Withings ScanWatch Hybrid Smartwatch Review

More and more people are realizing the benefits of having a smartwatch. You no longer need to pull out your smartphone to see who is texting you, or calling you. Some smart watches will allow you to answer a call and have a conversation. Some even have advanced medical sensors. And then some take it a step further and are clinically approved. That is the case for the smartwatch up for review today. It’s the Withings ScanWatch, with a $299 MSRP.

 

Features and specs:

 

Metrics

Heart rate: beats per minute

Breathing disturbances: monitoring via respiratory scan

Electrocardiogram: tracing of a 30-seconds ECG recording on a millimetric grid

Clinically validated Oxygen saturation level (SpO2)

Walking and running: steps, distance, calories, based on user’s profile for high precision

Calories: metabolic calories and total calories expenditure

Running: automatically detected, in-app daily recap of duration and distance

Swimming: automatically detected, in-app recap with duration and calories burned

Sleep: deep and light sleep phases, sleep-score, sleep interruptions

Fitness Level: assessment via VO2Max estimation

Elevation: meters and floors climbed

 

App

Withings Health Mate is the best way to keep track of activity, sleep, weight, and more.

You’ll see trends, progress, and get coaching to help you improve over time.

Whatever your health goal, you’ll find support for it in the Health Mate app.

Learn more about Health Mate +

AppStore: Google play

Bluetooth:  Bluetooth Low Energy - to sync with Health Mate

Bluetooth connection with location settings permission must be enabled to use the Connected GPS feature

 

Requirements

ScanWatch can be installed on a smartphone or a tablet, via the Health Mate app available on iOS (iOS 14 and higher) and Android (8.0 and higher). Cannot be set up from a computer

 

Dimensions

38mm model: 38.4mm diameter (1.6’’), 13.2mm thickness (0.52’’), 18mm wristband width (0.70’’), 58g (watch only)

42mm model: 42mm diameter (1.65’’), 13.7mm thickness (0.54’’), 20mm wristband width (0.79’’), 83g (watch only)

 

Display

Analog dial with hands for hours and minutes. Subdial displays progress toward daily activity goal in percentage. The PMOLED screen displays SpO2, irregular rhythm and smartphone notifications, heart rate, steps, floors climbed, distance, calories, activities, and settings.

Workout mode displays timer and heart rate(continuous tracking).

Clock menu with alarm, stopwatch and timer.

Notifications display previews of incoming calls, text messages, calendar events and 100+ apps.

 

Battery life

Single battery charge lasts up to 30 days in normal use

+20 additional days in power reserve mode (time and activity tracking only)

 

Charging time

Approximately 2 hours to 100%. About 1 hour to 80%

 

Materials

Comes with a stainless steel (316L) case featuring brass lacquered dial with applied chrome indexes, guilloche subdial (except the 42mm black model), chrome hands, sapphire glass, and a soft, durable & water-resistant fluoroelastomer wristband.

 

Conditions of use

Note: ECG requires a free in-app activation process and is not intended for use by people under 22 years old. Prescription Use Only.

Water resistant up to 165 feet deep (50 m, 5 ATM)

Operating temperature: -10°C to 45°C (14°F to 113°)

Storage temperature: -20°C to 85°C (4°F to 185°)

Pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) can make ECG recordings inconclusive.

 

Sensors

Exclusive multi-wavelength PPG heart rate/SpO2 sensor

Stainless steel electrodes

High precision MEMS 3-axis accelerometer

The Withings Scanwatch came in a great looking color printed box, with photos and specs of the watch. Opening the box revealed a well-protected watch held in place in a pressed cloth bag. Materials used in the construction was glass, metal, and a rubber band. Quality of materials used, as well as the fit and finish, are excellent. Also included was the charging cable and owner’s manual.

 

I love the design of the Withings Scanwatch. It has the look and functionality of a classic mechanical dress watch. It has working hour and minute hands. The black faced model, which is the version I received, even has luminated hands. The 316L stainless steel metal case feels very high-end, and very durable. The sensors are on the back of the housing, where they need to be, up against your wrist.

 

Other important features include a long 30-day battery life.  Water resistance is also an impressive 5 ATM, which is over 165 feet. Divers rejoice! The glass is also Sapphire glass to provide excellent scratch resistance.  The simple operation is managed with the crown.

 

What also sets it apart from other smart watches on the market is its medical features. I have two brothers who have sleep apnea and one of the two also recently had a heart attack. So these features are critical to me. The Withings ScanWatch can measure blood oxygen levels and sleep disturbances. This can monitor the potential for sleep apnea. It also monitors your heart rate, can detect afib, and send you notifications. So if you have a potential heart issue, you can track it, and see a health professional.

 

After making sure it’s fully charged, it was time to set it up. Pressing the crown gets you into the menu, and rotation the crown gets you to the various features. After downloading and installing the app, it was time to pair it with my phone. I had a hard time pairing it with my LG V40, but restarting the Bluetooth on my phone quickly solved that problem. With it now paired with my phone, the hands on the watch now showed the correct time. 

 

The app was very simple to use. It walked me through how to use the features. It also helped in setting up which apps I want to get notifications from, as well as my height, weight, age and sex for the health app. Through the app I’m able to track everything. I can see my trends for steps, sleep, breathing disturbances, oxygen saturation, average heart rate, and ECG.  The LCD display is small, but it worked great!  Messages would scroll across the LCD, for texts received, or who was calling.  It’s not as flashy as a full face LCD as most smart watches, but they also don’t get nearly the long battery life as the 30 days with this Withings ScanWatch. The display on the ScanWatch is much smaller, but it works and gets the job done.

 

What I really like, are the advanced features. As I mentioned earlier, I have a family history of family health issues. In the app I can track my history for heart rate, oxygen, and breathing disturbances. I can take an ECG and oxygen saturation reading at any time with the sensors. And the Withings ScanWatch being clinically approved does give a sense of security.

 

The Withings ScanWatch proved to be a great performer. It has a classic mechanical functionality and look. Yet also smartwatch functionality. It has a long 30 day battery life, and a nice 2 year warranty for peace of mind. The stainless steel housing and sapphire glass face also provide good durability. Based on its design, features, quality and performance, the Withings Scanwatch has earned our Editor’s Choice Award. For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.withings.com.