Our Fitbit Versa arrived this week!
We’ll be writing a full review after we’ve had some time to really put it to the test, but we wanted to tell you a bit about our first impressions, especially if you’re itching to buy one right now.
What to Know About the Versa
There has been a lot of excitement surrounding the Versa since Fitbit’s announcement earlier this year. This wearable is meant to address some of the biggest complaints about Fitbit’s first attempt at a smartwatch, the Ionic, which has been largely a disappointment. The Versa is replacing the Blaze and has a look similar to an Apple Watch. Here are some of the key features that consumers and critics alike are most excited about:
Tracking
- All-day activity (steps, distance, floors climbed, active minutes, and calories burned)
- Heart rate
- SmartTrack
- Connected GPS
- Sleep (total time and sleep stages)
- Cardio fitness score
Features
- Water resistant up to 50 meters
- Guided breathing sessions
- 4+ day battery life
- On-screen coaching
- Apps
- Smart notifications
Out of the Box
The Versa comes with both the large and small wristbands, so you don’t have to worry about sizing beforehand.
- Small: 5.5 – 7.1 inches circumference.
- Large: 7.1 – 8.7 inches circumference.
It is lightweight (38 grams) and the face is much smaller than the Ionic (face width 1.34″) . The total dimensions are: 39.35mm x 39.35mm x 11.24mm.
This watch has an LCD screen that looks fantastic. If you’ve played with an Ionic at all, you’ll find that the functionality is about the same. You swipe left, right, and up to get to various screens. There are three buttons for various functions. Through the app on your phone you can adjust the watch face, add apps, and make other adjustments.
Also included is the charger, which I’m pretty skeptical about. It is a stand that clamps down on the watch itself. The band comes out on either side, so it doesn’t lay flat. I’m going to have to do some investigating to see if this is an issue for anyone thus far.
We purchased the black Versa, but it also comes in grey and rose gold. There are some Special Edition Versas with woven bands that are about $30 more — you also get NFC contactless payments through Fitbit Pay if you elect for the more expensive one.
Versa Special Edition with Contactless Payments
Setup
Setup was easy: You simply download the Fitbit app and then walk through the steps of adding and connecting the Versa. I had to wait about 20-30 minutes for it to update and pair, but once that was done, everything was a breeze.
Navigating the Fitbit app and finding watch faces and additional apps to download is simple. Once you make a change, it takes the watch a minute to finish updating.
Interesting Features
One thing I noticed when I went looking for a new watch face is something called Fitbit Labs, which apparently lets you have a virtual pet to motivate you to move. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued, so I’ll definitely be investigating that.
The other intriguing feature on the Versa is one that’s not out yet: women’s health tracking. Fitbit has said this will be available “spring,” but no word yet precisely when. This feature will help women track reproductive health among other things — something brands like Bellabeat are already doing.
Final Thoughts
I’m very impressed by the Versa so far. All the things I liked best about the Ionic are inside, but the exterior is so much better. The screen is smaller and lays flat, and it’s super lightweight. The looks and interface of the screen itself have worked great for me today.
We’ll be offering a full, comprehensive review shortly, so stay tuned!
