Advanced health tracking from a classic-looking wristwatch
The Withings ScanWatch 2 ($349.95) maintains the sleek analog look, impressive 30-day battery life, and medical-grade electrocardiogram (ECG) functionality of the original ScanWatch while introducing new health-tracking capabilities. The second-generation model monitors your body temperature around the clock and your overnight heart rate variability (HRV). While useful, these changes don’t necessarily warrant the $50 price increase, especially amidst a plethora of more affordable smartwatches with similar features. The ScanWatch 2 is a good buy if you want to monitor your health without wearing an obvious fitness tracker, but the $159.95 Fitbit Charge 6 offers ECG, HRV, and skin temperature measurements for less than half the price, so it remains our Editors’ Choice. Price and Availability
Like the original, the ScanWatch 2 is available in 38mm and 42mm bezel sizes. Whereas the previous generation cost $279.99 for the smaller version or $299.99 for the larger one, the ScanWatch 2 is priced at $349.95 regardless of which size you choose. There are several different color combinations for the bezel and band, including silver/black (both sizes), silver/white (both sizes), rose gold/sand (38mm), or rose gold/blue (38mm). On each model, the watch face matches the band color. For this review, Withings sent the 42mm silver/black ScanWatch 2.
As a more affordable alternative, Withings also sells the $249.95 ScanWatch Light, which has a smaller 37mm case and lacks a few features of the ScanWatch 2, including a built-in GPS, atrial fibrillation (AFib) detection, and support for blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), body temperature, and ECG measurements.Appearance and Design
The ScanWatch 2 has a similar design to the original ScanWatch, featuring two circular insets that sit behind the analog arms that show the time. The top inset is a tiny colorless OLED that cycles through your health metrics and notifications, and the bottom is a single-arm analog dial that shows your progress toward your daily step goal.
As a petite woman, I found the 42mm Scan Watch 2 much too large, but I imagine it would be perfect for men or those with larger wrists. The 37mm ScanWatch Light was a better fit for my wrist, so I would likely prefer the 38mm ScanWatch 2. Small Screen
The 0.63-inch grayscale OLED display on the ScanWatch 2 is slightly larger and higher quality than the 0.54-inch PMOLED monochrome screen on the first-generation model. However, the screen is still quite small, which is one of the main downsides of the watch’s minimalist design. It can be difficult to see text on the tiny display, especially when you want to quickly check your heart rate during a workout.
Your fitness and health data are certainly not broadcast across the full screen, as with Apple, Garmin, or Fitbit wearables. If you want a tracker that provides fitness and health data at a glance, you will likely be unsatisfied with the ScanWatch 2—even though its display is slightly larger and clearer than the screen on the original device.Simple Controls
The ScanWatch 2 doesn’t offer any touch capabilities; everything must be controlled using the button on the right side, which you can press and turn. Press it to wake the display, and twist it to scroll through your health information and different settings (calories burned, ECG measurements, heart rate, step count, workouts, and more).
As a competitive runner, I’m accustomed to the touch screens you’ll find on many GPS sports watches, so it took me a few days to adjust to the ScanWatch 2’s side button controls. However, once I got the hang of it, I found it perfectly easy to navigate the ScanWatch 2 and access the different fields to, for instance, check my heart rate or select a cardio workout.
