There are intelligent scales and intelligent scales only. An intelligent scale is the Withings Body Scan.
Nowadays, many scales have Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connections so you may share your results using an app. Some may also assess your heart rate and examine your body composition.
The Body Scan does all of that and more: it measures visceral fat, not just subcutaneous fat; it offers a segmental analysis of where your fat and muscle are distributed throughout your body; it can record your vascular age by taking an ECG reading; it even assesses the health of your nerves.
This is a one-stop check-in for your body and is the closest most of us will ever come to having a private doctor examine us each morning.
However, it’s pricey and certainly overkill for the most of us, especially if you add the (refreshingly optional) Withings Health+ app subscription. Cheaper scales will work just as well if all you want to know is how much you weigh or whether you’re building muscle. Yet the Body Scan has you covered if you’re serious about keeping track of your health.
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Build and design
- Heavy, robust construction
- Glass-topped
- a distinctive pull-string handle
The Body Scan has a basic square design with striped glass on top, a tiny display, and appears quite similar to other Withings scales like the Body Comp or Body Cardio at first sight. The fact that it is only offered in black this time around and not white is, if anything, the largest alteration.
It looks and feels high-end and, like earlier Withings scales, has a comforting weight and heft that makes it difficult to accidently knock across the floor.
While Withings advises using it on hard floors, I find that it works just well and weights precisely on the carpet in my bedroom. But, keep in mind that this carpet has a rather shallow pile, so larger carpets or rugs could provide a challenge.
The top of the scale display is large, bright, and simple to see, even with groggy eyes from drinking coffee. It also features vibrant animations and understandable visuals.
The Scan’s handle is its most peculiar physical feature. Yes, handle. To take measures, you raise the thin plastic grip that is connected to the base by a cable to your waist.
Hardware and setup
Every measure is provided in the free app with a simple setup and minor Wi-Fi fussiness.
Health+ subscription is optional.
The Withings Body Scan is simple to set up. You will need to register a Withings account if you don’t already have one; otherwise, all you need to do is switch on the scale, launch the app, and go from there.
It only takes a few minutes to complete the straightforward procedures, and I only encountered one difficulty: it’s a little picky about Wi-Fi during setup. Although it advised I bypass this and set up over Bluetooth, it just didn’t work.
The scale merely needs a better Wi-Fi connection the first time around, but thankfully isn’t that picky day-to-day, so I fixed the problem by relocating the scale very near to my network during the setup procedure, and then moving it back where I wanted it long-term.
Features & Tracking
- Standard body weight and composition
- Heart rate, an ECG, and “pulse wave velocity,” in addition to advanced segmental body composition
- measures of nerve health
- Now that we know what the Body Scan accomplishes, let’s get to the point.
That certainly starts with your weight. This component is quick, simple, and supports up to eight profiles while intelligently identifying who is standing on the scale depending on your weight. It is impressively able to read weight with an accuracy of 50g (0.1lb), which is more accurate than most.
The bodily composition comes next. It may quantify the proportion of your body that is made up of fat, muscle, and bone and indicate healthy values for you to strive towards.
It can even go one step further and measure your visceral fat, which is different from the subcutaneous fat that is visible and makes us all jiggly and sits around your organs. Visceral fat should be closely monitored since it is more harmful and linked to serious health issues (such as diabetes and heart problems). You receive a score from the Body Scan out of 20, with readings between 1 and 5 considered “normal” and anything more considered potentially harmful.
As was already said, the business claims that your body composition results will be more accurate if you hold onto the Body Scan’s handle.
Cost and availability
-The Body Scan costs money.
In Europe, it costs £399.95/€399.95. It was first announced to cost $299, but given that was in early 2022 and prices have since increased due to inflation and European pricing, a $399 price tag now appears more realistic.
A three-month free trial of the Health+ membership, which costs $9.95/£9.95/€9.95 per month or $99.50/£99.50/€99.50 per year, is at least included in that price.
As nothing else on the market accomplishes what this does, it is difficult to compare the pricing to that of competitors.
You should consider whether you actually need what this has to offer. At $209/£199/€209, Withings’ own Body Comp scale is significantly less expensive and essentially just lacks the segmental body composition and ECG readings. This less expensive alternative, or even the more dated Body Cardio, Body+, or cheap and cheerful Body, will benefit the majority of people.
Competitors like Fitbit and Eufy provide less expensive options, but they miss many of the sophisticated tracking functions offered here. For additional information, see our rating of the top smart scales.
