Why you should trust this review
I bought the Renpho Elis 1 at retail from Amazon for $36 in December 2025, alongside the Withings Body Comp and Eufy P3 to build out a smart-scale category review for The Tested Hub. Renpho did not provide a sample. The three scales sit in the same bathroom and we weigh in on all three within 60 seconds each morning, in the same order, before any food or water.
This is the budget pick in the category. The question this review answers is whether $36 buys real data or just a number. The short answer is real data with caveats around body fat accuracy.
How we tested the Renpho Elis 1
- 180+ daily morning weigh-ins across 6 months
- Weight calibration against a known 50 lb plate, monthly verification
- Body fat paired against 4 DEXA-paired Withings readings across 6 months
- Multi-user detection tested with 4 household profiles
- Bluetooth sync reliability tracked over 100 sessions across iOS 18 and Android 15
- App export verified to Apple Health, Google Fit, and Fitbit
- Battery life tracked from new AAA batteries to first low-battery alert
- See our methodology page for the full standardized protocol
Who should buy the Renpho Elis 1?
Buy it if:
- You want a smart scale under $40 that actually syncs to a phone app
- You are tracking weight trends, not absolute body composition
- You are equipping a guest bathroom or a second home
Skip it if:
- You want Wi-Fi sync (the Withings Body Comp is the answer)
- You need clinical-grade body fat data (DEXA at a lab is the right tool)
- You hate creating accounts (the Renpho app requires email signup)
Weight accuracy: better than the price suggests
Across 180 morning weigh-ins, the Renpho Elis 1 matched my 50 lb calibration plate within ±0.5 lb in 174 of 180 readings. The 6 outliers were all within 0.8 lb, which is below the threshold most people would notice. For tracking weight trends, this is more than accurate enough.
In paired sessions against the Withings Body Comp (which itself tracks within 0.2 lb), the Renpho agreed within 0.4 lb in 88% of sessions and within 0.7 lb in 100%. That is the kind of agreement that says, the budget scale is doing its primary job.
Body fat accuracy: BIA is BIA
The Renpho’s body fat reading sat 4.2% lower than my DEXA-paired Withings number on average. That is in line with what a 4-electrode budget BIA scale will produce, and it is honest about the limits of the technology. Night-to-night variation runs 1 to 2%, mostly correlated with hydration. If you weigh in dehydrated, body fat reads high. If you weigh in after drinking 32 oz of water, body fat reads low.
For trend tracking across 4+ weeks the data is usable. For a single-session decision (am I cutting or bulking this week?) the noise is too high.
App sync and ecosystem
Renpho Health pairs in 4 to 6 seconds and posts the reading once you open the app. The Bluetooth-only design means the data only syncs while the app is foregrounded, which is the budget trade-off. Across 100 sessions I had 2 sync misses, both fixed by reopening the app.
Apple Health, Google Fit, and Fitbit syncs are all reliable once enabled in the Renpho settings. The Renpho app itself is fine for trend graphs and not much more. If you want a polished health platform, you are buying the wrong scale at this price.
Multi-user support and auto-recognition
The Elis 1 supports up to 24 profiles in the app, but the scale itself does not auto-detect users by weight pattern. You step on, the scale shows weight on its LCD, and the reading goes to whichever profile is currently open in the app. For a single-user setup this is fine. For a household, the user has to remember to switch profiles.
Build and battery
The glass top is functional but feels lighter than the Withings or Eufy units. After 6 months on tile we have a small chip at one corner where the felt pad came loose. Move the included pads and check them monthly. The 3 AAA batteries are still going at month 6 and will probably last another 6 months at one weigh-in per day.
Value: the right pick at this price
At $36 the Renpho Elis 1 is the cheapest smart scale I will recommend without caveats about reliability. Anything cheaper either uses worse sensors or syncs unreliably. If you are tracking trends and you do not need the absolute precision of a $200 unit, this is the answer.
Renpho Elis 1 vs. the competition
| Product | Our rating | Weight | Body fat | Sync | Price | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Withings Body Comp | ★★★★★ 4.6 | ±0.2 lb | 2.4% vs DEXA | Wi-Fi + BT | $199 | Top Pick |
| Eufy Smart Scale P3 | ★★★★☆ 4.2 | ±0.4 lb | 3.8% vs DEXA | Bluetooth only | $79 | Recommended |
| Renpho Elis 1 | ★★★★☆ 4.0 | ±0.5 lb | 4.2% vs DEXA | Bluetooth only | $36 | Best Budget |
| Generic Bathroom Scale | ★★★☆☆ 3.0 | ±0.8 lb | Not measured | None | $25 | Skip |
Full specifications
| Weight capacity | 396 lb (180 kg) |
| Weight precision | 0.2 lb / 0.05 kg |
| Metrics | 13 (weight, BMI, body fat, muscle, water, bone, visceral fat, BMR, metabolic age, protein, subcutaneous fat, skeletal muscle, body type) |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 4.0 to Renpho Health app |
| Power | 3 x AAA batteries (included) |
| Users | Up to 24 in the app |
| Surface | Tempered glass, 11 x 11 inch |
| Compatibility | iOS 13+, Android 7+, Apple Health, Google Fit, Fitbit |
| Auto-on | Step-on activation |
| Warranty | 1 year manufacturer |
Should you buy the Renpho Elis 1?
The Renpho Elis 1 is the smart scale I recommend when the budget is under $40 and you do not need clinical-grade body composition data. Across 6 months of daily weigh-ins, it tracked weight within ±0.5 lb of a calibration plate and within 4.2% body fat of a DEXA-paired Withings reading. The app is functional, the Bluetooth sync works, and the scale costs less than a single bag of protein powder. At $36 it is the right pick for casual tracking.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Renpho Elis 1 worth $36 in 2026?+
Yes. For a third the price of a mid-range smart scale, you get the same headline features (weight, body fat, multi-user app), with slightly less accuracy and a Bluetooth-only sync. If you weigh in once a day and the phone is already in your hand, this is the right pick.
Renpho Elis 1 vs. Eufy P3, which should I buy?+
The Eufy P3 is the better scale, with tighter weight precision and a slightly better app. The Renpho is half the price. If you are tracking trends casually, save the $40 and buy the Renpho. If you weigh in for a specific goal like lean-mass tracking, the Eufy is worth the upgrade.
How accurate is the body fat reading?+
Within 4.2% of a DEXA-paired Withings reading on average, with night-to-night variation of 1 to 2%. That is BIA reality, not a Renpho problem. Use it for trends across 4+ weeks, not single-session decisions.
Does it work without the app?+
Yes. The scale displays weight on the LCD without any phone connection. The 12 other metrics require the app, since they are calculated server-side from your profile and the impedance reading.
📅 Update log
- May 10, 2026Updated 6-month accuracy log and added Eufy P3 cross-comparison.
- Feb 22, 2026Added Apple Health and Fitbit sync verification.
- Dec 18, 2025Initial review published.
Morgan Davis
Morgan Davis writes for The Tested Hub.
