Withings BodyScan 2 finally lands, with a health check you can stand on
First announced all the way back at CES in January, the Withings Body Scan 2 is now available to purchase in Australia, alongside the new BodyFit Scale.
The two scales are pitched at different people. The BodyScan 2 is the flagship, aimed at anyone who wants a long-term picture of their heart and metabolic health. The BodyFit is the cheaper option, built around body composition and training progress.
Both use 13-frequency bioimpedance spectroscopy. That means the scale sends tiny electrical currents through your body at different frequencies to estimate how much of you is muscle, fat and water.
Both also split that reading into six zones across your arms, legs, trunk and core, so you can see where you're gaining muscle or losing fat.
Withings says the scales show up to 99% correlation with DEXA scans for fat mass.
Withings Chairman and Co-founder Eric Carreel said the goal is to get people looking past the number on the display.
> _"When we rely on standard scales, we let a single number dictate how we feel about our health, but the weight is just a number. True longevity and vitality come from understanding what is happening inside the body."_
## Withings BodyScan 2
A full BodyScan 2 reading takes 90 seconds. You stand on the scale and hold a retractable handle, which has a colour display that shows your results as they come in.
Compared with the original Body Scan, the BodyScan 2 jumps from three bioimpedance frequencies to 13 and splits body composition into six zones instead of three.
It also adds blood oxygen, impedance cardiography for Heart Age and the screen in the handle, where the original only had a display on the platform.
That handle also houses a 6-lead ECG that can detect signs of atrial fibrillation. The ECG is included on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, so it's a regulated medical feature rather than a wellness estimate.
If heart tracking is your main interest, it's worth comparing with what the latest Apple Watches can do for heart health.
There's also a PPG sensor for blood oxygen, visceral fat tracking, a Heart Age estimate and a Nerve Response Score. That last one feeds into a metric Withings calls Glucose Resilience.
There are two catches. Heart Age and Glucose Resilience sit behind Withings+, the app's paid subscription, and the BodyScan 2 only includes a one month trial.
Hypertension notifications are also missing at launch. The feature is still under TGA review, and Withings says it will switch on once it's cleared.
## Withings BodyFit
The BodyFit skips the handle and ECG, and gets a body composition reading done in around 20 seconds.
Withings says it tracks visceral fat and more than 40 biomarkers, including muscle, fat and hydration trends.
A new Body Profile feature swaps BMI for a 16-zone matrix based on your skeletal muscle and fat mass indexes, calibrated for age and sex. It then gives you a label like Athletic, Strong or Powerhouse, which will either motivate you or annoy you.
BodyPath estimates your calorie balance from body composition changes over time. It links your weight target to your daily activity, sleep and nutrition habits. Withings hasn't said which third-party devices feed into that, so don't assume your smartwatch or Oura Ring will play along.
Withings is aiming that at people on structured weight-loss programs who want to check they're losing fat while keeping muscle.
## Specs
| Withings BodyScan 2 | Withings BodyFit
---|---|---
RRP | $899.99 | $499.99
Scan time | 90 seconds | Around 20 seconds
Body composition | 13-frequency bioimpedance spectroscopy, six-zone segmental analysis | 13-frequency bioimpedance spectroscopy, six-zone segmental analysis
DEXA correlation (claimed) | Up to 99% (fat mass) | Up to 99% (fat mass), up to 98% (muscle mass)
Visceral fat | Yes | Yes
ECG | 6-lead, AFib detection | Not listed
Blood oxygen | Yes (PPG sensor) | Not listed
Heart Age and Glucose Resilience | Yes (Withings+ subscription required) | Not listed
Hypertension notifications | Pending TGA clearance | Not listed
Body Profile and BodyPath | Not listed | Yes
Display | High-resolution colour screen in retractable handle | Not listed
Withings+ trial | One month included | Not listed
App | Withings app | Withings app
## Pricing and availability
The Withings BodyScan 2 is available now in Australia for $899.99, while the BodyFit costs $499.99.
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