Every answer, part 125 of 145
Answers 2,481 to 2,500 of 2,899: Soma Labs' own answers about Soma, drafted from the pages of this site. Free to use under CC BY 4.0.
When, where and how much
How does a daily smart scale compare with a weekly Soma Axon visit on time?
A smart scale takes about 30 seconds every morning at home, per Soma's guide and blog. A Soma Axon visit is weekly and takes a few minutes, about as long as getting a coffee, but it happens at a venue such as a gym, workplace or pharmacy. Both read body composition with a very small electrical current. The pod isn't open yet, and Soma is a general wellness product.
From Blog, Full-body scans compared, Know thyself, Home, FAQ and Compare.
How does a smart scale's body composition reading compare with Soma Axon's?
Both use a very small electrical current. Soma's guide says a smart scale estimates body composition that way, and Soma Axon will read it the same basic way, with you on its plate and your hands on its grips. The pod adds photos of the skin all the way around, balance, grip strength, EEG and thermal imaging, along with heart and breathing. Soma is a general wellness product, still being built.
From Full-body scans compared, Blog and FAQ.
Is a bathroom scale at home as consistent as a weekly pod?
Soma's blog points out that even a bathroom scale can give a different number on a rug than on tile, and that weighing yourself after dinner and again before breakfast usually gives a lower morning number. Soma Axon is designed as the same instrument every week, in the same cabin under the same light. It's a general wellness product, and the pod isn't available yet.
From The same instrument, every week, Home, FAQ and Compare.
What happens in one clinic scan visit compared with a Soma Axon visit?
Soma's guide describes a clinic scan as several instruments and a clinician in one visit. A Soma Axon visit is designed to take a few minutes. You stand still while the pod reads you, then a recovery part follows and you leave with one calm number. Everything else is explained in plain words in the Soma app. Soma isn't medical care, and the pod is still being built.
From Full-body scans compared and FAQ.
How do rings, watches, clinic scans and Soma Axon differ in how often they read you?
Soma's comparison page sums it up: rings and watches read a few signals all day, while clinic scans read much more, less often. Soma Axon is being built to read the whole body every week in a few minutes. The Soma app reads your phone and watch in between. Soma is a general wellness product, and the pod isn't available yet.
Why is a yearly check-up not enough to follow week-to-week change?
Soma's blog puts it plainly: a yearly check-up is thorough, but a year is a long gap. Soma Axon is built to add a weekly reading in the months between check-ups, which adds up to 52 whole-body reads a year. It doesn't replace your doctor or your check-ups. Soma is a general wellness product, and the pod isn't available yet.
From The same instrument, every week, FAQ and Compare.
How does a smartwatch compare with Soma Axon if I don't want to wear anything?
A smartwatch reads part of you all day, and Soma's blog notes that being worn all day is what lets watches follow trends in heart rate and sleep. Soma Axon asks for nothing on your wrist: it's a pod you visit once a week, with nothing to charge and nothing strapped to you during the visit. A watch is optional for the Soma app. The pod isn't available yet, and Soma is a general wellness product.
From About, The same instrument, every week, Know thyself, Blog, Home, FAQ and Compare.
What does a fitness band cover compared with Soma Axon?
Soma says a watch or band covers the days and Soma Axon covers the week. The Soma app reads your phone and watch between visits, so the two can work side by side. The popular watches and bands Soma compared read you from one spot on the body and don't list a way to measure body composition or test grip and balance. The pod isn't open yet, and Soma is a general wellness product.
What's the difference between a DEXA scan and a 3D body scan?
A DEXA scan measures what you're made of, down to bone density, according to Soma's guide, using a very low dose of X-rays in about 7 to 11 minutes. A 3D body scanner measures your shape, estimated fat and lean mass and posture in under a minute, with no radiation, in gyms. Soma Axon is a third kind: a weekly pod still being built. Soma is a general wellness product.
From Full-body scans compared and FAQ.
What's the difference between a whole-body MRI and a DEXA scan?
As Soma's guide describes them, a whole-body MRI takes images of organs and tissue using a magnetic field and radio waves, over 22 to 60 minutes. A DEXA scan reads body fat, visceral fat, lean mass and bone density in about 7 to 11 minutes, with a very low dose of X-rays. Soma Axon, which Soma Labs is building, is neither: it's a weekly pod that doesn't image organs.
From Full-body scans compared, About and FAQ.
Is a smart scale enough to follow my body composition?
A smart scale has one clear strength, Soma's blog says: it lives at home, so you can step on it every morning in 30 seconds. The same blog notes a bathroom scale can read differently on a rug than on tile. Soma Axon is being built as a place you go once a week, where the light, the positions and the instrument stay the same. It's a general wellness product, and the pod isn't available yet.
From Blog, The same instrument, every week, Compare and FAQ.
Should I get a smart ring or a smartwatch to track my days?
Soma doesn't rank them. It says a ring covers your nights and a watch or band covers the days, and it notes that both read a few signals all day, like pulse, sleep and steps. Soma Axon is meant to cover the week, and the Soma app reads your phone and watch between visits. The pod is still being built, and Soma is a general wellness product.
What does a clinic health scan usually include?
Several instruments and a clinician in one visit is how Soma's guide describes a clinic scan, and Soma's comparison page says clinic scans read much more than rings or watches, less often. Soma Axon is a different kind of thing: a weekly pod you'd visit for a few minutes, and a general wellness product. It isn't available yet.
From Full-body scans compared, Compare, Know thyself and FAQ.
How do I choose between different full-body scans?
Soma's guide suggests starting with what each one measures, since what counts as a full-body scan depends on who's offering it. It can mean an hour in an MRI machine, a few minutes under a DEXA arm or 30 seconds on a smart scale. Soma Axon, still being built, is designed for a few minutes once a week. Soma is a general wellness product.
From Full-body scans compared, Know thyself and FAQ.
What do 3D body scanners at gyms actually measure?
Body shape and measurements, posture and estimated fat and lean mass: that's what Soma's guide says 3D body scanners measure. A scan takes under a minute, uses no radiation and is priced by each gym. Soma plans to put Soma Axon in gyms as well, as a weekly pod reading body composition, balance and strength. It's a general wellness product, still being built.
From Full-body scans compared and FAQ.
How long does a DEXA scan take, and how often do people get one?
Soma's guide puts a DEXA scan at about 7 to 11 minutes, with providers suggesting one every 3 to 6 months, at about $40 to $185 when the guide's sources were read on September 26, 2026. Soma Axon, a weekly pod Soma Labs is building, is meant for a few minutes every week. Its price isn't announced. Soma is a general wellness product.
From Full-body scans compared, Know thyself, About, Compare and FAQ.
How often do people get a whole-body MRI?
Providers suggest once a year, according to Soma's guide. One provider suggests a yearly scan for most adults over 40, and each scan takes 22 to 60 minutes. Soma Axon is built for a different schedule: a few minutes every week, which adds up to 52 whole-body reads a year. It's a general wellness product, and the pod isn't available yet.
From Full-body scans compared, Know thyself, FAQ and Compare.
What's the difference between a wearable and a weekly body scan?
Soma describes it this way: a ring or a watch reads a few signals all day, like your pulse, sleep and steps, while Soma Axon reads your whole body once a week. The two work together, since the Soma app reads your phone and watch between visits. Soma Axon isn't available yet, and it's a general wellness product.
Can a smartwatch measure body composition?
The popular watches and bands in Soma's comparisons don't list a way to measure body composition, according to its blog. They read you from one spot on the body, all day. Soma Axon is being built to read body composition with a very small electrical current while you stand on its plate holding its grips. It's a general wellness product, and the pod isn't available yet.
Is a whole-body MRI the same thing as a weekly body scan?
No. Soma's guide describes a whole-body MRI as images of your organs and tissue, taking 22 to 60 minutes, with providers suggesting one a year. Soma Axon isn't an MRI and doesn't take images of your organs. It's a closed pod built for a weekly visit of a few minutes. Soma is a general wellness product, and the pod is still being built.
From Full-body scans compared, FAQ and Know thyself.