Whether you’re sculpting for a special occasion, training for performance, or just wanting to get healthier without getting hung up on your weight alone, a body composition machine is one of the smartest investments you can make.
As a professional-level athlete, keeping track of my physical stats isn’t just useful – it’s essential for weekly check-ins. When I trained at London’s luxury wellness hub Third Space, I was surrounded by some of the best tech in the business.
One tool that stood out was the Inbody composition analyser, which soon became invaluable in my training routine. Now, this isn’t your standard set of bathroom scales – the higher-level models break down everything from skeletal muscle mass to visceral fat, intracellular water and even segmental limb analysis. It’s the kind of data that can transform a training plan or a dieting approach.
Why? While it is encouraging to see weight drop while on a fat loss journey, it’s not always a win. It could mean you’re losing muscle that you’ve worked hard to build – not just fat. The same applies to weight gain; it might be a good sign of muscle growth, or it might just be water retention from stress or increased carb intake. It’s why body composition tracking is vital if you want to make sense of how your body is changing.
And increasingly, it’s not just about fat and muscle. Bone health is finally being recognised as a key component in the conversation around true fitness and long-term health – and the most advanced trackers are starting to reflect that.
Bone health as the forgotten foundation
Recent figures show 3.5 million people in the UK are affected by osteoporosis, with around 520,000 fragility fractures occurring every year. Half of all women and one in five men over 50 will suffer a fracture due to poor bone strength.
Yet bone health is often overlooked until much later in life. It’s why we’re seeing more clinics like Screen My Bones in Marylebone, which has introduced Echolight REMS technology, a radiation-free tool that allows people to monitor bone quality safely and frequently, even in their 20s and 30s. Unlike traditional DEXA scans, which can miss signs of deterioration in younger or active bodies, Echolight provides a holistic view, factoring in not just bone mineral density but structural integrity, too.
With many people now under-muscled, under-boned and under-nourished, the conversation around tracking physical health is shifting.
Understand what it measures – and what you need
Not all body composition machines have the same purpose. Some offer just fat percentage and muscle mass, while others go deeper, measuring visceral fat (the dangerous kind around your organs), bone density, metabolic age, hydration levels and even segmental readings for each limb. For serious athletes or those monitoring long-term health, these extras can give a much clearer picture. Look for options that offer multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance for more accuracy, like Tanita or InBody.
Devices like the Beurer BF100, or even the Withings Body Comp, are starting to offer a more nuanced readout – and when used alongside specialist bone screenings like Echolight REMS, they can offer a powerful window into your internal health, not just what the mirror reflects.
Connectivity matters if you want to stay on track
For me, Bluetooth and app syncing are helpful for accountability. Machines like the Withings Body Comp sync data to your phone, letting you view trends over weeks or months, and even track things like resting heart rate and vascular health. Having everything in one place – and being able to share it with a coach or PT – makes sticking to goals far easier.
This means that you can begin to build a full-body portfolio of data that doesn’t just stop at body fat or BMI. It means smarter goal-setting, better preventative care, and longer-lasting results.
Don’t overlook usability and design
If it’s fiddly to use or takes up too much space, you’ll stop using it. The best at-home machines blend into your routine and your home.
Look for flat, slimline models with easy-to-read displays and fast measurement time. Some, like the Renpho smart scale, even let you switch between user profiles for family use. If you travel often, lightweight and portable is key – think compact design without sacrificing features.
Ultimately, your fitness journey isn’t just about how you look. It’s about building a body that lasts. And that means paying attention to the things beneath the surface, like bones, muscles, hydration, and the subtle signs of change. The right device won’t just weigh you – it will guide you.
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Withings Body+ Body Composition Wi-Fi Scales
Black tempered glass gives the Withings scale a display-worthy presence - no need to stash this one behind the laundry basket. But it’s the streamlined techy features that make it one of the best.
Compatible with all manner of apps, this smart scale syncs with Apple Watch as well as more than 100 popular health and fitness apps, including Apple Health, Fitbit and Google Fit.
The screen is quite small, but if you want a model that’ll help you keep detailed track of your own health and fitness, it’ll be right up your street. You can register up to eight users, and there is a pregnancy mode too, so you can keep on tabs on the whole family.
Buy now £97.58, Amazon
Beurer BF1000 Super Precision Body Composition Analysis Scale
What makes this Beurer model different from its competitors is how it breaks things down by body part — so instead of just a rough body fat percentage, you can actually see what’s going on in everything from your left leg to your torso. That’s been really useful for tracking imbalances and progress, especially during training blocks or recovery phases.
The eight-electrode system feels much more precise than the usual foot-only scales. It’s helped me understand where I’m holding muscle and where I might need to focus more. It also tracks things like water weight and bone mass, which most basic scales just don’t do.
Syncing with the app is really straightforward, and it’s been helpful to see the changes over time, not just from day to day. You can store profiles for multiple users too, which is a bonus if you’re sharing it at home. It’s not cheap, but if you’re serious about health or training, it’s worth it.
Buy now £249.99, Amazon
Garmin Index S2 Smart Scale
Track your progress with the Garmin Index scale and measure your weight, BMI, body fat, water percentage, bone and muscle mass. These stats will then be accessible and analysed through the Garmin Connect app.
All you need to do is connect the scale to WiFi, and it will send the relevant information to each individual user’s Garmin Connect accounts for up to 16 different people.
Buy now £129.00, Currys
eufy Smart Scale P2
Bring your home into smart territory by investing in this bathroom scale from Eufy. The brand is encouraging you to get more in touch with your holistic health with the ability to measure 12 different aspects simply by stepping onto the device.
The scale will reveal your weight (of course), but also body fat, BMI, water, muscle, bone, BMR, visceral fat, lean body mass, body fat mass, bone mass and muscle mass. It connects to the Eufy app to reveal all.
Buy now £45.99, eufy
Tanita BC-545N Segmental Body Composition Scale
What I like most is how quickly the Tanita scale gives detailed readings — right there on the screen, no app required. It breaks things down by body part so I can see where I’m gaining muscle or holding fat, rather than just looking at one general number.
It’s especially useful during training phases when I want to know if one side of my body is stronger or more developed than the other. The handles make it feel a bit more professional than your average bathroom scale, and it’s quick — you step on, grab the handles, and get all your stats in under a minute.
One thing that stands out is the metabolic age reading. It’s a simple way to get a snapshot of your overall health, and being able to improve that over time has been a good motivator.
It’s not as app-focused as some of the newer models, but if you prefer seeing all the info straight away without needing your phone, it works really well.
Buy now £210.00, Amazon
Withings Body Scan
The Body Scan scale feels like having a clinical check-up at home. It doesn't just show you where you're gaining or losing fat or muscle - it helps flag potential health issues early on.
I found the segmental breakdown helpful for spotting imbalances in my training, but a big sell is the heart and nerve health monitoring. Being able to check for signs of atrial fibrillation or arterial stiffness with a simple scan is incredible. It's not about scaring yourself - it’s about staying on top of your health before anything becomes a problem.
It even tracks early signs of nerve damage linked to diabetes, which is something I’d never thought a home device could monitor. Oh, and everything’s clinically validated, which gives you a bit more confidence in the results.
It’s not a cheap bit of kit, but if you're serious about understanding your health in a more detailed, medical way beyond just weight and BMI, this really is super useful.
Buy now £349.95, Amazon
OMRON BF511 Clinically Validated Full Body Composition Monitor
Get a greater insight into your health with this scale and body composition monitor that can measure six different metrics with expert accuracy.
The device tracks body fat percentage, BMI, visceral fat classification, skeletal muscle percentage classification, and resting metabolism with an eight-sensor technology. It shows your current reading (in imperial or metric units) and your previous readings, so you can compare and see your progress. It’s a useful tool that not many other scales offer.
Available in both blue and turquoise shades.
Buy now £79.99, Amazon
Beurer BF 700 Diagnostic Bathroom Scales
Using Bluetooth technology, the Beurer scale efficiently beams results to your phone via the Beurer HealthManager Pro app while also housing a large screen that displays essential information such as weight and BMI on the scale itself.
Aside from the usual weight and activity measurements, one of the stand-out elements is its ability to track your metabolic rate and advise on how many calories you should be consuming. This is by far one of the most accurate ways to keep on top of your calorie consumption, so an excellent choice if you’re looking to lose, maintain or gain weight.
I also loved the simplicity of the app, where data is displayed in easy-to-decipher colour codes.
Buy now £67.10, Amazon
Verdict
Balancing style, function and tech, the Withings Body+ Body Composition Wi-Fi Scale is my top pick. That said, the brand’s Body Scan machine, while on the pricier side, has some pretty outstanding features too.
