Withings ScanWatch Horizon review

Withings has made its title with so-called hybrid smartwatches: digital units that embody a full suite of well being monitoring options, however embodied within the design of an analogue time piece.  

The newest era, the ScanWatch, launched in 2020, however has since been adopted up by the large brother reviewed right here, the ScanWatch Horizon, which packs the identical tech right into a chunky dive watch design. 

Let’s dive in. 

Design and construct 

• Chrome steel casing 
• 10ATM water-resistance 
• Glow-in-the-dark fingers 

The design is de facto the important thing of the ScanWatch Horizon; virtually the whole lot that’s new to the watch comes right down to the way it appears and what it’s fabricated from. 

The time piece is overtly impressed by traditional diver’s watches like Rolex’s Submariner and Omega’s Seamaster ranges, with the heft and metallic development embodied by these designs. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The casing is created from chrome steel, as is the together with metallic hyperlink strap, whereas the face is made out of scratch-resistant sapphire glass. In an surprising however welcome contact, Withings additionally features a separate water resistant fluoroelastomer band, which you will choose to make use of for some exercises. 

That’s notably welcome as a result of I struggled to discover a actually comfy match with the metallic band. Withings gives the instruments so as to add and take away hyperlinks, a course of that could be a little fiddly however solely takes a couple of minutes, however even after attempting a number of attainable settings the most effective I might get was ‘fairly comfy’, however by no means fairly felt simply proper. 

Getting match issues for maximising outcomes from the number of sensors embedded into the again of the physique, although it’s value saying that though I discovered my match fiddly, this by no means appeared to influence the standard of the readings I acquired. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The dive watch design means this can be a massive watch. It is available in only one dimension – 43mm – and the watch physique alone weighs 72g, and far more with the hyperlink band connected. It’s laborious to think about {that a} fault given the aesthetic it’s attempting to echo although, and for a lot of the heft can be welcome. 

My private style skews nearer to the leather-strapped authentic ScanWatch, however even I’ve to confess that the Horizon is a ravishing watch, with a easy strap and simply sufficient issues to be helpful with out over-cluttering the design. It’s accessible in two variations, which solely change the color of the face: both navy blue or a deep inexperienced. 

That face incorporates a single small, round PMOLED display screen used to navigate the watch, and under it a easy dial to trace your progress in your each day step rely purpose. There’s only one management – a digital crown button used to pick out choices and scroll by menus. You can even rotate the bezel, a standard characteristic used to trace dive time at a look, nevertheless it solely serves that old-school objective – it’s a disgrace Withings couldn’t discover a technique to hyperlink it to any smarter options. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The 2 watch fingers (there’s no second hand right here) are coated in a luminous coating, as are the minute markers, making the watch legible at the hours of darkness.  

As you’d anticipate from a dive watch that is water resistant. The unique ScanWatch might deal with as much as 5ATM of water stress, however the Horizon doubles that to 10ATM, which means it might genuinely serve for (some) diving. I didn’t check it to that degree, I’ll admit, nevertheless it’s survived loads of showers in my time reviewing the watch. 

Monitoring and efficiency 

• Health and train monitoring 
• Sleep, SpO2, and ECG 
• Primary notification help 
• App works on iOS or Android 

The ScanWatch could seem easy due to the minimalist controls and watch face, however Withings’ monitoring is definitely a number of the most complete round. 

The same old suspects are all right here, for starters. Coronary heart price, steps, distance, and flooring climbed are all tracked, as are a variety of workout routines from badminton to zumba. You may solely set as much as 5 workout routines to be accessible from the watch at any given time although – a irritating restriction, however one designed to make navigating the record easy. 

There’s additionally some automated exercise detection, however that is restricted to strolling, operating, and swimming. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The large draw back to the health monitoring right here is that there’s no built-in GPS monitoring, which is able to restrict how helpful that is for severe runners or cyclists. There’s clearly area within the watch case for it, however Withings presumably didn’t see that form of health monitoring as a precedence. It solely helps linked GPS, so it’s a must to carry your telephone with you throughout exercises if you wish to precisely monitor your route.

It’s the well being monitoring the place the ScanWatch comes into its personal. You may entry on-demand electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) checks, together with passive monitoring of atrial fibrillation (AFib) and respiration disturbances whereas sleeping (usually an indication of sleep apnea). That’s together with extra normal sleep high quality monitoring too. 

The machine has been licensed by each the American FDA and by European well being our bodies, and its health-tracking has been clinically validated, so you must have the ability to belief its outcomes. Withings is nonetheless cautious to level out its limitations, warning that the AFib detection isn’t designed to detect coronary heart assaults. 

The entire information, from health to well being options, is captured and recorded within the Withings Well being Mate app, which is free and accessible on iOS or Android. 

Well being Mate is likely one of the greatest monitoring apps in the marketplace for my cash, and can also be wonderful at combining information from Withings’ different units (together with good scales and devoted sleep trackers) if you wish to go all-in on the ecosystem. 

Dominic Preston / Foundry

Knowledge is laid out cleanly and clearly on the dashboard, with clear progress monitoring, help for a number of customers, and fast entry to the entire customisable settings for the watch itself. 

These embody some, albeit restricted, notification help. You may obtain notifications from any app you would like in your watch (or none in any respect), however with the small display screen they’ll solely actually be helpful for easy updates from choose apps – it’s probably not going that will help you learn your emails, although can scroll by a textual content message. 

Battery life 

• As much as 30 days battery 
• Much less if you happen to activate each monitoring characteristic 
• Two hours to cost 

Battery life is one other huge power for the ScanWatch – the upside of solely that includes a miniature monochrome show. 

Withings says that the Horizon can last as long as 30 days on a single cost, and an additional 20 days (for 50 whole) in energy reserve mode, which limits you to exercise monitoring and checking the time. 

In follow, battery life is extra variable, and it relies upon which options you utilize and the way usually. Each use of the ECG or SpO2 sensors will chip away at your battery life, although it’s the assorted non-compulsory passive modes that expend extra: monitoring indicators of AFib, and checking oxygen saturation and respiration disturbances when you sleep – the latter specifically warns that it’s going to “drastically” influence battery, and the really helpful automated setting solely turns it on “a number of occasions every quarter.” 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

I examined the watch with each passive setting enabled, with respiration disturbances on the above auto mode (versus each night time or off totally), and a full cost lasted me about 9 days. That included monitoring a number of exercises and walks, together with an occasional handbook ECG or SpO2 verify. 

That’s a good distance wanting Withings’ 30 days, however remains to be undeniably spectacular, and much past what any full-screened smartwatch can ship. And given {that a} full cost nonetheless takes solely a few hours, it’s no actual problem to high the watch again up when it will definitely does run out. 

Value and availability 

The draw back to the ScanWatch Horizon is the value. It’s $499/£499/€499, which is roughly double the value of the unique ScanWatch, regardless of packing the identical monitoring options. You should buy it straight from Withings.

What you’re paying for right here in comparison with the common ScanWatch is a mixture of design and sturdiness, and people components additionally assist it stand out when in comparison with different health trackers and extra totally characteristic smartwatches. There are additionally few rivals that may compete with Withings on the standard of its health-tracking options. 

You may bristle at how few good options are right here in comparison with the likes of the Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch, however Withings wins on monitoring and battery life – even exceeding the top-of-the-line Fitbit Sense. It additionally has the sting on longevity – its timeless design gained’t age, and neither will its characteristic set (or battery). Withings clearly sees it that approach too, providing a powerful five-year guarantee with the watch. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Nonetheless, if you happen to’re not satisfied, try our rating of the most effective health trackers to see how the Horizon compares, or the most effective smartwatches for merchandise which have extra complete good options. 

Verdict 

The ScanWatch Horizon is one other spectacular hybrid watch from Withings that pairs an analogue aesthetic with a complete and fashionable set of well being monitoring options. 

It’s costly – particularly in comparison with the primary ScanWatch – however that’s right down to a mixture of a premium, sturdy design and well being options that no rivals can match.  

The dive watch look gained’t be for everybody (and if you happen to’re not a fan, the cheaper ScanWatch may enchantment extra) however in order for you a well being and health tracker that may very well be mistaken for a Rolex, there’s none higher. 

Specs 

Withings ScanWatch Horizon specs: 

• Electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor 
• Photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor 
• SpO2 sensor 
• AFib detection 
• Respiratory disturbance detection 
• Bluetooth Low Power 
• Silent alarm 
• Heartrate, steps, distance, calorie, and elevation monitoring 
• 30+ exercises 
• Sleep monitoring 
• Water-proof as much as 100m (10 ATM) 
• As much as 30-day battery life 
• Requires iOS 14 or Android 8 or later 
• 72g (43mm)