Weighing In on the Wireless Withings Scale

I have been dying to try the Withing Wireless Scale for a number of years now.  I think it’s so cool that it keeps track of your weight for you and through the app, you can even see a graph that shows your strides and follies.  Even better, the app is password protected!  Yeah!  The Withings WS-30 scale is Withings’  first WiFi scale that allows you to track your weight wirelessly through your smartphone or tablet (Apple IOS and Android (Black scale only)).

I have been tracking my weight for a month now and have even set up profiles for my two kids to keep track of them.  They think it’s fun and can hop on the scale at any time and the scale recognizes who they are and sends their weight via Bluetooth (if my iPad is nearby) or WiFi, if it’s not.  There are a few occasions when the scale can’t figure out who weighed in, but I will get alerts on my app and based on the weight, can assign the weight to the right person.

The Withing App shows me my weight and how many pounds to lose this week based on the goal I entered.  However, since the Withings Scale was created with the ability to share, it can send your data to other health/fitness apps or import data into the Withings app.  For example, we recently reviewed the BodyMedia LINK armband, which measures physical activity, sleep, and calories.  Once I synced up my BodyMedia account with my Withings account using my Withings App, I now also see the calories I burned and how much sleep I got.  So when I gain or lose weight, I have a fuller picture why that could be the case.  It also accumulates all of your calorie and sleep data so you can see your progress on a bimonthly, monthly, quarterly, half year, or all time period.  You can also purchase the Withings Blood Pressure Monitor and keep track of your heart readings within this app for an even fuller picture of your health.

I linked my weight from the Withings Scale to my BodyMedia account so I can see my weight in that app as well.  But there’s more apps to link to.  You can send your weight to the Lose It!, RunKeeper, Daily Burn, Target Weight, and Endomondo apps.

• tracks in KG or Lbs
• tells you if you’re not balanced properly on the scale
• gives you your BMI after each weighing
• wirelessly sends your weight tracking to your app
• can track weight for your whole family (up to 8)and can identify each one upon stepping on the scale (after entering names in the app)
• features a beautiful large space and glass front
• includes AAA batteries which should last a year
• measures your Body Mass Index (BMI)
• is a social scale – you can share your weight with the world through Facebook, Twitter, email, and other health apps
• four cap pads come with it for improved accuracy on carpet

• can distinguish between me and my other family members when I weigh in and sends the info to my app
• no wires or electricity needed
• has a great sleek appearance
• works beautifully with other online websites and apps
• retrieves my BodyMedia LINK info. to give me a fuller picture of my health – weight, sleep, and exercise
• the app is password protected…keep your weight private from prying eyes
• it measures even tenths of pounds which is motivating when trying to lose weight
• can store up to 116 readings if it takes awhile for you to sync

• after changing to lbs, the scale resets to KG, so I don’t know my weight until I check my app
• you can send your daily weight automatically to Facebook or twitter…really????  But you can turn this feature off
• the white Wireless Scale only works with Apple iOS, not Android.  (Yet the black scale works with both Android and iOS)

The Withings WiFi Scale sells for $94.25 at Amazon plus free shipping.  There is no monthly fee (yeah!).

I absolutely love my Withings Scale.  It shows my weight by the tenth of a pound whether I gained or lost weight.  My old scale only showed by the straight pounds and was so depressing when the scale wouldn’t move for days when I was dieting.  Every small 1/10th of a pound is a win in my book and enough to encourage me to strive onwards.  Although I don’t weigh myself everyday, I do weigh myself about 2-3 times a week, particularly when I’m feeling less heavier.  I have set a goal to lose 1 pound a week and every time I check the app, it tells me I have a little less to lose for the week or it will tell me I have 1.3 lbs to lose this week because somehow I gained (blame it on National Ice Cream day, I had to partake!).

It’s incredible the number of gadgets now that make it easier for you to have better control over what you are doing to keep an eye on your weight or decrease it.  Linking up my BodyMedia LINK armband with my weight information has been helpful in showing me what a little more exercise…or skipping a day of exercise can do to my weight.

And I love the fact that now I can keep a better eye on my children’s’ weights.  Don’t you hate it when your filling out paperwork at the doctor’s office…or even school…and you’re asked your child’s weight?  Now all I need to do is pull out my app and I’ll have the latest weights.  I have a School Year’s book that I use to keep track of the kids as they enter each year of school.  At the beginning of the year it asks for their weight…now I’ll be set.  Now I’m not too worried about the kids’ weight, but by looking at the charts over a month or year, I will be able to see if there are any peaks or dips that correspond to certain events…like starting school, when big school projects loom, etc.  Just another tool I’ll have in my Moms arsenal!

I know that weight is not one of our favorite things to track, but the Withings Scale makes it easier than ever and seeing trends in your weight over time can be pretty interesting.  Withings also makes an upgraded scale called the Smart Body Analyzer which also measures your body fat, heart rate…and even the air quality in the room!  It costs about $50 more but the extra information you can get makes it worth it.  I can see it being extremely beneficial for your aging parents as well, especially with the built-in heart  rate monitor.  Potentially, the app can help you recognize trends that might point to possible health issues.

How about you?  Do you track your weight often?  Would you find a wireless scale in your home helpful?

*  I was given the Withings WiFi Scale in exchange for my honest opinion.  All opinions and pounds are my own.