The Fitbit Versa launched a few months ago and I think it was a welcome addition to the wearable market. There isn’t much in the way of competition for the Apple Watch and we desperately need another option (or at least my purse does). The Fitbit Versa, on the box, is answer. While it might be coming from the wearable fitness leaders, the Fitbit Versa is far more than just a fitness traffic.
I’ve had a few months with it now and here are my initial thoughts
This is not a fitness wearable. It is a smartwatch. As you remove it from its packaging you’ll be impressed with the design. There is no doubt that some inspiration was taken from the Apple Watch as it has a very similar look and feel, albeit a somewhat bigger screen. The 1.34″ LCD touch screen is vibrant and gives you a selection of options to utilise (but I’ll get in to those in a bit). The watch is light and also has interchangeable straps, so if you’re wanting to change the watch style up you can. However, while I haven’t changed the straps it does look a bit fiddly and I saw screws. Not ideal. But again, coming from an uneducated untested point of view so don’t take my word for it.
What can it do?
The Fitbit Versa can do ALL THE THINGS. Sort of. You have all the Fitbit functionality you love including tracking your steps and tracking your exercise via the multi-sport mode. The watch is able to determine what exercise you’re doing and then tracks the workout accordingly. It also works really well and tends to be a favourite of mine. Over and above that the watch connects via bluetooth to your Android or iOS device and can feed you phone notifications (not Whats App though, argh!). If your phone is nearby you can also use connected GPS but unfortunately this only works with your phone in your pocket. So keep that in mind. The watch also has a host of apps you can utilise including ones for weather (I find this one nifty with my travelling). It is also able to store and play music if you require.
I always find that my biggest “issue” with smartwatches and wearables in general is that I end up not really using all the features. However, one I may consider using in my day to day life is the addition to the Fitbit app which is specifically aimed at women. There is now an option to monitor female health tracking on Fitbit devices and, ultimately, your Versa. Why would I want to track my period? Well, the functionality isn’t limited to your period. It allows you to input data like acne break outs, unusual fluid and even level of flow. If you track this over time you’re able to identify patterns and ultimately manage them better.
There is also the option to track sleep patterns. I’ve tried to use this once or twice before with zero success so I’m not sold on sleep tracking but the functionality is there. There is also the option to use the watch for wallet free payments. I’m a bit dubious about linking bank and Paypal accounts to review tech though so I never tested this one out.
Overall thoughts?
So a few things. I really like this watch. I’m already fully integrated in to the Fitbit ecosystem so moving over to a Versa was easy. I didn’t like the watch strap. The band didn’t “breathe” for me and ultimately left where it sat a bit sweaty. Common with most watch straps unless you know what to look for but the annoyance was amplified as the watch them rubbed and I got a little rash after one particular high intensity work out. Also my fault for not rubbing the strap down after and simply adding the sweaty one back on my wrist after the shower. It happens. I like how much functionality is on offer on the Versa but I think the functionality of the Fitbit app in general is far above those of the competition. The watch costs R3199 which is a decent price if you’re desperate for a Smartwatch with all the fitness functionality you’ve come to expect from Fitbit.
Disclosure: I was sent a Fitbit Versa to review for a set time period.
