The most recent smart scale from Withings is so advanced the company calls it a “health station.” I’ve been testing the Withings Body Scan and its features like segmental body composition measurements, nerve activity, 6-lead ECG, and more, which all come with Apple Health integration. Is it worth the premium price? I think so if these features are valuable to you.
Withings Body Scan features
- 6-lead ECG
- Weight plus segmental body composition measurements
- Visceral fat, water, and lean mass measurements
- Vascular age and heart rate readings
- Electrodermal readings (small nerve activity and overall health assessment)
- Air quality sensor
- 1-year battery life (rechargeable)
- Support for up to 8 users with automatic recognition
- Automatic WiFi and Bluetooth sync
- Available in black and white
- 3 months of Withings+ free ($9.95/month after)
- 30-day trial, 2-year warranty
- Price: $399 (FSA eligible)
Build and unboxing
Withings has built a reputation for high-quality hardware and I think Body Scan hits the mark. Its mostly glass design is both sleek and very solid. The underside of the health station and the retractable handle do use plastic, but they feel well made.
Here’s what you get when you open the box:
Above the health station, you’ll find a wall mount for the retractable handle and a USB-C cable to recharge the device.
Withings warns the handle mount which uses an adhesive is intended for tile walls, not drywall/paint. Although you could put a couple of screws in to secure it to other wall types.
On the back, you’ve got the USB-C port and pairing button (the latter really just used for the initial setup).
Setup
Body Scan setup is smooth with the Withings Health Mate app.
After getting paired to your phone, the process walks through how to use the handle/health station, setting a body weight/composition goal, how the new segmental body composition feature works, understanding how the new electrodermal (nerve activity) readings work, and more.
In use
While I appreciate the 6-lead ECG, nerve activity assessment, and vascular age, the feature I found most immediately useful is the new segmental body composition readings.
When you look at the main “Measure” tab in the Withings app, you get a nice overview with your latest weight and body composition details right below.
Withings shows your current trend like “Gaining muscle” with the breakdown of percentages.
Tap into the body comp section and you can access the new segmental body comp breakdown.
Not only does Body Scan and the Withings app show you your fat and muscle mass measurement averages for legs, torso, and arms, but you also get a rating compared to other Withings users in your age range.
In my case, the segmental body composition measurements revealed my legs are trailing my torso and upper body in muscle mass – which led me to adjust my fitness plan.
Along with weight, BMI, and segmental body composition readings, Body Scan gives a visceral fat, lean mass, and water mass score.
Importantly, visceral fat is the “type of fat that can be found around vital organs in the abdominal area (trunk). More precisely, visceral fat surrounds the stomach, liver, intestines and other organs. This is the type of fat most linked to health problems.”
Withings highlights keeping visceral fat at healthy levels “can help reduce cardiovascular risks, high blood pressure and the onset of type 2 diabetes.”
And the water mass measurements are an easy way to see if you’re hydrating enough.
6-lead ECG
While you might already take ECGs with an Apple Watch or another device, the 6-lead ECG of the Body Scan is closer to what you’d find at a doctor or cardiologist’s office.
After ECGs are captured with Body Scan, you can replay the recording and quickly share either a PDF of the measurement or a “complete Health Report” with your doctor or other health professional.
Apple Health support
As it has done for years, Withings has done a great job with its Apple Health integration. That means you get data automatically added to the Apple Health app like weight, BMI, body fat, lean body mass, and more.
And vice versa, metrics that you capture with from Apple Watch or iPhone like steps, VO2 max, and more show up in the Withings Health Mate app.
Withings Body Scan conclusion
After putting the Withings Body Scan through its paces I think it’s accurate for the company to describe it as its most advanced smart scale health station.
The amount of health features you’re getting is really impressive and Body Scan delivers a great experience with both hardware and software.
The only question is how important features like segmental body composition, nerve activity, and a 6-lead ECG are to you.
At $399, Body Scan is a premium product and I think delivers a lot of value if the best and most granular health data is important to you.
However, at less than half the price, the Withings Cardio smart scale includes many of the same features like body composition (non-segmental) vascular age readings, and more. And the entry Withings Body is just $99 – 1/4 of the Body Scan price.
What do you think? Do the advanced Body Scan features feel like a match with the $399 price? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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