Today, more and more people are asking me for simple yet stylish smartwatches. Emphasis on simplicity. Forgo the fancy health and training features! Populate third-party apps! All they want is a device that looks good, has basic tracking capabilities, and doesn’t require frequent charging. Everything else—Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, Pixel Watch—comes with too many bells and whistles. Inevitably, daily charging will get old and these expensive watches will end up gathering dust in a drawer.
If that’s you, the $349.95 Withings ScanWatch 2 or the $249.95 ScanWatch Light are worth a look.
be ready for compliments
When I go out wearing these, I’m constantly stopped by friends, family, co-workers, and the occasional stranger. “This looks really good,” they all said. “Where did you get it?” This rarely happens.
Hybrid smartwatches like this are essentially dressier, stealth versions of the fitness bands of yesteryear stuffed into an analog watch. Recently, I saw a heated discussion on Threads about whether you should wear an Apple Watch to a fancy dinner. Well, if you wore one to a wedding, only the eagle-eyed would notice that it’s a smartwatch.
ScanWatch 2 is elegant, while Light is sporty. A lot of it comes down to color and material. The ScanWatch 2 features a sapphire crystal and an extra watch face for tracking step goal progress. It also comes in a choice of neutral colors, such as Withings’ classic white or black face. (There’s also a charming navy option.) Light opts for Gorilla Glass, and in addition to the black and white version, there’s also a fun mint green or baby blue version. Both come in silver or rose gold stainless steel cases, with a variety of strap options. Design aside, the ScanWatch 2 has more sensors and health tracking features, while the Light is a stripped-down version that’s $100 cheaper.
I describe my style as “aggressively casual,” but neither watch will stand out as much as plaid, a band tee, and jeans. Both are also easy to dress up when I have to look like an adult.
I have a small wrist, but the 37mm Light is just the right size, and every time I compare it to the 49mm Apple Watch Ultra 2 on my other arm, it looks ridiculously small. The 38mm ScanWatch 2 has a similar feel, but there’s also a larger 42mm model. These are on the smaller side for a smartwatch, so if you want something larger, they might not be suitable.
Basic knowledge for the tech-fatigued
These are for those who say watches are for telling time…and maybe a thing or two.
This is because neither watch conveys information very well, other than time. All you get is a tiny grayscale OLED display. If you want to read the notification, you have to wait for it to scroll slowly. Since there’s no touchscreen, you have to use the Digital Crown to scroll through menus and press it to select something. I’d put up with it to start a workout, but I’d be less willing to do it for the sake of a timer or an EKG reading. It has a much simpler interface than the Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid, but most of the time, it’s easier to think of it as a regular watch.
Like older fitness bands, this is most useful for categorizing notifications and passively tracking basic metrics. “Oh, what’s this buzz? Brad sent the email. Brad can wait.” (You can also choose which apps ping you.) Also, you need to come up with something no matter what phone to answer calls or check data.
That’s great! If you want to be more active, low-tech can be a helpful tool. Navigating menus on the ScanWatch is tedious, which means I’m less likely to be distracted by messages.
If you want to focus more on the present moment, low-tech can be a helpful tool
Because its only screen is small and grayscale, the battery lasts for weeks at a time. If you’re using it primarily as an analog watch, those gains multiply.Seriously, I wear everything just for week. Withings estimates it will last about 30 days on a single charge, but due to heavy testing usage, I got about 21 to 25 days of use. I took the ScanWatch 2 on a business trip for a week, left the charger at home, and everything was fine.
The only problem is that you might lose Charger because you rarely need it. As I moved, the ScanWatch 2’s charger disappeared into the same interdimensional portal, devouring all my remaining socks. You can buy replacements, but unlike other gadgets, all smartwatch manufacturers have their own proprietary chargers. This means replacement can be expensive ($24.95 in this case).These two watches are not even used identical Proprietary charger. I tried to see if the Light’s charger would work, but it didn’t. So if you and a family member both use Withings but have different watches, you won’t be able to share.
Macro Health Tracking
ScanWatch 2 tracks more data than Light. In addition to the new temperature sensor, it also measures blood oxygen levels and altitude. It also supports detection of atrial fibrillation through EKG readings. Light skips all of that and shaves $100 off the price.
Other than that, they are functionally similar. Both support features such as heart rate monitoring and high/low heart rate notifications. The watch’s GPS tracking is done via your phone, and both have a 5ATM waterproof rating, making them safe for swimming. Now, in 2024, Withings adds period tracking!
Accuracy (including GPS tracking) is decent, but you don’t get the level of insight from the Garmin. During my walks and runs, the recorded distances were consistent with my Ultra 2’s. I didn’t notice any major differences in workout or resting heart rate between the two watches. Sleep tracking can provide a big picture, but I found the Oura Ring more accurately reflected nighttime disturbances, like my cat Pablo waking me up at 4 a.m. for kibble. If you stick to recreational activities, these will get the job done.
Withings’ app is geared more toward educational health than training, which again is great if you just need the basics. The app has a clean, minimalist design, is easy to navigate, and is packed with educational reading material. I just hate the huge notification card at the top. They’re well-intentioned and often include tips on how to use the watch and reminders to achieve your goals. But they build up, are not easily eliminated, and get old after a while. You can choose to subscribe to Withings Plus, but casual users don’t really need the extra features it offers. As for data syncing, Withings works with Apple and Google’s health APIs, as well as Strava.
Which one should you get?it depends on whether you want all Lower prices for health features or lights. Personally, I’d save the extra $100. The temperature sensor has nothing to do with cycle tracking; it’s primarily used to monitor your baseline while resting, sleeping, and exercising. It’s convenient for data nerds, but it doesn’t take a genius to know that you get warmer during strenuous exercise.Neither is SpO2 tracking in consumer wearables That is that useful.
Retro and pleasant
It’s refreshing to test out a smartwatch with fewer features. Wearing the Ultra 2 side by side with a ScanWatch 2 or ScanWatch Light, I can see firsthand how many notifications I receive on a daily basis and how calming it can be when you’re more focused on what’s catching your attention.
But Apple and Google are unlikely to suddenly change course. Every year, watches get a little bigger, a little smarter, and feature more new sensors. For better or worse, smartwatches continue to do more and more, even though many people wish they did less. Samsung is making some changes with the upcoming Galaxy Ring, but even that seems to be about building out its ecosystem. (Perhaps tempting you to buy a Samsung watch or phone.)
Withings has a chance to keep things simple. There’s a void in the world of stylish yet simple trackers. Garmin hybrids are great, but Garmins are known for data overload.Smart rings are trending, but they’re not ideal, if you will Some Notification function. The Google-ification of Fitbit is confusing. As fitness trackers go, you could be doing a lot worse than a Withings watch.