The Withings WiFi Body Scale promises to transmit your weight to your iOS device and graph your weight, BMI (Body Mass Index) and lean and fat mass so that it is accessible from your iOS device or from the web.
In the past such promises have proven quite hollow, or clunky to the point of useless ness, so it was with trepidation I decided to test this scale.
The scale arrived in a fairly compact box, which included 4-AA batteries, a USB cable and a small tape measure (to measure one’s height, I guess.) The packaging also included 4 “feet” for the unit, if you expect to use in on a carpet or a rug.
The construction and design of the scale is first rate. The industrial design for the scale is beautiful and the entire unit feels solid and well built. The instruction booklet is a mere 4 pages, which I assumed was a good sign. The entire process of setting up the scale with your WiFi and iOS device consists of the following steps:
1. Connect the scale to your computer via the USB cable.
2. Go to the Withings website and download the software, which configures the scale.
3. Open a free account at the Withings website.
4. Download the free Withings app for your iPhone or iPad.
The steps were very easy to follow and all of this took no more than 20 minutes to get through. Oddly, the damndest time I had was connecting the USB cable to the scale. All the instruction said was,”Now connect the scale to your computer with the USB cable.” It did not specify the location of the USB port on the scale. After turning the scale over and over like some fool, it took me some time to find the USB port on the scale: It is inside the battery compartment and is not marked in any way whatsoever. What an odd oversight.
Once I got past the 4-steps outlined, the scale just… worked.
Every morning I get on the scale. It goes on, and after a few measurements turns itself off. I walk off and pick up my iOS device and the measurement is already there. I can also track the details on the Withings website under my account.
At $160, the scale may be expensive for many. But if you regularly weigh yourself and use your iOS device as your main hub of activity, then this is the answer for you.
Withings also has a blood pressure monitor for the iOS devices and is about to release a baby monitor as well. If the Withings WiFi Scale is any indication, the company ought to win high marks in their new products as well.
