Does the Fitbit Versa Turn Out as Solid as Its Predecessor?

The name Fitbit is no stranger to fitness enthusiasts around the world. This wearable gadget that tracks activity levels, sleep levels and calorie intake, has taken mindful and healthy living outside of the gym and has spurred replicas from many different brands. With Ionic, the brand targeted its exclusive customer base. With Versa, their latest launch, Fitbit is aiming towards the group with lesser income and more specifically, the female buyers of that section. With its small size, affordable price tag and specific features tailored towards women, we were curious to see how the Versa fared.

Statistics say that the majority of the smartwatch market is geared towards men, hence it is clear why Fitbit launched a smaller and sleeker watch which is more suitable for women, along with specific apps for tracking female health. Tapping into a new market is as rewarding as it is risky. Having spoken about the small size, the screen of Versa is certainly large enough for easy stats display and the interactive workout sessions through Fitbit Coach. With a US$70 price difference with the Ionic, we are also ready to make peace with the absence of GPS. After all, everyone carries around a smartphone with GPS these days anyway.

The Versa addresses the needs of people engaged in diverse kinds of exercise and in different kinds of intensity. The sleep tracking feature is a boon for busy and stressed professionals, as usual. As such, it covers well-being and health in a more holistic manner.

The Fitbit Versa is priced as follows:

Lite Edition Versa: £149.99 / $159.95 / €159.95. This lacks the altimeter to count floors climbed, on-screen workouts, music and Fitbit Pay.

Standard Versa: costs £199.99 / US$199.95 / €199.95)

Special Edition Versa: priced at £219.99 / US$229.95 /€229.95. The Special Edition comes with a woven strap (and for US buyers who lack this on the standard model, includes contactless payments via Fitbit Pay).

The Versa is available in a variety of straps and colours and in both leather and metal finishes, thus attracting customers of various tastes.

Moving on to the design and display, the Versa is more compact than the Ionic. While being geared towards women, it has not made the watch look overtly feminine, thus playing it safe with the stereotype criticisms. This also ensures that the door remains open for interested male buyers. It is almost weightless on the wrist – and large enough for using the Fitbit Coach screen videos.

Moving on to the features, the Versa measures Steps, Distance, Calories burned, Floors Climbed and Active Minutes, as well as automatic Sleep and Activity Tracking.

It has retained other standard Fitbit features like the PurePulse heart-rate monitor to help you assess the quality of your workouts and sleep. Other Ionic features that the Versa has retained are a series of quick workout videos which turn out to be very helpful for busy professionals who want to take care of their health. Having geared the Versa mainly towards women, Fitbit has added Female Health Tracking for its female buyers to be aware of their bodies and track the changes in each stage of their menstrual cycle, in an attempt to monitor their overall health. This is an absolute novelty and earns major brownie points from us. The Versa comes with standard smartwatch features like music storage and connection to smart home gadgets, Flashlight, World Clock and Calculator. The only drawback we managed to find with the Versa was its smaller battery life of 4 days as compared to its predecessor Ionic which lasted for 5 days.

Overall, if you are looking for an entry level activity tracker or a health-conscious modern woman, the new Fitbit Versa is the perfect choice for you.