Fitbit Versa Lite Edition review: How does it work for a low-activity user?

Leading wearable brand, Fitbit, best known for their health and fitness tracking devices, announced the launch of a few new products last month. The brand also said that they will soon launch a major redesign to the Fitbit app to allow users to further personalise the dashboard, better understand their data, discover new content, and more easily connect with other members of the Fitbit social community.

The new devices that Fitbit has launched include:

• Fitbit Versa Lite Edition: An everyday smartwatch with the core fitness and smart features Versa is known for.

• Fitbit Inspire HR: The brand’s most affordable and stylish 24/7 heart rate tracking device at SGD158. It comes with all-day automatic activity, exercise, and Sleep Stage tracking, 15+ goal-based exercise modes, connected GPS, and Relax guided breathing
• Fitbit Inspire: This is an even lower-cost, easy-to-use tracker (SGD118) with essential features to monitor activities and stay motivated

Fitbit also said that they will be introducing Fitbit Ace 2 soon. This is a wearable device that helps children above six to pick up healthy habits at an early age and motivate them to spend more active time with family and friends. Its price and launch date are to be announced.

I put on the Versa Lite Edition for a month to share with you what I think of this new smartwatch from Fitbit.

Review of Fitbit Versa Lite Edition

Reviewer’s background

I have never owned a smartwatch or a tracking device. But I have apps in my phone that help me do some basic tracking (speed and distance) when I jog. However, this means that I have to carry my phone with me whenever I jog, which can be a bit of a hassle (compared to a wearable device, especially).

I used to jog and swim regularly but slowed down quite a bit since I got pregnant last year to eventually swimming only once a week and taking short walks around the estate. And then when I entered the third trimester and was having too much contractions on a daily basis for my doctor’s liking, I was advised to take it even slower and stopped my weekly swim altogether. I eventually went through a C-section and was told to do avoid rigorous exercises for at least six months.

Now that my baby is coming to six months old, and I’ve stopped working out like I used to for more than a year, I really wanted to gradually go back to a more active lifestyle. It hasn’t be easy because caring for a baby obviously requires a lot of my commitment and attention.

Now that you know my background, it’s time I share how the Fitbit Versa Lite Edition worked out for me (no pun intended).

Fitbit Versa Lite Edition review: Do I like it?

My first impression of the Fitbit Versa Lite Edition is good: it’s sleek, light, and stylish. I find that it’s easy to pair it with whatever outfit I’m wearing and it is sometimes a conversation-starter when I meet someone who is familiar with the Fitbit brand.

One of the most basic functions of the smartwatch was its ability to calculate the number of steps that you take every day. The app lets you compare data and personalise goals, and you can also set reminders to motivate you to get moving.

I find the alerts especially useful because I started to make a more conscious effort to take the stairs instead of the lift, get off the chair and simply walk around a bit more on days I’m more desk-bounded, and to use the car less. I also choose activities that have more movement in the weekends when I spend time with my family, for example, going for strolls in the park, instead of chilling out at a cafe.

The sleep tracking function was another useful one for me. Nursing a baby can mean very little sleep and I find myself very tired in the day and very irritable. The sleep tracking function helps me to determine which is the best arrangement with my husband that can allow me to have better quality sleep. We have managed to find a routine that seems to optimise my sleep time, and I was able to get better rest and feel more energised the next morning.

Of course, I am still very far from the level of activity that I had before the baby came along, but I am glad that the smartwatch gives me the opportunity to start somewhere and be more conscious with my level of activity.

Compared to the Versa, the Versa Lite Edition has fewer functions and an easy one-button design. A few features available in the Versa aren’t in the Versa Lite Edition. The Versa Lite Edition has excluded an altimeter that allows you to measure floors climbed, ability to track swim laps, access to music, and on-screen workouts with Fitbit Coach. However, the key tracking functions are still available and for someone who isn’t training aggressively, the Versa Lite Edition fits perfectly into my lifestyle.

I really like that its sleek and chic look encourages me to wear it every day, which means I have better discipline in monitoring my progress. I have been using the Fitbit Versa Lite Edition since the first day I started the review and never looked back since. And once I reach the six-month postpartum mark, I intend to increase my level of activities and eventually (and hopefully) get back to my old routine (or better!), which I think the Fitbit Versa Lite Edition will serve as an even more useful fitness companion to help me with these goals. And then, as I increase my activity level, perhaps I’ll upgrade to the Fitbit Versa so I can use it for tracking more varied types of fitness activities.

TL;DR: Fitbit Versa Lite Edition is probably most suitable for basic users who are starting or re-starting their fitness plans. Its gorgeous design will encourage you to wear it every day, which means you’d have more discipline in monitoring your progress. While it has fewer functions than Versa, it is certainly sufficient if you’re a basic user. Its accessible price of SGD248 makes it one of the most affordable smartwatches around.