Earlier this month, I took part in the City2Surf, running from the City to Bondi Beach, and this year I had the opportunity to do the run while wearing the Withings ScanWatch 2.
As someone who has never owned a smartwatch before, I was impressed by the features and health stats I’ve gone my whole adult life without knowing. As a newbie to the smartwatch world, here’s how I found my first run with the Withings ScanWatch 2.
The Withings ScanWatch2 was my trusty companion during this year’s City2Surf race. Patrick Brischetto
Design
The first thing that impresses me when I open the box is how sleek and modern the watch looks and feels.
The clock face is clean and easy to read, and the display, with a domed hybrid dial and embedded PMOLED screen, isn’t intrusive.
The ScanWatch 2 has a sleek build that doesn’t look out of place as an everyday watch. Withings
I normally wear a silver metal watch to work or to fancier events, and one reason I haven’t opted for a smartwatch before is its less polished look.
However, the Withings ScanWatch 2 would not look out of place in the corporate world with its stainless steel finish and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass.
The rubber strap may be a step-down from luxury, but it still blends in.
Bear in mind, the watch isn’t a touchscreen; instead, you control the scroll-down display with a bezel on the right-hand side of the watch.
Withings ScanWatch 2 Withings
Health features
The ScanWatch 2 has an incredible depth of fitness and health tracking options.
It has a heart-rate monitor, step tracker, and sleep monitor, but also carries out ECG checks, and can even track the amount of oxygen-carrying haemoglobin in your blood.
It monitors your steps through the Withings app on your phone even if you aren’t wearing the watch, so you don’t have to stress about losing track.
Some of the advanced health monitoring options on offer in the Withings app. Patrick Brischetto
All of the health features are easily accessible to activate on the watch, with the data directly sent to the app.
The watch syncs to your phone, where you can see incoming text messages and calls, though you do not get social media alerts.
You can subscribe to Withings+ to unlock another layer of health and fitness monitoring and tracking; however, it costs $149.99 a year, and if you use Apple Health or Strava already, you may baulk at the price.
Despite this, it still connects to Strava, meaning you don’t have to track your workouts across multiple apps.
Workouts
There are different workout types: running, walking, swimming and ‘other’, which I used for the gym.
It is easy to start, stop and pause workouts through the bezel, but I found one big drawback when I did the City2Surf itself.
My Withings fell almost two kilometres short of the actual race distance when tracking my City2Surf run. Patrick Brischetto
The race is just over 14 kilometres, however, when using the GPS tracking feature, it said that I had only run 12.1 kilometres, a telling difference that I only caught due to the length of the race being obvious.
That said, it was lightweight and comfortable, and it didn’t bother me whether at the gym or while running, as long as it was tightened properly before use.
I also enjoyed the breadth of data I got when doing my weight workouts at the gym, compared to before.
Verdict
If you’re new to smartwatches, the price may seem steep compared to some smartwatches, but the ScanWatch 2 is clearly focused on fitness first, rather than being an extension of your phone like some competitors.
Buy it now: Withings ScanWatch 2
Withings ScanWatch 2 Withings
Its selling point is the depth of its fitness and health experience, and how it is at home on the running track or in the office as an accessory.
If health, fitness, and a classy finish are what you’re after, then look no further.