Withings ScanWatch Review: Timeless Style Meets Modern Tech

Estimated read time 6 min read


Rating:
8/10
?

  • 1 – Absolute Hot Garbage
  • 2 – Sorta Lukewarm Garbage
  • 3 – Strongly Flawed Design
  • 4 – Some Pros, Lots Of Cons
  • 5 – Acceptably Imperfect
  • 6 – Good Enough to Buy On Sale
  • 7 – Great, But Not Best-In-Class
  • 8 – Fantastic, with Some Footnotes
  • 9 – Shut Up And Take My Money
  • 10 – Absolute Design Nirvana

Price: $249

Withings ScanWatch
Arnold Carreiro

If you’re considering a smartwatch to monitor your health stats, but aren’t too impressed with sporty styles or digital watch faces, the Withings ScanWatch’s gorgeous analog design and premium health-tracking features are the perfect companions for your wrist.

Here’s What We Like

  • Up to 50 days of battery life
  • Stylish design
  • Tracks heart rate, ECG, oxygen saturation, and more
  • Accurate readings
  • Quality carrying case

And What We Don’t

  • A fairly hefty watch face
  • Small digital display

Its ageless design and simplicity will lure you in, but the ScanWatch packs a lot of impressive health-tracking technology in its surprisingly sturdy watch face. Its ECG, heart rate tracking, and oxygen saturation level tests are sure to keep your attention long after you’ve finally settled on your favorite customization options.

Style, Comfort, and Longevity

Withings ScanWatch
Arnold Carreiro

Offered in two watch face sizes, 42mm (1.65in) and 38mm (1.5in), the ScanWatch is easily mistaken for a classy analog watch, even at close range. Although it lacks a touchscreen, its crown dial makes it easy to swap between and operate its health-tracking features.

While the watch itself is a little heavier than you may expect at 83g (2.9-ounces), it still feels reliably comfortable to wear for hours on end. Its included swappable fluoroelastomer band is soft, flexible, and should easily fit most.

Speaking of bands, Withings offers an impressive lineup of eye-catching band colors, textures, and watch face finishes to fully customize your model and match your style. I have my fingers crossed that Withings will release a gold option alongside their silver and rose gold finishes for their stainless steel cases, analog hands, and buckles in the future.

Between its impressive 30-day battery life (up to 50-days in Power Reserve mode with just time and ability tracking enabled), and the capacity to fully charge this smartwatch in just under 2-hours, there’s no excuse not to slap on your watch every morning for all-day health stat monitoring and tracking for a month at a time.

Comprehensive Health Tracking

Perhaps the best aspect about the Withings ScanWatch is that it is as dependable and accurate as it is attractive. Setup is a snap, and both the watch and its handy Health Mate app (for iPhone & Android) make collecting and closely monitoring your heart rate, blood oxygen levels, breathing disturbances, and electrocardiogram readings (or ECG) a breeze.

Your first ECG scan with the ScanWatch may take up to 48-hours to initialize its first reading depending on the state you live in, and you may be required to call a doctor before the device unlocks this feature. Once it’s ready, though, ECG results are displayed within 30-seconds.

Since few smartwatches on the market offer the option to speedily check the electrical signals in your heart for problems, the ScanWatch is especially attractive for anyone managing a heart condition.

Live stats such as your current heart rate, steps taken, or ECG results are presented via a small, bright, black and white digital PMOLED (Passive-Matrix OLED) display on the watch face. If you want to dive deeper than face value, more detailed stats are compiled on the easy-to-track app.

You can also set its tiny, but easily-visible display to highlight notifications such as incoming calls, texts, the date, and app alerts. In addition to the spot-on accurate ECG scan and heart rate trackers, the ScanWatch also sports a sensor to check the wearer’s oxygen saturation level and monitor your breathing while you’re asleep (along with a comprehensive sleep tracking mode).

Speaking of the Withings Health Mate app, its crisp and visually distinct graphs and charts makes reading and understanding your vital health stats as straightforward as it could be. Data from your favorite health apps are easily imported to Health Mate for observation and goal tracking.

The app makes it easy to set step-related goals and keep an eye on them, check the quality of your rest with a sleep score, check color-coded blood pressure results throughout the day, practice breathing exercises, and so much more.

The ScanWatch’s subdial (under the main dial) highlights your daily step count so you can note the percentage of your goal progress at a glance. It’s certainly a nice touch, especially if you would rather not scroll through the watch’s menu every time you want an update.

Unfortunately, this device cannot be set up without the Bluetooth connection of an iPhone, iPad, or Android smartphone or tablet, and ScanWatch owners cannot see their health stats on a PC.

Get Out and Go: Fitness and Activity

Withings ScanWatch
Arnold Carreiro

Although it lacks the compact design and neon colors commonly associated with fitness and training-themed smartwatches, the ScanWatch is a contender for active wearers. The device sports dedicated activity-tracking modes for walking, running, breathing exercises, and swimming, and it automatically logs calories burned, distance traveled, steps taken, and height climbed.

You might not expect such a classy-looking smartwatch to be so durable, but its stainless-steel case and electrodes are reliably rugged, its sapphire glass face is practically scratchproof, and both the band and case itself are water-resistant up to 165ft (50m) deep. Great for swimming in the pool or snorkeling, but I’d opt for another watch if you like to go diving.

The ScanWatch is susceptible to extreme temperatures of over 113°F (45°C) and below 14°F (-10°C)—temperatures you’re not likely to hit day-to-day, but something to look out for if your activities take you to extreme climates.

When you aren’t counting steps and noting your heart rate, the ScanWatch should either be placed on its magnetic USB-A charging cable to top off its battery (about two hours charge time), or set inside its soft, spacious, and durable companion travel pouch to keep it shielded from dings and scratches for safe travels.

Should You Buy the Withings ScanWatch?

Although every other smartwatch on the market will count your steps and monitor your heartbeat, the Withings ScanWatch stands apart from the crowd because of its timeless style.

If you prefer a slimmer, modern design, the Apple Watch is a solid alternative. But if you need a long-lasting smartwatch that you can rely on to dependably track all of your essential health stats, no matter what you get up to, and you appreciate its chic design, the Withings ScanWatch is well-worth your consideration.

Here’s What We Like

  • Up to 50 days of battery life
  • Stylish design
  • Tracks heart rate, ECG, oxygen saturation, and more
  • Accurate readings
  • Quality carrying case

And What We Don’t

  • A fairly hefty watch face
  • Small digital display





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