Withings Body Cardio

[BlackBun]

I posted this here as the Apple Store lists it as an AW accessory. I’m unlikely to buy one but had a few minutes waiting for the bus and read it out of interest. Any thoughts appreciated.

Withings Body Cardio Wi-Fi Smart Scales with Body Composition and Heart Rate

Why is it called Body Cardio that conjured up sone great aerobic workout kit. Nothing even close as far as I can see.

You stand on the thing: how does it determine bone and muscle mass?

I’m not convinced by it at all.

Thank you.

 

[arc of the universe]

i have this scale.
its actually been discontinued in most countries (with one around the same price point with more features). probably good price deals on it.

regarding your question, it measures the time it takes for blood pumped out of the heart to reach extremities. it calls this a measure of your vascular age.
in terms of function, it compares itself (on its website) to a blood pressure monitor.
its data gives 3 general categories: optimal, normal, not-optimal.
i have better than normal blood pressure for persons my age when measured by a blood pressure gauge but i am not an athlete. withings rates me as normal.
in terms of body mass percentages, specifically for bone mass, the data do co-relate to my annual health checks.

for me, although withings' upper end scales do have some interesting features, the main reason why i use it is because of the withings iPhone Health Mate app. this app is all that i hoped apple Health app would be.
it turns out that the direction that apple has taken for its Health app is to be the data repository for health info. leaving interpretation and info usability to other companies, with only basic quantitative trend data.
the withing's app uses my apple watch info including the workout (run and walk maps) data, etc etc. and combines available info to give me better summaries and trends than the apple app. it also uses the same data and gives a slightly different outlook on what is happening trend wise, etc. much like would happen if you go visit two different doctors.

after withings bought back its brand (!) from nokia (which almost trashed it), its really the leader in my opinion.

 

[Hoo Doo Dude]

There is no way a scale or any other external device can determine body composition. Height and weight can give
you a BMI index number but the whole BMI thing is bunk generated 200 years ago by a totally unqualified quack. Despite modern medicine clinging to this thoroughly discredited arbitrary metric it has no significance or usefulnes.

 

[eekcat]

I have one and like it. You won't be able to count on its body composition being very accurate compared to something like a DEXA scan (or autopsy), but at the very least, it will be decently directionally precise. As an example when I first started working out, the Withings scale had me at 23% body fat, while a DEXA scan showed that I was 32% (yeah, I was a chonk for a while.) Now the Withings has me at 18% - I'm scheduling a new DEXA soon.