If there should be scales in the house, then simple, understandable, without unnecessary functions and with a convenient recording of the results are needed. Redmond SkyBalance RS-744S can be used simply as a source of current weight knowledge. But this model also has a mobile application that will expand the user’s capabilities.
To what extent it expands information about weight, whether it is convenient to use the scales and how accurate they are – we will find out during testing.
Characteristics
| Manufacturer | Redmond |
|---|---|
| Model | SkyBalance RS-744S |
| Type | scales |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Warranty | 1 year |
| Service life * | 3 years |
| Colour | black |
| Control type | remote (Ready for Sky) |
| Communication standard | Bluetooth v4.0 |
| Support on operating systems | iOS 9.0 and above, Android 4.4 and above |
| Nutrition | 3×AAA |
| platform material | plastic, tempered glass |
| Measuring range | 2-180 kg |
| Measurement interval | 100 g |
| Display | liquid crystal |
| Indication | overload, low battery |
| Units | kilograms, pounds |
| Body Analyzer | there is |
| Number of sensors | 4 |
| The weight | 1600 g |
| Dimensions (W×H×D) | 310×28×305 mm |
| Retail prices | 1500-2500 rubles at the time of publication of the review |
* Contrary to common misconception, this is not the period after which the device will definitely break. However, after this period, the manufacturer ceases to bear any responsibility for its performance and has the right to refuse to repair it, even for a fee.
Equipment
The scales arrived in a box designed in the manufacturer’s corporate style: black cardboard with full-color printing and a lot of information that the user needs to know before unpacking. On the top side, the manufacturer posted an image of the device, the logos of the Ready for Sky mobile application and the Bluetooth protocol, and also listed the main advantages and main functions of the model.
On the bottom side, we see a story about the advantages of the application, a listing of the classes of household appliances that it supports, and a QR code for installation on Android and iOS platforms. There are also photos of the scales in action and technical specifications in four languages – Russian, Ukrainian, Kazakh and English.
Inside the box, we found the scales themselves, the instruction manual and the service book.
Batteries (three AAA batteries), contrary to the information on the website , were not included.
At first sight
The panel of scales is made of the laminated tempered glass. The lower substrate is black, without any decorations and design elements. Of the decorative details – only the logo of the SkyBalance series.
The liquid crystal display is invisible in sleep mode: well-read bright numbers appear only when the device wakes up. In addition to the weight value, the set units of measurement are visible here (kg – kilograms, lb – pounds) and the Bluetooth interface status indicator, which is active when connected to a smartphone.
From below, a U-shaped plastic base is attached to the glass panel, in which the electronic circuit of the scales and the battery compartment are located.
The load cells are mounted on four legs with ribbed rubber pads to prevent slipping.
A nameplate with the serial number of the device, date of issue, information about the manufacturer and brief technical characteristics is pasted on the base.
Instruction
In a small brochure with a black glossy cover, 24 pages with information in three languages – Russian, Ukrainian and Kazakh. The Russian-language part of the document occupies six, two of them are devoted to a detailed enumeration of all kinds of security measures when using scales.
The document briefly describes the device of this model, the purpose of the Ready for Sky mobile application and its settings, provides the technical characteristics of the device and explains what to do in case of malfunctions and malfunctions.
The user manual is extremely concise, but there is no great need to expand the document – using the model is intuitive.
Control
The scales do not have any controls: the device turns on and off automatically.
The “Unit” button on the bottom panel is not used in this model: the system of measures is switched using a mobile application.
Smartphone control
As already mentioned, Redmond offers the well-known Ready for Sky application to work from a smartphone. This is a whole ecosystem created by the company for a huge number of household appliances: kitchen appliances, health products, smart home gadgets and much more.
The app has over 1 million downloads, with an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 at the time of this review, which is a pretty high rating.
Registration is required to use the device. The application can be used with a Ready for Sky account or logged into it using AppleID, VKontakte, Facebook or Google. To successfully discover the scale, you will also need to provide access to the location of the device.
Connecting the scale to your smartphone is easy: you just need to use the “find a device on the network” button, and the application will do the rest. This model is controlled via Bluetooth and requires, of course, the inclusion of this wireless interface on the phone.
Skylife is used to work with scales: a new Redmond service designed for tracking fitness parameters.
Before starting to work with the fitness tracker, the user should fill in the initial data about himself: gender, age, current weight, body type and purpose of use (only the desired weight is currently available for the last item).
After registering on the main page of Skylife, we see the current and target weight of the user and the automatically calculated BMI – body mass index. By default, the page also displays body water content, fat, muscle, and bone weights. But the model we are considering is not equipped with sensors that analyze all these parameters, and in this case it makes sense to turn them off.
After pressing the “Weigh” button, you should wake up the scales from sleep mode by lightly pressing the panel until the zero value appears on the display, stand on the scales and wait until their readings stabilize. After that, the received data can be added to the statistics.
In the “Progress” section (we look reproachfully at the developers for one “c” in this word), you can observe changes in body weight in the form of a graph. Available dynamics for the day, week, month and year.
In the settings section, you can edit the displayed measurement parameters and select the measurement system: kilograms or pounds.
Exploitation
Before use, unpack the balance, remove all packing materials and promotional stickers (keep the serial number plate), and insert the battery pack.
We did not find batteries (three AAA batteries) in the box. Probably, the user still has to take care of them in advance.
Redmond warns: after transportation or storage in the cold, it is necessary to keep the device at room temperature for at least two hours before turning it on.
Scales turn on automatically when there is a load on the panel. To do this, a slight pressure is enough: the sensor of the device is very sensitive.
At the end of weighing, the measured weight is shown on the display for 10 seconds, after which the indicators on the panel go out – the scales go into standby mode.
Care
Do not use abrasive or alcohol-based detergents to clean the balance. Do not use metal brushes and the like. The platform should be wiped with a damp soft cloth and then wiped dry.
Do not immerse the device in water or rinse under running water.
Our measurements
To evaluate the correctness of the readings, we used three 20-kg calibration weights of the M1 accuracy class and a set of laboratory weights of the 4th accuracy class weighing from 100 to 500 g.
We placed the balance on a flat hard horizontal surface and carried out a series of measurements: we weighed successively one, two and three large reference weights, and then increased the mass of the load, adding 100 g per weighing. Each of the 13 measurements was repeated three times. If discrepancies were found in the readings, we added two controls and took the average of five values as the result. The data obtained as a result of the test is presented in the form of a table.
| Load weight, g | Indications of scales, kg |
|---|---|
| 20 000 | 20.1 |
| 40 000 | 40.2 |
| 60 000 | 60.3 |
| 60 100 | 60.4 |
| 60 200 | 60.5 |
| 60 300 | 60.6 |
| 60 400 | 60.7 |
| 60 500 | 60.8 |
| 60 600 | 60.9 |
| 60 700 | 61.0 |
| 60 800 | 61.1 |
| 60 900 | 61.2 |
| 61 000 | 61.3 |
The scales slightly overestimate the readings, increasing the weight by 100-300 grams, depending on the load.
The overestimation occurs relatively evenly and predictably, which allows us to assess the accuracy of the readings as good – after all, we are not dealing with a laboratory device.
findings
Floor scales Redmond SkyBalance RS-744S look stylish, have acceptable accuracy and are very easy to use. They are suitable for those who do not need to calculate the exact content of water in the body and find out the exact weight of muscles and bones on a daily basis – this model can only determine the total body weight, but it does it quickly and conveniently for the user.
Using the Ready for Sky mobile application, the owner of the device will be able to record measurements and observe the dynamics of changes in body weight over any selected period. There are no protruding parts on the panel of the device, which makes it easy to care for it.
Pros :
- stylish design
- acceptable measurement accuracy
- support wireless connection with smart phone
- easy maintenance of the device
Cons :
- no diagnostic functions
