Fitbit Versa 2 review
Our Verdict
The Fitbit Versa 2 has been eclipsed past the Fitbit Versa iii, only was once the company's best fitness smartwatch for the money and is nevertheless worthwhile on sale.
For
- Attractive design
- Good bombardment life
- Customized training programs (via subscription)
- Sleep tracking
Against
- Lacks on-board GPS
- Alexa works inconsistently
Tom's Guide Verdict
The Fitbit Versa two has been eclipsed by the Fitbit Versa 3, merely was once the company's best fitness smartwatch for the money and is nevertheless worthwhile on sale.
Pros
- +
Attractive design
- +
Proficient bombardment life
- +
Customized preparation programs (via subscription)
- +
Sleep tracking
Cons
- -
Lacks on-lath GPS
- -
Alexa works inconsistently
"Alexa, inquire Fitbit to whip me into shape."
OK, so possibly getting toned abs isn't that simple, but the Fitbit Versa two sports several new features compared to the original Versa, including Amazon's voice assistant and a premium subscription service aimed at making it easier for you to reach your goals. The Versa 2 ($199) has advanced sleep features, likewise.
That said, it's been replaced by Fitbit Versa 3 ($229) on our lists of the all-time fettle trackers and all-time smartwatches. The Versa three features congenital-in GPS, a brighter and sharper display, and up to half dozen days of battery life. making it one of the for sleep-tracking.
So where does that leave the Versa 2? Since you can find it for a discounted price, it's ane of the best cheap smartwatches you can buy now. See our full Fitbit Versa 3 review beneath to know what to expect.
Fitbit Versa 2 review: Price and release appointment
The Fitbit Versa 2 costs $199 (£199), simply can be found on sale. At launch, it was the aforementioned toll equally the original Versa. The Versa 2 comes in three colors: Black, Rose Gold and Grayness. 2 special editions, both with a copper rose case, toll $229, but come with a 90-twenty-four hours trial of Fitbit Premium.
MORE: Smartwatch buying guide
Fitbit Heart study
If you lot own a Fitbit Versa two (or Inspire HR, Charge iii, Charge iv, Ionic, Versa, or Versa Lite), you can enroll in Fitbit's new heart study, and the company will notify you if your device detects an irregular middle rhythm that indicates AFib. Fitbit volition as well connect you with a doctor for a complimentary consultation. The Fitbit Heart Study, open to U.S. residents 22 years or older, is being conducted to determine how accurate its devices are in detecting atrial fibrillation, every bit the first footstep to receiving FDA approving. Here's how to sign upward for the Fitbit Heart Written report.
Fitbit Versa 2 review: Design
Apple and Fitbit must exist on to something, because consumers don't seem to heed the "squircle" design of those companies' smartwatches. The Versa 2 has the aforementioned rounded square look of its predecessor, with a few refinements. The bezel is smaller — Fitbit removed its proper noun from the lesser bezel, so y'all see a bit more. Information technology's well-nigh the aforementioned size (1.6 inches square), which ways information technology should fit well on most wrists.
The Versa 2's brandish is not only slightly larger but now features an always-on choice that shows the time, date and bombardment life.
Where the original Versa had iii buttons — two on the left, and one on the correct — the Versa 2 has just i button on its left side. It serves as both a Select and Back push; all other navigation is done via the Versa two's touch screen.
This simple setup works pretty well. You're never more than a few presses from where you lot need to be. Notwithstanding, like any other bear on screen, the Versa 2's became erratic when information technology or my finger was sweaty.
More than: Best Fitbit
Fitbit Versa 2 review: Brandish
Another improvement is the Versa 2'southward AMOLED bear upon screen. The display is not merely slightly larger, at almost i.4 inches, but now features an always-on option that shows the time, date and bombardment life. This screen is only blackness and white in this mode. Y'all have to wake the Versa 2 to go the full colour screen.
Throughout my calendar week of testing the watch, I never had a problem reading the brandish, fifty-fifty in sunlight.
Fitbit Versa 2 review: Alexa
The Versa ii isn't the first smartwatch to have Alexa built in, but Amazon's Banana is a nice addition for those who utilise the service. You lot need to have an activated Alexa account in social club to apply it on the Versa 2.
You can use Alexa on the Versa two to look upwardly the atmospheric condition, control smart-home devices, fix alarms and timers and first a Fitbit practice. Other features, such equally wink briefings and phone calls, are not supported. Although y'all don't need to take the Alexa app running on your smartphone, you do demand to have the Fitbit app running (it can be in the background) and connected to your Alexa account.
MORE: Best Alexa compatible devices
Using Alexa on the Versa 2 was a hit-and-miss matter. It would often take me a few tries to get Alexa to respond to a command; the lookout man would stay on a screen that said "thinking…." When it worked, though, information technology was handy for controlling my smart home lights, peculiarly if I was in a room without an Alexa-powered smart speaker. It was besides prissy non to have to say Alexa all the time.
Fitbit Versa 2 review: Activity tracking
Using Alexa on the Versa 2 was a hit-and-miss affair. Information technology would often take me a few tries to get Alexa to respond to a control.
I wore the Versa 2 for a little more than a week, and took information technology on several runs and a few walks. The Versa 2 can automatically record activities, such as walking, running and biking, but there are some caveats.
If you don't explicitly first recording one of those activities on the lookout, you won't exist able to meet your statistics (such every bit altitude) in real time. While the watch did tape my walks automatically, it did non record a run. That's considering the RunDetect feature requires you to have your telephone with you lot as well.
While running, the Versa ii tin display merely two metrics, such as elapsed time and heart rate. Without my phone (and its GPS to rely on), the Versa 2 wasn't terribly accurate. It estimated that a 3.eight-mile run was 4.2 miles. I'll take the extra credit, though. If y'all practice run with your phone (and employ its GPS), the Fitbit app will recalculate your stride length, and then that future runs are more than authentic.
I did like the Versa ii's automobile-intermission feature, which pauses your workout if you take to stop for a traffic light or some other reason. However, the slightest movement volition start the clock going again.
If you're looking for a dedicated action tracker rather than a smartwatch with activeness tracking, you might want to check out our Fitbit Versa ii vs. Fitbit Charge four face-off. It describes why the $150 Fitbit Charge iv could be a better choice for you lot. The Accuse iv also offers the same water resistence as the Versa two, which you tin read more about in our 'Is Fitbit waterproof?' guide.
Fitbit Versa 2 review: Sleep tracking
Maybe attributable to the fact that I have an 11-month-old, my slumber scores weren't great, in the mid-60s and 70s out of 100.
While not unique to the Versa two, Fitbit is introducing ii new sleep-centric features to its devices with heart rate monitors. The first is a Slumber Score, which looks at all your slumber data from the nighttime before and boils information technology down to a number from one to 100. The higher the number, the ameliorate you've slept. It'due south reductive, just handy.
I wore the Versa 2 to bed for several nights, only because I was tossing and turning too much, the watch didn't recognize that I had gone to sleep until 3 hours after my caput hit the pillow. Yet, you tin become back and manually conform each sleep log after the fact. Mayhap considering I have an xi-month-old, my sleep scores weren't great, in the mid-60s and 70s.
MORE: Best Sleep Apps
Smart Wake aims to rouse you from bed more gently. Tell the Versa 2 what time you want to wake up, and inside a xxx-minute window around that time, the sentinel will look for when yous're in a lighter sleep cycle, and wake you lot up and then. I wasn't able to test this feature, because I was always in a lighter sleep cycle around the time I normally wake upwards. Even so, the Versa gently buzzed on my wrist — not too rigorously to startle, but enough to gently prod me awake, or at to the lowest degree press the snooze button on the sentry.
Fitbit Versa ii review: Female health tracking
Introduced with the original Versa, the Versa 2 tracks female health, which allows women to monitor their cycles and receive alerts and notifications on the lookout itself. When testing this feature on the original Versa, my colleague Caitlin McGarry noted that the female wellness tracking was "pretty basic." Withal, that was well-nigh a year ago; one time she's had a chance to endeavour out the features on the Versa ii, we'll update this review.
Fitbit Versa two music storage
Like the original Versa, the Versa 2 lets you download upwardly to 300 songs to the lookout itself for offline music playback. New for the Versa 2 is a Spotify app (for Spotify Premium subscribers just), which allows you lot to control playback from that service on the watch, provided you have your phone with y'all.
That's a step in the right direction, but other smartwatches already take this ability and more. For case, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active ($200) and Garmin'due south new Vivoactive 4 ($349) permit y'all download Spotify playlists to the watch itself, and so yous don't need your telephone. Yes, yous tin download MP3s or apply Deezer or Pandora, only if you lot're going to add Spotify, then why not get all the way?
Fitbit Versa 2 review: GPS
Also like the original Versa, the Versa 2 has to rely on the GPS in your smartphone, rather than information technology being on lath. That ways you'll demand to run with your phone if you want to get stats like distance and stride.
Both the Apple Sentry Serial three and the Samsung Galaxy Active, which are around the same cost equally the Versa 2, both have GPS built in.
Fitbit Premium
Rolling out to all Fitbit devices is the company's new subscription service, called Fitbit Premium ($9.99/month or $79.99/yr). After yous set a goal, it will take the data from your Fitbit device, and offering customized training programs, advanced sleep metrics and more personalized insights into your fitness and health. Fitbit Premium is non yet available, simply we will update this review once we've had a chance to test it out.
Fitbit Versa 2 review: battery life
Battery life for the Versa 2 is marginally meliorate than the original: About 5 days for general use, and about ii days if y'all use Versa 2's e'er-on brandish feature. With the screen set to remain on, I was able to go nearly three days out of the Versa 2, fifty-fifty while wearing it overnight.
The Versa 2's charger is on the bulky side. Its base has four contacts, which line upwardly with nubs on the lesser of the sentry. Two spring-loaded clamps on either side of the charger'south base keep the watch in place. It's less elegant than the Apple tree Picket's magnetic charger, as well as Garmin's minimalist USB connector.
Fitbit Versa 2 review: Apps
Information technology's not as total-fledged every bit the Apple tree Watch, simply Fitbit'south nascent app store has around 450 apps and more than 3,700 watch faces. Apps include TRX Training, Starbucks, Spotify, Deezer, Uber, Yelp, The New York Times, Flipboard, Walgreens and Pandora.
Fitbit Versa 2 review: Smartphone features
The Versa two tin receive notifications from your smartphone; regardless of your telephone's operating system, you can answer or reject phone calls. If you're on iOS, yous can view calendar invites and text messages, merely you tin't answer to them from the watch. If you're on Android, you can use the Versa's microphone to compose replies using your voice.
Likewise built into the Versa 2 is Fitbit Pay, which lets yous leave your wallet at dwelling house and pay for things using the sentinel's NFC chip. Fitbit Pay works with a large number of credit card companies, including Chase and Capital Ane, and can be used on the New York Urban center subway and the London Surreptitious.
Fitbit Versa ii review: verdict
With the Fitbit Versa 2, all of the things we liked about the original are better: A stylish and lightweight design, female health tracking, practiced battery life and insightful sleep tracking. I similar that Spotify support has been added, simply wish I could download songs using that service, every bit y'all can with other fitness-focused smartwatches. The addition of Alexa is a nice touch on, but information technology doesn't work every bit smoothly as it should, and y'all'll need to look at the Versa 3 if y'all want GPS.
And, yous're not wedded to Fitbit'southward platform, the Versa 2 is a harder sell when you compare it with other $200 smartwatches, such every bit the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active and the Apple Watch Serial 3, which both have GPS, onboard music storage and contactless payments. One feature that could prepare the Versa 2 apart is Fitbit'due south new subscription service, but it will take a lot to convince me to spend $eighty more per year. Still, the Versa 2 is a very skillful fitness-focused smartwatch that offers enough of insights into your overall health, subscription or not.
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/fitbit-versa-2
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