Withings - Wifi Bodyscale

Great features, but my weight was all over the place. On a flat tile surface, compared it directly with my 10 yr old Tanita body fat scale, which is post office and doctor's office accurate. Tanita is completely consistent. Withings varies 2-3 pounds in any direction. I sent it back after a week of testing.

I researched this scale extensively before purchasing it, and immediately noticed the complaints about the fat / BMI measurements being inconsistent. With that in mind, I still went ahead with the purchase.

Since I received the device, I have used it every day. The set up was really easy, and it has worked reliably every single time. The weight measurements are accurate and precise, and being able to see the trend overtime on my iOS devices the web interface is pretty cool.

As for the the fat measurements, if you are looking for accurate results, it just isn't going to happen. The limitation isn't necessarily due to the Withings device or software, but due to the nature of the technology. The problem is the method used by this scale (and the majority of other fat/BMI measurement scales) to capture fat mass simply cannot get a big enough picture of your body composition to give you a spot on number. With any foot-based BMI scale, you can typically expect a margin of error of 5% 10%. The only real way to get an accurate number is to use calipers or other fat measurement systems that are not as simple as simply standing on a scale...

That said, the results are relatively precise enough (over enough readings over time) to give a good idea of trending. Personally, my motivation for buying the scale was to be able to measure the effectiveness of my new workout routine over time. Sure enough, between individual readings, the values seem to jump all over the place. But, looking at trends over time, I get a pretty clear picture of my relative fat mass.

I am pretty sure this is the intent of the software developers because they treat weight reading and fat mass readings differently in terms of graph plotting. On the weight graph, they provide a very discreet weight trend line, because the values captured from the scale are accurate and precise. However, on the fat graph, a discreet trend line isn't provided; instead a "fat" trend line (covering about 2% in values at any point in time) that encompasses the range of readings is provided. This allows you to quickly see the overall trend and see "past" the jumpy individual data points.

Overall, I am very happy with the purchase. The hardware and software work perfectly together and the experience has been very seamless. There simply isn't another scale out there that makes data capture and logging so easy (and fun)!

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The Withings scale comes with no set up instructions at all; one simply must intuit that since there is a USB cable, the must be a port and that must mean something. Once launched into the program, the process seems simple enough...until you discover that the scale goes out of set up by itself -and often, requiring one plugged in set-up process after another.

It seems reasonable that how one stands on the scale should matter -centered on the scale seems fair enough -until you then get little arrows that tell you to move left, move right, up down...your body apparently must also be a precision instrument in order to interact with the scale.

As for the accuracy...well, it depends on which user you ask! One of the users of the scale I purchased was apparently losing 3 pounds per day, though there was no physical manifestation of that. Im on the other hand, was gaining 2-3 pounds per day again with no physical manifestation.

Although the scale indicated it had a full wifi signal, it was hit or miss if the readings made it to the computer...not that I really wanted a record of enormous weight gain in a few days or my partner's oppositely wrong accounting.

Don't buy it. I've gone with a good old fashioned scale and a pencil. Works like a charm.

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UPDATE TO REVIEW BELOW: Withings replaced my scale and the new scale is working without any problems. I recently began using myfitnesspal.com to track food and exercise, and the Withings scale links to myfitnesspal seamlessly. Being able to get on my scale upstairs in the morning and have my weight automatically load into myfitnesspal is a great motivator. Even if you don't use my fitness pal, the Withings app is quite nice if you only wish to track weight loss or gain.

Original review--The Withings scale quit working only a few weeks after I received it. I am waiting for customer service to help me with the issue. So far, they have asked me to check polarity of the batteries and to be sure the batteries were the right kind--really? This scale did work for a few weeks without problem . . . Wasn't a situation where it never worked.

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Great Product until you have an issue. They are impossible to reach, do not answer emails, have a terrible FAQ section and never answer their phones. Looks like a delaware company but has no employees.