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Posted: 2018-09-15 12:00:19

Want to know what it's like to use the $1,395 Naked Labs Body Scanner ($1,395 at Naked Labs)? Start by taking your clothes off. Yep, all of 'em -- or most of them, at least. Now, go stand in front of a mirror and take a good, long look at yourself. If you're anything like me, it might make you feel at least a little bit self-conscious.

Well, hold onto your love handles, because we're just getting started.

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To use the Naked Labs Body Scanner, you'll stand on a motorized scale as it spins your form in front of the mirror's depth-sensing cameras.

Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Next, imagine that the mirror is packed with 3D cameras capable of mapping every square inch of your physique. That includes the front, the sides, the back -- all of it. After all, you're standing on a sophisticated smart scale that slowly spins you around for the cameras while also measuring your weight and body fat percentage. The mirror and its built-in Intel x86 processor captures every angle -- your best, your worst and everything in between.

Four gigabytes' worth of data about your bod gets transmitted to a private set of servers. There, the encrypted, anonymized data is compressed into something much smaller and sent back to your phone within a few minutes. 

The result: A stunningly detailed 3D model of your naked form from head to toe that you can spin around, zoom in on or compare to last week's scan.

Mirror, mirror on the wall... how am I supposed to feel about this all?

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The five of us all spent weeks testing the Naked Labs Body Scanner -- and we came away with some very mixed reactions.

CNET

The answer to that question is a complicated one. We all see different things in our reflections -- and what you see will have an unquestioned impact on your experience with the Naked Labs Body Scanner, something the five of us who tested it out at the CNET Smart Home quickly came to realize.

Ashlee Clark Thompson: Hard pass

ashleeclarkthompson

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CNET

I thought I was having a good self-esteem day when I took off my shoes and stepped on the scale. Then I let this device spin me around, look at my body from angles that God never intended for me to see and spit those visuals back at me in renderings that made me look like a extra from The Secret World of Alex Mack.

The Naked Labs mirror is an amazing step forward when it comes to bringing biometrics home, but for me, it was a huge leap backward for my self image. I look at myself in regular mirrors every day, including the full-length one that hangs on my closet door. I see the lumps, bumps and rolls that have settled onto my frame over the years. But it's an image that I don't have to store on my phone and critique in 3D.

I wasn't ready for the Naked mirror. This is a product for folks who can look at their body with a clinical perspective that's not clouded by emotions and decades of self-esteem issues. These 3D renderings and precise measurements could be dangerous in the hands of people who battle with accepting their body for whatever reason. I will stick with my static mirrors.

Megan Wollerton: Too much for me, thanks

meganwollerton1

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CNET

The scanner was consistent over time, with no weird, seemingly-inaccurate fluctuations in the day-to-day readings like some scales, and its unique ability to show slight, detailed changes sets it apart. If you have a particular medical condition or if you're a professional/serious athlete, I can see the potential value. Otherwise, it's a too-expensive novelty.

The app's error messages were annoying, and I also want it to have predictive capabilities. Would a device like this ever have the ability to "diagnose" a thyroid condition, diabetes -- or even suggest that you take a pregnancy test?

Steve Conaway: Hate the scans, love the scanner

steveconaway

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CNET

I really dig this tech. The scans themselves are borderline horrifying, but it's probably a good thing to occasionally take a look at yourself without those rose-colored glasses.

I own mirrors, which I use. So I've seen myself both with and without clothing. I know what I look like. I'm a bigger guy - a little overweight. But generally speaking, I'm okay with the way I look. Or at least, was.

Once you see yourself as an actual 3D model in fairly fine detail, good or bad, you'll likely change what you think about yourself. My first thought was, "Oh my god, I'm Shrek." Discouraging initially, but it also rallied me to do more to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Andrew Gebhart: I wouldn't spend big on this thing, but...

...I do find it useful, and would use it regularly if I had one of my own.

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