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Withings launched their $600 Body Scan 2 smart scale at CES Unveiled last night—but they’re positioning it as a “longevity station” rather than a smart scale. The device has a handle in addition to the footplate, which allows for extra sensors, and the new features include things like hypertension notifications that we’ve previously seen from smartwatches. (Hypertension notifications only just came to the Apple Watch a few months ago.)
I got to see the Body Scan 2 at a CES event but haven’t had a chance to use it for myself. According to Withings, the Body Scan 2 can measure “60+ biomarkers” that it says are relevant to tracking your health over time. With the caveat that I’m asking the company for more information on how this all works, I can say that it has more sensors than a typical smart scale and seems to be handling its data in a more sophisticated, and potentially more accurate, way. With sensors in your hands, and a small screen on the handle, it’s able to measure and display the sort of data that you’d normally expect from a smartwatch.
Smart scales generally aren’t very accurate for data like body fat percentage, or really anything that goes beyond simple body weight. A typical smart scale runs a weak electrical current from one foot to another, measuring the electrical resistance of your lower legs. The Body Scan 2 adds a handle with electrodes, which brings the upper body into the mix. The screen on the handle also allows it to display data like ECG readings or other detailed results. Since the screen is in your hands, you don’t have to squint at a display at your feet. (In product photos, the retractable handle sits on top of the footplate, but at yesterday’s demo, Withings had the handles mounted on little holders at hand height.
This setup allows for more detailed data than smart scales can usually measure. For example, a Withings rep told me yesterday that it can measure arterial stiffness by comparing the timing of your pulse in your torso, hands, and feet—the faster blood flows between these areas, the better. The Body Scan 2 uses impedance cardiography, a well-studied technology that can measure several aspects of heart health, and it includes a six-lead ECG. This means you can get ECG data and hypertension notifications—two headline Apple Watch features—without having to wear a watch every day.
What do you think so far?
The scale isn’t yet available for sale, but Withings estimates that it will be available in the second quarter of this year, pending FDA clearance for some features. The price will be $599.95. Withings already sells a first-generation Body Scan scale, with a handle but with fewer sensors and without a screen on the handle, for $399.95.
