Bagel is a smart measuring tape. It started as a Kickstarter project back in June 2016. To be honest, I didn’t think I need a smart tape measure before I read the Kickstarter project page. Well, even after reading, I still didn’t think that I need one, but they certainly successful in making me want one. Mostly because back in June I just finished moving house and did a lot of room size measurements. The idea of having a remote mode (measuring room size without having to go from one side to another) combined with the ability to record each measurement results in app got me to back this project.

After few months of waiting (typical with most Kickstarter projects), I finally received my Bagel smart tape measure last month. In the package, they include free silicone protector and level tool. The unit looks reasonably solid. According to its project page, Bagel can withstand being run over by a car and a drop from 3.7m, of course I didn’t try those.

There are 3 ways to measure size/distance using Bagel. First one is String mode. This works the closest to most conventional tape measure. The difference, by using a flexible string we can measure curved surfaces. The maximum length 3 metres and the string is said to be strong enough to endure 50 kg weight. In my tests, this mode works well.

Second mode is Wheel mode. Instead of pulling a string, we only need to roll a built-in wheel and get a reading on any odd-shaped object. This mode is great when we can only do measuring with one hand. In my tests, it’s very easy to “miss” the rolling unless we move the wheel very slowly. It might be just me that’s not used to doing this, but after few inaccurate results due to slipping moments, I can’t really trust my own measurements using this mode.

Last mode is Remote mode. This mode activates a laser pointer, we point at one object and Bagel will measure the distance from that exact point being pointed from Bagel using ultrasonic sensor. According to its project page, this mode is designed to measure distance to areas that are far away or hard to reach. A bit strange to me since their technical specifications only list 0.3 m (min) to 5 m (max) distance. 5 metres is not really a “far away” distance. In my real tests, this mode is the most unstable one. It makes lots of weird results, and only after so many trials I concluded that it needs large area from Bagel to the pointed object to be free from any obstacle. This is impractical and severely limit its usability. Even when we do get a result that makes sense, I would still doubt the detailed accuracy.

Bagel tape measure weighs 126 gr on its own, or 160 gr with the silicon case and level tool combined. The silicone protector seems to be made from low quality material. But since I don’t have to use it, I don’t consider this a major issue. The level tool works fine, well because it’s a conventional level tool. There’s no “smart” aspect of it. Just the good old level tool. What can be wrong?

When I first received Bagel, only Android app was available. They said iOS app was still in the making. Fortunately, iOS app is available now and I have tried using this smart device with my phone. Pairing is fairly straightforward. After pairing, we need to create an online account before we can sync our data with the device. Each “memory” item contains the length, the mode used to take that measurement, the voice tag (if any), and it allows us to type object name (bed, desk, door, etc) and measurement type (width, depth, height). The user interface is not bad, but also not anything special. There is a unit conversion tab, which I think is a good idea and can be very useful. The controls are a bit too small for my liking. To be honest, typing all those information is not really the fastest thing to do. Maybe it’s useful for big things like planning a major furniture, or house moving. But I certainly would prefer quick pen and paper for casual use.

Overall, I am a bit disappointed with this product. It’s still a unique gadget, would get some “wow” comment when we show it to our friends. It can even be a nice conversation starter. But as a practical tool, it failed to become my go-to tape measure.