Editors’ Choice Health

Withings Body Smart Scale Review

Review by Angie Kibiloski

Withings is a Smart Choice

There are many competitors in the realm of health monitoring tech, but a few select names keep rising to the top for quality and trust. Withings is one such name, with the Body Smart scale being just one of their extensive line of multi-factor monitoring devices. Debuting in 2023 at $99.95, this robust smart scale has been keeping users informed, motivated, and on track to healthier selves on a daily basis ever since. Once set up, using it is simple enough, but the in-depth data it provides is far from basic, both on the scale itself and in the companion app. Let’s take a measure of what Withings has to say about their Body Smart scale, and I’ll weigh in on my personal experience with it.

Healthy Stats Inside and Out

The Body Smart scale is a sleek, shiny, tempered glass panel containing 4 weight sensors, a heart beat sensor, precise bioelectrical frequency technology for calculating body composition metrics, and a digital LCD readout for displaying all of your measurements. The wide array of available measurements include weight, muscle mass, BMI, visceral fat, heart rate, and more, as well as the daily weather forecast. It’s thin and light-weight enough to lift and lean discretely against the wall when not in use, conveniently leaving your bathroom floor space open. It runs on 4 included AAA batteries, which will keep it alive for a nice long 15 months before needing to be changed. It connects wirelessly to the Withings app via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, to keep track of your daily stats over time, and can detect and assign measurements for up to 8 individual users. You can also connect it to a number of other health monitoring apps, like Apple Health, Google Fit, and MyFitnessPal, so you can integrate the Body Smart into any existing routines.

Initially setting up the scale is easy, just download the app, create a profile with your height, weight, age, and gender, then pair your scale and take your 1^st measurements. Body Smart will use these stats to recognize who is stepping on it if there are multiple users, as well as allow the app to better recommend diet and lifestyle adjustments to meet your personal goals. If multiple users have similar weights, the scale may not always detect who is standing on it, but it’s easy enough to switch user profiles by just leaning left or right until your name pops up on the display screen. The detectable weight range is 9-440 lbs., with accuracy down to 0.1 lbs., and can display weight in kg, lb., or stone. It’ll store up to 16 measurement sessions, and send them to your app next time there’s an active Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection.

Body Smart can adjust its measurement algorithms based on a variety of unique settings, like Pregnancy Mode, Baby Mode, and Athlete Mode. By selecting these Modes in the settings menu, the app can cater its tracking and recommendations to suit your needs. Pregnancy Mode will account for rapid weight gain, and also provide expectant mothers with tips for a healthier pregnancy. Baby Mode allows you to get an accurate weight for your infant by standing on the scale while holding it in your arms. Athlete Mode opens up a more involved algorithm for uniquely fitness-focused body composition measurements. In addition, there’s the Eyes-Closed Mode, which hides your stats numbers during weigh-ins, displaying motivational messages on the screen instead, for a less stressful daily measurement.

An App that Monitors, Mentors, and Motivates

The Withings app for iOS and Android is free to use, though there’s a ton more content to unlock with an optional Withings+ subscription. For free users, it allows you to keep a running record of your daily measurements, to track your progress on weekly, monthly, and yearly graphs, and to better understand the meaning and impact of each health metric. You’ll also be able to select which measurements display on the scale’s screen, or choose to see motivational messages instead of your daily stats. You’ll be able to set basic goals like weight loss or muscle gain, read articles and short lessons about how to reach them, and create health reports that can be downloaded and shared with your doctor. You can also access a small selection of healthy recipes to set you on the right path to a better diet. If you’re a casual user, this free content will likely suit your needs, but if you require a bit more assistance reaching your goals, you may want to consider a membership.

The paid Withings+ subscription opens up more detailed goals, quite a few more lessons and articles, a lot more recipes, workout routines, and provides more in-depth analysis of each measurement, to more fully help you understand and manage your health. Choose between a wide array of programs to follow, with daily activities and personal engagement, and see how your various habits and stats affect each other with the Advanced Insights feature. Monitor your health even more closely by integrating all of your other Withings devices, like blood pressure, activity, and sleep trackers, all under one subscription. Plans are currently $9.95/month or $99.50/year, with a 1-month free trial to get you started.

Weighed, Measured, and Approved

I was quite pleased with the Body Smart during my review process, and would definitely recommend it for the price. The slim design of the platform, nice feel of the glass, and responsive sensors made it enjoyable to use. I liked how easy it was to change user profiles on the scale while standing on it, just by shifting my weight to either side, and the option of which stats I cared to see while standing there. The inclusion of the daily weather and air quality was a nice touch, as was the little waving hand emoji to let you know all measurements had been taken and it was time to step off the scale.

I found the Withings app to be intuitive and robust, with quite a lot of functionality even in the free sections. As someone who doesn’t have a very specific weight goal, I wouldn’t necessarily get much use out of a Withings+ subscription, but for someone who needs more in-depth and long-term guidance to adjust habits and support their goals, the upgraded app content would be very beneficial. From past experience, I knew Withings made quality products going into this review, and I’m happy to say that the Body Smart scale lived up to my expectations. Check it out, along with all their other scale models and wider selection of monitoring devices at Withings.com.