressure and Pedometer. That is the only feature I can see missing from this otherwise fine product.
Rating: 4 / 5