Withings Nutrio U-Scan review: our one-month test

Withings, the French brand, has recently added a urine analyser to its range. We put it through its paces for a month.

You may already know Withings for its smartwatches, scales or even blood pressure monitors. However, the company goes further in helping people track their day-to-day health. It measures sleep through under-mattress sensors and can also monitor nutrition with the Nutrio U-Scan, a urine analyser. That is the device examined here.

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On paper, Withings makes an ambitious promise: turn an everyday act into a genuine health-monitoring tool, with no effort required from the user. Although it looks as though it belongs in a futuristic film, this device gives you a vast amount of data.

How useful is that information? Can it be trusted? Above all, does it genuinely make a difference in everyday life? These are the questions this review sets out to answer.

Nutrio U-Scan: quick, straightforward installation

Before looking at the device itself, its technical specifications or the information it provides, it first needs to be installed. Putting on a smartwatch or stepping onto a scale does not require a tutorial, but setting up a urine analyser is slightly more involved.

Below is the tutorial for replacing U-Scan cartridges and cleaning the device.

Fortunately, Withings guides users through every stage. The companion smartphone app includes a video tutorial, allowing you to complete your first reading. Setup is fairly simple and takes only a few minutes.

One device, one user: a real shame

As soon as it was installed, the device naturally became a talking point in my household. Yet, because I was set as its default user, every result was interpreted using my own profile: my age, sex, height and weight.

The device cannot accommodate several separate user profiles. That is particularly disappointing given that a urine analyser is, by its very nature, likely to be used by more than one person.

Withings supports this approach, saying that assigning one device to each user is the best way to ensure highly reliable data. On this point, the brand has made the right call, as we will discuss later in this review.

A significant investment

Buying a Nutrio U-Scan is a long-term commitment. It is not the sort of product to purchase on a whim. Instead, it should be viewed as a proper long-term investment in your health.

The Nutrio U-Scan hardware is only one part of the arrangement. On the Withings website, there are two options. The first, called “Proactive”, provides monitoring through between 2 and 4 tests per week. These tests are performed using a cartridge with a limited lifespan. Withings states that around twenty tests can be carried out with each cartridge, which must then be replaced. A new cartridge under the “Proactive” plan costs €99.95.

If you want to carry out more than 4 measurements each week, you will need the “intensive” subscription, which enables between 5 and 7 readings per week. Replacements are supplied as a set of 2 cartridges, priced at €179.96.

Both plans include free access to Withings+ data through the companion app. The initial purchase for the “Proactive” subscription, comprising the device and one cartridge, costs €349.95. The “intensive” version has a starting price of €429.96.

What Nutrio U-Scan health data does it provide?

Now that the Nutrio U-Scan has been fitted in the toilet and its pricing model is clear, it is time to take a closer look at the data Withings provides through the device.

Below is one of the first readings taken during this test.

Ketones

The first metric highlighted by the brand is the ketone level in urine. This directly reflects the body consuming fat. Keeping an eye on ketone levels is particularly relevant if you are dieting, doing a great deal of exercise or following intermittent fasting.

The medical community is nevertheless somewhat divided on measuring urinary ketones. This information is far less accurate than a blood test and can only show a broad trend and overall picture. That makes it well suited to long-term use.

Urinary pH

The U-Scan also measures urinary pH, which can be used to assess the body’s acid-base balance. It is an indicator directly linked to diet. This data lets users identify whether their diet contains too much protein or fibre.

For the most reliable results, readings should be taken at the same time of day whenever possible. Urinary pH can change very quickly: hydration, medication and your most recent meal can all affect it. Once again, its main value lies in building up a long-term picture.

HydroStatus

78% of French people do not drink enough water. As a reminder, the recommended amount is between 1 and 1.5 litres of water per person each day. In response to this public-health issue, Withings offers the beginnings of a solution. By measuring HydroStatus, the U-Scan can tell users whether or not they are sufficiently hydrated.

This is highly useful on a day-to-day basis and, during my test, it was by far the metric I monitored most closely. It was also the one that had the greatest effect on my lifestyle.

Vitamin C

Finally, the U-Scan’s fourth and last measurement is the level of vitamin C in urine. This information can help users balance their meals more effectively. A vitamin C level that is too low may be explained by insufficient consumption of fresh produce, including fruit and vegetables. If deficiencies persist over time, add the following foods to your diet: citrus fruit, kiwis, strawberries, peppers, broccoli or tomatoes.

Conversely, higher-than-normal vitamin C readings are not ideal either. The issue may be caused by poor hydration or a deficiency elsewhere. Adding protein sources, in place of a fruit or vegetable high in vitamin C, may help.

Our view on the U-Scan Nutrio

With this device, Withings aims to let you monitor your health without having to think much about it. You do, however, need to remember to start an analysis before going to the toilet. This can lead to amusing situations, where the device’s few seconds of initialisation become a genuine ordeal.

Aside from this practical limitation, the U-Scan Nutrio is an excellent device. It offers a quick and simple way to track important information, including hydration, ketone and vitamin C levels, as well as urinary pH. The Withings smartphone app makes the results easy to understand, while the overall user experience is very smooth.

That said, the device does have some drawbacks. As mentioned above, the two main ones are its far-from-straightforward pricing model and the inability to use multiple user accounts on a single device, which is a genuine limitation.

Regarding the reliability of its readings, several scientific studies have demonstrated the benefits of using this type of device. They are very practical for identifying general trends, while naturally remaining less accurate than laboratory analyses.

For its part, Withings says it has conducted several “internal analytical performance studies”. The company reports very strong results, with agreement of 97 to 100% for the biomarkers measured.