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other smart scale vs garmin index and data sync

I read some post of different issue with this scale and is not even cheap

I guess the major benefit is that it sync data over connect account

If I get a different brand scale that save the data into Apple Health would they be imported into Garmin Connect?

  • Scale can't differentiate between skeletal muscle and body fat anymore. It used to work, but since around the Start of the year it's been broken. 

    Speaking mater-of-fact here, but I've packed on around 13lbs of muscle over the last 9 months and my BF was sitting around 8% before the this year started. Around the 2nd week of January, overnight, BF went to 15%. I did nothing, changed no settings; it changed on its own and it's still a mess.

    Since then, I've tried all the tricks. Brought the active level down (I'm at 8, moved it to 6 for a day, then back), did a full reset, nothing fixed it.

    Now everytime I use the scale (aprrox the same time of the day) no matter what I did or do, if the scale adds muscle mass, it also increases my BF which throws off my BMI and is now stating I'm overweight. This absurd, I'm a dedicated athlete training days a week with daily cal burn over 3k and eat well under this (1900-2200 cals, 100-130g carbs, 40-80g fat, 160-180g protein) there's no way I'm packing on fat with my level of activity, nor is that showing on my frame.

    The scale has been a disaster and I think Garmin knows this. Not only that, but I don't think they know HOW to make a functional scale or else we'd see a 2nd generation scale already.

    If you're someone sitting on the fence about buying the scale and happen to read this; don't, save your money.

  • Personally my experience with the Garmin scale has been fine. However, to answer the original posters question. I am not aware of any easy way to automatically sync weight related data from other scales into Garmin Connect whether via Apple Health or other means. I know I investigated a couple of years ago before I bought my scales and a few people had posted some ideas on workarounds but they were far from straight forward or reliable hence I bought the Garmin scales.

  • You say " it also increases my BF which throws off my BMI and is now stating I'm overweight."

    But the BMI is only calculated by your height and your weight, it has nothing to do with the value of the muscles or the BodyFat. So if you increase your weight, no matter if it is from Fat or Muscles your BMI also increases.

    So if you are a Bodybuilder and your height is 180cm and your weight is 100kg, you have an BMI of 30.9 this is really much, but it´s just because of the muscles and so no big risk for your health of course.

    So the BMI from the Garmin Scale is calculated always right, just your BF is calculated wrong I think, but this is a limitation on all that Scales which are measuring the electrical impedance. If you have lots of muscles the measurement isn´t accurate anymore, because the Scale uses not only the measurement but also calculates with some formula and this is something like for average people. I hope that Garmin can improve the calculation with an Firmware update but it seems, that they are not interested or able to do so.

  • if you have a garmin index scale, you can now use the Smart Scale Sync solution to send your data elsewhere (strava, fitbit, polar flow, trainerroad, etc..)

  • Have you tested your BF with a caliper (they are very cheap) and my caliper readings and waist measurments are similar to the BF from my scale. I have 3 other scales with similar BF, but I dont have alot of muscle mass on me so thats maybe why it works for me . One could also use this chart. 

    13 lb of lean muscle mass in 9 months with a about 1000 calorie deficit a day, sounds little odd, I could not do that (35 year in weighlifting), maybe a beginner could do that and If one is Young and have high testosterone and maybe are on gear?

    We are all different

    Something a notice alot, when folks are bulking and training the offcourse get more muscles and weight and look bigger and all is not lean muscle mass, its alot of fat, more intramuscular fat, more intramuscular water, more intramuscular glycogen and that aint muscles. So they look bigger and have fat heads but it aint only muscle mass and many go to far so it will be unhealthy with to much bodyfat. I would not go over 15%. I am current at 12% or similar. I have alot of friends that got bulkier, they say I have put on alot of muscle mass, I say some yes but You have got alot fatter to, one can se that  ones face and on the arms and estimate theres bodyfat level if one is experienced

    Always good to measure the waist

    I am 50 year old man, 70kg at 175cm, I eat about 3000-4000 calories a day, my waist is about 80cm 31.5 inch. When I am cutting I follow this chart so I will not loose to much muscle mass

  • If one have alot of muscles mass one can look rather lean even at 15% bodyfat. Anyway this guy have alot of muscle mass and are offcourse on gears, but he is claiming he is at 15% bodyfat. Not all men store the fat at the belly, they could store it in the back and legs so a waist measurment is not always the best thing to estimate totalbodyfat.

  • Smart Scale Sync

    where i can find this option? in the third party software himself or is it new in Garmin Connect?

  • thx, there are not really a lot of supported sources (fitbit & whitings and of course Garmin), would be nice to see Omron or Tanita scales, then it will be interesting, especially this one: https://www.tanita.com/en/rd545im/