There’s an old saying – “The Scales don’t lie.”  This, though, is not true because sometimes scales do lie, and to think otherwise is just plain wrong.

Different substances in the body have different densities and weigh different amounts.  Exercising also alters body composition, and with that, scales can and often do lie.  When you exercise, you can increase your muscle mass while losing body fat, and even though the weight may stay the same, the scales often don’t tell the full story.  

We want the scales to tell the full story, not just an arbitrary weight.

What we want is for muscle mass to increase and for fat mass to decrease and because muscle is denser than fat your body composition may improve but the scales stay the same and thus it can be difficult to gauge your progress.  

This is where the Renpho MorphoScan Nova smart scales are ideal.  Not only do they measure your weight and track it for future reference but they also measure your full body composition. Now, the problem with this sort of scale is that their readings are not entirely accurate for those with higher levels of muscle mass (such as body builders) and pregnant women — but for these folks, the comparisons from one reading to the next are valid, just the numbers may not read accurately. for the average persona nd the average athlete though they are incredibly accurate, as studies have shown.

I’ve been using the MorphoScan Nova for the past couple of months as part of my health and fitness regime (1,2) to improve my overall health profile and it has stopped me from panicking a few times.  Most importantly, it has helped me to keep track of my full progress, not just my weight.

The MorphoScan Nova features an 8-electrode body composition analyser which analyses both upper and lower body composition using both the electrodes under your feet but also a sensor-equipped handle.

Not only does the scale have all these cool electrodes and tech with the large 4.3-inch colour LCD screen to show all the measured metrics but it looks good too.  It has a black mirror finish that looks very elegant and stylish.  I am really impressed with the design of the scales; they look really good in my bathroom.

Setting up is super simple – just pair the scales to your phone and you’re good to go.  Unlike some devices, which are difficult to pair, the MorphoScan Nova pairs almost instantly – same for when you are using it.  Connection is incredibly fast, as it should be.

How do you use it?

Using it is simple.  Turn it on; it will then sync to your phone almost instantly. Stand on it with your feet equidistant apart on each side of the midline, grasp the handle at 45 degrees to your body, and stand up.  It will first measure your weight, then apply the electrodes to measure your body impedance, and finally calculate your other measurements.

The MorphoScan Nova can measure more than 50 body metrics and convert them into an easy-to-read graph as required.  Most of these need to be viewed within the app but the colour display does show some things such as Body Fat %, Body Water %, Metabolic Age, BMI, BMI Weight Status, Skeletal Muscle %, and Bone Mass %.  You can scroll through the various measurements on the display using the buttons on the handle.

Once the measurement is complete, you can then compare it to another measurement – the default is the most recent previous measurement but you can change that to any previous measurement if you wish to.

Check out the screenshots from my app to see just what it measures – it’s extensive and to be honest, more than what most people need but of course, you can pay attention to what you most want to and just use that. My readings are not entirely accurate, as I’ve tested myself on proper devices, such as a DEXA scan, in previous years, and the readings of these scales are not accurate for me.

The weight measurement is accurate and the trends up or down are accurate but the measurements of fat and muscle mass is not. Also, obtaining readings at the same time of day and week is important as levels of hydration can also affect results.

The data is also summarised into an image as you can see below:

One issue I noticed, though, was that the app needs to be open and connected to the scales for data to be recorded – there appears to be no memory on the scales themselves.  It will not take the measurement and send it to the app later — it needs to do it immediately.  Not sure why they do this, but it is a minor limitation and hasn’t affected me at any time.

The scales are charged using a standard USB-C charger, which is a nice addition – I hate having to find multiple batteries to put into scales when they run out.  Everyone has a USB-C charger these days. 

I’ve been using the scales for two months now and there is no sign of the battery running out any time soon.  I’m only weighing myself once a week but surely that is all you really need?   Even if you need more, plug it in and recharge it as required.

Final thoughts

There is no better device to track your health and fitness progress than a smart scale and the Renpho MorphoScan Nova is one of the best on the market. It offers accurate (assuming you aren’t a bodybuilder or pregnant) and comparable measurements, allowing you to accurately gauge the effectiveness of your exercise regimen. It has a very handy app that shows you so many measurements; it can be a bit overwhelming, but if you focus just on a few relevant ones, it is easy to use.

The scales are rechargeable, easy to use, and although they do not have a memory to transfer measurements to your phone app later, the smartphone app does, so make sure you have them connected to your phone each time you perform a measurement.

The Renpho MorphoScan Nova body composition scales are not cheap at RRP of $299, but are comparable and cheaper in most instances than other smart scales on the market. I highly recommend them to anyone looking to get healthier and fitter, and to track their progress accurately over time.