The Fitbit Versa Lite Edition is a new variant of 2018’s best-selling fitness tracker, but it lacks several extras to keep the price down. The Fitbit Versa 2 has more features than both, but it also costs more, making the Versa Lite the better choice for those on a tighter budget.
All You Need To Know “Fitbit Versa Lite”
Not the cheapest smartwatch available, but cheaper than the Versa and Ionic when they originally came out, making it a strong contender for first-time smartwatch buyers. Also, it may be a fantastic entry point into the realm of wearables and fitness tracking.
After the arrival of the Versa 3 and Inspire 2, the Versa Lite fell off the top of our best Fitbits list, but it’s still a good option if you’re strapped for cash.
The Availability And Cost of the Fitbit Versa Lite
The Fitbit Versa Lite, which was first revealed in March 2019, is now available for purchase in markets throughout the globe. It’s important to make sure you’re looking at the right Fitbit Versa because it’s sometimes listed alongside the original model.
It’s fascinating because it costs only $159.95, £149.99, or AU$249.95, whereas the regular Fitbit Versa goes for $199.95, £199.99, or AU$299.95. But, the Versa’s price has dropped significantly in various markets during the past few months.
During the 2018 holiday shopping season, Amazon discounted the Fitbit Versa for for £135.99 (about $145). We anticipate that the Fitbit Versa Lite’s retail price will decrease in the months following its release, but we cannot promise this will happen.
At the time we wrote this review, Amazon UK was selling the Fitbit Versa for just £154, which is just £17 more than what you’d pay for the Versa Lite. That being said, if the Versa is only slightly more money, you should get that instead.
Even after months on the market, the Versa Lite is still the least expensive of the three Versa devices, with the original Versa being somewhat more expensive and the Versa 2 being the most cutting-edge.
Design and Display
You will be familiar with much of the layout on offer if you have used the Fitbit Versa. Although its exact weight is unknown at this time, the Lite model is the company’s lightest smartwatch to date.
During our week of testing, we found the watch to be very wearable; those with smaller wrists would especially appreciate this. You may rest assured that it will better meet your needs than the Fitbit Ionic.
This watch can withstand water depths of up to 50 metres, however it is not a swimwatch because it lacks swim tracking functionality. The water resistance is greater for those times when you run in the rain or when you accidently dip your wrist in water.
The touchscreen is a full colour display with a resolution of 300 × 300 (the same as the Fitbit Versa), and it’s located on the front of the device. In our tests, the screen was crisp and bright, although it never felt as colourful as the Apple Watch 4 or some Wear OS devices.
There are substantial bezels surrounding the screen, but this is largely hidden when paired with a black watch face. The bottom bezel also features the Fitbit logo. Even while the display isn’t as quick as what you’d find on the Samsung Galaxy Watch or Apple Watch 4, you’ll still be able to use the Versa Lite’s many features and apps.
The Fitbit Versa Lite Version has a single button on the left side that may be used to power on the device and navigate the menus. In addition to white, lilac, mulberry, and marina blue, the watch face is also available. On the later two, the watch body is the same colour (instead of silver), creating a unique look that hasn’t been seen on any previous Fitbit device.
The blue option has been our go-to, and it really stands out. Your new watch will arrive with a silicone band attached, but you can also purchase additional bands separately if you’d like to switch things up.
Fitness Tracking:
The business has gone the connected GPS route, so if you want to use this to track your position and route while jogging or cycling, you’ll need to bring your phone along. Many of the best fitness features from the first Versa remain included, and it also has many of the same capabilities as Fitbit’s fitness tracker series, but with some extra intelligence.
We found the PurePulse 24/7 heart rate tracker to be just as precise as other wrist-based sensors, making it a useful accessory for the watch. Monitoring your heart rate throughout exercise and throughout the day at various intervals gives you a complete picture of your cardiovascular health.
The Versa Lite also has automatic workout tracking, so if you stop running for whatever reason, the watch will pause your run until you resume. On-screen exercises, which are guided exercise programmes with examples on the watch’s display, are, however, only available on more expensive Fitbit products, which this one is not.
Alternatively, you can choose from a variety of exercise modes, such as a run, bike, treadmill, weights, workout, stroll, or interval timer for more involved sessions. All of these provide basic information like calories burned, heart rate, and GPS location (if applicable).
If you’re looking for the most comprehensive fitness information, a specialised running or cycling watch is probably your best bet. This additional information provides information that is relevant to the typical individual, allowing them to keep tabs on their health and the ways in which they are improving.
The Fitbit Versa Lite also has a breathing coach, a cardio activity tracker, a sleep tracker, and a female health tracker. While the watch itself provides a clear picture of your daily metrics, the app is where you’ll find the ability to drill down into data over a longer period.
Interaction and Functionality
The Fitbit Versa Lite’s user interface is minimal, but that’s probably not a deal breaker given the watch’s intended purpose. The screen can be activated by tapping it or by pressing a button on the watch’s left bezel. From the home screen, select the desired action by tapping on it, or access additional apps by swiping to the right.
You’ll have to browse a bit to see more than four apps on a page, so be patient. Not the most polished user experience, but it does the job when you need to locate a specific function.
After launching an app, it’s common practise to go to the desired function via clicking through several screens. For instance, the primary app is called “Exercise,” and you’ll have to cycle through them all until you find the one you want to launch.
It defaults to Run, but as you explore the menus, you’ll find others like Treadmill and Cycling. The watch’s functionality met our expectations. There are no hiccups when opening applications.
It’s not as fast as some high-end wearables, but given that its main purpose is to provide these fitness functions, that shouldn’t be a major concern. We didn’t experience any major bugs or software instability when using the Fitbit Versa Lite in our day-to-day lives, so you may feel confident wearing it.
The Fitbit app, on the other hand, provides a great central location for all the data your watch has collected. Here you may access your watch’s data and download new apps and watch faces.
Battery life
Be aware that the Versa Lite Edition’s battery life, which Fitbit claims will be at least four days, will vary depending on how often you use it. Battery life will suffer if you use it much for physical activity.
We typically got four to five days out of a charge, but you should expect that to reduce to three to four days once you start using it for exercise. Since most other smartwatches only survive a day or two, that’s still pretty amazing.
The first Fitbit Versa made a similar claim, and our testing confirmed that, depending on how often we used it, the watch could last anywhere from three to four days.
