Review: Fitbit Versa Smartwatch

Kayla Matthews -

After Fitbit’s release of the Fitbit Ionic, sales were not as high as Fitbit expected. By introducing the Versa into their line of products, Fitbit is back in the competition for providing one of the best smartwatches to date.

The Fitbit Versa is a health and fitness smartwatch designed to help you live your best life. It provides many of the same features as the Ionic but with a new, lighter design. Read on for a review of all the features included in the Versa.

Lighter Design

At first glance, the Versa looks similar to an Apple Watch with its bright color touchscreen and lightweight aluminum body. The body is a square shape with rounded edges and contains three buttons on the sides of the watch. The Versa comes in five unique colors:

  • Black case and black band
  • Rose cold case and peach band
  • Silver case and gray band
  • Rose gold case and woven lavender band
  • Graphite case and woven charcoal band

Each watch can be customized to fit your style by changing the bands and the clock face. Changing the bands isn’t as easy as the ones on Apple watches, but you can easily change Fitbit watch faces in the Fitbit app settings. With the Versa, Fitbit provides more custom face options for you to choose from.

One of the most attractive elements of the design is the Versa’s incredible battery life. It can last four days and nights without you needing to charge it. For a comparison, all-day battery life for the Apple WatchSeries 3 is typically 18 hours.

Lower Price Tag

The price for the black, peach and gray band watches is $199.95, while the woven band watches sell for $229.95. The Versa does not have a GPS, making it less expensive than the Fitbit Ionic.

Compared to other smartwatches such as the Apple Watch Series 3 that starts at $329, the Versa is an excellent deal. It features many capabilities that are comparable to Apple Watches and other smartwatches for a fraction of the cost.

Health and Fitness Tracking

Fitbit smartwatches continue to be one of the best motivational methods for improving your health, and the Versa takes fitness tracking to the next level. It provides many of the same features as the Fitbit Ionic:

  • All-day activity tracking for steps, distance, floors, miles and calories
  • Guided breathing sessions
  • SmartTrack technology that automatically records activities such as runs, aerobic workouts and sports
  • PurePulse Heart Rate technology that tracks your heart rate
  • Sleep tracking
  • Swim workout tracking

However, the Fitbit Versa also offers some unique health and fitness tracking features that help make this watch an attractive option.

  • Female Health Tracking: Fitbit will soon be releasing a feature to turn on female health tracking where you can log your period, track your cycle and gauge ovulation.
  • On-Screen Workouts: This feature is available by downloading the Fitbit Coach App for $7.99 per month or $39.99 per year. The app will deliver on-screen workouts that provide step-by-step guidance to walk you through various workout moves. The app workouts will also adapt based on your feedback.

The one element that differs from the Fitbit Ionic is the built-in GPS. When using the Fitbit Versa, if you go on a run without your smartphone, the Versa can’t trace the distance or pace accurately.

Phone Compatibility

The Versa is made for everyone and is compatible with iPhone, Android and Windows phones. On your Versa watch, you will be able to receive calls, texts, calendar and app alerts. Fitbit announced that they would soon be adding additional functionality for Android users to send quick replies to messages straight from their watch.

A few things users have noticed while wearing the Versa is that the messages roll down from the top as opposed to appearing on the whole screen. Also, the text size is small. Users find that the call notifications make it easy to reject or accept a call straight from their watch.

Wallet-Free Payments

Wallet-free payments are available because of a built-in NFC chip which stores credit cards for use on your watch. However, the Fitbit Pay feature is not included in all Fitbit Versa’s and is only available in special editions of the watch.

Lots of Potential

The Fitbit Versa appeals to a variety of people and helps individuals manage their day while tracking key health information. The elegant and lightweight design makes this watch an attractive option. The Fitbit Versa may have the potential to become the greatest smartwatch of its time.