Garmin Index S2 Smart Scale Review // Body Composition, Wifi, Multi-User

[@shamsulazhar]

0:44 Two Polar watches, he must be "Bi-Polar".... Ok, that's just terrible

[@DesFit]

😂

[@darthjohn0]

What a polarizing comment.

[@tristannoelmans]

Or his arms are polar opposites?

[@jankolbe2879]

That was a good one, I’m not sure if I could polar it off

[@JazzMessengerToGo]

Can a guest use the index as a regular scale without a Garmin connect account?

[@DesFit]

Yup, it will just register as a guest user on the scale and won’t update any of the primary user’s GC accounts.

[@bonoki3870]

it looks lovely, but i Samsung Health. it not work for me.

[@DesFit]

Unfortunately Samsung Health does not play nicely with other platforms but I have seen some workarounds that may work to syncing information between platforms: bearable.app/support/howto/additional-resources/ I have not tried this but it could be worth a look at.

[@davidpancerz5820]

Fabulous review Des, guess I'm late to the party with this video being three years old. I think you and Shane might have the inside scoop with Garmin products. Any rumors about a new Index scale on the horizon? It would be just my luck to buy the S2 only to have the S3 released a week later. Any thoughts please?

[@waynesmith4589]

Trouble is , the fat% it throws out is very inaccurate , I had a calliper test at my gym and I came out 13.5% , the Garmin scales suggested almost 30% !! , looking in the mirror you can see my abs so I’m guessing 13.5% is pretty accurate.

[@Jjengering]

Caliper tests are unreliable and so are scales impedance tests, you want a dexa scan for REAL accuracy. People often under estimate Thier body fat.

[@gibbsm]

it's only off by 50% on the body fat, no biggie, LOL.

[@wiscflank248]

I am surprised that you need to enter the activity level, wouldn't your garmin connect know that?

[@markchadbourne8049]

Good point!

[@MrDamonLeBeouf]

this is one aspect of the garmin ecosystem that just blows my mind. you can arbitrarily pick a number that effects your metrics with absolutely no guidance as to qualifying said numbers. its so stupid.

[@bieganieigory]

If you do 24/7 monitoring just enter 0 :), activity level is legacy stuff when 24/7 monitoring was not available.

[@cbingham40]

That's horseshit

[@Nayz13]

I wish Garmin would add things like this, even when you go to set up a running/ coach plan you need to enter how much you run weekly.. dumb

[@bevtecdiving6853]

I always wonder why it doesn’t know if you are wearing your watch to subtract the weight of it 😅

[@Oliver-nt8pw]

Im seriously missing some comparison of how accurate the body fat muscle and water measurements. I do not know what is the standard for measuring, but would have been nice to learn about it a bit in this video.

[@SammyGeek]

In a nutshell, if you have the 1st version, no need to upgrade.

[@DesFit]

Ya, the S2 is more of a refresh rather than a completely new scale.

[@johnc2164]

@@DesFit So how many years for basically the same functions? I have the original and won't be upgrading, if you could call it that.

[@therealchickentender]

I've been in tech and IT for 25 years and this thing is quite possibly in my top 3 most hated gadgets I've ever wasted time on. The UI on the scale is awful, the software update processes unreliable, convoluted and just plain buggy. Documentation is practically NIL and everyone has the same issues. Multi-user problems persisted over the course of the entire 6 hours I messed with this thing on multiple wi-fi connections, paired to difference devices, multiple resets. It always ended the same... One user could setup and use the scale normally and anyone else added could use only weight and bmi, no trending, no automatic sync to Connect, nothing. Only the initial user for whom the scale is linked to a device with BT can work properly (and that does work just fine).... The software and firmware and it's sync process is an absolute mess. This thing goes back today.

[@cbingham40]

So you give it a 8.9?

[@janvh1928]

Don't get this scale if you are doing fitness and have a higher BMI (because you're muscular, not because you're overweight). This scale calculates body fat percentage based on BMI. On the Garmin forums there were many complaints from athletes with body fat around 10% (professionally measured) but this Garmin scale shows 24/25%. It's not accurate for body fat percentage if you have above average muscle mass. Garmin didn't do anything about it and just closed down the topics in the forum. It's also a bit buggy/laggy compared to the Fitbit aria scale. I will be looking for a better alternative and can't recommend it, unless you have a normal body type or you don't find body fat percentage interesting. I did like the weather widget at the end, since you usually step on the scale in the morning, and based on the weather prediction know what type of clothes to put on. Very nice.

[@MikoKnight]

Have you found anything that would fit an irregular body person more? Something that actually measures muscle and fat instead of just calculating it from the BMI. I was about to get this but now that I saw your comment I definitely don't want to anymore, because that's exactly what I wanted from the scale.

[@SingleSidedFilms]

I've heard that the top quality scales measure body fat % through sending electrical pulses into you. So supposedly the garmin doesn't do this? If so kinda weird

[@larryleung8336]

Will the data sync to Apple health as well?

[@ericsisk1]

This is cool. I need one (well, not NEED I guess). Great video Des!

[@DesFit]

It’s the season of want vs need! 😂 Thanks Eric!

[@ericsisk1]

@@DesFit Yep!

[@emirgundogar79]

How accurate is the body fat % numbers compare to Omron and Tanita’s hand holding products. Thanks

[@lechprotean]

on Index 1 it was off by 1-2% for me, but the readings are consistent so good enough for me

[@Robztraining]

I have the first one and its sadly only good for weight. If I gain 1 % in weight one day its alwas says the fat gain is 1% (so 15% goes to 15,15%), the muscle gain is 1% and bone weight is 1% more... While my withings dont change the fat and muscle in the exakt same way. And the withings is close to the dexa scans I do a couple of times a year but the garmin is way of.

[@robertappelmeldgaard2968]

Any rumor's about a new version S3 update here in 2024?

[@rave2600rave]

Was honestly expecting to see more metrics on the lines of the withings body cardio scale

[@paskoh]

Same. I miss the PWV of the body cardio. I avtually wrote to Wihings CEO over a year ago and asked him to reenable it after Nokia killed it. He actually replied and said that he would but still nothing yet...

[@rave2600rave]

I was hoping there would be a better set of metrics to justify an upgrade from my current scale which has the exact same metrics.... Just doesn't connect to the Garmin eco system. At 149 the price seems $50 too steep

[@cliftonsmith]

Great review. I have owned the S1 since launch. I supposed it is hard to find many things new they can do with a set of scales. But they have done well to eek out a few new features. Not enough for me to upgrade I don't think, new design is good though 👌

[@DesFit]

Yup, definitely more of an update than a brand new device, but as long as your S1 is working then you’re good to go!

[@KitMunki]

Great vid. Have you compared this to the withings body+? It seems no one has done a side by side to see how the readings compare…

[@McArrowVideos]

Too cheap for me

[@TommyNation]

Funny, the Garmin say i got 20% Bodyfat, 3 other sclaes say that i have 13% So i guess the Garmin is not that good!

[@abigaillizeth7395]

Hello, tell me the other scales that are better, please 🙏.

[@TheSwayzeTrain]

Plot twist, the Garmin scales was the accurate one the whole time 😂

[@Accost2u]

Thoughts on this vs the Fitbit Aria series?

[@tadejdanev5030]

Any cheaper option to connect with GARMIN CONNECT?

[@tau007]

Great review I’ve had an issue with the water % with old one, why wearing the 2 Polar 2Apple Watches😁.

[@DesFit]

Always testing!

[@tau007]

@@DesFit quick change though. thank you for your time and always excellent reviews👍🏼.

[@DesFit]

Oh, because I unboxed the Index S2 weeks ago while I was testing the Vantage V2s. I’m now wrapping up testing on the two Apple Watches 👍

[@drewtate5334]

Do you guys have an idea when the Vivosmart 5 will be released?

[@NordicTuga]

Hei Des. Great review. I was thinking in purchasing the scale, but my wife is not a garmin connect user and would also be using the scale for only weight display purposes. Would this be a problem with this scale? Best Regards.

[@seanfrench1029]

I think it will work for your wife. I have a Garmin watch but my wife has a Fitbit. She just installs the Garmin Connect app an and adds the scale as a device.

[@guillemrossalvador]

What kind of product only allows you to see only 1 year of historical data for your weigh-ins. Makes no sense

[@ulisowiec]

Gender. Not gender identification. We are talking about physiological metrics which are very much influenced by our gender. If I, as a man, had a prostate cancer, I couldn't go to the doctor and get treated for ovarian cancer just because I identify as a woman. Political correctness can be very dangerous.

[@rasmus5656]

Your example is inaccurate since the scale isn’t going to cure cancer, it measure your weight and uses some metrics and your sex to calculate your body composition (which is going to be based on the hormones in your body).

[@craiglindholm6338]

To be fair to Garmin, they got it right (according to the screenshot)!

[@oPalmyy]

Mine doesnt display any metrics besides weight and weather, ive checked the garmin cinnected app to ensure the metric settings are selected but still nothing

[@mongolmcphee7791]

Good review. Mine just arrived today. I’ve set mine up (I think) and will test it tomorrow. Best wishes from Scotland

[@hubsessed]

Is this still a solid buy, or are there others that are better?

[@gyozakeynsianism]

Great review Des - and great job highlighting the biggest flaw with the system: it is dependent upon your "activity class". If you slack off for several weeks but keep your activity class at 6, your metrics will not completely reflect your slacking off. It's not a great system. I assume other "smart" scales work the same way. Oh well.

[@DesFit]

Ya, the metrics seem better than the original but there is some room for improvement. I haven't necessarily found a consumer grade scale that is completely accurate. Thanks

[@charlesellwood5422]

Excellent overview. Does activity class also affect Garmin watches metrics ?

[@DesFit]

Yup, calorie calculations will be different based on activity class.

[@charlesellwood5422]

Thanks, wasn't sure about that, always just selected "none". Would explain why my Garmin always credits me with less calories than Fitbit, Polar etc.

[@bevtecdiving6853]

@@charlesellwood5422I believe if you are tracking your activities with a Garmin watch 24/7 you don’t need to add an Activity Level.

[@chazzzclau]

Body fat % is way off, so the whole purpose of the scale is useless. 😂

[@AI-xi4jk]

When I travel I use scale to weight my luggage. Wouldn’t it confuse the hell out of the scale, or would it ask me to register a new user? Oh wait never mind it’s a lockdown time.

[@JBates650]

Awesome! Thanks Des! I have been waiting for an update on the scale.

[@DesFit]

Sure thing!

[@JaredPerez-hq1hf]

Price is wild. I'll just manually add it 😆😔

[@danielmoore9214]

Des - What is the most accurate at-home body fat scales you have used ? I am a Withings Body + which is quite good but would like a more accurate scale ?

[@DesFit]

Higher end Tanita scales seem to be pretty good.

[@danielmoore9214]

@@DesFit Okay, thank you. Very expensive though. I note that Huwawei do a scale with handles which may be good....

[@bboygretzky]

Good review. But lets say a friend comes over and he/she does not own a garmin device nor have a garmin connect account. If that person wants at some point to quickly jump on the scale just to see what he/she weights, and without it being added to the owners personal account, is that possible?

[@DesFit]

Unless that person has nearly the same metrics as the main user it shouldn’t register and sync to the main users account. Hope that helps! Thanks!

[@FrankBruce]

Thank you nice review of the scale; interesting that it connects to the WiFi of the house to collect weather alerts.

[@FrankBruce]

@@cracked229 I think that was one of the features as the scale can work independently from the phone, what no other "smart" scale does or that I'm aware of, is tell you how the temperature is, especially if you go out in the mornings that head up will help you on selecting the right kind of cloth for the weather, that is what capture my attention, thank you for bringing up the connectivity to Garmin.

[@Matttski]

this scale is literally a definition of overpriced product...

[@Meven2001]

@Jason Jennings I agree. I bought Withings and it is expensive too, but you have what you buy.

[@wayslow]

Out of curiosity - can you have multiple users synced to their own Garmin Connect apps? Lets just say I don't want to see me wife's pr children weight, is this possible? Withings does it.

[@DesFit]

Yup! That actually the way it works is each user needs their own separate GC account.

[@ssjnimma]

@@DesFit so my wife who uses a fitbit, how could she use the scale? Just DL the Connect app and be good to go regardless of not having a Garmin watch?

[@caleb202]

Just got mine based on your review! Thanks!

[@DesFit]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@TexonStudio]

Great review Des :) I want to clarify one thing, I'm living with my gf and she would be using it ( if I would get crazy and buy this ridiculously expensive and overengineered scale >.< ) without Garmin Connect, just as normal analog scale. Will Index distinguish us, me beeing connected to Garmin and her as a "guest"?

[@DesFit]

Ya, she can definitely use it, and as long as she doesn't have nearly the exact same body comp as you then there is no issue with her weigh-ins accidentally getting uploaded to your Garmin Connect account. Thanks!

[@TexonStudio]

Thanks a lot, that clears things up :)

[@RunJLC]

So if other users in the household aren't garmin users, they can't use the scale?

[@DesFit]

They can still use the scale but they would just need a Garmin Connect account to have the data sync. They can always just remember or write down the info that displays 👍

[@RunJLC]

@@DesFit Cool! Thanks for the reply

[@DesFit]

Sure thing

[@timothyp3ttit494]

can this scale also connect with my fitness pal and sync the weight automatically?

[@VladMRK]

The old one does that, so I guess this one does it too.. you just need to connect the Garmin app to My fitness pal

[@poyge394]

I get differen result when I weight my self several time in row. It is not so reliable

[@woutergeuens8812]

Love the review - ordered One today! Are u stil using it?

[@DesFit]

Every day!

[@timr2221]

Nice review Des. I am seeing some fringe complaints on forums that it it's wildly inaccurate. I find that hard to believe. I just purchased this and a Withings Body+ and am returning one of them. Do you have any further comments now that it's over a year since your review? I'm guessing its about as accurate as the Withings and as good. I appreciate your comment on consistent readings over a short duration. I just want a reliable measurement to gauge progress from. Thanks for your videos.

[@meyerbro]

Which one you returned? Thanks!

[@timr2221]

I returned the Garmin Index S2. I decided I was happy with the Withings Body+ and it’s ability to sync across multiple apps.

[@mega2373man]

@DesFit Thank you for the review. 2 ?s . . . 1. During travel or away from a WiFi connection for some reason, what happens to the data collected? Meaning is it saved to a “hard drive” & synced later about a WiFi connection is established? If so, how “much” (# of weigh ins) data can be stored? 2. What is the cost of this device?

[@DAZ1925]

I'd imagine in that situation you could set up a WIFI hotspot on your mobile phone to allow it to update Garmin connect. As for the price Google will have the latest news

[@karolkonrad7484]

It can probably connect with phone via bluetooth to update Garmin Connect app, but it’s just a guess

[@ivanteo1973]

Just bought one of these. Setting up for main user is easy but adding users is a terrible experience. It took me more than half a day making things work.

[@jorgegutierrez8823]

Any pointer on how you got it done? I’m about 2 hours in and can’t get it to recognize my wife

[@ivanteo1973]

@@jorgegutierrez8823 ahhh, i dont remember the actual procedure. i keep logging it in and out from main and sub use profile. took me a few hours as well. keep trying.

[@Zeero_Kool]

How is it compared to the Withings? I’ve had Withings for a while but not a fan of the UI app. I’ve recently left AW to Garmin fr255 and enjoying Garmin connect. Would it be with the switch or fired it capture the same stuff

[@Dexxyh]

I have the original, but not quite happy with it. My fat% is around 9, however the scale always says I'm 6. I've emailed garmin and after looking at my data, they said I'm outside their algorithm, with no intention to fix it sadly. I've been on other scales which do give me a decent measurement, which actually allows me to track the trend. Just wanted to share my experience..

[@kwengca]

Freaking finally.. I've been considering a garmin scale since I'm in the ecosystem but the version 1 is pretty dated and I was expecting a refresh.

[@TheSingingDoctor325]

Nice review; it minght be time for an upgrade. After moving a couple of times, my old Garmin Index scale refuses to pair to my Connect phone app (despite pairing to the phone via Bluetooth) and I now have a $150 doorstop.

[@filoniz]

I can't justify the price when you have Repho with their 13 different body composition data for $30. Garmin connect should work with other manufacturers.

[@AzureSoukyuu]

And yet again, Garmin vomits all the data over us without telling us what it means... Meanwhile, my mi scale 2 tells me my visceral fat is too high and that my body age is way below my actual one... But hey, at least you get the weather displayed. 😏

[@daniloesp]

Hi. I just bought it. I have done everything just like u showed. But when Im weighing in i cant see my user name. The one with the 4 letters. Has it happen to anyone of you? How did you solve this ?

[@MrLibertyLane]

Yeah! Doesn't work that way. The App locks up and nothing ever happens!

[@PopovskiDarko]

I haven’t owned one before, should I get 1st generation used one for $80-100 on eBay or buy 2nd generation new one for $150? Basically are the new features worth it by getting a newer one ? I appreciate and thank you,

[@philipph3605]

Does the Index S2 also work for children? Many Greets

[@janys2604]

It does not recognize the user, only appear an icon of guess, I looked up one by one but the inicial doesn’t appear

[@Dirty_Jester]

Question, do you know you there is a scale that weigh the right and left leg separately, to see how off you hipp balance is?

[@PhilHaddon]

Does this work with Fitbit and Garmin apps? I need a scale that works with both. My wife uses Fitbit😒.

[@PunjabiCyclist]

Excellent review and well explained.

[@DesFit]

Thanks!

[@julianstuder]

hmmm what is the motivator to upgrade from the first to the S2 version, just the colours display from what I see, all the other things had the firest Index1 already.

[@TheKantani]

February 24th Des? So am I... :). Hello~

[@OperKH]

No Visceral fat? 😢

[@cvk67]

When coming the aw 6 review ?

[@DesFit]

Coming soon!

[@DAZ1925]

I've noticed on the phone app it doesn't show metabolic age, is this still shown via the Garmin connect website and I believe the website will only show one weigh in per day?

[@PaulRichards78]

Great, thanks for this

[@DesFit]

You’re welcome!

[@Papa-Bogey]

$150 vs. $30 for the Wyze scale, which give basically the same metrics. Is it worth $120 more?

[@Meven2001]

Yes. The problem is not price vs features but price vs quality of components. Same as Magimix vs Thermomix.

[@Papa-Bogey]

Meven2001 I have the Wyze scale. I can tell you emphatically, as an owner of dozens of Garmin devices, the quality is not lacking. It’s unbelievable bang for the buck device. There is no way, in my mind, the Garmin scale is worth 5x the Wyze scale.

[@janvh1928]

No it's not. It is buggy/laggy and the body fat percentage is incorrect if you have above average muscle mass. The calculation is wrong in that case. Could be fixed with a software update but now more than a year later and many posts on Garmin forum, it was never resolved. People in the customer support have no clue what they are talking about.

[@kyfisher3662]

are there any options that would have more accurate metrics?

[@waldemarkearney1015]

Thanks for great review

[@DesFit]

Thanks!

[@TheRainmanisback]

Loved the review thanks

[@DesFit]

Sure thing!

[@waynedoherty7758]

The reliance on activity level is the weakest point of this scale. Flicking between activity levels causes my Garmin scale to make a 10% jump in %body fat. It is very consistent though, so even if the body fat and muscle mass is off, you get a great relative reading. I just wish it uploaded to zwift automatically

[@craigla3815]

Is it accurate on carpet with those thingy u put on?

[@christophervincent2151]

Dude got two watches

[@DesFit]

You may be new to the channel 😉 Welcome!

[@PaulCoatesTrailRunning]

Thank you from the UK. I need to get one of these

[@DesFit]

Sure thing!

[@tozil]

any gossip about a S3 :D?

[@Alice_Walker]

Thank you for the succinct review. I'm holding off to see if I can get a Black Friday Bargain but will get myself one either way 👍🏻

[@DesFit]

Thanks and enjoy!

[@czerwonadupa9547]

Wearing 4 different smartwatches during review? What does it show if you put an old fashioned metal pound weight on it? A pound? Because two different scales never seem to show the same weight.

[@DesFit]

This was filmed over a 2 week duration, so many watches were worn :) I placed a 10lb dumbbell on there. Exactly 10 lbs.

[@phillgrant]

Why do you wear 2 watches?

[@mikewilson0]

I was hoping to find out if it’s possible to use this for household members who don’t want Garmin Connect. Can you just get on it and have it give you the stats without trying to store data,

[@DesFit]

Yup, absolutely

[@bchccc]

My wife doesn’t use any Garmin device, how can she just use the weight as a standard weight?

[@DesFit]

Yup, it should just recognize her as a guest user

[@rolfdubbeld]

DON't buy this the Garmin weight scale it SUCKS. Weight measurements are INACCURATE. Two measurements after each other give differences of over 1 kg. So a totally useless piece of equipment. More users have this problem.

[@Sanjanasehgal-li6nz]

Is it available in India.

[@UltimateJugement]

9months later do the battery still working and did you have any other issue?

[@DesFit]

Still using it basically on a daily basis and it's still using the original batteries.

[@SorinJurcut]

I'm quite disappointed related to what it can track and weigh. I used to have some chinese Yolanda scale that was also able to approximate muscle mass. Garmin's can only approximate Skeletal muscle, not regular muscle tissue. This is quite sad. However, I'll say that weighing consistency is much better than that of its chinese counterpart. That's not to say I'm a bit disappointe to see the amount of data it can extract is a bit... frugal. :/

[@gibbsm]

skeletal muscle is 'regular' muscle. the only other kind are heart and smooth.

[@bricolbob-]

Hi @DesFit, just found out about your channel and been watching a few videos about watches and scale as I'm in the market for those. You give good overviews and info about the products you're reviewing and I like your style so you've earned a few more likes and a new subscriber. It'd be nice for items with connectivity if you could mention whether wifi, bluetooth and whatnot can be totally disabled or not, I know I'd be interested in knowing it and it seems from forums and web searches I wouldn't be the only one. Keep up the good work!

[@NYCnapeHb]

I do have a Garmin Tactix Delta Solar, would you get Index S2 or Whithkngs Body+ scale? Thank you.

[@DesFit]

If you're within the Garmin ecosystem I'd lean towards the Index S2.

[@NYCnapeHb]

@@DesFit thank you 😊

[@steffpeeters7609]

Still not available..

[@moranmono]

The wifi syncing is great, I have the polar balance and this looks much better and have more functionality

[@blacksea7171]

Have you taken a dexiscan to know that your 8% body fat?

[@DesFit]

Usually about once a year.

[@Andre-yj8dd]

pls review amzfit stratos 3

[@corruptmind7]

How does it gets body fat percentage and other details ?

[@DesFit]

Impedance

[@hillbilly_delux78]

How does this know the body water and muscle mass?

[@DesFit]

Bioelectrical impedance (BIA)

[@Matttski]

you can get Withings Body+ which do exactly the same for half the price

[@angedaska1]

Thanks for the review Des, any recommendations on how to match the activity class to the volume of work out?

[@DesFit]

Not really - I just played around with it for a few weeks, changing the settings from day to day until it matched what I have found to be close to my daily caloric burn. I'd look up your BMR and then add in the calories burned during workouts as a baseline and go from there. Not a perfect science unless you go to a lab. Thanks!

[@KHETS_BROKEN_SCALE]

When is Garmin coming out with a smart-toilet?

[@DesFit]

Currently testing 😂 OK, not really...

[@SupaMonkeyZA]

Wow! I've been looking forward to this for years. How disappointing. Check the lag and vertical tearing on that display! At this price point, they really shouldnt have put a CPU in from 1980.

[@Prod-23]

@@kaya-sem ^^ Bang on.