Withings Go review: Price and availability
At just £49 (USB$79.95), the Withings Go is one of the most affordable activity trackers around, perfect for anyone looking for that extra motivation in a small and simple package. You can buy the Withings Go from Withings itself here. ( Or here if you’re in the US) The Go’s closest rivals are the likes of the Moov Now, which costs £59.99, and the Jawbone Up Move at £39.99 but neither of those offer any feedback on-screen. The £49.95 Misfit Flash and the £49.99 FitBit Zip, however, do offer on-screen feedback. You’ll need to tap them to see your progress rather than the always-on screen on the Go, though. Read on to find out more.
Withings Go review: Design
It’s not just the price that’s small when it comes to the Withings Go. This little gadget it tiny. It’s a simple round disc with an e-ink screen that covers the majority of the front, and you can use the provided clip or wrist strap to wear it, or simply pop it in your pocket. The cute, fun design is available in black, blue, green, red or yellow, but that’s just the clip and the strap rather than the device itself (that’s white no matter what colour option you choose). Withings has created the device as a cheap alternative to its more luxurious devices like the Withings Activité, and it certainly looks a lot cheaper too, but if you’re willing to sacrifice style in order to grab yourself a bargain then read on.
Withings Go review: Features
We’ve already mentioned that the Withings Go sports a e-ink screen. It’s simple, but that’s a huge part of its appeal. That screen is always on, but the low power draw needed means the device can last for up to 8 months before you need to change the battery. Plus, it makes it really fast and easy to see how close you are to reaching your goal at a glance. With most other fitness trackers you have to tap or press something to see your progress. You’ll be able to track your progress on the Withings Go using the 88 graphic sections of the screen. The aim is to fill the entire screen with the bars that represent your activity, so that the circle is complete. If you go beyond that, the centre will change into a star and you’ll get a second layer of progress bars to encourage you to continue even further. The e-ink screen is easily visible in a range of lighting conditions too, just like a Kindle eReader, or even in water. You can also press on the screen to check the time via an analogue watch face, handy if you’re comfortable wearing the device on your wrist. We preferred to clip it to the top of our jeans instead, though, because like most other budget fitness trackers it looks particularly plastic and doesn’t compliment most outfits on the smarter end of the spectrum. Tracking-wise, the Go can automatically track walking and running, informing you of the distance, steps, duration and calories burnt. We like that the calories are broken down into total, which includes calories you’d naturally burn in the day anyway, and earned which are the calories you’ve burnt by walking, running or swimming. Even the things that the Go can’t track can be added in manually to help you keep tabs on how many calories you’re burning and your workout progress over the past week or month. The app can even use your phone’s camera to measure your heart rate, and you can add in your blood pressure, the food you’ve eaten and more. You can set your target weight to help stay motivated, and you’ll also earn badges for achieving certain goals like walking the distance of a marathon, doing 12,000 steps in one day and many more. It’s waterproof (5 ATM) so can track your swimming too, although we didn’t get a chance to test this feature (yet). If you’re happy to wear it in bed then you can also monitor your sleep, as the Go can detect light or deep sleep based on your movement. It’s recommended that you wear the Go on your wrist for sleep tracking, though. If any of your friends have a Withings activity tracker, you can connect with them to compete for a spot at the top of the leaderboard, too. We’ve tested plenty of fitness trackers here at Tech Advisor, as you can see from our round-up of the best here. Of those with low price tags, the Withings Go is actually one of our favourites, and that’s thanks to its simplicity factor. If we wanted bells and whistles we’d save up some more cash and go for a Fitbit or even one of Withings more premium wearables if we were looking for something that looks stunning. Ashleigh is Tech Advisor’s Head of Affiliate. Providing expert buying advice you can trust is her forte, helping you to find the most reputable consumer tech products and services, and ensuring you don’t spend a penny more than you should.
