Polar Balance Scale Review
Summary: The Polar Balance is a great addition to other Polar activity trackers to help keep you healthy with your goal weight.
4
Great but a little pricey!
Fitness and technology have formed a strong synergy over the last few years thanks to the popularity of activity trackers which motivate the user to become fitter and healthier. However Finnish company Polar have taken this one step further with their Polar Balance Connected Smart Scale that not only records your weight but gives the user helpful hints how to improve and maximise their diet which is also integrated with their activity trackers.
So at its core, the Polar Balance is basically an electronic scale that links to your Polar activity tracker, then to your smartphone and then to the Polar website which is where the “healthy magic occurs”. It’s basically an additional extension to your existing Polar product and is compatible with the Polar Loop 2, Polar Loop Crystal, Polar Loop, A360, M400 and V800. Furthermore, you can connect this device directly to your smartphone as well and for MyFitnessPal fans, it even supports this system which is the world’s largest food, nutrition and calorie database.
The Polar Balance Scale also comes in two different colours that include black and white but no matter which you chose, it would not look out of place thanks to its stylish design. It’s actually quite an attractive scale that is well built and feels quite solid. In terms of apps, you do need the Polar Flow app which gives you goals and even advice on nutrition, exercises and how to lose weight (if needed).
Furthermore, the scale can also be used traditionally which displays your weight on the digital display and it can monitor up to ten people. Of course, you do need a Polar product to maximise the Balance Scale because the information is used to help motivate and support the user to stay active and reach their goal weight.
Setting up the Polar Balance
Before jumping into the review, the Polar Balance is well packaged and inside the box, it contains the unit itself and a manual plus warranty information. In terms of design and as mentioned, the Polar Balance is a very well made scale that looks modern yet slightly sophisticated at the same time. It also has four feet on the back to support the scale. Setting up the scale is relatively straight forward and the product even comes with batteries (3xAAA) but you do need to remove the plastic protector in order to power up the unit.
Polar do state that the triple A batteries should last around 12 months of normal use. Also on the back of the scale is a button that allows you to switch between kilograms and pounds, however the scale was already set to kilograms which is the metric system.
Polar Balance Unboxing Photos
So when the scale is turned on, you need to sync it with your Polar product or smartphone which takes around a minute. We also paired the product with our Polar A360 and to pair that product, you simply hold down the button on the left side of the unit in order to search for devices. When found, it notifies you that it is pairing with the Polar Balance and when completed, it will inform the user that it has successfully paired with the scale. Syncing with smartphones is just as easy!
After it has paired with one or more devices, the next step is to stand on the unit itself. When Polar Balance starts measuring your weight, it is displayed on the digital display and the Bluetooth icon will also start blinking that informs you that it’s transferring your weight to the app.
Once the information has been inputted into the app and commences tracking your weight, the program will give the user certain prompts such as modifying your diet or working out more in order to burn calories to reduce your weight. It even has a weight trend option which monitors how your weight may fluctuate over time. Although not 100% accurate, it does have a BMI option via the app or web service which is another layer of functionality.
If you want to lose weight, the app will give you goals to achieve each day such as recommending you go on a regular run or even a walk with the recommended time. It even suggests some foods to either remove or cut back on in order to reach your healthy goal weight. It’s quite a clever system when linked to the Polar Flow service.
Final Thoughts?
The Polar Balance Connected Smart Scale is priced at $199AUD (April 2016) and definitely gives users an alternative to other scales that sync with either activity trackers, smart phones or Wi-Fi devices. Setup is extremely easy and I found the product quite a useful additional to my overall fitness regime and more importantly, it connects quite well to other Polar products with excellent motivations, goals and information to support you to keep a healthy weight.
For more information, please visit http://www.polar.com/en/products/lifestyle/balance
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