 Product needs built-in battery to be practical |
| Review Date: March 19, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Larry, Boise, ID |
I returned this item.
This is a potentially good product with a fatal flaw. It is powered by 4 AAA batteries, and there is no provision for an AC adapter. On the 3rd day of use, the scale no longer completed and transmitted its measurements due to low battery. I could use rechargeables, even though the product manual advises against it, but having to replace the batteries in the unit before weighing myself every 3rd day makes it impractical.
I can understand the advantages of having this product be battery-powered; but the manufacturer needs to totally rethink this aspect of the design. The choice of using 4 AAA batteries for a WiFi device makes me question how thoroughly this product was tested. It should have been equipped with a built-in rechargeable battery large enough to power the unit for a couple of weeks, at least. That would add cost to producing the product; but without this change, this product is just another impractical fitness gimmick. |
Upside down display and no connection
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| Review Date: March 17, 2010 |
| Reviewer: W. Howe, |
| I received this product from Amazon and was very excited for the iphone app connectivity but I was sorely disappointed when I stepped on the scale for the first time. The display area had been installed UPSIDE DOWN and there was no connectivity to the internet. Obviously, quality control is not in place on this product. Great idea but poor quality. |
Quite happy with the product's performance todate
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| Review Date: March 15, 2010 |
| Reviewer: T. Nagle, SF, CA, USA |
Hello,
I purchased the Withings Inc. WiFi Body Scale on March 4, 2010. I purchased it under an order with two other products. I am a Prime member and indicated two-day shipping preference. The Amazon Order Confirmation indicated the scale would arrive arrive on March 9, 2010. An extra business day but not a big deal for me. Just to note, one of the three items arrived after one day (fantastic) and the second arrived on the second business day as noted. (Congratulations to Amazon for continuing to meet my expectations on shipping times. Thank you.)
Why this Type of Scale:
I read numerous reviews of this scale and several others. I read medical sites on BMI and other measures. In the end I concluded that I did want one that provides a solid estimate of weight, fat mass, lean mass and in turn BMI. I whole process of reviewing was quite insightful and I learned the importance of looking at more than just weight. From my reading it also appears that even utilizing the latest in high tech gear, there is a margin of error to consider. So the main point here is, the scale is meant to be a good reference and may not necessarily be the best method out there. Although you could argue there are more accurate methods of measures, this is likely one of the best methods for your home. I am not interested in walking into a gym or other to get a more detailed review. The accessibly of home is important to me.
I am also a proponent of technology. I appreciate the ability of tracking my data without manually entering it into a spreadsheet. The option to use the site and a free IPhone App appealed to me as well.
Set-up:
Some reviews have indicated a lack of inclosed documentation and some purchasers felt a bit lost. Perhaps they received less than I. I don't care for elaborate manuals and prefer something based online: which is exactly what Withings offers. I received four trifold booklets: each in a different language. It is all that I required. Every other instruction came via the Withering site as part of the installation process. The set-up was a breeze. I had the scale installed and running within 5 to 10 minutes. It was actually so easy that I thought perhaps I missed a step. Just to note, when you're done, you're done. Meaning, there is nothing to turn on after the scale has finished the download.
Sure there is a little bit of flipping through some screens to get started. As excited as you might be to just go, I recommend reading some of the Q&A/FAQ stuff. It was useful. It may seem like an odd comment, but it would helpful if Withings indicated something as simple as: "You are now all set to go. Place the scale on a flat & even floor. Remember the carpet feet if required. There is no need to turn the scale on. Just strip down, have clean, dry feet and take your first set of measurements."
Incidentally, I have downloaded and installed the iPhone App. My recommendation is to always restart your phone after loading a new App. This proved true with the Withings App as my profile was not recognized until after I restarted the phone.
Use:
After setting up your profile, a series of pop-up screens come on your account page. Again, this was useful information. I attained a better understanding of the relevance of the recorded information. I want to reiterate Withings' recommendation: take your measurements around 30 minutes after waking up. A little bit of walking around and morning preparation will ensure you are getting the body at a time before meals, showering and too much activity. I did take a midday weight once and it was very different from the morning one (i,e, higher weight).
Although the guideline is to measure once or twice a week, I have been doing so daily for now. Partially for the novelty (it is pretty cool to have the info uploaded), and also to understand how my previous day(s) may have affected things. I do realize a week-to-week comparison is a better.
Price:
This is really subjective. Yep, it is pricey. However, I have rationalized it on the cost of my health. So a worthwhile investment in my mind. I only know of one other scale that is similar. It does not work on WiFi. It works over the cell (GSM) network. Its buy-out option (you can use a subscription service if you prefer) looks to be $10 less than Withings' scale. I obviously opted for the Withings.
Four stars for now. Endurance of the equipment will dictate if I add another. At this point it gets a buy recommendation from me.
Lastly, I use another site to monitor my exercise, meals and calorie intake and burn. This combined with the scale and a very good exercise routine has allowed me to get a fuller grasp of my day-to-day habits and their impact on my health.
Best wishes as you work towards achieving your fitness/wellness goals. My apologies for the lengthy review. I thought it was worthwhile considering the uniqueness and relatively newness of the product. I hope you found the information useful. Thanks. |
Withings scale is awesome
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| Review Date: March 15, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Richard S. Bartleman, SanTan Valley, AZ USA |
I bought the withings scale after thinking I came up with the idea for a twittering scale on my own... oh well...
It is a very nice looking scale, it's very thin so it fits under my bathroom door where the last one would hit the door when I closed it. You don't need to press any buttons for it to take your weight, just stand on it and a few seconds later you will see your weight, body fat and lean mass. Setting the scale up to connect to WiFi was also very simple. It instantly shares the data with their website and sends up a tweet if you have that enabled. The website interface for tracking your progress is very nice and clean.
They have many options for sharing your data. I think this really helps you hold yourself accountable when you are on a diet and it's nice to visually see your hard work paying off. I do website development and my only wish is that they offered your data as a public RSS feed (probably no big deal for most people).
If you are a technology savvy individual that wants a visually appealing scale that can access the web all while staying very accurate? This is it! |
Withings WiFi scale - 1st impression
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| Review Date: March 15, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Alex Yelluas, Santa Clara, CA |
| I've been using the scale for about a week, and I'm pretty happy with the way it works. One of the most important features for me is that i don't have to manually enter my weight every day. |
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No video reviews found for this product.
Weight is one indicator to tell how good your health is. Trendy D is introducing a body scale that come with functions – it records your weight to allow you to follow your fitness in a long term.
With it’s compact design and durable fine material, Withings Wi-Fi Scale stylishly integrates into your home. Its key functions are to monitor your weight, record BMI and fat mass. Then it can be connected to wireless Internet to send those measurements to http://www.withings.com. Your information will be recorded for planning dietary and appropriate fitness program. A user simply logs in his account on the website, then the graph will be displayed.