It doesn’t cost you anything extra, but your purchases help support this website a lot. It will also display the weather which is nice to have if you’re doing morning weigh-ins and then finally it loops back to show your weight. In the case of the Index S2, it retains the same expensive price as previous, but now adds the new color display and trending information. Also, if you want to discard a weigh-in, the easiest way to do that is just simply go to the “?” user, and then let it vanish to nowhere. Index WiFi scale released nearly 5 years ago, Strava Turns Off Flyby Feature For All Users, Have to Opt Back In, click here to Subscribe without commenting. It’ll ask you to confirm the PIN number, to ensure you’re not snooping on your neighbor’s unconfigured scale or something. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. But at the end of the day, you might just be wondering “What does Ray use when not testing new products?”. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. When Garmin released the Venu smartwatch, it made some waves being the first Garmin Smartwatch to... Today, Polar announced the brand new Grit X outdoor multi-sport GPS watch. I love the look of the Garmin Index S2. Many of us keep track of our steps and daily activity with our fitness trackers. Well, given the current world climate it’s a bit difficult right now to waltz in and get a fancy body fat analysis and such done. Garmin has just announced the new Index S2 smart WiFi scale, building slightly upon the previous first-generation Index WiFi scale released nearly 5 years ago. It's quick and easy. And yup, even the weather, showing the slated high/low for the day as well as the current temperature. There’s been too many late night Stroopwafels for me lately for that to impact my testing. and today, Garmin is launching the Index S2 which builds upon the success of the original with a new high resolution color display and a slimmer profile. When I look at the Index 2 vs Index 1, the weight is almost always nearly identical – such as .1lbs apart. However, what is firmly in Garmin’s control is the lack of weight trendline information properly accounting for historical data for existing Garmin Index scale users. Many of us keep track of our steps and daily activity with our fitness trackers. The Index S2 is a very attractive scale, providing some fairly accurate data, and for those of you who live in a household that has more than one Garmin user, it’s an even more compelling option than other smart scales on the market. Here’s my most recent gadget recommendations guide and trainers here – covering almost every category of sports gadgets out there. For those who’re a Garmin person, the apparent selection in your good scale wants is the […] Perhaps there’s a number of people that need to switch quickly between the modes, I don’t know. Now, to run through what’s new on this scale, I’ve got the Index 1 and Index S2 side by side. By now the scale will have updated itself and be ready to use. And of course, that color display versus the black/white one previously. Garmin has just announced the new Index S2 smart WiFi scale, building slightly upon the previous first-generation Index WiFi scale released nearly 5 years ago. Some platforms support it, but many disappointingly do not. No cost to you, easy as pie! I did have some initial issues trying to get the scale to pair with my Google WiFi guest network, however, once I set it for the primary Google WiFi network it worked fine. Now – what about accuracy? Customer Reviews: There are currently no reviews for the Garmin Index S2 Smart Scale White. I’m headed to Paris – what do you recommend for training or sightseeing? From this moment forward it’ll look worse, even if you never touch it. I trust that if you’re investing in a WiFi connected smart scale, you’ve got the technical prowess to correctly insert 4xAAA batteries. But wait, are you a female and feel like these things might not apply to you? – Increased sensitivity of sensors We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Why haven’t you yet released a review for XYZ product you mentioned months ago? Smart Trainers Buyers Guide: Looking at a smart trainer this winter? NewsVeg - November 22, 2020. The S2 index isn’t entirely different from the original under the hood index, although the new look may make you think differently. Once it’s awake, it’ll show the zero/empty weight: Go ahead and step on the scale, and you’ll see the weight fluctuate a bit for a few seconds before deciding on a final weight. my weekly podcast - with GPLAMA, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness! The Index S2 will be able to distinguish between different users based on their weight and will automatically switch between users, but if for some reason you need to switch you just simply tap on the scale with your right foot and it will toggle to the next user. Use Backcountry.com or Competitive Cyclist with either the coupon code DCRAINMAKER for first time users saving 15% on applicable products. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. This new model switches to a color display that’ll show weight trending information, helping to Login. – Skeletal Muscle Mass It’s a nice break from the day to day sports-tech talk, and I hope you get something out of it! This new scale is a refresh to the uber-popular Garmin Index, which is now five years old. Though, I have done so in the past and recruited a bunch of people to test various devices. Want to compare the features of each product, down to the nitty-gritty? For the accuracy of the biometrics, these are generally fairly accurate for most individuals. Polar Vantage V2 GPS Sportswatch In-Depth Review, Garmin Venu SQ Review – Garmin’s best value smartwatch with some great fitness capabilities, Polar Grit X Outdoor-Focused Multi-sport GPS Sportswatch – Everything New, Top 15 Apple Watch Battery Life Tips and Tricks.  Some reviews are over 60 pages long when printed out, with hundreds of photos! Really cheap. The person will receive a notification and they’ll enter their name or initials, and then confirm that their gender identification, height, weight, and birthdate are correct. I cover all the units to buy (and avoid) for the 2020-2021 indoor training season. Today, Strava has launched a new feature for subscribers called StatMaps. After all that’s done, it’ll display your weight one final time, and then shut itself off – waiting patiently for its 30 seconds of use each day. Speaking of which, once you complete that connection, the scale will go off and download a software update for itself via WiFi. So in efforts to combat the amount of emails I need to sort through on a daily basis, I’ve complied this “My Photography Gear” post for your curious minds! The size is a bit smaller, though not massively so. For the actual weigh-ins, you’ll simply just tap on the scale to wake it up. The other thing Garmin says they spent considerable time on was WiFi connectivity, seeming to acknowledge some of the problems people have had with the original Index scale. Since the original’s release, smart scales have become cheap. With more sensitivity, the S2 will allow for more fluctuations and movement over time in those metrics compared to the original.”. It also adds a handful of tweaks like being able to customize the data widgets on-screen, showing difference to previous weigh-in, as well as increasing the sensitivity of some of the sensors driving the algorithms related to body fat & impedance-based measurements. Which is fine, it doesn’t have to be major upgrades each time. Albeit, I can’t say having a color display on my weight scale next to the toilet has been a major improvement in my day to day life. Or these years. – Changed from AA batteries to AAA batteries. Smart scales, nevertheless, The next screen is a weight trend graph that shows trends in your weight from previous weigh-ins which will give a broader picture of your weight over time, rather than just one day to another. But within that ecosystem it’s pretty good. I keep my activity class at 10 which is generally about right for the level of activity that I do, but the biometrics were still just a smidge off, at least based on my last DEXA scan. No problem, the product comparison data is constantly updated with new products and new features added to old products! Of which, the vast majority of that would of course just be water weight. The repeatable pattern is every few years Withings, Fitbit, or Garmin will release a minor update of their scale with a handful of new features. TEAMGROUP Announces The T-FORCE ZEUS DDR4 and T-FORCE... MSI Announces the PRO MP242 Monitor Series: Three... Amazon’s Black Friday Deals Week offers up to... Samsung refreshes Black Friday offers, get … You can also access your user settings directly from here. And it’s easy to say ‘Sure, it’ll fill in over the course of the next 30 days’, and yes, it will. Get Connected. Garmin Index S2 smart scale review: Price and competition The Garmin Index S2 is available from Garmin, Amazon, and other retailers for $149.99 in black and white colorways. Alternatively, you can view more details in the ‘Weight’ section under ‘Health Stats’. Garmin Index S2, Smart Scale with Wireless Connectivity, Measure Body Fat, Muscle, Bone Mass, Body Water% and More, White (010-02294-03) Visit the Garmin Store 5.0 out of 5 stars 1 rating – Added ability to customize which data (widgets) are shown on scale Alternatively, for everything else on the planet, simply buy your goods from Amazon via the link below and I get a tiny bit back. I asked Garmin about this, and here’s what they had to say: “For body fat and the other impedance-based metrics, there’s been some under-the-hood changes including tweaks to the algorithms.  The tweaks were to allow for more accuracy and more sensitivity in the measurements.  There will almost certainly be some noticeable differences between readings on the original and the S2. This is a slight change from the Index 1 scale, where I can simply step on. I swim, bike and run. So if you don’t want to see a particular metric you can disable it within the settings on the smartphone app: Note above though that you can’t have a ‘Biggest Loser’ style scale and not show weight at all (just take readings). By. It has a mirror-like … This is where you’ll grab your smartphone to set it up, using the Garmin Connect app. The main appeal of buying a Garmin Index scale over any other scale is if you’re in the Garmin ecosystem. Buy Garmin Index S2 Smart Bathroom Scale (Black, North America) featuring Measures 5 Separate Body Metrics, Assess Weight, Fat, Muscle, Bone & Water, Sync with Garmin Connect app via W-Fi, Up to 9 Months of Battery Life, Powered by 4 x AAA Batteries (Included), Supports up to 16 Different Users, Integrated Full-Color Display, View Weight Trends, View BMI Score, Displays Today's Forecast. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Under general settings, you’ll be able to manage people, manage the connected wifi networks, as well as time and date formats. It’s been over 4 years since Garmin released their first generation Index wifi-connected smart scale. Undoubtedly Garmin would argue (perhaps correctly) that the newer technology/sensors/algorithms in the newer scales are indeed more accurate. There’s also a toggle that can switch the displayed units to stones, kilograms, or pounds. Both literally and figuratively. Overall it’s a minor upgrade. There are some 3rd party integrations that have half-heartedly worked over the years (like MyFitnessPal syncing), but usually they eventually break. – Reduced scale size (dimensions) very slightly – Added weight trend to show 30 days of data Though, in my case it made no difference. The first is a reset button, which kicks the scale into pairing mode, and the second is a selector to switch between Pounds, Kilograms, and Stones. Oh, and free US shipping too! Smart scale with a variety of body composition metrics showing progress alongside other stats in Garmin Connect™ LEARN MORE What sets this scale apart from others though is that the Index S2 will be a great scale for those of you who have more than one Garmin user in your household. From there you’ll add the Index S2 just like any other Garmin device. It also comes with risers if you intend on using the Index S2 on carpet. I’ve been using them side by side, seeing how they compare for a bit now. You don’t need the feet if placed on a hard surface, but the batteries are required if you want the scale to do anything other than act as a paperweight. Here’s all the differences between them (and yes, these are mostly minor): – Added new color screen Facebook. Wanna save some cash and support the site? – Supports up to 16 users You can delete weigh-ins if you want, as well as add a weight goal, which will show up on your trending charts both on the app and on the device itself: For the weight scale itself there are a few options in the Devices menu. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. At this point you’ll enter your name or initials and this is limited to 4 characters. Thanks! Garmin supplied Android Authority with the Garmin Index S2 smart scale review unit. You can invite up to 15 people (thus presumably making 16 people in total). As noted earlier you can change the widgets, as well as invite additional users to the scale.  If you’re trying to decide which unit to buy – check out my in-depth reviews section. I suppose that might be valuable for use cases where a coach/physician/staff/athlete is moving the scale between locations on different WiFi networks, perhaps having a hotspot one + a normal office/home location. Its entire point in life is to be a CONNECTED scale. – 9 Month Battery Life (4xAAA batteries) And lastly, if you felt this review was useful – I always appreciate feedback in the comments below. If it gets it wrong, you can simply use your foot to tap left or right, which iterates through the known users on the scale. I’m headed to Washington DC – what do you recommend for training? Dust collects at an astonishing rate on this thing. Ok, with those quick newness bits covered, let’s get it out of the box. Thanks! Looking for the best sports tech deals for the holidays? Then check out the massive list of everything, from $150 off the Garmin Fenix 6, plus big deals on Apple, GoPro, Suunto, Polar, Samsung, Withings, and many more! If you\'re in the Garmin ecosystem and need a smart scale, look no further. Thanks for reading! In fact, every time you step on the scale it’ll check for software updates, and if there is an update, it’ll install it the following night between 1AM and 4AM. It also adds a handful of tweaks like being able to customize the data widgets on-screen, … After all, the fact that one scale has me 2.5% higher than the other side by side is a great example of that. Are you willing to review or test beta products?  Looking for the equipment I use day to day? And while the goal isn’t realistically to try and have 1:1 replacement of fluids during a workout (especially running), you can at least use the information to guide your hydration choices. No problem, here's the platform I use - you can too! I’ve always found it kinda funny that for a digital scale that shows a gazillion metrics based on information in your account, that it relies upon a physical switch to change the way weight is shown. Garmin has a robust API/platform for this data, but just seems to lack the marketing or something for getting these 3rd parties onboard directly. In the weight section you’ll see every individual weigh-in, as well as trending and even the variance of multiple weigh-ins on a single day (the little grey blobs indicated on certain days with multiple weigh-ins). The saving of multiple data points per day certainly isn’t new in the Garmin Index scale world, it’s been doing that for quite a while with the older scale, but it wouldn’t show the change in weight. But realistically, this sorta thing shouldn’t be on 3rd parties. On the top of this screen, it also shows the difference between your last weigh in and this one. The Index S2 runs on 4 AAA batteries (included) which should last up to 9 months. Anyways, as I was saying – if I look at impedance metrics like body fat and muscle mass, based on all the testing I’ve done historically, I don’t focus too much on the absolute values, and instead look more at trending. It then moves on to a screen that displays your name. Click above for all the details. Oh, and the Index 1 scale is one I bought myself a while back. I take things to a whole new level of interactive depth! For example, your Garmin watch will automatically update your weight anytime it syncs with your phone, which, is basically 24×7: So that’s handy if you’re focused on losing weight, rather than finding out three months later that your watch weight is still at a substantially higher value. Garmin Index S2 smart scale review. If you found this review useful you can hit up the links at the end of the review to help support the site. In the photo, it shows “0.0” indicating no change since my last weigh-in. TensorFlow Lite on Andriod for beginners. However, if you’re extremely active and very lean, these metrics may be a little off. Typically this would be for people closer to single-digit body fat %’s. However, some creative 3rd party apps have basically made a bridge where you can do that via a Fitbit account, but, that 3rd party app (SmartScaleSync.com) costs $15/year. Smart scales, however, enhance the health tracking experience by offering an easy way to track your weight, BMI, and Garmin Index S2 smart scale review. However, the Index S2 experience could have been improved by a better design and onboarding process. If you’re a Garmin user, the obvious choice for your smart scale… Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. 0 0 6 minutes read. Now within the Index scales you can tweak your profiles Activity Class (seen above), which in theory improves accuracy for body fat measurements on more athletic people. – Added previous weigh-in vs current weigh-in data difference to screen I will continue to use it indefinitely. Many of us maintain monitor of our steps and every day exercise with our health trackers. To use it, simply tap or kick it. If you don’t have Garmin devices, then frankly the appeal evaporates pretty quickly, and there are other scales that cost just half of the Garmin scale with basically the same features. But with the Index S2, the numbers that it was reporting were very consistent even doing multiple weigh-ins within just minutes of each other. You can have up to 15 people connected to the scale. I’ve used scales where the numbers can vary wildly from one weigh in to another that could be just within seconds of each other. Garmin Support Center is where you will find answers to frequently asked questions and resources to help with all of your Garmin products. The next step is to connect it to your wifi network and this is as simple as connecting any other device to your wifi. Luckily, in my case, my first name fits easily into that. Hopefully you found this review useful. What is new with the S2 scale though is this little trendline chart seen on the scale. So you’d weigh yourself pre-run, and then again post-run. I’ve sorted it all by world geography, in an attempt to make it easy to figure out where I’ve been. You'll support the site, and get ad-free DCR! The app will ask you if you’d like to invite any other users to the scale. Whilst I couldn’t trust the accuracy of any of the 4 devices I tested. Oh, and you can sign-up for the newsletter here! It’s been over 4 years since Garmin released their first generation Index wifi-connected smart scale. You can see the change in weight since the last weigh in as well asl all those biometrics that you saw on the scale itself. For example, I’ve found that for most 45-60min indoor trainer workouts I tend to lose about 2 pounds. In Garmin Connect, you can see all your weigh-ins for a particular day and if you choose to do multiple weigh-ins per day, it will save all of these. And, once this post goes live the image and codename Garmin uses will magically change to the correct product image and real name instead of placeholders (Garmin does this for all products, to minimize leaks). Wanna create comparison chart graphs just like I do for GPS, heart rate, power meters and more? Your email address will not be published. First up we’ll need to stick the batteries inside the S2. Home Tech and Gadgets Garmin Index S2 smart scale review. You probably stumbled upon here looking for a review of a sports gadget.  I aim to leave no stone unturned. If you're shopping for the Garmin Index S2 WiFi Scale or any other accessory items, please consider using the affiliate links below! This is displayed in a large font on the scale itself during weigh ins. This isn’t entirely the fault of Garmin, but it’s also an area they could put some effort into convincing their partners (cough, Zwift). When they go to hop on the scale, it will first display the weight, but in the upper right hand corner you can see an arrow with another user. As with all my scale reviews, whether or not you find value in the extended metrics beyond just simple weight is up to you. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. So just putting the two scales side by side you can see the main differences are mostly visual (the white one below is the older scale). – Body Mass Index (BMI) It has a sleeker design, colour display whilst retaining the same 9 month battery life. Alternatively, for iPhone users, there’s also the HealthFit app, which can pull the data that Garmin Connect Mobile puts into Apple Health, and from there send it off to 3rd party platforms. Also, while on the back of the scale you’ll notice two things you can poke at (besides the springs on the battery compartment). Track your progress toward your goals with accurate measurements for weight, weight trend, body fat percentage, BMI, skeletal muscle mass and more. – Tweaked some algorithms related to body fat & other impedance-based measurements (based on increased sensitivity of sensors) I would like to support DCR and enjoy ad-free DC Rainmaker ($20 per year). You’ll notice above it shows +0.2 above my name, this means I gained +0.2lbs since the last weigh-in. Now, how do I get YouTube running on that display? With all this done (which really only takes a minute or two), you’re good to go.