Oxiline Scale MD Pro review
The Oxiline Scale MD Pro is an interesting smart scale. At $399, this looks like and is priced like a premium scale, but doesn’t perform like one. You might expect the best smart scales to have referenced scientific studies in-app to support its analysis of your body metrics, and if you’re considering a Withings, you’d be correct, but not Oxiline.
The Scale MD Pro has inconsistent, inaccurate analysis in the app, claiming 28% body fat is “high” for women (when, according to Harvard Medical School, 36% is the threshold for being overweight), and presenting inconsistent WHR (waist-to-hip ratio) information. I had to resort to third-party information from websites like Healthline, Harvard and NHS (Britain’s National Health Service) to figure out my true metrics.
I’m not sure anyone should buy this scale due to its inconsistent information and strangely high pricing, but if you want to find out more about it, keep reading this Oxiline Scale MD Pro review.
Oxiline Scale MD Pro review: Cheat sheet
- Who is it for? Not sure… if you don’t want a Withings, perhaps?
- What does it do well? The graphic in the app is great
- What are its weaknesses? Inconsistent health information and contradictory analysis makes for an untrustworthy product, IMHO
- What should you use it for? I think you should get the Withings Body Scan instead
Oxiline Scale MD Pro review: Specs
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Price |
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Dimensions |
12 x 11 x 1.5 inches |
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Android/iOS |
Yes |
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Max users |
One per phone and Oxiline account, but unlimited in theory |
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Stats |
21, including: Weight, Body Fat %, Visceral Fat %, Subcutaneous Fat %, Segmented body fat & mucle % |
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Max weight |
396 pounds |
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Supported Fitness Apps |
Apple Health, Android Health Connect |
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Batteries |
USB-C rechargeable |
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Connectivity |
Bluetooth |
Oxiline Scale MD Pro review: Price & availability
The Oxiline Scale MD Pro is $399 from Oxiline U.S., although its often on sale for around $199. The MSRP is listed as $399, so that’s the full price I will be comparing to.
I can’t help but think this is very expensive for a smart scale without ECG — the Withings Body Scan is $499, and for that extra $100, you get an ECG and body metric analysis supported by referenced studies in-app. With the Withings, you also get personalized “Missions” that help you reach your health goals, nerve health, and in-depth heart health analysis. The Oxiline scale offers none of this.
Other smart scales around the $400-500 price point are the InBody Dial H30 ($379), which offers a more premium design and three electric frequencies for more accurate stats, the Wyze Scale Ultra Body Scan ($139), and the Renpho MorphoScan ($169), which all have segmented body analysis.
If you’re not concerned about segmental body analysis, you could save a chunk of money by opting for the Withings Body Smart ($99) or the Wyze Scale X ($39), both of which are impressive budget options.
Oxiline Scale MD Pro review: Design & display
The Scale MD Pro is pleasing to the eye, with a dark, grayish-blue body and four metal-look electrodes. It has quite a small footprint, at just 1.5 inches tall, and is easy to clean.
Although it looks pleasant, I can’t help but think it feels quite cheap — especially considering this scale is $399. The pull-out handle has a flimsy cable that’s prone to getting stuck.
The aforementioned InBody Dial H30 has a coiled cable — reminiscent of an old rotary phone — which I’d like to see Oxiline implement to help this sticking issue.
The handle LED display also feels very plasticky, notably plastickier than the Withings Body Scan and around the same as the $169 Renpho MorphoScan. While the display itself is bright and multicolored, I think it leaves a bit to be desired in terms of premium feel.
Oxiline Scale MD Pro review: Performance
The Oxiline Scale MD Pro offers a huge 21 metrics, including: weight, BMI, segmented body fat and muscle percentage, bone mass, muscle mass, water mass, protein mass, visceral body fat, skeletal muscle, subcutaneous fat, WHR (waist hip ratio) and BMR (basal metabolic rate).
Oxiline’s website claims 31 metrics, but I only counted 21 in the app, so I’m unsure where these ten extras are hiding.
Weigh-in
Setup was incredibly easy: I just downloaded the Oxiline app, connected my phone to the scale, and I was good to go. This was much easier than the QardioBase X, which required me to connect to Wi-Fi.
The Oxiline app has a fantastic 3D (ish) graphic of your segmented body analysis. This shows your arms, torso, and legs in both body fat and body muscle, and compares against an average statistic. I’d rather Oxiline use a percentile rather than a percentage, as it took me a little while to work out what seeing my arm fat as 86% actually meant. Did that mean I am 86% fat? 86% muscle? 86% bone? Oh, it actually means I’m 14% lower than average for fat in that arm.
After a few days of measurements, the Oxiline plots your body fat % (amongst other metrics) on a graph, so you can see changes over weeks, months, or years, depending on how long you use the scale for. The app also keeps a log of all your measurements and has a live display, which is great for long-term comparisons.
However, I’m not sure how accurate said long-term comparisons may be. During my testing period with the Scale MD Pro, my body fat percentage fluctuated massively. Somehow, I lost 2.9% body fat overnight, and my muscle increased 1.7%. My visceral fat also dropped 2 units overnight. I’m unsure how this happened, as this weigh-in was preceded by my eating a lot of pizza.
Analysis
As I’ve touched on briefly, the Scale MD Pro suffers from a few health-advice-related inconsistencies. I found some of these issues in line with those present on the $169 Renpho MorphoScan, and some in line with those present on RunStar scales. However, no Withings scale has ever presented these.
For example, the Scale MD Pro places me with a WHR ratio of 0.81, which puts me in “medium risk” of developing diabetes. However, when I measure with a measuring tape, I get a ratio of 0.73. Presenting this incorrect information to those struggling with body dysmorphia, or those actually at risk of diabetes, could be detrimental to their health.
Similarly, the Oxiline app presented my torso body fat as “High”, but according to the NHS (the U.K.’s public National Health Service) online calculator, my waist-to-height ratio is 0.38, which is well within the healthy range for torso body fat. Furthermore, my torso muscle percentage is well above average — so how can it be both high fat and high muscle at the same time? Where are my organs?
As I’ve mentioned throughout, Oxiline disagrees with trusted sources such as Harvard Medical School, NHS England and Healthline — putting the upper limit of healthy body fat much lower than all three.
Besides, as it stands, BIA smart scales — including the Scale MD Pro — use electrical signals to estimate segmented body fat, and cannot accurately portray torso body fat. These scales algorithmically calculate estimated torso body fat based on electrical resistance, age, and gender. You are better off measuring your midsection, as this is how a doctor would calculate your diabetes or heart disease risk, according to Healthline.
Again, this is potentially highly problematic advice for those struggling with genuine health issues or those at risk of dysmorphic thought patterns.
While I don’t think smart scales should be used by those who would struggle to see their body fat percentage plotted on a graph anyway, those scales should nevertheless present accurate information, or concede clearly that their information is an estimate.
Oxiline Scale MD Pro review: App
The Oxiline Scale MD Pro has a huge range of metrics and features, but a few UI issues and connectivity issues let it down.
I’ll discuss UI drawbacks first, as I found these to be the most egregious while testing the Scale MD Pro.
In certain sections of the app — for example, when adjusting the viewable duration of past logs — the ‘back’ arrow is placed in an unusable area of the screen, so you have to close the entire app to go back to the homescreen.
Here’s a screenshot so you can see.
So, if you ever want to change the viewable duration (for charts in the app), you can’t go back to the homescreen to view your new logs without closing and restarting the app. These quality-of-life upsets just leave a sour taste in my mouth, especially when this $399 smart scale is competing with the likes of the Withings Body Scan rather than, say, the $169 Renpho MorphoScan.
Although not grossly inefficient, you have to stand on the scale for much longer than you think you do — for around thirty or forty seconds total, even though the scale takes your weight immediately — which resulted in some failed measurements. When my weight flashed up on the display, I stepped off the scale, but then my body fat measurements failed. I then had to do the whole process again.
Sure, this could be a user issue, but I noticed the Scale MD Pro took considerably longer than Withings, Renpho, and RunStar scales I’ve tested in the past.
Oxiline Scale MD Pro review: Should you buy the Oxiline Scale MD Pro?
I would not recommend you buy the Oxiline Scale MD Pro. This scale is barely worth its “discounted” price of $199, let alone the full $399 MSRP. For just $100 more, you could get the fantastic Withings Body Scan, which has nerve and heart health analysis and referenced scientific studies in the app analysis.
I think the Scale MD Pro grossly overestimates average body fat percentages on some occasions, then underestimates in others. How is it possible to lose 2.9% body fat overnight? Surely that means I’m technically a biohacker now. I simply don’t believe the information presented to me by the Scale MD Pro.
So, although you might be intrigued by the “31” (21) metrics and the premium design, you would be better off with the Withings Body Smart ($99) or Withings Body Scan ($499). The in-app analysis, depth, and actual, real, referenced scientific studies make Withings scales much more worth it.
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