At a look
Skilled’s Score
Execs
- Spectacular segmental physique composition scanning
- Scans physique, coronary heart well being, and nerves
- Simple-to-use app
Cons
- Fairly costly
- Overkill for most individuals
Our Verdict
The Withings Physique Scan presents an exhaustive array of, nicely, scans to your physique. It’ll verify your weight, physique composition, cardiovascular well being, and even nervous system – however that comes at a literal value, and should you don’t want all of it then you definitely may be higher off with a less expensive different.
Worth When Reviewed
Not out there within the US
There are sensible scales, after which there are sensible scales. The Withings Physique Scan is a sensible scale.
Loads of scales lately hook up with Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to share your outcomes with an app. Some can even measure your physique composition, possibly verify your coronary heart charge.
The Physique Scan does all that, after which some: it measures visceral fats, not simply subcutaneous; it supplies a segmental evaluation of the place your fats and muscle sit in your physique; it could actually take an ECG studying and file your ‘vascular age’; it is going to even measure how wholesome your nerves are.
This a one-stop check-in to your physique, about as shut as any of us will ever get to a personal physician giving us a look-over each morning.
It’s additionally costly, particularly should you embrace the (refreshingly non-obligatory) Withings Well being+ app subscription, and doubtless overkill for many of us. If you happen to simply need to understand how a lot you weigh, or whether or not you’re gaining muscle, cheaper scales will do the job simply as nicely. However should you’re severe about well being monitoring, the Physique Scan has you lined.
Design & construct
- Sturdy, heavy design
- Glass-topped
- Distinctive pull-string deal with
At first look, the Physique Scan seems to be similar to different Withings scales just like the Physique Comp or Physique Cardio, with a easy sq. designed topped by striped glass and a small show. If something, the largest change is that this time round it’s solely out there in black, with no white model.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Like earlier Withings scales it has a reassuring weight and heft – you received’t knock it across the flooring simply by mistake – and each seems to be and feels premium.
Whereas Withings recommends utilizing it on arduous flooring, I really discover that it really works effective and weighs precisely on my bed room carpet – although observe that it is a fairly quick pile, so thicker carpets or rugs might pose an issue.
The show is positioned on the prime of the dimensions, and is huge, brilliant, and simple to learn – even by means of bleary pre-coffee eyes – with vibrant animations and clear graphics.
Essentially the most uncommon facet of the Scan’s bodily design is the deal with. Sure, deal with: there’s a skinny plastic grip that’s hooked up to the bottom by a wire, which you pull as much as waist peak to take measurements.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
That is strictly non-obligatory, however Withings says it improves accuracy of the physique composition readings, and is what permits each the phase evaluation and ECG, so you might be lacking out should you don’t use it.
My one concern is that with solely a skinny wire connecting the deal with to the bottom, this does really feel like a doable level of failure, particularly if the dimensions is in attain of inquisitive pets or children.
The show is huge, brilliant, and simple to learn – even by means of bleary pre-coffee eyes
Battery is straightforward too – the dimensions is topped up over USB-C, similar to most telephones, and will final a full 12 months on one cost.
Software program & setup
- Easy setup – with some Wi-Fi fussiness
- Each metric included in free app
- Elective subscription to Well being+
Establishing the Withings Physique Scan is straightforward sufficient. If you happen to don’t have already got a Withings account you’ll should create one, and in any other case it’s mainly only a matter of turning the dimensions on, opening the app, and going from there.
It takes a couple of minutes to work by means of the easy steps, and I solely hit one hurdle: it’s a bit fussy about Wi-Fi throughout setup, and whereas it recommended I may skip this and arrange over Bluetooth, that merely didn’t work.
I resolved the issue by shifting the dimensions proper subsequent to my router throughout the setup course of, after which shifting it again the place I needed it long-term – like many sensible dwelling merchandise, it merely wants a stronger Wi-Fi sign first time spherical, however fortuitously isn’t so explicit day-to-day.
It’s a bit fussy about Wi-Fi throughout setup, and whereas it recommended I may skip this and setup over Bluetooth, that merely didn’t work
That is value combating by means of, as a result of Wi-Fi assist is a key (and simply missed) characteristic right here. Bluetooth scales require you to maintain your telephone close by and infrequently with the app open so as to sync information, however this may add your measurements to the cloud routinely, prepared so that you can obtain onto your telephone the subsequent time you open the app – at any time when that’s.
The app in query is Withings Well being Mate, which is free and out there on each iOS and Android. That is certainly one of my favorite health or well being monitoring apps, and helps each Withings product – similar to its wearables and sleep trackers – consolidating all of your information in a single place should you personal multiple little bit of Withings package.
Dominic Preston / Foundry
Contemplating how a lot information is on the market, the app is clearly laid out and easy to make use of. At this time’s metrics seem first on the dashboard, and diving into each permits you to see in-depth and historic information too. It does generally take just a few seconds to load the newest readings, however tapping into one and again out normally refreshes issues.
The app additionally permits you to monitor battery ranges and particular person settings for particular units, plus customise your profile, any household profiles, and hook up with the likes of Google Match, Apple Well being, Strava, MyFitnessPal, and extra.
Comparatively new to Withings is the Well being+ subscription. Subscriptions are all the fashion in health monitoring lately, whether or not it’s choices like Fitbit Premium that gatekeep particular metrics to paid subscribers, or the likes of Whoop or Oura that just about lock all the pieces behind a paywall.
In the meanwhile, completely none of your well being and health information is tied to a Well being+ subscription
Well being+ had me involved – particularly given the comparatively steep $9.95/£9.95/€9.95 month-to-month price (or $99.50/£99.50/€99.50 for a 12 months) – however in reality Withings has taken a unique tack to its rivals.
In the meanwhile, completely none of your well being and health information is tied to a Well being+ subscription – each single metric the Physique Scan presents is included only for shopping for the dimensions.
What Well being+ presents as an alternative is a collection of ‘habit-building’ well being and health applications. Most final six weeks, and goal particular parts of health, diet, and sleep well being, providing you with every day missions and focused recommendation based mostly in your targets. Relying on the Withings tech you personal and this system you’re on, your output could also be recorded routinely or you’ll be able to manually log sleep information, exercises, or meals.
It’s refreshing to see a subscription that genuinely is non-obligatory – all the pieces the Physique Scan advertises is included within the buy value, and Well being+ is barely there as an additional for individuals who desire a every day nudge to assist them construct more healthy habits.
From my temporary pattern of the applications I’m undecided I’d personally pay the asking value for them, however I like the truth that you’re free to disregard it and keep it up utilizing the dimensions as-is should you choose.
Monitoring & options
- Normal weight and physique composition
- Superior segmental physique composition too
- Coronary heart charge, ECG, and ‘pulse wave velocity’
- Nerve well being measurements
So let’s get to the guts of what the Physique Scan does – the clue’s within the identify.
For starters, it clearly takes your weight. This bit’s fast, simple, and based mostly in your weight it is going to additionally neatly determine who’s standing on the dimensions, with assist for as much as eight profiles. Impressively, it’s able to studying weight to a precision of 50g (0.1lb) – extra exact than most.
Dominic Preston / Foundry
Subsequent up is physique composition. It may measure how a lot of your physique is made up of fats, muscle, and bone, and provide you with indications of wholesome ranges to intention for.
It may additionally go one step additional and measure your visceral fats – that is the fats that sits round your organs, reasonably than the seen subcutaneous fats that makes us all jiggly. Visceral fats is extra harmful, related to graver well being dangers (together with coronary heart issues and diabetes), so it’s an vital one to observe. The Physique Scan provides you a rating out of 20, the place readings from 1 to five are ‘regular’, and something above that’s probably harmful.
As talked about earlier, should you seize the Physique Scan’s deal with then the corporate says your physique composition readings will probably be extra correct.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
This additionally unlocks ‘segmental physique composition’, which exhibits you a easy illustration of your physique, indicating your fats and muscle ranges throughout your torso, and every leg and arm, and telling you the way your figures examine to different Withings customers of the identical age and peak.
You possibly can select between a feminine, male, or gender-neutral physique sort for the picture (a pleasant contact), although oddly one factor you’ll be able to’t do is see historic information right here – which means there’s no option to chart whether or not you’re constructing muscle in your arms, for instance. Maybe Withings is making an attempt to discourage the inaccurate view you could ‘spot take away’ fats from particular physique components, however for muscle improvement the info over time may very well be useful if added in.
In complete it takes rather less than a minute to get a full set of scores, 30 seconds of which is taken up by the ECG
In order that’s your physique as a complete. Subsequent up, your Physique Scan can take a look at your coronary heart. Essentially the most primary studying right here is simply coronary heart charge, which could be a good information to shifts in your resting coronary heart charge, particularly should you weigh very first thing within the morning.
Then it could actually take an ECG studying, which signifies whether or not you might have a wholesome sinus rhythm, and may function an early warning system for AFib and another coronary heart situations.
Lastly, pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a studying that’s particular to Withings, assessing arterial stiffness – apparently a key indicator of cardiac well being, together with blood stress issues.
Dominic Preston / Foundry
In international locations just like the UK the place Withings has been given the suitable medical certification, this comes within the type of a particular pace. Even international locations with out the certification can get a vaguer ‘vascular age’ rating, which tells you in case your cardiovascular system is in line the place it ought to be to your age.
Lastly, there’s yet one more studying the Physique Scan can ship, and it’s a brand new one to me: nerve well being. Measured by stimulating the sweat glands in your toes (a stunning thought if ever there was one), this nets you a rating out of 100, with a easy binary: above 50 is nice, beneath 50 is dangerous, and an indication that you could be endure from peripheral neuropathy, which may be attributable to diabetes, some infections, and some different issues.
Withings warns that it’s going to take a full month’s value of readings to get a particular rating, although I’ve discovered it remarkably constant within the week or two I’ve used the Physique Scan. I’ll admit that it’s given me a complete new anxiousness I didn’t have earlier than, however my predicted rating of 93 appears reasonably good, so I can in all probability relaxation simple.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
With that exhaustive checklist of measurements you might nicely fear that you simply’ll be standing on this scale for an age on a regular basis. In complete it takes rather less than a minute to get a full set of scores, 30 seconds of which is taken up by the ECG.
It’s customisable for every person although, so if there’s something you don’t care about you’ll be able to merely drop it off and save a while – or cover sure parts so that you simply don’t should, say, see your fats share should you’d reasonably not.
Worth & availability
The Physique Scan is pricey.
It prices £399.95/€399.95 in Europe. It’s not on sale within the US but, however was initially introduced to price $299 – that was in early 2022 nonetheless, and with inflation since (plus that European pricing) a $399 price ticket now appears extra doubtless.
That value does not less than embrace an non-obligatory three-month free trial of the Well being+ subscription, which as talked about earlier than is $9.95/£9.95/€9.95 month-to-month, or $99.50/£99.50/€99.50 for a 12 months.
In a way the value is tough to match to rivals – nothing else in the marketplace does what this does.
The query to ask is that if you actually need all the pieces this presents. Withings’ personal Physique Comp scale is less expensive at $209/£199/€209, and just about solely misses out on the segmental physique composition and ECG readings. Most individuals will probably be higher off with this cheaper possibility, and even the older Physique Cardio, Physique+, or low-cost and cheerful Physique.
Rivals together with Eufy or Fitbit supply cheaper alternate options too, although their choices lack most of the high-end monitoring options discovered right here. Try our rating of the very best sensible scales to seek out out extra.
Verdict
No different client sensible scale does it fairly just like the Withings Physique Scan.
If you happen to can afford it that is an all-singing, all-dancing medical check-up out of your bed room each morning. It’s dependable, fast, and easy-to-use, with an non-obligatory further subscription that received’t attempt to rip you off.
The overwhelming majority of individuals merely don’t want this a lot medical tech at dwelling, and Withings has a variety of cheaper choices with totally different options and value factors – so should you principally care about physique composition readings or vascular age, you will get these for much less.
The Physique Scan nails what it units out to do although, and should you can justify the fee it’s arduous to think about coming away disillusioned.