Withings ScanWatch Review – Smart Health Tracking in Traditional Watch Design

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It’s been four years since I reviewed Withings Steel HRthe Nokia Steel HR at the time.

The Withings ScanWatch was officially announced a few years ago and introduced several new clinically proven health-specific features, including ECG and blood oxygen readings.

It retains the classic analog style of the Steel HR, which I think gives it a lot of niche appeal and may be perfect for a slightly older generation.

Specifications and Features

• Irregular beat detection
• Breathing Disorder Detection
• On-demand ECG
• Medical-grade oxygen saturation (manually measured)
• Heart rate tracking (samples every 10 minutes)
• Advanced Sleep Tracking
• 24/7 activity tracking
• B&W PMOLED display for basic notifications
• 30-day battery life

design

I received the 38mm rose gold model, which fits slimmer wrists and has a more feminine design option than others. I think anyone can look great depending on your style, but in this case I saved you from a furry wrist and took a picture with my partner’s wrist, and I was in all tests wear it. My own wrist is thin, so 38mm doesn’t look stupid, but 42mm might look better.

In addition to the two sizes, there are a variety of colors to choose from. You have a 38mm and 42mm white face silver case. Two sizes with black dial and silver case, then 38mm white and rose gold and 38mm blue and rose gold.

You can also choose an extra wrist strap. Most watches come with a generic black strap, so it’s easy to get one of the other options. These come in a variety of colors and materials. In my opinion, they all have a premium for what you get. Premium materials like leather or metal Milanese will cost you £50, the cheapest silicone is £25.

As for the watch, it looks great if you like the traditional analog look. Other than the occasional little display that lights up, I doubt anyone would say you’re wearing a smartwatch. For me, this is the main reason why I recommend this watch.

The crown is functional, the only way to physically interact with the watch, and it’s easy to use, perhaps preferable to a touchscreen.

The quality of workmanship is also very good, you have a stainless steel (316L) case and then sapphire glass which is more scratch resistant than most smartwatches

application

I am currently using Withings Body Cardio and Withings Sleep Analyzer, I even have a blood pressure monitor somewhere. So I have a lot of health data in the Healthmate app, and I think it’s one of the better apps for wearables. I like the amount of data you get, I find it easy to navigate and well presented.

I also like the fact that you can access your data over the web. I find that the big screen makes it easier to process and understand the data.

Health and Fitness Tracking

ECG

The watch’s ECG function is one of its main selling points. Released in 2020, the watch is the first clinically proven hybrid smartwatch that can help detect arrhythmia (AFib) and sleep apnea.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, affecting approximately 1.4 million people in the UK. It can affect adults of any age, but is more common in older adults.

Unfortunately for US users, they were unable to purchase the watch after launch due to FDA clearance requirements. This will only happen by the end of 2021.

At the same time, several other ECG-enabled watches were launched, including the FitBit Sense and Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. Fitbit Sense Has been validated in clinical studies to provide accurate results. However, Samsung is a bit vague about what you can do with an ECG. They explicitly state that users should not interpret or take clinical action based on device output without consulting a qualified healthcare professional.

You have to be very active in taking readings, unlike your heart rate, which needs to be done manually. However, in the watch settings, you can enable the signs of AFib. This will warn you if you have an irregular heartbeat, and you can then have an EKG.

When you choose ECG, you need to place your hand partially on the watch and wait 30 seconds. You can expect to receive results indicating normal sinus rhythm and no signs of atrial fibrillation.

Then it may be indeterminate, or it will detect AFib. If AFib is detected, you can share the measurement as a PDF and/or your full health report. You can then use it to take your doctor.

AFib is usually not life-threatening and can be treated.

So in theory, it’s amazing that you can diagnose AFib early and treat it as quickly as possible. This watch can really save your life.

Since most of your readings should be normal, I’d say you have to enable the signs of the AFib setting.

SPO2

Most fitness watches now include SPo2 measurements, including affordable trackers like the Honor Band 6. Some devices can turn on automatic tracking, whether 24/7 or at night, while others require manual measurements.

Withings ScanWatch usually requires manual measurements, but you can also enable automatic nighttime measurements.

As with an EKG, you’re likely to have normal blood oxygen readings, so it’s easy to get out of the habit of taking regular readings.

Manual readings are more accurate than automatic methods, so if your blood oxygen is likely to be low, this feature is well worth it.

Sleep Tracking and Apnea

When I use the Withings Sleep Analyzer matt, my sleep data seems to mostly come from this. However, I can scroll down and get more data from the watch. Similar data is then displayed, including duration, time in bed, heart rate, and a graph of different sleep stages.

The data for both devices seems to correlate well. My watch and mat durations are usually about 20 minutes apart, and my heart rate is usually within 2bpm.

Assuming you don’t have a sleep pad, the ScanWatch will provide essentially the same results, including being able to identify the risk of snoring and sleep apnea. In the settings, there is a breathing scan function. This will randomly scan during sleep to check for breathing disorders. You can also leave it on nightly or off completely.

Fitness tracking – running, walking, etc.

This watch isn’t designed for any keen amateur athlete, and the fitness tracking features are pretty basic. In addition to step tracking, you can manually initiate a limited number of activities.

You can walk, run, and bike for outdoor tracking; these will use your phone’s GPS, then generate a map and provide basic pace information.

Surprisingly, it does integrate with Strava so you can export activities automatically. This is more than that for sports watches of many brands such as Huawei and Honor.

The watch will then use outdoor activities to assess your fitness age, giving you some guidance on how fit you are compared to others.

Daily tracking features include steps, heart rate, and floors climbed. You can also set goals, but no friends and no challenges. There are also only limited badges or achievements.

The watch also doesn’t generate the same amount of data as competing brands. No stress, body battery, recovery, VO2Max, etc.

Smart Watch Features

Smartwatch functionality is rudimentary at best. The main thing is that you can push notifications, and the small display will give you some indication of what a notification is.

I have personally started to reduce the amount of notifications I receive. The constant bombardment of information is not good for anyone’s mental health. So I’m happy with the limited notifications, and I’ve set it up so I only get Ring Doorbell notifications or Telegram (only for me and my partner).

Battery

Due to the limited overall functionality of the smartwatch and its small black and white display, not many watches on the market can beat it in terms of battery. It’s rated for 30 days and I haven’t charged it multiple times yet.

Price and Alternatives

Withings ScanWatch is currently £240 on Amazon for the 42mm plan black watch. The rose gold model I tried had an MSRP of £280 and is currently £250.76.

I think it’s a bit pricey if you’re evaluating it solely on its features.

Alternative options depend on which side of the fence you land on. If you want the traditional watch look that Withings offers, there really is only one with Withings.

You have Move ECG or Steek HR as an alternative. I’d say the Steel HR is the most affordable alternative, it’s very similar to the ScanWatch but lacks advanced health features like ECG.

If you’re happy to have what looks like a smartwatch with an all-digital display, the world is your oyster; however, ECG options are somewhat limited.

Alternative watch with ECG

Watches that contain an ECG include:

• Apple Watch Series 4, 5, 6, and 7
• Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
• Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 and 4
• Fitbit Sense
• Withings Mobile ECG
• Coros Vertix 2
• Amazfit Smartwatch 2

Of these, I’d say the Galaxy Watch3 is the best-looking and most eye-catching watch. Fitbit Sense is probably the best option for health-conscious features.

General smartwatch alternatives

For general fitness and health watches, you have more options.

For something good looking with a reasonable traditional watch aesthetic, I’d look at the Huawei Watch GT series, the new Watch GT3 very good. Garmin is more focused on fitness, and the Venu 2 is excellent. Zepp E or Zepp Z are also worth considering.

comprehensive

I think all the Withings devices I’ve reviewed have been excellent, and I love what the brand has done with wearables. While everyone else is cramming as much functionality into watches as possible, Withings has focused on important health features while retaining traditional analog design.

Granted, being an avid runner means they’re of little use to me, but I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who want to keep the slim and traditional watch style while being able to do fitness tracking and phone notifications.

Maybe a bit ageist, but the ECG/SPo2 features and traditional styling seem like this watch has a lot of appeal for older generations.

The price of the new ECG feature is quite high, and I think anyone who likes the idea of ​​an analog-style smartwatch but doesn’t need health-specific features should consider the Steel HR, which is around £100 cheaper.

Last updated on 2022-03-06 / Affiliate Links / Image from Amazon Product Advertising API