I tested Withings Body Smart for weeks—here’s what I found
If you’re just learning about smart scales and want to try one out, the Withings Body Smart is an excellent choice. Using it, you’ll be able to track not only your weight, but also key metrics such as muscle mass, body fat, water percentage, and BMR, which might help you reach your goals faster. It’s a solid beginner-friendly and quite straightforward device. However, it does lack some more advanced wellness-focused metrics, such as your nerve and cardiovascular health. If you need more features, there are definitely more advanced options out there, but they will be more expensive compared to Withings Body Smart.
Pros
- Battery life up to 15 months
- Affordable pricing
- Can recognise up to 8 users
Cons
- Lacks cardiovascular metrics
- Not rechargeable (uses batteries)
Compared to other Withings smart scales and competitors like Garmin Index S2, Hume Body Pod, or RENPHO Smart Scale, Body Smart is one of the simplest and most budget-friendly. To find out if such a basic device could be enough, I decided to try it myself.
After testing it for a while, I believe that Withings Body Smart is not the most advanced gadget, but it’s not just a basic digital scale either. It tracks various metrics that might help you reach your goals, better understand your body, or improve your overall well-being. These include weight, muscle mass, body fat, bone mass, metabolic age, BMI, and heart rate.
For everyday well-being tracking, this is more than enough, unless you’re interested in more data, such as your nerve health.
However, if you’re new to smart scales, starting simple is not a bad idea.
| Product | Withings Body Smart |
| Price | $129.95 |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi and Bluetooth |
| App | Withings app |
| Metrics | Weight, muscle mass, bone mass, body fat, BMR, BMI, heart rate, visceral fat, body water |
| Battery | Battery life of 15 months |
| Multi-user support | Up to 8 users |
| Supported platforms | Android and iOS |
A smarter scale without the premium price
After carefully examining Withings Body Smart, I believe that it’s the best fit for you if you’re looking for something reliable yet very straightforward, rather than clinical-style. Basic smart scales only focus on your body measurements. Body Smart is definitely a simple solution, but it offers much more, including insights on your heart rate, visceral fat, and BMR.
I believe that having more data, especially about your heart and overall well-being, might help you adjust your fitness routines. It might also help you understand your recovery time and long-term body trends. Because of this, it’s a really good choice whether your focus is fitness, weight loss, or wellness in general.
Where it sits in the Withings range
In Withings’ smart scale lineup, Body Smart is one of the most affordable options. It’s considered an entry-level device, best suited for beginners or users looking for something quick and easy. It doesn’t have many advanced features, but I found that it tracks all key data, which will definitely enhance your routine.
A clean design with a setup process that takes only minutes
Even though Withings Body Smart is considered budget-friendly, it doesn’t feel that way. It’s made out of tempered glass, which makes it feel sturdy. I also like that it has a clean, modern design.
At the top, there is a 2.8-inch color LCD screen. The screen is not big, but you can comfortably and clearly see the data when standing on the display. The overall size of the scale is very similar to that of all the others I tried. You can store it in your bathroom; it won’t take up much space. However, I prefer keeping mine under the cabinet.
I also had no issues setting it up for the first time. It came with instructions, so you won’t need to guess what to do or look online for guidance. Basically, you’ll only need to install the Withings app on your phone, create an account, pair your device via Bluetooth, and start using it. I also recommend syncing it with Apple Health or Health Connect to see all well-being data in one place.
Where all your insights and metrics come together
Some metrics, such as your weight or muscle mass, are displayed on the scale. However, to get the most out of Body Smart and see all body composition measurements, you will need to use Withings’ companion app.
Using the app, you’ll find all your data in one place, making it easy to track your progress. Besides, it gives you insights that are much more useful than simple readings alone.
I found the app to be quite eye-pleasing, modern, and informative, yet still very easy to navigate. When you first use it, all you have to do is find and select the device you have, then pair it with your phone.
Once your account is set up, you can start analysing your body data. On the home screen, you’ll see key metrics, including your weight and body composition. I was also impressed with how much detail it gives about sleep quality. You’ll be able to track your sleep duration, depth, interruptions, and regularity. It also includes a chart showing your sleep patterns hour by hour.
The app is completely free and doesn’t require any additional payments. However, if you want advanced features, such as Cardio Check-Up or Health Improvement Score, you will need to get a paid Withings+ subscription.
How useful are the insights?
I believe that the Withings app is quite good at translating raw data into actionable insights. Everything was presented clearly and helped me notice changes. However, you will need to check the data consistently and for quite some time to actually support your well-being. Only checking daily readings occasionally will not really give you clear insights into your progress, so checking regularly is the only way to notice any trends.
Accuracy isn’t a concern with Withings Body Smart
Accuracy should be your number one priority when choosing a smart scale. While some are more reliable than others, I believe no smart scale can be 100% accurate.
After testing it for several weeks, I found that Body Smart is quite reliable when used consistently. It has four sensors, and it’s accurate to within 0.1lb. However, it works best when used daily and focused on overall trends rather than raw numbers.
Withings Body Smart measures your weight by using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). It works by passing low-level electrical currents through your lower body (feet), which allows you to estimate your body’s composition. However, I noticed that you’ll get the best results when weighing yourself barefoot.
While this technology is often used by various smart scales, the results are highly influenced by daily fluctuations like sleep quality, meals, hydration levels, and exercise. Due to this, you shouldn’t fully trust daily readings.
Overall, I found that it does a good job of measuring weight accurately and is a good device to monitor your body and progress at home. Yet it cannot compete with professional clinical-style body-composition tests.
Living with the Body Smart
I found Withings Body Smart to be a user-friendly device that’s easy to integrate into a daily routine. Once you step on the scale for the first time, it will send your data to the app in a few seconds, where you’ll be able to keep track of your measurements going forward.
You shouldn’t experience any issues syncing your data, as it supports both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. Although Bluetooth didn’t work for me at first, restarting my device quickly solved the problem. Even if you lose connection, you can still store up to 16 weight-ins and upload them later.
It also allows multi-user usage, making it a perfect choice for families. Withings Body Smart can recognise up to eight users. If somehow the scale does not properly recognise the correct user, you can select your profile manually on the display.
An affordable price for a premium device
While I do know a few even cheaper smart scales, I consider Withings Body Smart to be a budget-friendly option. It’s an entry-level device, so it’s no wonder that it’s more affordable than other, more premium smart scales. It’s still a solid gadget, especially if you’ve never tried one before.
Overall, I think the price is justified given the quality of the device you get. Whether it will be a good fit for you depends on your preferences and use case.
If you’re not really interested in insights and more detailed metrics such as heart rate or visceral fat, there are even more basic scales available for a lower price. It’s also definitely not as advanced as competitors’, so you might look for alternatives if you want a more professional gadget. However, if you’re looking for something straightforward, user-friendly, yet still affordable, Body Smart is the device for you.
How it compares to rivals
I’ve tried multiple smart scales previously, and I believe that Withings Body Smart fits right in the middle compared to its competitors.
Body Smart is definitely not the most advanced smart scale on the market. Devices like Hume Health Body Pod offer much more advanced body analysis, including segmental body composition measures. However, such gadgets are often much more expensive and can be a bit overwhelming for new users due to the number of features they offer.
On the other hand, it’s also not the most basic device out there. Eufy Smart Scale P3 and RENPHO Smart Scale are way cheaper. Although price shouldn’t be the only factor when choosing a smart scale. While Withings Body Smart costs only $40–70 more, I found it to be more feature-rich, sturdy, and overall worth the extra cost.
Who should (and shouldn’t) buy it?
After extensive testing, I think that Withings Body Smart is a good choice for anyone who wants more than basic weight tracking in an easy-to-use device. Body Smart is a simple yet reliable and, in my eyes, useful smart scale that might help you notice trends, reach goals, and better understand your body.
While it’s pretty straightforward, there are definitely cheaper and even more basic smart scales out there. If your only goal is to track your weight, Withings Body Smart might not be for you.
I believe that the price is justified considering what it offers. With WIthings Body Smart, you’ll not only be able to track numbers, but also see insights that will help you understand the changes.
Other smart scale reviews:
- Withings Body Comp review: Smart scale that measures nerve health and visceral fat
- Hume Health Body Pod review: More than just a smart scale?
- Best smart scales: Top picks for body composition, weight loss, and health tracking
- Best smart scales for Apple Health: Top scales for iPhone users
Verdict: Should you buy the Withings Body Smart?
Even though Body Smart is one of the most basic Withings smart scales, I found that it’s generally a good choice for simple at-home use. While it’s not 100% accurate, I noticed some changes in my metrics over time. This makes me believe that it can be useful if you use it consistently and truly analyse the data it presents.
While it’s a simple device, it still offers all key data, including body fat, body water, muscle mass, sleep tracking, and heart rate. It also supports multiple users, has a clean, modern look, and is overall easy to use daily.
Whether it’s worth buying basically depends on your needs. If you’re someone who’s looking for an advanced clinical-style device or, on the contrary, for a basic scale for weight loss only, it might not be the best option for you. However, if you’re just starting out and are ready to track key metrics about your body, it might be for you.
References
- JMIE mHealth and uHealth: Accuracy of Smart Scales on Weight and Body Composition: Observational Study
- Journal of Translational Medicine: High-standard predictive equations for estimating body composition using bioelectrical impedance analysis: a systematic review
