Withings Body Comp smart scale review: All round quality

Best Prices Today: Withings Body Comp

The Withings Body Comp is the mid-range model in Withings’ latest smart scale lineup. It’s bookended by the Body Scan (reviewed here previously) at the high end, and the more wallet-friendly–but still comprehensive–Body Smart (our review is in the works). The Body Comp provides all the fitness readings you’d expect to find in a $200 smart scale; plus, vascular age and a nerve health score. So, is the Body Comp just right–or just middling?

At the top end of the scale (apologies) is the Body Scan, which we’ve reviewed previously. Fitted with a retractable handle embedded with additional electrodes, it will give you a segmental body composition analysis and measure your heart rhythm. It’s also extremely pricey.

What does the Body Comp look like?

The Body Comp has a simple, attractive design, with a toughened glass platform that sits on a plastic base. It comes in black or white. We tested the white model, which you’ll see in the photos accompanying this review.

It displays a good range of measurements on the scale itself – not just weight and BMI as some scales do.

We should also note that we’re looking at the older Body Comp model, which has a monochrome display. The latest version has a color display; that’s the model you’ll get if you buy one now.

If you’ve only ever tried a budget-friendly scale, you’ll immediately notice that the Body Comp feels solidly made and heavy.

It’s powered by four 1.5V batteries, which are included and should last for 15 months with a daily weigh-in.

At 12.8 x 12.8 inches, it’s a larger scale, which might make it a more comfortable option for some people. The more budget-priced Renpho Elis Solar Smart Scale, for example, is just 11 x 11 inches, which makes it a tighter fit for bigger feet.

When you unbox the Body Comp, you’ll notice that it comes with additional, wide plastic feet, which you can attach to the underside if you prefer to use the scale on carpet.

It’s worth mentioning, however, that you’ll probably get the most accurate reading on hard flooring. In any case, what’s most important is consistency: weigh yourself at the same time of day, in the same spot, to get meaningful readings.

There’s a large, monochrome display at the front of the scale. It also shows a good range of measurements: not just weight and BMI, as some scales do. The measurements are easy to read and it’s clear which is which; that can be a problem with smart scales that flash a lot of values before you can decipher them.

In the app, you also have the option of changing which measurements are displayed on the screen.

How do you set up the Body Comp?

Once you’ve downloaded the free app–available for iOS and Android–you’ll need to create an account. Later, you can add up to seven other user profiles. You’ll be able to follow setup instructions in the app and on the device’s screen.

In our test, pairing the device to our account and joining our Wi-Fi network was a straightforward business, although it doesn’t necessarily follow that that’ll be the case for everyone. It’s a good idea to have your Wi-Fi name and password ready and to move the scale near your router during setup.

You can still use the Body Comp even if your Wi-Fi signal is weak, as it’s also Bluetooth-enabled; however, you won’t get the optional weather and air-quality readings that pop up at the end of your weigh-in. I doubt you’ll miss those much.

What does the Body Comp measure?

What do you need a smart scale to do? Obviously, accuracy is a factor. Withings scales promise precise weighing accuracy–the brand claimed an accuracy of 0.2lbs for its Body+ scale.

It’s hard to test this, except by comparing it to other scales, which we did. But we can also say that if you leave it in the same place and test them repeatedly, it returns the same numbers again and again.

Move your scale, however, and the figures will change slightly, which is why using it in the same spot each time is important. But then for most people–athletes aside–pinpoint accuracy isn’t vital. What’s important is weighing yourself consistently and looking at longer-term trends, rather than worrying over a pound or two here and there.

One of the differences between a Withings scale and a budget rival is the high-quality app. If you’re going to pay more for a scale, this is one of the best reasons to do so.

Stand on the scale with bare feet and the Body Comp will provide you with a wide range of metrics. It measures your weight (and you can choose the display unit from kg, st and lbs, and lbs). It also measures your BMI, your muscle, fat and bone mass percentage, and visceral fat.

This last measurement is important because visceral fat–the type that wraps around your organs–is considered more dangerous than subcutaneous fat. You could, for example, be overweight while having a healthy level of visceral fat.

The app will evaluate your measurements as well as display them. But, if you’re beginning a fitness journey, you can switch off recommended ranges. This will allow you to log changes to your weight, for example, without a daily reminder that it’s not exactly where you want it to be.

Then there are the heart health measurements. The Body Comp will display your heart rate, give you a vascular age and measure your pulse wave velocity, which is a measure of arterial stiffness.

The final key measurement is nerve health. The Body Comp takes a reading from the sweat glands in your feet to determine the state of your nerve health. Like the heart health measurements, if you’re basically okay in this area, it won’t tell you much.

If you’re among the 11 percent of the U.S. population, or 6 percent of the U.K. population, who have been diagnosed with diabetes, this is a useful measurement to keep an eye on. This scale can give diabetics and people with some autoimmune conditions an early warning of nerve problems they’re more likely to face.

Overall, Withings tends to err on the side of providing more data than most people need. But this is a nice-to-have problem.

Withings also rounds up your measurements to give you an overall health improvement score. It’s really hard to say how meaningful this is, but people trying to take better care of themselves might find it encouraging to see this number rise with their efforts.

What is the Withings app like?

High-quality hardware aside, one of the key differences between a Withings scale and a budget rival is the high-quality app experience.

If you’re going to pay more for a scale, this is one of the chief reasons to do so. The app is well laid out, with a homepage showing your latest measurements, which, when you click on them, show trend graphs.

Overall, Withings tends to err on the side of providing more data than most people need. But this is a nice-to-have problem.

All the information is easy to read and understand and there are plenty of explainers under each category. As an example, here’s some of the information the app provides on pulse wave velocity.

This is not the kind of thing you’ll get from a budget scale, which is likely to take a more bare-bones approach, with basic charts and no information to help you interpret results–not that pulse wave velocity is offered as a measurement by any other brands.

You can also join Withings+ service via the app. You’ll get a three-month free trial to see if it interests you, and after that it’ll cost you $/£/€9.95 per month or $/£/€99.50 per year. What you get for this is a bit more structure to your health journey. You can join six-week modules that’ll give you training and goals in aspects of nutrition, heart health, activity and sleep management.

Other profiles are easy to set up. However, there was one annoyance during testing, which was that weigh-in information was repeatedly sent to the wrong profile. This is only likely to be a problem if you have two users with similar weight.

What does the Body Comp cost?

At $199.95/£189.95, the Body Comp is one of the more expensive smart scales around. There’s certainly no need to spend this much if you just want the basics, with reliable smart scales available for around $/£30.

However, if you have a Withings fitness tracker, or you’re looking for a better app experience than a budget scale can provide, a Withings scale is a good option. But you’ll need to decide which model is right for you. We’d recommend the Body Comp for anyone who wants a full range of fitness measurements, plus some heart- and nerve-focused health monitoring.

If you want more in-depth heart rate tracking, we’d suggest the Body Scan (UK, £349.95; U.S. buyers will have to wait for its launch). It also has the benefit of giving segmental body composition analysis, so instead of getting fat and muscle mass information, you’ll get much more accurate information on the fat and muscle makeup of your arms, legs, and torso–as well as how that measures up to Withings’ users overall. You can read our Body Scan review to find out more.

If you just want a fitness-focused device, the Body Smart, at around half the price of the Body Comp ($99.95 in the US; £99.95 in the UK, although UK users will need to a join a pre-launch waiting list) will suit your needs. It delivers all the same metrics as the Comp–minus vascular age and nerve health information.

Is the Withings Body Comp worth it?

This is, quite simply, an excellent smart scale that delivers a superior experience across its hardware and app. Our only issue in testing came when weigh-in information was delivered to the wrong profile–but this is an issue for all Wi-Fi scales with users who share similar weights.

You don’t need to spend this much, but a Withings smart scale is the gold standard for quality, and the Body Comp is an all-round great model. Buy it if you are looking for a comprehensive fitness scale that delivers some added health information on top.

Best Prices Today: Withings Body Comp