In April of 2018, Fitbit introduced the Versa for the first time. It was the first Fitbit that didn’t seem like a regular fitness band and instead had more of a smartwatch aesthetic. It was succeeded by the Versa 3 in 2020, and its design inspired the Fitbit Sense.
All You Need To Know About The Fitbit Versa 1
The Versa’s primary improvements are its integrated GPS, voice controls, and somewhat longer battery life. But, there isn’t much of a change other than the addition of GPS, so frugal shoppers may prefer to stick with the Versa 1.
The Fitbit Versa 1 in Action
The Fitbit Versa, in contrast to the banded form of the Charge and Alta, looks like a wristwatch and is more aesthetically pleasing than the obviously male Fitbit Ionic thanks to its rounded edges.
While the Versa does offer connected GPS, it still requires the user to bring along their mobile phone, which is connected via Bluetooth, in order to track their path when out for a bike ride or a run.
Despite this, I found the Fitbit Versa to be the most enjoyable of all the Fitbits I’ve tried. Fit for me, though, was a crucial consideration.
Pros
- Best looking Fitbit
- Full functionality including sleep states and cardio fitness.
- Includes female health tracking.
- Store up to 300 music tracks.
Cons
- No built-in GPS (requires smartphone for GPS).
- Screen can accidentally turn on during the night through touchscreen input, even when on ‘manual’ wake up only.
Appropriateness in Size And Appearance
The tall band designs of the Fitbit Charge and Alta, even in small sizes, felt odd to me as a little woman because the height of the gadget was taller than my wrist and therefore didn’t hug my wrist like a watch should.
The Apple Watch 4, while attractive, was too large for my wrist and, while not uncomfortable, made me feel like I was wearing something that was too bulky. So far, the Fitbit Versa is the only fitness tracker I’ve tried that’s a suitable fit for smaller wrists, such as those of women.
Even while it’s still very big, and not “too tiny” for bigger wrists or men, the squared-off display makes it feel much more comfortable to wear. As for its aesthetics, the Fitbit Versa more closely resembles a watch than a fitness tracker; the display can be customised with a custom watch-face, making it feel as much like a fashion accessory as a fitness motivator.
The Versa comes in Black, Silver, and Rose Gold and has a changeable strap that comes in a wide variety of colours, unlike the banded Fitbits where the strap is permanently attached.
Activity Monitoring
The Fitbit Versa is designed to automatically begin monitoring your exercise sessions, so you won’t have to manually tell it to start counting your walks or runs. Nevertheless, we discovered that cycling, which was instead detected as stair climbing, didn’t perform so well unless you were a dedicated runner.
Nonetheless, I appreciated the variety of options, which included things like bike rides, runs, weights, swims, interval timers, yoga, and workouts. A exercise plan might be modified for a later activity, like horseback riding.
Our ride’s itinerary was plotted on a connected GPS device, giving us a clearer picture of our speed and total distance covered. Knowing how long your heart beat works in peak range, cardio range, or fat burning range is incredibly useful information for anyone who takes their exercise routine seriously.
During a 30 minute “recovery” ride on a flat cycle track, I was able to maintain top performance for significantly longer than I would have on a mountainous XC ride, which I attribute to the fact that the workout was uninterrupted by descents and gates.
The knowledge, however, enables you to fine-tune your workout routines and programmes to maximise their benefits.
Fitbit App
The Versa, like other Fitbits, relies heavily on being paired with a smartphone running the Fitbit app in order to perform its primary functions. You can check your fitness and activity history, log your food and water consumption, measure your body fat percentage, and keep track of your menstrual cycles and fertility all within the Fitbit app.
It’s convenient to keep track of everything in one spot, and the correlations between your weight, heart rate, and sleep quality are illuminating. You can choose to view all of the app’s features or just the ones that you find useful.
Like all Fitbit devices, the Fitbit app’s entire set of functionality is available without paying anything, and there are no in-app purchases available. The buyer of a gadget has immediate access to all of its capabilities, including app and firmware updates.
Battery:
Fitbit claims the Versa has a three-day battery life, and I found this to be mostly accurate; I only needed to charge it once every seven days or so, and that was with practically daily exercise tracking and occasional connected GPS use.
The Versa comes with a charging station that its front panel can be clipped onto. This was simple to employ, and it served to protect the watch from being scratched while it was charging on the desk. When placed in the holder, a USB charge is possible.
Is the First Version of the Fitbit Versa Any Good?
When compared to Fitbit’s entry-level trackers, the Alta and the Alta HR, the Versa offers a wide range of advanced features. While the Versa is more expensive than the Fitbit Charge 3, the difference narrows somewhat when compared to the Charge 3.
Having said that, I think the Versa has the best design of any Fitbit, and while it’s a matter of taste, I like it more aesthetically than the Apple Watch. The Fitbit Versa is an obvious choice for anyone looking for a fitness tracker that looks more like a stylish watch without sacrificing any of the essential features.
While it’s true that you can still record your workouts on the Versa without GPS, most runners and cyclists want to track their routes, which means you can’t leave your smartphone at home, which defeats the purpose of a wearable in and of itself.
The latest Versa 3, which is currently available, has GPS capabilities integrated right in.
