Urbanworx Smart Body Scale

 Follow-up 3mo · Follow-Up Review: Three Questions Answered I've been asked to write a follow-up to my smart scale review, addressing three specific questions that only long-term use can truly answer. 1. Does the screen stay visible in bright light? Yes, the blue backlit screen is readable in bright light, but that question somewhat misses the point. Here's why: If you step on the scale without opening the app, it displays only your weight—nothing else. At that moment, it's functioning as a $10 basic scale, not a smart device. If you use it with the app, the scale will flash each metric (body fat, muscle mass, etc.) for about a second—but it doesn't label which number is which. You're just watching a stream of digits. The better approach is to ignore the scale's screen entirely. Let it sync with your phone. Not only does the app record and chart your data automatically, but reading your stats on a bright phone screen is also much easier than crouching over a bathroom floor. 2. How is the scale's build quality? Generally good. But when people ask about build quality, they're implicitly asking about design as well. And here, it's clear the product designers prioritized minimizing manufacturing costs. Take the glass platform: at 30 x 30 cm, it's kept to a minimum. With my size 10.5 feet, stepping on correctly requires careful positioning: Front-to-back: I have to place my feet precisely so they align with the two electrodes. Too far forward or back, and my feet won't make proper contact—rendering the BIA readings useless. Side-to-side: The electrodes are positioned relatively close together. While my thighs don't touch (I have a BMI of 22), I can easily imagine someone with a BMI of 24 or above struggling to keep their legs apart enough to avoid skin contact. With only two electrodes, any thigh contact would create an alternate path for the electrical signal, completely skewing the body composition data. Since many smart scale customers are actively managing their weight, this feels like a basic oversight. A slightly wider surface—just 32 x 32 cm—would have allowed the electrodes to be placed further apart, making the scale genuinely usable for a broader range of body types. But that would have increased manufacturing costs. This cost-focus appears throughout: the size of the support pads, the small display screen, the choice of plastics. To be clear, the manufacturing quality itself is solid. After two years of daily use, everything fits tightly—no gaps, no loose parts, no creaking. It looks and functions as it did on day one. My critique isn't about how it's made; it's about the design choices driven by what they chose not to spend. 3. How easy is it to clean the scale? Easy, so long as you're not too fussy. The sensors are flush with the glass, so there are no crevices for dirt to collect—a thoughtful design touch. A damp cloth wipes away any dust that settles on the black surface. Because the glass is dark, dust isn't highly visible, so you won't feel the need to clean it very frequently. A couple of practical notes: I only use the scale barefoot [so it stays clean]. Any footwear—even socks—prevents BIA readings entirely. And while a damp cloth is fine to wipe it, I wouldn't recommend using water liberally or immersing the scale. It's an electronic device, after all. FYI I did format this correctly but for some strange reason the website has lumped all the texted into 1 long para.