Have you ever looked into getting a smart scale that you can use with your Fitbit? When you start really caring about your health, there are so many stats that you want to keep track of. The more streamlined this process, the better. When you have a Fitbit Aria scale, all you have to do is weigh yourself like you normally would and you get your weight, BMI, and body fat percentage whenever you want. But what is the difference between the Fitbit Aria vs Fitbit Aria 2 and which one should you buy?
Here’s the rundown:
What Is The Difference Between Aria and Aria 2?
There really isn’t a huge noticeable difference between the Fitbit Aria vs Fitbit Aria 2. They are smart scales that very similar in design, size, and weight. There are a few subtle differences that you might notice if you have both and are comparing them side by side, but to a casual user, you would hardly notice a difference at all.
Here are all the differences between them:
Body Fat Percentage
The very most important difference between the Aria and the Aria 2 is that the Aria 2 can calculate your body fat percentage. This is a really awesome feature if you are serious about improving your health and increasing your muscle mass, not just losing fat.
Screen
The screen between the Aria and the Aria 2 are very similar, but the Fitbit Aria 2 actually has a better resolution screen than the Aria. You can still use the Aria and read the screen without any problems, so that doesn’t affect your use of the product. Though it is worth mentioning.
Easier Set Up
The initial setup of the Fitbit Aria is slightly inconvenient. You have to pair the scale to your device using wifi, meaning you can’t do it from your phone but will need to do it from a computer or tablet. This is only an initial set up and after that is done, you’ll never have to do it again.
So is it worth buying a Aria 2 to avoid? Not really. But if you don’t care about price and you’d like an easier set up, then the Aria 2 is a better buy. It uses Bluetooth to pair your device and is done in a matter of seconds.
Accuracy
Both the Fitbit Aria and the Fitbit Aria 2 are very accurate. The Aria 2 is more accurate by about a pound, but the Aria is at least consistent with its inaccuracies. You won’t get a totally different weight if you get on the scale one time right after another. But you might show up as a pound more than you would if you got on the Aria 2.
Most people have about a 3 pound window that they go up and down everyday, so a pound inaccuracy isn’t super important.
Maximum Weight
The Fitbit Aria was only able to measure up to 350 pounds where the Fitbit Aria 2 can measure up to 400 pounds. There is a very small portion of the population who really care about this new feature, but it’s there.
BMI Display
Another difference that Fitbit customers like is that the Fitbit Aria 2 has the capability to display your BMI on the screen rather than just tracking it in the app. The original Aria could calculate your BMI in the app based on your height and weight that you would input. However, it wouldn’t display it on the screen at each weigh in.
How Does The Fitbit Aria 2 Measure Body Fat?
Many people don’t realize that there is a difference between measured body fat and BMI. Here is the main difference:
What Is BMI?
BMI is your Body Mass Index. This is calculated using your height and weight. When you are using your Fitbit, you input your height and then the scale will measure your BMI each time you step on it. This information will be stored in your Fitbit app.
Your BMI is a tool that you can use to track if you are underweight, normal, overweight, or obese. It is a great tool when you are trying to track if you are in a healthy weight range for your size. However, this is not the best way to track your health, especially if you have high muscle mass, since muscle weighs considerably more than fat. You might be a really great athlete but measure as obese according to this scale.
Body Fat Percentage
Body fat percentage is a much more valuable scale to read if you are someone who is trying to increase muscle mass. It calculates your fat mass divided by your total body mass. This is much more accurate to tell you if you are in a healthy range and you can see progress much faster.
According to Fitbit, “It’s estimated using bioelectrical impedance analysis, which sends a small, safe signal through your body. Generally, a body fat percentage between 10-22% for men and 20-32% for women is considered healthy.”
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis is very accurate and is great for most people using the Fitbit. If you are a professional athlete or training for some kind of competition, you may want to use some other methods of measuring body fat, but for the everyday user, this is quite accurate.
How To Use The Fitbit Scale
The scale is very easy to use, even though the amount of information it gives you may make you wonder if it’s complicated to set up. In fact, the scale doesn’t even have buttons on it, so once the initial set up is done, you will only have to use it just like you would any kind of regular scale.
In the initial set up, you will pair your device with the scale using the prompts that your phone gives you. You will need to download the Fitbit app before you set up the scale. This app is free and you don’t even need a Fitbit to use it, though it makes the whole experience better.
Once your device is paired and you have input your information, the only thing you have to make sure you do is to open the app before you step on the scale. Some people find this to be inconvenient that you need your device open while you step on your scale, however it is important especially if you have multiple users in your home. This ensures that your weight, BMI, and fat percentage are only stored to your device and aren’t mistakenly sent to another one.
You can have up to 8 users for each scale.
Great Features
Apart from the differences between the Aria and the Aria 2, this scale does have some pretty great features. Here are some of my favorite:
Sleek Design
Sure, the Fitbit Aria and Aria 2 are scales and it’s not like you have to wear it on your wrist like you would a fitness tracker, but the design still matters to many people, me included. If you’re going to look at this thing every day and keep it in your bathroom, you’ll want it to look nice. Both the Fitbit Aria and Aria 2 have a sleek and modern design that will fit into any bathroom space. It doesn’t draw attention to it, but when you look at it, it looks very chic.
Feet
One of my big pet peeves about scales is that they don’t work very well on uneven ground. If you have tile in your bathroom, even a slight variation in levels can make a difference in your weight recordings. Not with the Aria and Aria 2 though. The feet on these scales can adjust to your floor height automatically and make the scale level so you get the most accurate read at all times.
Should You Upgrade From Aria to Aria 2?
So here’s the big question, after all of this: should you upgrade from the Fitbit Aria to the Aria 2? Of course you can do whatever you want, but if you already have an original Aria, then it might not warrant the trouble or expense of upgrading to the Aria 2. There are just not enough differences to make the upgrade worth it.
If, however, you do not already own the Aria, then by all means buy the latest version of Aria 2 for yourself. The Aria has been around for several years now and has stood the test of time with customers. The Aria 2 has been around for a while as well and the biggest issue that people have had with it has just been a little confusion with the initial set up, though most figure it out after a while.
Conclusion
So what is the difference between the Fitbit Aria vs Aria 2? Not much. There are very subtle differences in features and a pretty big difference in price. I will say this, that the original Aria is fairly old in technology years, so if you’re wanting something that will be able to keep up with new technology as it comes out, the Aria 2 is a more likely product. However, the original Aria has been around a long time and doesn’t seem to have any issues as long as your device can pair to it.
If you are serious about turning fat into muscle and you find it difficult to see on-scale victories, then the Aria 2 may be worth the investment.