Withings ScanWatch 2 Review: Medical-Grade Health in a Timeless Design
The Withings ScanWatch 2 blends timeless analog design with advanced medical-grade health monitoring, targeting users who want reliable wellness insights without the distraction of a full touchscreen. Priced at $369.95, it’s clearly aimed at a more premium audience, but it earns that positioning with features rarely found outside of hospital equipment — including 24/7 SpO2, an FDA-cleared ECG, on-demand temperature tracking, and sleep apnea detection.
Built on the success of its predecessor, the Withings ScanWatch 2 adds improved sensors, a thermoregulation algorithm for spotting illness trends, and menstrual cycle tracking — all while keeping its signature 30-day battery life intact. While the watch skips the bells and whistles of app stores or voice assistants, it delivers on its core mission: passive, accurate health tracking in a device that looks more like a Swiss timepiece than a gadget.
The biggest tradeoffs? Limited smart features, no touchscreen, and minimal app interactivity from the wrist. But for users who prioritize discreet health monitoring over constant buzzing, the Withings ScanWatch 2 offers one of the most refined and medically validated hybrid smartwatch experiences available today.
MSRP (when available or best estimate): $369.95
Price: Check Price on Amazon
✅ Withings ScanWatch 2 Pros
✅ Medical-Grade Health Sensors
Includes FDA-cleared ECG, continuous SpO2, skin temperature tracking, and sleep apnea detection — features rare even in higher-end smartwatches.
✅ Exceptional Battery Life
Lasts up to 30 days on a single charge in standard mode, significantly outpacing most competitors.
✅ Elegant Analog Design
Looks and feels like a classic timepiece, blending seamlessly into both professional and casual wardrobes.
✅ 24/7 Health Monitoring
Passive background tracking for heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature makes it ideal for health-conscious users.
✅ Improved Thermo Sensor
New TempTech24/7 module can spot signs of fever, illness, or hormonal shifts.
✅ Sleep Insights with Apnea Detection
Sleep score breakdown includes depth, duration, and potential breathing irregularities.
✅ No Subscription Required
All health data and reports are accessible for free in the Health Mate app.
✅ Cross-Platform Compatibility
Works with both iOS and Android, and integrates with Apple Health, Google Fit, and Strava.
❌ Withings ScanWatch 2 Cons
❌ Limited Smart Features
No touchscreen, no voice assistant, and minimal interactivity from the wrist.
❌ Basic Notification Handling
You can preview texts and calls, but there’s no ability to reply or interact.
❌ Pricey for a Hybrid
At $369.95, it’s more expensive than many full-featured smartwatches.
❌ No Built-in GPS
Relies on connected GPS through your smartphone for route tracking.
❌ Small OLED Display
While sharp, it’s tiny and hard to read during activity or in motion.
❌ Slow Firmware Updates
Some users report lag in rolling out new features or fixes.
❌ Lacks Voice or Music Control
No mic/speaker, and no way to control playback or respond to messages.
❌ Limited Workout Modes
Only supports basic activity tracking; lacks guided workouts or on-watch coaching.
Smart Features & Core Tech
Withings ScanWatch 2
Medical-Grade Sensors & Passive Monitoring
The Withings ScanWatch 2 leads the hybrid category with its medical-grade sensors. It includes an FDA-cleared ECG that can detect atrial fibrillation, a continuous heart rate monitor, and a blood oxygen (SpO2) sensor that tracks saturation throughout the day and night. New in this generation is the TempTech24/7 module, which uses a thermistor and heat flux sensor to monitor skin temperature trends passively — enabling early detection of illness or hormonal shifts. This passive approach lets users gain insights without needing to initiate measurements manually.
It also supports breathing disturbance detection, helping identify signs of sleep apnea. Users report highly accurate readings for SpO2 and heart rate during rest, although some have noted temperature data syncs can be slightly delayed when compared across devices. Still, few wearables match the sheer depth of passive monitoring found here — and fewer still manage it with a 30-day battery life.
Advanced Health Insights via Health Mate
What the Withings ScanWatch 2 lacks in on-watch data display, it makes up for in the Health Mate app, which delivers some of the most well-organized and actionable health insights of any wellness platform. Sleep tracking breaks down duration, sleep stages, regularity, and breathing quality, including sleep apnea risk scores. It also tracks resting heart rate, heart rate variability, and respiratory rate, all mapped out in a timeline that helps identify trends instead of just daily snapshots.
New to this generation is menstrual cycle tracking, which combines user input with temperature data to provide predictive insights — a rare feature among hybrid watches. Perhaps most important for users with medical concerns is the health report export feature. At any time, users can download a professional-grade PDF summarizing their ECGs, sleep health, and heart rate history for a doctor — a function especially appreciated by reviewers managing chronic health conditions.
Analog Design with Minimalist Display
True to its roots, the Withings ScanWatch 2 blends classic watchmaking with digital intelligence. It features a stainless steel case, sapphire glass, and physical analog hands, topped off by a small, circular PMOLED display that relays basic information like heart rate, step count, and notifications. Interacting with the display is done via a rotating crown, which users describe as satisfying and reliable.
The hybrid display is always-on thanks to the analog hands, with the PMOLED only activating when needed — saving power while preserving a clean aesthetic. The display is bright and sharp, but also tiny, and some users find it hard to read mid-workout or in low light. Still, this minimalist approach is what allows the watch to deliver weeks of runtime, and it aligns with the design’s goal of being discreet and health-focused rather than attention-seeking.
Wellness Without Distractions
The Withings ScanWatch 2 is unapologetically not a smartwatch in the modern sense. There’s no voice assistant, no app store, and no touchscreen. You won’t be sending texts, taking calls, or controlling music. For many buyers, that’s the appeal. It’s a wellness companion, not a wrist computer. Notifications for calls and texts do appear on the PMOLED screen, but interaction ends there — no replies, no voice dictation, no emoji.
This intentional simplicity is often praised by users who want fewer distractions and more signal. It’s also part of what makes the watch feel elegant and timeless: it behaves like a watch, not a phone extension.
Activity Tracking & Workout Features
Though health is its core focus, the ScanWatch 2 still handles activity tracking competently. It supports over 40 workout types, including common activities like walking, running, cycling, and yoga. Workouts are started manually via the crown, with metrics such as heart rate, duration, and calories displayed on the PMOLED screen. There's no onboard GPS, but it supports connected GPS by pairing with your phone.
The altimeter tracks elevation gain for stair climbs and hikes, while auto-detection identifies walking, running, and swimming without user input. It’s not trying to replace a Garmin or Apple Watch for advanced athletes, but it provides enough for casual users and those looking to monitor exertion without overcomplicating things.
No Subscription, No Paywall
One of the most refreshing aspects of the Withings ScanWatch 2 is its business model: you get everything up front. All health data — from ECG reports to sleep scores to temperature trends — is fully accessible through the Health Mate app with no subscription required. That puts it in stark contrast with Fitbit, Whoop, and others, which often lock their most valuable insights behind a paywall.
Users widely praise this transparency and long-term value. Especially for buyers using the ScanWatch 2 for medical reasons, having open access to exportable reports is both reassuring and empowering.
Performance & User Experience
Withings ScanWatch 2
Health & Fitness Accuracy
The Withings ScanWatch 2 focuses heavily on health data integrity — and for the most part, it delivers. The FDA-cleared ECG allows users to capture clinical-grade heart rhythm readings, particularly useful for detecting atrial fibrillation. SpO2 tracking is available 24/7, and users confirm it aligns closely with standalone pulse oximeters.
Heart rate monitoring is consistent during rest and light activity, though it can become slightly less reliable during high-motion workouts like HIIT. The new temperature sensor doesn’t give instant fever reads but builds a long-term trend to detect anomalies — an approach users appreciate for subtle health insights.
Sleep tracking is a major strength, with accurate detection of sleep stages, breathing disturbances, and apnea risks. Users with sleep apnea note that the ScanWatch 2 reliably flags disruptions. Without onboard GPS, outdoor tracking relies on your phone, which may be a downside for runners or cyclists. Still, for everyday wellness tracking, accuracy is consistently solid and clinically relevant.
Notifications & App Integration
Notifications are limited but purposeful. You’ll see calls, texts, and app alerts via a small PMOLED display, but they’re view-only — no replies or smart actions. For many users, that’s just enough. Delivery is timely, and the discreet vibration is hard to miss.
The Health Mate app remains one of the most well-designed health dashboards on the market. It syncs automatically and integrates with Apple Health, Google Fit, and Strava. Data exports are smooth, and updates happen quietly in the background. While Android users occasionally report Bluetooth hiccups, most find the app ecosystem stable and reliable.
Smart Assistant & Voice Control
The Withings ScanWatch 2 skips voice control entirely — and that’s the point. There’s no Google Assistant, Siri, or Alexa. No speaker, no mic, no talking to your wrist. Users coming from smartwatches may miss those tools, but ScanWatch buyers tend to appreciate the quiet simplicity.
The closest thing to a “smart assistant” here is the watch’s passive detection: it monitors health patterns and flags issues without asking. For those who value digital peace and data privacy over bells and whistles, this minimalism is a feature, not a flaw.
Battery Life
This watch is in a different league when it comes to endurance. The Withings ScanWatch 2 can last up to 30 days on a single charge, and most users report between 20–28 days with all features active. That’s virtually unheard of in any device with heart rate, SpO2, and sleep tracking.
Charging takes about two hours using the magnetic dock. There’s also a power-save mode that extends life beyond 40 days by disabling smart features while preserving basic timekeeping. If you’re used to charging a watch every day or two, this kind of longevity is a game-changer.
Comfort & Design
Few health watches wear this well. The Withings ScanWatch 2 features a stainless steel case, sapphire glass, and classic analog hands, giving it the look of a luxury timepiece. It’s available in 38mm and 42mm sizes, offering options for different wrist sizes and style preferences.
The included silicone band is soft and sleep-friendly, though many users upgrade to leather or stainless bands for daily wear. The rotating crown offers tactile navigation without touchscreen fatigue, and most users find the overall fit comfortable for 24/7 use — even overnight. The only real compromise is the tiny PMOLED screen, which some users find difficult to read in motion or low light.
Companion App & Ecosystem
The Health Mate app remains a standout. It presents health data clearly and lets users export professional-grade reports — a major plus for those sharing results with healthcare providers. You’ll get deep insight into trends like resting heart rate, HRV, respiratory rate, and sleep quality.
Integration with major third-party platforms is solid, and the lack of a subscription model makes it feel fair and transparent. While Withings could roll out firmware updates faster, the ecosystem is stable, secure, and built around long-term wellness — not short-term motivation gimmicks.
Final Verdict
Withings ScanWatch 2
The Withings ScanWatch 2 isn’t trying to be a full-blown smartwatch — and that’s exactly why it succeeds. It’s a refined, analog-first wearable that brings serious health tracking into a timeless, distraction-free form. From its FDA-cleared ECG to its passive temperature monitoring and 30-day battery life, everything about this watch is built for people who value quiet wellness over flashy apps or constant pings.
It does fall short in some areas: the PMOLED screen is small, notifications are passive-only, and there’s no voice control or app store. But for its target audience — health-focused users who care more about insights than interactivity — those omissions are intentional. You get accurate tracking, clean data presentation, and full feature access without ever needing to pay for a subscription.
It’s not cheap, but it doesn’t feel overpriced either. You’re buying a long-term wellness companion in a body that looks like it belongs on a boardroom wrist, not a treadmill.
Recommended For: Health-conscious users who want serious wellness tracking, clinical-grade metrics, and classic analog style — without smart distractions or subscription upsells.
FAQ
Withings ScanWatch 2
Does the Withings ScanWatch 2 require a subscription?
No. All features — including ECG, SpO2, temperature tracking, and health reports — are included with the purchase. There are no locked features or premium tiers.
Is it compatible with iPhone and Android?
Yes. It works with both iOS and Android through the Health Mate app. Syncing is slightly smoother on iPhones, but both platforms are fully supported.
Can I use the Withings ScanWatch 2 to reply to messages or take calls?
No. You’ll see incoming notifications for texts and calls, but you can’t interact with them from the watch. There’s no mic, speaker, or reply feature.
Does it have built-in GPS?
No, it uses connected GPS via your phone. You’ll need to carry your phone for accurate distance and route tracking during outdoor workouts.
Can I export my health data for medical use?
Yes. The Health Mate app allows you to generate PDF health reports that include ECG data, sleep tracking, and heart rate history — ideal for sharing with a doctor.
Additional Information
Withings ScanWatch Nova ReviewThis review is based on research, expert analysis, and user feedback. AI Reviews HQ does not conduct hands-on product testing. We may earn a commission from the links in this review. We do our best to provide accurate product details, however AI is not perfect and may make some mistakes in research. Please double-check with the manufacturer or retailer before purchasing.