Garmin Adds a New Smart Scale, Fitness Tracker to Its Product Line Both devices will go on sale at Best Buy in November for $149.99.

By Daniel Cooper

This story originally appeared on Engadget

Shutterstock.com

If your company makes fitness trackers, then it's probably wise to make your own scale, lest a rival firm steals your lunch from under you. It's a lesson that Garmin has belatedly learned, which is why it's now launching its first ever smart scale, although it's previously offered weight recording with other devices. The firm is also revamping its Vivosmart activity tracker, adding a built-in optical heart rate sensor that'll keep track of your vital statistics all through the day.

Eagle-eyed gadget fans will notice the trend towards companies putting heart rate monitors into their mid-range activity trackers. In recent weeks we've seen both Sony and Polar adding such technology to the SmartBand 2 and A360, respectively. Much like the Sony band, or the Basis Peak, the device offers 24/7 heart-rate monitoring, and yet promises a battery life of up to five days.

In addition to the usual fitness monitoring tech, the Vivosmart HR will get smartwatch-style notifications, inactivity alerts and music control. Meanwhile, the Index Smart Scale will measure your weight, BMI, body fat and water percentages, and can track up to 16 different users.

Of course, buying the pair together would probably make a measure of sense given that we're not too far away from renewing that resolution to lose weight. Fortunately for you, both devices will go on sale at Best Buy from the start of November, and each will be priced at $149.99 -- with the Vivosmart HR available in black, purple and blue, while the scale comes in a choice of black or white.

After training to be an intellectual property lawyer, Dan Cooper abandoned a promising career in financial services to sit at home and play with gadgets. He now serves as Engadget's associate European editor.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Buying / Investing in Business

Former Zillow Execs Target $1.3T Market

Co-ownership is creating big opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

These 5 States Have the Most Affordable Housing, According to a New Report

U.S. News & World Report's latest rankings found the top five states with the most housing affordability.

Business News

Elizabeth Holmes' Partner Raises Millions for New Blood Test Diagnostics Startup: 'We've Learned From Her Company's Mistakes'

The startup insists it isn't Theranos 2.0 and that Holmes, who's serving a prison sentence after being convicted of fraud, "has no role."

Business News

'They're the Backbone:' Walgreens Says Using Robots to Fill Prescriptions Helped It Save $500 Million. Here's How.

Walgreens says its robot-assisted centers fill 16 million prescriptions a month.

Marketing

Why AI Makes Your Brand Voice More Valuable Than Ever

In a world where content is easier to create than ever, the brands that win will be those with something real to say.