Withings Receives FDA Clearance for Body Scan Connected Health Station
The FDA has approved the release of the Withings Body Scan Connected Health Station, which is scheduled to be launched in the upcoming autumn. ReturnByte’s Daniel Cooper tested the product earlier this year and had only positive feedback for this high-end smart scale. However, he also mentioned that the price of $400 may be considered excessive for a luxury item that may not be necessary for most people.
Body Scan was announced at CES 2022, which looks set to usher in a new era in the rapidly changing world of consumer technology. Withings originally priced the scale at $300, but after running into FDA approval — and facing inflation and a semiconductor crisis during that window — its cost increased.
When it comes to what you get for this significant investment, scale is an asset. It is the first FDA-approved health station to detect atrial fibrillation using a six-lead EKG. In addition, it analyzes your segmented body composition, measures nerve activity and monitors your vascular age. It even uses Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) to monitor foot sweating to screen for signs of neuropathy.
When ReturnByte used it, we found the process to be straightforward and almost effortless. “Step on the scale, hold the gripper at hip height and wait 90 seconds for it to hit,” Daniel Cooper wrote in February. “It performs a series of tests that measure your weight, body fat, muscle mass, visceral fat, EKG, pulse wave speed, blood vessel age and nerve health. It then relays the data points to you in a big, bright, bold and easy-to-read way, followed by a display of the day’s weather and local air quality indicator (from online service).
The device itself consists of tempered glass with an integrated retractable handle. It has four weight sensors, 14 ITP electrodes on the scale and four stainless steel electrodes on the handle. Withings says its battery will last 12 months before needing a charge. The screen of the device is a 3.2-inch color LCD screen from which you can view your gauges. Withings says the scale’s weight measurements are accurate to within 0.1 pounds. It measures your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).
The Withings Body Scan Connected Health Station will be available this September for $400.
