This smart scale from Kakao Friends is actually cute and nice

The smart home has reached peak cute.

If you care about your weight, stepping on the cold, metallic top of a scale can be a scary moment. But a new model debuted at CES — made from soft white silicone in the shape of clouds and adorned with a friendly three-dimensional character — delivers something cuddlier. 

The best part? It’s a smart scale with an app that will say nice things to you, no matter what the number reads.

The smart scale is made by Kakao Friends, a spinoff design and merchandise company from a Korean messenger app called Kakao Talk. In the app, three characters — Ryan the bear, Muji the bunny, and Apeach the … pink mushroom? – became so popular that it began creating merchandise like plush toys around the characters.

This year, it unveiled a line of smart home appliances called the Kakao Friends HomeKit, which also includes a humidifier, lamp, security camera, and other products. The scale stands out because of the approachable, playful design, and the warm messages the accompanying app delivers whether you’ve lost, gained, or stayed same weight. 

For example, in a scenario the brand displayed where you’d gained a few pounds, the app reads “It’s ok! There’s no rush.” That’s delivered with animation of Ryan the orange bear lounging on a pool floatie in goggles.

The Kakao Friends team says the messaging and design is warm and cute because it’s actually designed for kids. That could be troubling, if you consider giving your child a scale — albeit a cute one — not the greatest idea.

But there’s nothing stopping adults from using it, too. While the surface is bumpy (because it’s designed as a three dimensional cloud), it’s also stable. My small-average size 7 woman’s foot fit comfortably on it, and there was plenty of room for larger gams. 

There is so much more to a person’s overall health than how much they weigh. But if you are someone who wants to keep track of your weight, whether you’re trying to drop a few pounds or just like having the knowledge, doing so with the help of some soft characters and their encouraging words seems like one of the best ways to do so.