Withings ScanWatch Review (2024): A Worthy Opponent of the Top Smartwatch Brands

You’re probably well aware of the smartwatches that dominate the wearable fitness tracker industry, like the many iterations of the Apple Watch, the Samsung Galaxy Watch, Fitbit, and even Garmin, which provides solid metrics for various sports and activities with their wearable series. Withings may be a name you’re not as familiar with but will want to get to know better. 

Off the bat, the Withings ScanWatch sets itself apart from the competition by resembling a classic, traditional watch, but what does that mean for its all-important tracking abilities? And at a similar price point, is it worth the expense, or are you better off choosing a watch that you know for sure will pair with your iPhone?

GGR Performance Editor Anthony O’Reilly, CPT, CNC, tested the Withings ScanWatch Light to see how well it could keep up with his active lifestyle and regular training sessions. Read on for our full Withings ScanWatch review, and we can all but guarantee that you’ll know whether Withings is the one for you by the end of this article. 

We’re Smart About Watches

At GGR, we get just as excited about the latest fitness technology as the best barbells and home gym essentials. But that doesn’t mean we don’t scrutinize a smartwatch any less intensely than a squat rack. Our team of experts includes certified personal trainers, nutrition coaches, and athletes who all want their advanced health metrics accurately tracked. We also know the value of wearable fitness trackers, as they have been shown to help increase short-term activity¹.

How do we do this apart from getting our hands—er…wrists—on this wearable tech? By putting each watch through our individualized GGR fitness equipment testing methodology with specific criteria for fitness tracking, like:

• Adjustability
• Tech capabilities
• Durability
• Aesthetic
• Warranty

The best smartwatches and best fitness trackers aren’t cheap, so we want to make sure that you get the most value for your investment. 

RELATED: Fitness Tracker vs Smartwatch

Withings ScanWatch Light

GGR Score: 4.4

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Product Highlights

• Analog-style watch
• Small display in the middle of the face watch
• Syncs with Withings app to display health metrics
• 30-day battery life

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Analog-style watch looks classier than most fitness watches
• Several health tracking capabilities, including period tracking
• Syncs with Apple Health and GoogleFit
• Water- and scratch-resistant
• FSA- and HSA-eligible

Cons

• Expensive
• Smaller display on the face watch

Bottom Line

The Withings ScanWatch Light is an analog-style fitness watch that looks like your traditional timepiece, with the added benefit of a small display in the center of the face watch that can be used to receive alerts and track your workouts. You can also get metrics on your heart rate, sleep, step count, and more via the Withings app. "I just love the look of this thing," says tester Anthony O'Reilly.

A Quick Look at the Withings ScanWatch Light

Founded in 2008 by tech entrepreneur Eric Carreel, Withings started with WiFi body scales before adding to its health-tracking arsenal with blood pressure monitors, sleep analyzers, thermometers, and its first smartwatch with built-in ECG (electrocardiogram) in 2019. 

The Withings ScanWatch, featuring built-in ECG, heart rate monitoring, and an oximeter, debuted in 2020, with the Withings ScanWatch 2 and Light models releasing in 2023. The latest models in the ScanWatch series are the recently released (as of this writing) ScanWatch Nova and Nova Brilliant. “Our approach to healthcare is simple: we focus on the proven benefits of daily care and prevention. Through constant innovation, Withings offers a more proactive and long-lasting approach to health.”

Before You Buy

• The Withings ScanWatch Light can track your step count, respiratory rate/cardiac coherence sessions (SpO2), and nightly sleep score.
• You can choose from 5 watch faces, with at least 14 options for extra wristbands to customize your ScanWatch. 
• The Withings ScanWatch Light has a 30-day rechargeable battery.
• The Withings ScanWatch Light uses the free Withings app. You can also access one free month of the Withings+ program with your purchase. After the free trial, Withings+ is $9.95 a month or $99.50 for the year.
• The Withings ScanWatch Light comes with a 60-day trial period and a 2-year warranty. 

Is the Withings ScanWatch Light Worth It?

As far as pricey health gadgets go, we think that the Withings ScanWatches can compete with the best of them. Still, the ScanWatch Light may not get your gears going if you have certain metrics you hope to track or health features in mind. 

That said, Anthony O’Reilly, CPT, CNC, gave it a score of 5 out of 5 for value, stating, “Worth it, in my opinion, especially since this thing’s battery can last a month. Apple Watch, who?”

Withings ScanWatch Light Specs

Using the Withings ScanWatch Light

Anthony speaks very highly of his experience using and wearing the Withings ScanWatch Light; he even shared this hilarious anecdote about the watch’s excellent battery life:

“I actually left the Withings watch in New York and had a friend mail it back to me. Because of its 30-day battery life, it still tracked movement—and that’s how I’ve earned several achievements like ‘climbing’ 10,000 feet and traveling more than 400 miles.”

“I’ll admit it, I’m biased. I really like the way this watch looks, especially for under $300. The ticker-style screen isn’t my favorite, but I think you’re buying this watch more for style/functionality than functionality/style if that makes sense. The app is pretty expansive, and the watch does everything you’d want it to; you’re just going to have to deal with a smaller window,” says Anthony.

Setting Up the Withings Scanwatch Light

Anthony found the setup for his Withings ScanWatch to be very intuitive and easy, saying, “You download the app and pair it to the watch. I had no hiccups, and the watch hands actually move to the right time based on your phone’s time—so there’s no fiddling with the dial during daylight saving time or anything like that.”

Design/Aesthetics

The Withings ScanWatch has a deceptively simple design on its surface; you may even mistake it for a standard watch sans the smart features. But the beauty—i.e., the tracking display—is in the small screen toward the top of the large watch face that shares your metrics and notifications. 

As for customization, there are five faces to pick from, which include a choice between a silver or rose gold bezel. For an additional $50, you can also select from 14 watch bands to really make the watch your own style.  

Anthony was all about the ScanWatch Light’s aesthetics, giving it a perfect score in this category. “I’d give it a 10 if I could. These are very stylish watches you could wear with a suit/dress because they look like an analog watch, and you can’t really tell it’s a fitness tracker unless you’re looking at it up close. Very striking colors with customizable bands available. I went with an all black,” he shares.

“My ONE complaint is that at certain times the hour and minute hands have to move to a different position so you can see the ‘screen.’ This is only for the few seconds you’re setting the watch to track your workouts or reading a message,” Anthony adds.

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Adjustability

Anthony was slightly less enthused when rating the ScanWatch Light’s adjustability. He gave it a 4 out of 5 because, while he believes it should fit fine on the average person’s wrist, those with slightly larger wrists or those who are tougher on their wearable accessories may struggle with the watchband. 

“I’m already looking into a replacement band because I’m on the third to last notch, and it can get tight after wearing it for a while,” Anthony says, “While the band is small (for me), I actually like it more than the rubber bands you find on other watches. I’ve sweat with this on, and there’s no discomfort.”

The watch band is made with FKM (fluoroelastomer) synthetic rubber and has a stainless steel buckle to secure it. There are also watch bands available in different colors and materials for an additional fee. There are several notches to adjust for your ideal fit, but you may want to heed Anthony’s warning if you have larger wrists.

Durability

The durability of a smartwatch is very important, especially if you’re wearing it frequently during high-intensity training sessions. This type of wearable technology doesn’t come cheap, so you want it to be built to last. 

The watch face of the ScanWatch Light features “Gorilla Glass,” a scratch- and shatter-resistant glass that you’ll find many of the top smartwatch brands using. There’s a small debate on whether Gorilla or Sapphire Glass is better for watch longevity—the ScanWatch 2 and a few of the other ScanWatch models use Sapphire—with Gorilla found to be more durable and Sapphire more scratch-resistant, depending on who you ask. 

If you ask Anthony, he’ll tell you, “I have dropped this once or twice, and there are no blemishes or cracks on the screen.” Anthony gave it a 5 out of 5 for durability.

RELATED: Best Waterproof Fitness Trackers

Tech Capabilities

The Withings ScanWatch Light tracks health metrics like breathing, heart rate, steps, distance, sleep habits, cycle tracking, and multiple workout styles—from swimming and cycling to weightlifting. If you opt for Withings+, you’ll have access to medical reviews (share your ECG report with a certified cardiologist), health assessments, and a full content library of training programs and healthy meal plans/recipes. 

You can also pair the watch with your phone to receive notifications, which is a smartwatch standard, but Anthony ran into some issues with this feature, so he gave the ScanWatch Light a score of 4 out of 5 for its tech capabilities. “One reason I docked a point is the ‘screen.’ It’s not like your typical fitness tracker watch that has a full screen. Instead, you have a ticker-style display (kind of like you see for a stock exchange ticker on a news channel), so you have to scroll through the messages using the watch’s crown. You also have to do this with texts and other alerts that show up on the watch,” says Anthony.

“The other reason I docked a point is because you can’t do two functions at once. For example, I was using it to track a weightlifting workout and was unable to switch to the stopwatch function. It’s a bit annoying,” he adds.

Community

For community, the Withings ScanWatch Light received a 3 out of 5. There are no community features within the watch itself, but there are social media accounts and forums that you can join to connect with other ScanWatch users. 

Withings Scanwatch Light vs Apple Watch Series 9

Apple Watch Series 9

GGR Score: 4.5

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Product Highlights

• Pricing starts at $399
• 18-hour battery life
• Seamless integration with other Apple devices
• Tracks heart rate and steps
• Can track body temperature and energy expenditure
• Optional data plan available
• Added data unlocks calls and texts without your phone

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Tracks heart rate, body temperature, ECG readings, and more
• Stream music, calls, and texts with a data plan
• Works seamlessly with other Apple products

Cons

• Battery only lasts up to 18 hours
• Sensors don't work well with tattooed skin
• Not much different from previous models

Bottom Line

The Apple Watch Series 9 is a fantastic smart watch with integrated health and fitness tracking, especially for those who use other Apple products. The battery isn't very long, and the design hasn't changed much over the years, but this is a great choice for those who want a smartwatch that functions like a small iPhone.

Apple Watch tends to be the standard by which we measure all other smartwatches, as it is the most well-known option. Comparing the Withings ScanWatch Light with the Apple Watch 9—the latest is the Apple Watch 10, but we’ve tested the 9—you’ll notice immediately that the Withings watch is more than $100 cheaper. It also has a much longer battery life. 

Both watches will track basic health metrics and body temperature, but you’ll get much more functionality with the Apple Watch, as it’s meant to be an extension of your iPhone and will have more services like messaging and Apple Pay when you’re on the go. 

The design/aesthetics are another element that sets these two brands apart, with the Withings watch using a larger round watch face and the Apple Watch a more diminutive rectangle. Apple Watch also has more styles to choose from.  

Essentially, it comes down to looks, features, and budget if deciding between these two options.

RELATED: Oura Ring vs Apple Watch

Warranty and Returns

Withings offers a two-year warranty on all their products. As for returns, there’s a 30-day return policy where you can exchange your watch for a replacement if you’ve run into defects or request a full refund and mail the watch back using a prepaid packing slip. If you’re outside the 30-day window, you can still contact customer service and try to find a solution. So we gave the brand a 5 out of 5 for warranty and returns and customer service. 

Ordering the Withings ScanWatch

You can order the Withings ScanWatch straight from the Withings website. Doing this allows you to select the watch face you want, add an extra band, or subscribe to Withings+—you can do monthly or yearly. The ScanWatch is FSA- and HSA-eligible and the shipping is free. 

You can also find Withings products on third-party retailer sites like Amazon and Best Buy, but you may not receive the same warranty or return policy. 

Customer Reviews

Enough from us—we took a look at customer reviews collected from the Withings site and Amazon, which led to an overall score of 3.7 out of 5 for this category:

Final Verdict of Our Withings ScanWatch Light Review

We’ll give Anthony the final word for our Withings ScanWatch review:

“If I haven’t made it clear, I like this watch. It looks good, performs all the functions you’d want, and has an extremely long battery life. I don’t like that you’re stuck with only using one function at a time, but I can honestly live with that. I’ll be using this at more formal events since I can also check texts/calls with it.”

So, if you’re in the market for a smartwatch with a classic design that can track your fitness metrics and is less expensive than an Apple Watch, the Withings ScanWatch could be just what you’re looking for. 

Full Rating

Withings ScanWatch Light

The Withings ScanWatch Light is an analog-style fitness watch that looks like your traditional timepiece, with the added benefit of a small display in the center of the face watch that can be used to receive alerts and track your workouts. You can also get metrics on your heart rate, sleep, step count, and more via the Withings app. "I just love the look of this thing," says tester Anthony O'Reilly.

Product Currency: $

Product Price: 249.95

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
4.4

Withings ScanWatch Light: FAQs

References

1. Tang, M. S. S., Moore, K., McGavigan, A., Clark, R. A., & Ganesan, A. N. (2020). Effectiveness of Wearable Trackers on Physical Activity in Healthy Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 8(7), e15576. https://doi.org/10.2196/15576
2. van Helmond, N., Freeman, C. G., Hahnen, C., Haldar, N., Hamati, J. N., Bard, D. M., Murali, V., Merli, G. J., & Joseph, J. I. (2019). The accuracy of blood pressure measurement by a smartwatch and a portable health device. Hospital practice (1995), 47(4), 211–215. https://doi.org/10.1080/21548331.2019.1656991

Erin Chancer, CNC, CPT

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