I've run this low carb website since 2004 and have tested many, many, many body composition scales over that time period. I adore body composition scales. I think it's critically important for a person not just to know their overall body weight but also the percentage of fat, muscle, and water they are. A person who is 160 pounds and mostly muscle is quite different, health-wise, from someone who is 160 pounds and mostly fat. It's important to know that difference. A scale like this sends a mild electrical signal up through your bare feet and can tell your composition based on the way the signals return to the source. The science is well proven.

So I'll start by saying everyone should have SOME sort of a scale like this Nokia Body Cardio scale. A scale which lets you see those composition numbers.

Compared with most other composition scales out there, this one has some extra-cool features. For example, I love that it can track your pulse.

And, even better, it SENDS THE DATA WIRELESSLY TO YOUR ONLINE ACCOUNT. I've used plenty of scales before where you had to carry your phone with you to the bathroom every day and have the scale upload data to your phone. For me that's a royal pain. This way it's incredibly easy. Step on the scale. It knows who you are. It updates your account. Finished, done. You can check your account any time you wish to see that data.

Is there a privacy concern if someone hacks my online account and sees my weight? I'm really not that worried about it. Unless you are a shut-in recluse, your weight is something known (in general numbers) to everyone around you. It's not a hidden thing.

So if I adore all these features, why am I only giving the Nokia Body Cardio scale three out of five stars?

I know a lot of reviewers are complaining that the scale USED to be able to measure Pulse Wave Velocity. To me, that just isn't something I must have in a scale. For those who don't know, Pulse Wave Velocity is as you might guess, how fast the blood in your circulatory system is actually moving. That's different from just the pulse count. Your heart could be beating fast but because it's weak the blood isn't moving very quickly. Or your heart could be moving slow but very strong, to send the blood quickly with each pump. Studies find that the speed of your blood ties into all sorts of other health conditions like heart disease and dementia. So it's certainly intriguing to know, but not something I would pay oodles of extra money for.

Because that's the other issue. This scale was (and is) enormously expensive when compared with other similar scales on the market - and it was because of that Pulse Wave Velocity system. But then the government told Nokia to STOP that technology. Maybe the government wanted to do more testing. I don't know. In any case it was NOT Nokia's choice or fault. It was the government's fault. And it meant all those users who paid the high price just to get the Pulse Wave Velocity numbers now couldn't see them any more.

Nokia did offer to redeem those people $30 each - but they didn't handle that compensation process well. And really, the price is so incredibly high that $30 doesn't make up the difference. And the price is STILL high now, probably because someone could buy one now, then contact Nokia and claim they'd bought it earlier and they want the $30 refund.

So, to summarize, if this scale cost something much more reasonable, I would wholeheartedly recommend it. I got a testing unit through Amazon and as a scale in general I adore it. It is definitely my primary scale now. But I just can't see recommending people pay the extremely high price on it to get features that can be gotten elsewhere for far less money. I would never have paid that much for a scale, and I'm someone who adores these things.

Ask with any questions!

View the Nokia Cardio Scale on Amazon