Withings Thermo Review - Paging Dr. McCoy!

Well, as a consequence of that little COVID scare earlier this month, I decided to finally get a dependable thermometer, particularly since flu season is starting and I want to be able to catch any flu sneaking up on me early enough to head off the worst of it. Of course, with me being the unashamed gadget hound that I am, your run-of-the-mill 5€ thermometer from the chemists or drug store simply wouldn’t do it for me. Hey, I have a reputation to protect! As a result, I decided to go for something that I’d first noticed in my time at Apple.

Withings Thermo

The box is rather minimalist, keeping you guessing as to what's really inside.

Okay, I admit it. The idea behind Withings Thermo may at first sound like peak gadgetry. However, in a time where almost everyone I come across in the street is either sporting a FitBit or an Apple Watch and as a consequence has an app tracking their activity and vital signs, adding body temperature readings to this data set is only logical. And that’s where the Withings Thermo comes in. It is a WiFi and Bluetooth enabled infrared thermometer. While it seems rather large at 11.6 by 3.32 centimetres, as well as weighing in at 75 grams, this bulk actually makes sense. After all, the device has to accommodate both the infrared sensor and required image processor, WiFi and Bluetooth model, and a touch sensitive LED matrix display. The whole contraption is powered by 2 AAA batteries, which means that battery failure won’t be an issue, as you can simply swap them out. 

The content of the box is equally spartan. Just the thermometer and a bit of paperwork.

While the Thermo on its own is a nice, if overpriced, gadget, it really comes into its own with the accompanying app for both Android and iOS. This not only keeps a record of all readings, it allows users to create different user profiles, as well as adding additional data such as heart rate or symptoms to each reading, thus providing a comprehensive overview over just how a cold or flu is progressing. With the different user profiles, it becomes easy to keep track of how your entire family is doing, though the latter is not a concern for me at the moment.

Setup and Use

While it may look a bit weird to some, the device certainly feels rock solid!

Setting up the Withings Thermo is easily done within a minute, using both the thermometer and the smartphone app. Just as a note, registration is mandatory in order to use the app. Once that is done, you can also activate data sharing with Apple’s own Health App on the iPhone if you’re an iOS user, like me. That way, any temperature readings are available alongside heart rate readings from Apple Watch and any other health data.

The infrared sensor is hidden underneath that green cap at the front of the device. Physical contact is not required.

Once the Thermo is fully set up, taking a reading is easy. You simply turn the device on, and then slowly move the device from your forehead to your temple, as it uses the temporal artery to take your temperature. Once the device has completed its measurement, it vibrates twice and shows you the temperature on its LED display. You then have to swipe either up or down to select the user profile you want the reading to be associated to and press the on button once to save the reading. That’s it. No physical contact needed, just keep the Thermo within a centimetre of the patient’s head and you’re good to go. The reading shows up in the app shortly thereafter, which is also when it is passed on to any other health apps you may be using. Unfortunately, there’s no real-time temperature display in the app while you’re taking a reading, but that’s just the sci-fi geek in me talking

Conclusion

There’s not really a lot to write here. It’s a device with a simple but well executed premise. In fact, it looks kind of futuristic and probably wouldn’t look out of place in the hands of the likes of Leonard “Bones” McCoy on Star Trek. At 99€, it’s certainly not a cheap device, not by a long shot. However, as it is contactless, it is a lot more hygienic to use than your more conventional thermometers, while its app and Apple Health integration make keeping a record of your temperature a lot more convenient. Finally, there’s the question of longevity, which is where the two AAA batteries that the Whitings Thermo runs on come into their own. These batteries are simply easier to get a hold off than the button cells on many cheap thermometers, meaning you can use this device literally until the sensor dies. I can see myself using this device for years and years. Literally the only thing that I’d like to see added would be a real-time temperature readout in the app, and the only reason for that is to satisfy my inner sci-fi geek. Make it so, Withings!