At a look
Professional’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 provides an exhaustive array of, effectively, scans in your physique. It’ll examine your weight, physique composition, cardiovascular well being, and even nervous system – however that comes at a literal value, and for those who don’t want all of it then you definately is perhaps higher off with a less expensive different.
Worth When Reviewed
Not accessible within the US
There are good scales, after which there are good scales. The Withings Physique Scan is a good scale.
Loads of scales nowadays hook up with Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to share your outcomes with an app. Some will even measure your physique composition, possibly examine your coronary heart price.
The Physique Scan does all that, after which some: it measures visceral fats, not simply subcutaneous; it gives a segmental evaluation of the place your fats and muscle sit in your physique; it might probably take an ECG studying and file your ‘vascular age’; it should even measure how wholesome your nerves are.
This a one-stop check-in in 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 for those who embody the (refreshingly non-obligatory) Withings Well being+ app subscription, and possibly overkill for many of us. In case you 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 effectively. However for those who’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 most important change is that this time round it’s solely accessible 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 exhausting flooring, I really discover that it really works high quality and weighs precisely on my bed room carpet – although observe that it is a fairly brief pile, so thicker carpets or rugs could pose an issue.
The show is positioned on the prime of the dimensions, and is massive, vibrant, and simple to learn – even via 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 top 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 allows each the phase evaluation and ECG, so you might be lacking out for those who 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 massive, vibrant, and simple to learn – even via bleary pre-coffee eyes
Battery is simple too – the dimensions is topped up over USB-C, identical to most telephones, and may final a full yr on one cost.
Software program & setup
- Easy setup – with some Wi-Fi fussiness
- Each metric included in free app
- Optionally available subscription to Well being+
Establishing the Withings Physique Scan is simple sufficient. In case you don’t have already got a Withings account you’ll need to 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 via the easy steps, and I solely hit one hurdle: it’s a bit fussy about Wi-Fi throughout setup, and whereas it urged 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 wished it long-term – like many good house merchandise, it merely wants a stronger Wi-Fi sign first time spherical, however thankfully isn’t so specific day-to-day.
It’s a bit fussy about Wi-Fi throughout setup, and whereas it urged I may skip this and setup over Bluetooth, that merely didn’t work
That is price combating via, as a result of Wi-Fi help 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 knowledge, however it will add your measurements to the cloud mechanically, prepared so that you can obtain onto your telephone the subsequent time you open the app – every time that’s.
The app in query is Withings Well being Mate, which is free and accessible on each iOS and Android. That is considered one of my favorite health or well being monitoring apps, and helps each Withings product – akin to its wearables and sleep trackers – consolidating all of your knowledge in a single place for those who personal multiple little bit of Withings equipment.
Dominic Preston / Foundry
Contemplating how a lot knowledge is obtainable, the app is clearly laid out and easy to make use of. At the moment’s metrics seem first on the dashboard, and diving into every one means that you can see in-depth and historic knowledge too. It does generally take a couple of seconds to load the newest readings, however tapping into one and again out normally refreshes issues.
The app additionally means that you can observe 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 fad in health monitoring nowadays, 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 the whole lot behind a paywall.
In the meanwhile, completely none of your well being and health knowledge 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 payment (or $99.50/£99.50/€99.50 for a yr) – however in reality Withings has taken a distinct tack to its rivals.
In the meanwhile, completely none of your well being and health knowledge is tied to a Well being+ subscription – each single metric the Physique Scan provides is included only for shopping for the dimensions.
What Well being+ provides as a substitute is a sequence of ‘habit-building’ well being and health packages. Most final six weeks, and goal particular components of health, vitamin, and sleep well being, supplying you with every day missions and focused recommendation primarily based in your objectives. Relying on the Withings tech you personal and this system you’re on, your output could also be recorded mechanically or you may manually log sleep knowledge, exercises, or meals.
It’s refreshing to see a subscription that genuinely is non-obligatory – the whole lot 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 transient pattern of the packages I’m unsure I’d personally pay the asking value for them, however I like the truth that you’re free to disregard it and stick with it utilizing the dimensions as-is for those who desire.
Monitoring & options
- Typical weight and physique composition
- Superior segmental physique composition too
- Coronary heart price, ECG, and ‘pulse wave velocity’
- Nerve well being measurements
So let’s get to the center of what the Physique Scan does – the clue’s within the title.
For starters, it clearly takes your weight. This bit’s fast, simple, and primarily based in your weight it should additionally neatly determine who’s standing on the dimensions, with help 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 could measure how a lot of your physique is made up of fats, muscle, and bone, and offer you indications of wholesome ranges to intention for.
It could additionally go one step additional and measure your visceral fats – that is the fats that sits round your organs, moderately 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 look at. The Physique Scan provides you a rating out of 20, the place readings from 1 to five are ‘regular’, and something above that’s doubtlessly harmful.
As talked about earlier, for those who seize the Physique Scan’s deal with then the corporate says your physique composition readings will likely be extra correct.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
This additionally unlocks ‘segmental physique composition’, which reveals 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 evaluate to different Withings customers of the identical age and top.
You may select between a feminine, male, or gender-neutral physique sort for the picture (a pleasant contact), although oddly one factor you may’t do is see historic knowledge right here – which means there’s no solution 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 growth the information 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 price, which is usually a good information to shifts in your resting coronary heart price, particularly for those who weigh very first thing within the morning.
Then it might probably take an ECG studying, which signifies whether or not you’ve gotten a wholesome sinus rhythm, and might 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 must be in your age.
Lastly, there’s another 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 beautiful 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 undergo from peripheral neuropathy, which could be brought on by diabetes, some infections, and some different issues.
Withings warns that it’ll take a full month’s price 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 nervousness I didn’t have earlier than, however my predicted rating of 93 appears moderately good, so I can in all probability relaxation simple.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
With that exhaustive checklist of measurements you might effectively 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 may merely drop it off and save a while – or conceal sure components so that you simply don’t need to, say, see your fats share for those who’d moderately not.
Worth & availability
The Physique Scan is dear.
It prices £399.95/€399.95 in Europe. It’s not on sale within the US but, however was initially introduced to value $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 at the very least embody 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 yr.
In a way the worth is tough to check to rivals – nothing else in the marketplace does what this does.
The query to ask is that if you really want the whole lot this provides. 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 likely 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. Take a look at our rating of the very best good scales to seek out out extra.
Verdict
No different shopper good scale does it fairly just like the Withings Physique Scan.
In case you 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 additional subscription that received’t attempt to rip you off.
The overwhelming majority of individuals merely don’t want this a lot medical tech at house, and Withings has a variety of cheaper choices with completely different options and value factors – so for those who principally care about physique composition readings or vascular age, you may get these for much less.
The Physique Scan nails what it units out to do although, and for those who can justify the associated fee it’s exhausting to think about coming away upset.