Withings Scanwatch: Scientific Heart Rate Test (One Year Later)

[@dimitrovmaksim]

I think the biggest misconception about the Scanwatch is that it's a sports watch. But I think it's more of a general health tracking watch with some activity features.

[@Peter.Fields.]

Agree, I’m way more ok for that watch than for example à Fitbit, I had one like ages ago.. and it was really not good, unable to go higher than 130bpm …

[@romansmirnov961]

We had the Fitbit Versa and Versa 2. What a terrible experience. Looking at getting a Scanwatch now, hopefully withings will do better.

[@PaulS23]

Please do ScanWatch 2 soon!

[@mtsrln]

Can we fund ScanWatch2 test for you?

[@raphael5900]

I think that the ScanWatch 2 is not on par with other connected devices. Additionally, it's likely that Withings is trying to compensate reviewers to speak favorably about it.

[@tom_from_myspace]

@@raphael5900 why do you say that ?

[@bledig]

Please try the ScanWatch nova. It’s a pretty watch but…I doubt it

[@byazrov]

Dude, your smile is everything. Such a friendly face. This channel is super awesome. You helped me avoid buying a lot of useless gadgets. Thank you so much!

[@miskaknapek]

thank you! I really appreciate the striving for transparency in these matters, also very much in your repreating testing to get closer to what's accurate. greetings from a former researcher in Berlin

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

You're very welcome! Schönen Tag!

[@miskaknapek]

@@TheQuantifiedScientist many thanks! Gleichfalls. You might well frustrate some tracker manufacturers, but sure do give the rest of us a lot of very useful info. Buying this stuff is both expensive and in transparent. As a data analyst, i also marvel how you manage to do data management with all those devices and tests :) Keep up the good work ;)

[@avstars]

I just brought the scanwatch and have been using it for the past couple of days. HR looks more or less within range of what I expect it to be. I personally would just use it occasionally to go out. I still plan to use my Garmin for everyday steps and workouts.

[@shanshanwang5370]

I still don't understand why people are calling it trash. I would say it is doing okay as a watch. Now the issue of showing half of the original heart rate is a bit annoying. I am wondering why is it so? Is it something known/difficult to solve issue in the algorithm side?

[@MarcSanzLopez]

Thanks so much for these videos, you rock. It'd be great if you could review their smart scales too, and the scanwatch 2!

[@blinkhof]

+1 on this. Love watching these videos. I’m also curious as to if/how the new Scanwatch 2 improved compared to the previous model 🤔

[@viver4670]

+1 on Scanwatch 2

[@kp66udv]

OMG! It's that bad?! I was just considering to order one. So FDA approval means nothing at all? Why FDA approves an inaccurate device?

[@jemand8462]

Finally someone who knows how to actually bring some hard facts to a review! Have any of those problems improved with newer firmware over the year? Seems to me like a software problem because if it's always half of it, the signal seems to be still there somewhere.

[@pvwg]

While it is encouraging to see improvements, I'd call it rather disappointing, considering the watch is on the market since one year. Still waiting for a disclaimer-free sleep (apnea / Sp02) tracking from Withings...

[@danskuza7634]

great video, as usual. Will you be reviewing the Huawei Watch GT 3 anytime soon?

[@gigipopescu]

Keep up the amazing work. I have the scanwatch and despite being a beautiful and elegant device the accuracy during lifting weights is absymal

[@VFPn96kQT]

Is there are summary table where I can see all devices tested by you? Your tests are great and very detailed, but that makes it harder to see the full picture for all devices in different categories. Please consider having a summary table somewhere. Thank you.

[@anthonycraig274]

Hi Rob, I was wondering, could you do a series on body composition machines. I don’t know what your based line would be, maybe one of those Water Lab body compassion system. I have a Withings and Tanita RD 545. It would be nice to see how accurate they are.

[@MyLifeInTheDesert]

Yes would be interesting to see how accurate the electrical impedance is on those scales

[@yildiraykomurcu]

Although I have not used it, Tanita RD 545 Pro should be pretty accurate as it uses 8 electrodes and multi-frequency. I won't trust Withings or any other scale which has only 4 electrodes. In that case, you can only measure fat/muscle in your legs, not in your entire body. I am waiting to buy Huawei Scale 3 Pro once it hits the markets. Theoretically it should measure as accurate as Tanita RD 545 Pro. Industry standard is DEXA scan, however, it is not practical or cheap. Underwater weighing is also not practical. I think DSM-BIA is the way to go. But yeah, you can't be 100% sure. No simple Polar H10 to compare here :) Samsung is the first company to introduce body composition measurement on the wrist with Watch 4 but its accuracy is also questinable. Still a good start. Maybe Rob can compare it with an 8-electrode scale :)

[@minh1391993]

that would a good idea but will cost a lot of money to buy or get access to such machines. Also I don't know how can he change his body composition in a short period to test the accuracy regrading the mean and std dev

[@rockyshoresstudios4987]

Amazing videos, do you have an overall comparison for all the watches? Curios which ranks best to worst.

[@ezrat5757]

I absolutely love your videos!! Please, please, please consider reviewing the TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra and the Fossil Gen 6 😊 I also can’t wait for a full Oura ring 3 review!

[@bederhajali]

Can't wait for your review on the scan watch 2.

[@theanswerisfortytwo8481]

Would really love some spo2 reading results! Hoping FDA clearance means its accurate compared to its peers.

[@HarryTranonYT]

Scanwatch 2 video...LOADING🤩

[@musiknerds495]

Will you also re-test the sleeptracking of the scanwatch in near future? I saw on withings website that they track rem sleep now, which wasnt the case when the last video came out

[@JulienMhtt]

I’m still very surprised after all of your videos I’ve watched that the only reliable smart watch on the market is the Apple Watch Why are Apple the only ones who can get it right? Why are the other brands only able to do a watch half working?

[@R4PTORZWIN]

I wonder if the lack of HR accuracy during movement activities is due to the Withings Scanwatch being tested in hospital settings, where I assume patients aren't able to engage in vigorous exercise.

[@Manuel-lt7gv]

Please do a video for the scanwatch 2 :)

[@thetangopractice3105]

Scanwatch 2, please 🙏

[@JonysiguelVEVO]

hey man? Will you test the Scanwatch Nova? I got it and it'd be interesting if there's any improvement. great channel!

[@sonnycruz7032]

Good analysis and presentation.

[@alexandervassilopoulos2628]

Best reviewer for wearables!!! Keep up the good work! I can't wait the review for Huawei GT3. I hope will be accurate heart rate, like Apple watch. It will be a good sleep tracker (or better than Mi Watch) because GT2 Pro was very very bad! And last they will add emoji support!!! Also I can't wait the review for Xiaomi Watch 2 (aka Xiaomi Watch Color 2 global edition when announcement, I hope soon)

[@matrhein]

Yep, that‘s pretty much what I am seeing from my Scanwatch. Since I am into HIIT and bicycle commute, I don‘t consider this watch a good option. Polar is offering an overall more precise package for me.

[@jfbaro2]

What would be your recommendation for the best wearable that people can buy today? The main focus is health and fitness (as unfortunately calories tracker is not possible today). Thanks for sharing

[@EnriqueTinkerings]

Honest feedback from experience after working with Withings support for months with no improvement. Got the latest app version. Sadly, it got worse. New problems: BPM (blood pressure devices) no longer works. It crashes the app. Old problems (not able to test) Notifications don't work. Calls are the most reliable, but the rest don't work or are unreliable. BPM results are not readable when using a dark theme. Background color competes with foreground text, making it unreadable for someone with normal vision. If you are color-blind, I imagine it would be worse.

[@williamstevenson2649]

More excellent information. I'm staying with an H10 for now, but a friend has gone for a Garmin Fenix 6 Pro. I realise you can't buy and test all these expensive Garmin and Polar watches, but have you heard if their OHR performance is up to your convincing approval of the Apple Watch 6 and 7?

[@DMINATOR]

Exactly my experience, when doing something more active it reports a drop in HR instead of increase in HR, not sure why but it's broken !

[@ukowa]

great test. thanks!

[@rolandrohde]

Another great Review! I am hoping you will find time at some point to look at the Huawei GT3 Series....

[@g3ocluSh]

Hi. Thanks for the excellent vid. I was wondering if they updated the sleep scanning so as it detects REM sleep

[@danlorberblatt733]

Hi Rob, I appreciate your scientific approach in assesing the precision of the measurement proposed by the different devices. Do you consider to test the new Huawei GT3 Pro who claims a more precise system to measure the heart frequency? Thank you.

[@yildiraykomurcu]

What do you mean? Huawei Watch 3 Pro or GT3 ? No product named GT3 Pro at the moment. GT 3 uses TruSeen™ 5.0+ for heart rate measurement which is the latest tech Huawei came up with in their lineup. Initial tests by some KZbinrs reveal that it is still not on par with Apple Watch. I will be testing it myself in a couple of days.

[@Optioning]

Awesome video! I am debating on scan watch vs Garmin solar instinct since both have long battery life. Any idea which is better?

[@kevind6006]

It is quite disappointing that after over a year, no meaningful improvements have been brought to the Scanwatch. Still the same basic issues with HR monitoring. Rob, you didn't mention if it got better based on your data from a year ago? Also quite disappointing to see that for a health watch, sleep tracking accuracy is poor and HRV (or other related HR metrics) are under utilized. It's a nice watch but after almost a year of ownership I am a bit underwhelmed by its lack of features..

[@wrongusername]

Great video!

[@TheFreedom4you]

SCANWATCH 2 Please 🙏🏻

[@TheBigKing0]

Just stumbled on this great channel. Does anyone know what is his most accurate sleep tracking watch? Does he have a vid for that or just anyone who has watched multiple and can recommend the best?

[@piotrb2197]

You can check other Rob reviews. He is showing on graphs current reviewed model with already tested ones. Fitbit seems to be most accurate. I bought today withings sleep analyzer based on input from this channel but this is not a watch.

[@gknavs]

Love your content. please please please review Oura 3, I want to see your review before I buy. Only reviewer that actually tests these products properly! Love it!

[@OpqHMg]

I was pretty sure he already did review it....

[@gknavs]

@@OpqHMg he did, but that was based off reported data, not actually his own testing. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[@DragonofStorm]

@@gknavs you're right, and somewhere he wrote that he is currently still testing oura 3

[@jacobreubenaglipa5669]

Nice update

[@jr0ny]

Please review the Scanwatch 2! :)

[@raylarone6722]

People are asking about the Oura ring, but apparently it doesn't even have the new sleep algorithm yet. Will you revisit it next year when they add this supposedly amazing algorithm?

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

Hi Ray! Yeah, for sure. I'll be doing some first tests now, and more once features become available

[@raylarone6722]

@@TheQuantifiedScientist Awesome, keep up the great work! There really is no other way people can get an unbiased assessment about the accuracy of these devices.

[@PatB-dt2dy]

Were you able to automatically pull the heart rate data from the withings app? Or, did you have to collect it manually out of the app?

[@EarthSpank]

About poor signal being the reason for half a reading, I would disagree. What apple users seem to overlook is that how a watch strap fits makes a huge difference. They assume apple uses higher quality wires or something, when it's their own bias actually.

[@christophhormann4257]

Hi Rob! schon die Scanwatch 2 im Visier?

[@everth07]

Which band do you recommend focused on heart rate monitoring? I was thinking about my band, but it is very bad, I do not have apple products, so I discard his watch

[@lautak10]

What brand is more accurate in heart rate, Garmin-Coros or Polar?

[@Brian-qo8kd]

Hi, good video as always, could you make a video on the Watch GS PRO, thx and have a nice day.

[@cihangenc6584]

Bro, thanks for the Test. Very good Video. Can you do same Test with Xiaomi mi band?

[@benjaminealbert9604]

Will the watch buzz after each mile as you are biking, running out walking?

[@medusamesusa4248]

Wich one has the best sleep tracking ?

[@DanielCho1997]

Is there a reason why you dont show r2 for the agreement graphs?

[@kr8490]

Hi, does hair on the arms affect the readings?

[@pjohansson89]

Soo for android and non apple users the best hr tracking is the garmin venu 2 fir right now then?

[@jcap8391]

Get a chest strap or an oura ring if ur dead serious about hr. Those big round heavy Garmin watches move around too much to be accurate.

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

Seems so, though I still want to quantify the accuracy for each watch and make an overview

[@PierreD2009]

the digital screen is so small, is it easy to read in day light ? thanks

[@frede4891]

When do you get the new oura ring?

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

Hi! I actually ordered 2 rings. One had some delivery issues, but the other one just arrived. I might do a shorter first set of testing this week. The complete review will come later

[@yildiraykomurcu]

@@TheQuantifiedScientist Nice. Will be waiting to see the results. They introduced quite a lot of metrics in the latest generation. I am still doubtful about them. They'd better be accurate as the company raised the prices.

[@Witcherworks]

So basically the scan watch should be used for everyday tracking and not for intermediate sports training. My guess is the scanwatch doesn’t allow external HR sensor huh?

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

Hi! As far as I am aware it cannot

[@weorderedbacon8613]

Hi ~ anyone know if this watch vibrates when it received a notification ? or just showing on the tiny display only ? thank you soooo much guys !! 🤔🤔🤔🤔🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@marrsongaming]

please help us to know that, can we trust ECG in smartwatches...

[@Lordosvk]

Nice thanx

[@ZauxieMoto]

I see in there recommendations they say to wear it on the left side is that a factor for accurasy or is it just as accurate on the right side *arm* because my dominant side is left i would like to wear it on the right side! If anyone knows thank you in advance for leaving a comment!

[@Alan01]

I've noticed the times when my scanwatch seems to show half of the correct bpm. Does Garmin do better than Withings+

[@anilpirwanii]

Can you do the sleep test for Ticwatch Pro 3?

[@BenleGentil]

I want so much to like this watch… Very sad that the tracking is so inferior to an Inspire 2

[@DominikNajberg]

Thanks, man. I own this watch. I consider it very amateurish. Especially because of sleep tracking...

[@wrongusername]

I was surprised at what crap I have been wearing on my wrist for over a year. Has anybody experienced historical daytime HR readings vanishing. That is they are not anywhere to be found, if you try to look a few weeks or more months back?

[@peacewarrior]

I am disappointed with the accuracy of the HR monitor on my scanwatch , it's one of the reasons I spent 275 pounds on it. I find it's very inaccurate during any exercise.

[@frede4891]

Can you test the Wellue O2 ring?

[@borismaiorov3358]

What about the steps counting.

[@EvilJonas]

So the heartrate tracking is bad during some exercises, is very slow outside exercise and the sleep tracking is bad as well. Why would you buy this terrible watch? Even for casual usage - what it is supposedly intended for - it is not an excuse for bad readings.

[@Sinasi08]

I know it's not a watch... but I'll continue to use my polar H10 😊

[@castellum40]

Can you measure the Oura ring?

[@TannerChung]

Anyone know how the scan watch and sleep work together when sleeping..?

[@JuniorBattle23]

Scanwatch 2 please

[@anthonycraig274]

I don’t see why anyone would have a Withings Scanwatch when there are much cheaper and more accurate devices out on the market.

[@MyLifeInTheDesert]

Because unlike other fitness trackers, a scanwatch looks nice and if you have a professional job you don’t want to show up to a meeting with a rubber band on your wrist. For me, I love analog watches and I hate the way the Apple Watch and Fitbit’s look

[@yildiraykomurcu]

Honestly, apart from Apple watch, heart rate measurement is still a gimmick for all other wrist-worn wearables. Whoop strap was the second best but they made it worse in their latest generation. I still wonder why all these companies can't do what Apple achieved.

[@yildiraykomurcu]

@@MyLifeInTheDesert Exactly. I hate square watches too. Why doesn't Apple consider people like us and offer the same watch in also round form ? It is too difficult to do? Withings Scanwatch Horizon is the watch that classical watch owners will adore. Huawei Watch 3/3 Pro/GT 3 look also classical and they have a superb battery life.

[@anthonycraig274]

@@MyLifeInTheDesert Thats seems like a case of form over function. Maybe a better option would be an OURA Ring with a classic watch.

[@Varpie]

@@anthonycraig274 The Oura ring still has major drawbacks. Not everyone wants to wear a ring, and their subscription format to have your data is not something I agree with. Also, the battery lasts less than a week, while the Scanwatch has a battery that lasts easily 3 weeks. The Scanwatch also has ECG and SpO2 that the Oura ring doesn't have, as well as notifications. Even with heart rate that is not very precise during workouts, it is still a nice looking watch that provides basic smart features and some more advanced health features.

[@Hardiarm]

Artefacts are common on such devices regardless of brand due to contact interface issues. Curious how it would work when worn with the sensors interfacing with the volar side of the form arm which is without hairs and better proximity to blood vessels.

[@bigbang4425]

I would still go for a watch SE rather than 7, no offense.

[@hdmedia7404]

Withings still haven't fixed the HR unaccuracy issue in late 2021 🥳 It's kinda weird for a watch that has FDA approval!!

[@cahirrje7861]

Great video, disappointing watch. I have the ScanWatch and must say, that it is useless for sport activities other then relaxed biking or walking. But it is ok for me, as I'm not using it as a sport watch. However, what really disappointed me is the quality of ECG scans. The recordings are very noisy compared to apple watch and the p-wave is hardly readable. On apple watch you can easily see where a premature beat is coming, on ScanWatch scan - not. Moreover it happened to me to get false positive "signs of AFIB" detection, which can lead to unnecessary stress. Hope, it is only a software issue and can be corrected with a better filter of the ECG signal. What also needst to be added - the ECG showed on the watch is a fake wave generated on the BPM base only. To real recording can be seen only in the app. Nevertheless, the watch is beautiful and made from high quality materials.

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

Hi Cahirr! Did you get checked by a doctor to make sure all is well with regards to Afib? Anyway, yes, the Scanwatch does make a bunch of compromises it seems indeed

[@cahirrje7861]

@@TheQuantifiedScientist yes. I got checked and I studied the ECG generated by the ScanWatch. It assessed the potential for AFib based on irregular heartbeat only. Moreover, sometimes the final result showed on watch differs from results in app. I hope, Withings will work on the algorithm and improve during future updates.

[@patvdleer]

Rob, @ 0:18, vergeet je moeder niet te bellen! Thanks voor de videos!

[@ParagliceCayenne]

Hi everybody I did buy the Withings Scanwatch about 10 months ago. Actually i have to say that i am very disappointed with what the watch can do. For me the only thing i am using it is step counting, the heart rate is not measuring correctly, the gps tracking (work out) is not working at all most of the time, the ekg monitoring is not accurate. When I am driving a motorbike, the scanwatch always thinks i am riding a normal bike even when i go120 km/h on the highway is says cycling, while google most of the time gets it right. what i like is the design of it, it looks really nice. i would not buy the watch again, it is a real disappointment.

[@dimitrovmaksim]

I guess it detects the movement and the increased heart rate and it starts recording an activity, and the closest one for that speed is cycling. But I agree it tends to mislabel autodetected activities in general.

[@Dallas-klay]

👍

[@ashoksalve9181]

Not impressed this watch only looks good

[@nurikmen000]

Hi 🙋🏻‍♂️

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

Hello 👋

[@gordon931]

looking at those results and price - damn it must be Scamwatch

[@Donilan]

So basically it's trash

[@ParagliceCayenne]

kind of, yes