Withings Body vs Body+ (2021): What’s The Difference?

Weighing yourself on an ordinary bathroom scale can be intimidating. Not only is weight alone a misleading metric, but you’re also not sure how accurate the readings are. So it only makes sense this fitness and health companion gets a ‘smart’ facelift. Withings, a French consumer electronics company, is one of the leaders when it comes to smart scales. Their sleek products offer more than just info on how much weight you’ve gained or lost.

The Withings Body, for instance, is a budget-friendly smart scale that can connect to apps and calculate your BMI. The more expensive Withings Body Plus, on the other hand, measures more metrics and comes in a sophisticated design. Is the entry-level Body good enough, or will you get more of your money’s worth spending on the Body Plus? Below, we compare the two smart scales and see where we weigh heavily in favor of.

Withings Body vs Body+ Smart Scale Comparison Chart

Design

While the Withings Body and Withings Body Plus sport the same design features, the Plus version adds guide marks and a different type of black finish.

The Withings Body and Withings Body Plus are modern and stylish smart scales that brandish a minimalist aesthetic. Both devices sport rectangular forms softened by rounded edges. They’re slim and lightweight, measuring only 0.9 inches thick and weighing around four pounds. On top of the scales, you’ll find a high-contrast display as well.

Just like other Withings scales, the Body and Body Plus feature large 12.8 x 12.8-inch platforms made from tempered glass. These are encased in paint-free satin, making them grippy and scratch-resistant, too. A noticeable difference between the two, however, is their color finish. The Withings Body comes in two variants — black and white. The Body Plus, on the other hand, also comes in white, but its black version is more dark blue in appearance.

Withings’ Body Plus scale also features thoughtfully designed guide marks on its platform. This makes it easier to position your feet correctly — a gripe commonly made with the original Body. Nonetheless, both scales are equipped with the same four sensors as well as Withings’ patented Position Control technology.

Features

The Withings Body Plus offers a more comprehensive picture of your body composition, unlike the Withings Body.

Withings scales offer more than just taking your weight. On both the Body and Body Plus models, you can measure your BMI, track your progress, and even get daily weather updates. After all, it’s nice to know if it’s a good day for a run or a quick sprint to the gym, right? The two scales also come with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. But as its name implies, the Body Plus is more feature-packed compared to the entry-level option.

For instance, the Body Plus tracks more metrics. Beyond BMI, users can get data about their fat, water percentage, muscle mass, and bone mass. This gives the scale an advantage if you want a more comprehensive picture of your body composition. It even comes with dedicated athlete and non-athlete modes, so your progress is given context.

Entire families can benefit from the smart scales, too. The Withings Body and Body Plus support up to 8 users, which the scales can recognize individually. Expectant mothers will also appreciate the Pregnancy Mode for monitoring pregnancy weight gains. These scales even boast a Baby Mode, so you can track your baby’s weight by simply stepping on the scale while holding them.

App and Compatibility

Weigh in data from your Withings Body or Body Plus scale can seamlessly integrate with Health Mate and several third-party applications.

Aside from syncing weigh-in data and tracking trends, the Withings Health Mate app does more. It’s actually an essential part of the Body and Body Plus smart scale experience. The app allows users to set goals and track their activity while also offering nutritional advice and fitness coaching. It also works with other Withings devices, including watches, blood pressure monitors, and sleep analyzers.

Withings has also partnered with several apps and platforms to give users a more seamless experience. For instance, you can integrate your Health Mate app with Amazon Alexa, so you can ask Alexa directly about your weight gain or loss. It’s also compatible with home automation platforms like Nest and IFTTT.

The most important partnerships, however, are with other health and fitness apps. Withings integrates with popular platforms like Apple Health, Google Fit, and Fitbit. It can also work with nutrition and weight apps like LoseIt and MyFitnessPal.

Setup and Battery Life

Both the Withings Body and Withings Body Plus scales are easy to set up and comes with 18-month battery life.

Setting up the Withings Body and Body Plus scales is straightforward. Users simply install the Health Mate app, create an account, turn on the scale, and then follow the instructions in the app. The app will then ask whether to connect via Bluetooth or WiFi. Now, connecting to a WiFi network isn’t essential, but it’s the only way to sync data or get firmware updates.

Once everything is set up, users choose the data they want to see each time they weigh in. These may even include metrics from third-party apps or a connected fitness tracker. Although you can create up to 8 profiles, the scales will recognize you automatically based on body composition. There’s no need to select a profile from the app before you step on the scale.

For all their smart features, the Withings Body and Body Plus run only on four AAA batteries, which are included at purchase. Withings shares battery life should last about 18 months. Interestingly, you can check out battery status via the Health Mate App, too.

Verdict

If you need body composition data, go for the Withings Body Plus; but if weight and BMI are enough, opt for the Withings Body.

The Withings Body is an impressive smart scale that combines a sleek design with a comprehensive companion app. Apart from weight, you can monitor your BMI and even check weather updates directly from the device. The scale also shows data from third-party apps via the Health Mate app, so you can get fitness metrics like step count or workout even if you don’t have other Withings devices. Users who want a simple upgrade from the traditional bathroom scale will be happy with the Withings Body.

Athletes and fitness enthusiasts, on the other hand, stand to benefit more from the Withings Body Plus. Since weight and BMI can only tell so much, the inclusion of body composition metrics on the Body Plus gives users a more complete picture of their health. Like the Withings Body, the Body Plus is best experienced with the Health Mate app, too. The app organizes insights like weight, water percent, and body mass in an intuitive dashboard. If you’re someone who takes fitness and health seriously, the Withings Body Plus strikes a great balance between design and practical features.

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