Watch more than time passing with activity tracker

Withings Scan Watch (€280)

Withings has been quietly turning out activity trackers with one big advantage: they don’t need to be charged. They rely instead on coin cell batteries that are changed every six months or so. But its latest device, the Scan Watch, is different.

While it sticks to much of the design of the previous watches, with a proper watch face instead of a digitally generated one, it adds a few new features and a rechargeable battery. The ScanWatch comes with heart rate tracking, measures the oxygen levels in your blood and can carry out an ECG when needed.

Data display

It also tracks your activity and heart rate, and monitors for sleep apnoea. Your steps and other data is displayed in a small screen set into the watch face, so there is a digital read-out of your activity level. Crucially though, the battery life is excellent, lasting for a maximum of 30 days, depending on the settings.