Withings Scanwatch Light

Not so long ago, we reviewed Withings’ Scanwatch Horizon and found that the manufacturer really has some good, central ideas up its sleeve, but that it was also a rather high price for what some might consider a slightly compromised smartwatch experience.

However, if you’re looking for a hybrid smartwatch and aren’t willing to part with £500, Withings can still help you out. The Scanwatch Light is a lot cheaper, in fact, you can get it right now for just over £230, and not only does some of the price come off, so does some of the weight.

The dial itself is 37 millimetres, which takes us out of the classic male sphere, where 44 or even 46 millimetres are more natural sizes. This does not mean that materials are spared, because the case itself is made of stainless steel, and there is Gorilla Glass on the front to protect against scratches and, in the worst case, cracking, and there are even five different colours to choose from.

At the top of the watch face we find the same small OLED display that we’ve already described in our Scanwatch Horizon review, which can be activated with a single touch and can give you a series of small, superficial information about the number of steps taken or gradual notifications that scroll sideways.

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There’s the same PPG sensor at the bottom that offers heart rate monitoring and a range of other parameters, which will no doubt be of interest to those who come to Withings primarily for health monitoring. The watch has a 5TM certification, so it’s safe to dive with and use in both salt and chlorinated water.

As the watch face itself is smaller, the OLED panel is correspondingly smaller, but here Scanwatch Light benefits from the fact that the text is white on a black background, so I personally had no trouble deciphering what it said. I can also confirm that the 30 days of use on a single charge is very accurate.

I bow down to Withings’ design philosophy and they certainly know who their customers are and what they want. However, I will say that the Scanwatch Light, due to its smaller size, should be slightly cheaper than it actually is. As it is right now, it’s too close to watches that give you a little more, and if it was slightly lower in price, it would be an easier pill to swallow.

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But that doesn’t mean the functionality disappoints, quite the contrary. Withings delivers sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring, water certification and great notification support, all in a hybrid frame where not everyone realises that you’re actually wearing a slightly smarter watch.