Withings certainly needs no introduction when it comes to health. There are many devices it has released over the months to take care of the users. From Scanwatch to BPM Connect to measure blood pressure. This time we are talking about the Body Cardio scale, which has much more to tell you than just weight measurement.
Designed to help users track improvements in cardiovascular fitness over time, it can also provide important information on their own body composition .
First of all, it is a smart scale, and like most of these, Body Cardio uses bioelectrical impedance to measure the mass of different types of tissue, including bone, muscle and fat. Not only that, during the measurement it is also able to give you information about the heart rate and the speed of the pulse waves, which can be good indicators of your general well-being.
Before even using this Body Cardio, it is good to understand the meaning of some measurements. Climbing on this scale, and limiting yourself to reading the weight, would be absolutely reductive. If all you want to do is check your weight, Body Cardio is a waste.
Among the data it is able to record, as anticipated, the heart rate and the speed of the pulse wave , which indicates how “flexible” the arteries are; the stiffer they are, the more it means that the heart has to work harder to pump blood around your body.
All this data is synchronized wirelessly with the Withings Health Mate app on your smartphone, via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi , where it is shown along with your training data and step count and all other data recorded by other Withings devices, such as smartwatches, blood pressure monitors, or even sleep meters.
Of course, in addition to aggregating the data, the app offers an in-depth explanation of what they mean, providing some useful lifestyle change tips to make to improve your numbers.
How it is made
Body Cardio, like most smart scales, features a glass platform that provides a sturdy, non-slip surface to step onto. Under this layer of glass, well defined, with a flat aluminum base. The design is certainly innovative , but overall it cannot be denied that this considerably increases its weight, which is more than two and a half kilos. Not bad, however, considering that, usually, a scale is used without the need to move it from one room to another.
We liked the fact that unlike most smart scales that use three or four AA batteries, the Body Cardio scale charges via a micro USB port on the side. It could be uncomfortable due to the weight, because in this case you will have to move it, but on the other hand it ensures that you never need batteries to be replaced periodically. The charging progress is displayed on the screen once connected to the power supply.
On the top, the scale has a fairly large display , which measures 2.4 x 1.6 inches , and makes good use of it. graphics to represent complex information. It even shows the weather, with the expected average temperatures for the time slot in which you are measuring.
Smartphone and Health Mate App
Like any self-respecting smart device, pairing with a smartphone cannot be missed. Pairing the Withings Body Cardio scale to your mobile device is simple, and uses the Health Mate app. At first, the user will be asked to activate Bluetooth, after which the possibility of connecting the scale to your Wi-Fi network will also be granted. It is not mandatory, but it is recommended so that the data can be synchronized even when the terminal is not within its range.
From the app , it is possible to choose which measurements the scale will show on the screen every time you weigh yourself. Of course, the more measurements you choose, the more time you have to stay on. Obviously, you can choose to show weight , body composition between muscle mass, percentage of water and fat present, weather , heart rate and pulse wave speed .
Regarding the heart rate , we have noticed in rare cases a difficulty in measuring. It must be said that there are many variables that can intervene in this process, for example small sudden movements while you are weighing yourself. Furthermore, it must be taken into account that the heart rate generally increases immediately after standing up, so the figure that the scale has almost always returned to us was slightly higher than what we average on the wrist when we are seated.
Measurements
Among the data that the scale collects is that, as already mentioned, the speed of the pulse wave. The optimal speed of the pulse wave depends in part on the age , but the scale will calculate everything automatically, giving the user an easy readability, showing if it is “normal”, ” optimal “, or not optimal. Again, the app measures the user's vascular age, although in this case it will take at least five measurements before being able to read this data.
Note, that the scale will recognize the user based on their biometric data and will display the username to confirm it. Then it will provide the reading of the data that you have chosen to view on the display. It is possible that you are not in the correct position for the measurement, so small arrows on the screen will provide a little help in this regard.
The scale can track data for up to eight users, making it a good choice for larger families, similar to the BPM Connect, which allows blood pressure measurements for 8 users . The app not only syncs weight and heart health information from the scale, but can also import data from third-party apps like Samsung Health, Apple Health, and Google Fit.
The measurements of the body composition are all shown in very clear graphs , which already allow you to view your status from the scale display. A bold line will show the normal parameters, while an arrow will indicate the user's positioning for each grade. This is for BMI , percentage of water body , bones , muscles , and so on. In this way, the user will always know if he is within a normal parameter, or if instead he will have to change his lifestyle.
Each time you weigh yourself, then, the first weight data will be shown with a graph, which shows the trend of the last few days, and will indicate the difference in positive or negative compared to the previous measurements.
Conclusions
Body Cardio is more than just a scale. It is a tool to monitor , as well as weight loss, your fitness changes , with lots of extra information. This is also thanks to the Withings Health Mate app which provides advice on lifestyle changes. It is certainly not the ideal scale for those on a tight budget, nor is it if you plan to take it often on the road with you, as it weighs over 2.5 kilos . On the other hand, The Withings Body Cardio can be used on practically all different types of floors, and aesthetically it also really looks good.
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It costs 149.95 euros and can be purchased directly from here in white or black colors.
