14 DAY TRIAL // The Fitbit Versa Lite Edition sounds excellent on paper and looks great on the box. But is it the same in reality? The shorts answer is yes, but the long answer is that it’s complicated.
For the longest time, one of the criticisms levied against Fitbit was the fact that they took too long between major releases. Now, they increased the rhythm, and the result was the launch of Fitbit Versa Lite. It made sense to have a cheaper version of the regular Versa, but it wasn’t all the received.
It’s impossible to say how Fitbit concluded they need to release the Versa Lite, but I imagine they felt they could fill a particular niche in the market. And the more I think about their decision, the more it makes sense.
We also have to keep in mind that Fitbit also worked very hard to secure an image of quality and performance, which means that when we buy a product from them, we don’t ever think that it’s not going to be a good one.
Lastly, people also buy Fitbit for the hardware; more precisely, they buy these fitness monitors for the accuracy of the sensors and the algorithms. That includes reading the heartbeat or counting the consumed calories.
Design
We need to keep in mind that Fitbit is not exactly in the business of making smartwatches, even if some of them look like a smartwatch, or at least this is my impression. Even the name of the company reflects this exact philosophy. If you’re looking to buy a smartwatch, you’re not really in the right place, but if you want a fitness tracker, then Fitbit is a natural choice.
The design of the Fitbit Versa Lite is similar to the regular Versa, with a significant difference, which surprisingly is also an improvement. I’m pretty sure that they didn’t set out to improve the design, but it’s a better one.
The new version doesn’t have the right-side buttons, which at first glance might seem like it’s just yet another thing stripped from the full Versa. But the fact that there are no buttons there helps me in a way that’s probably not all that evident.
When I reviewed the original Fitbit Versa, the position of the two buttons on the side was one of the few problems I found. If you have an activity started, like biking, for example, the glove could touch the buttons, stopping the recording. I can’t say how many times I found out that Versa never recorded my activity because of this problem.
And I know that Fitbit is aware of the issue, because the upcoming Versa 2 also dropped the right-side buttons as well, copying the design from the Versa Lite.
As for the overall look and feel of the tracker, I can’t say that it’s a major difference. It feels the same on the hand, and other people won’t be able to tell what tracker you have; maybe if you have one of the wild colors. Even the display looks pretty much the same.
Usage
The Fitbit Versa Lite Edition is cheaper than the regular Versa by about $60, and you would think that for that amount of money you’re getting more than a slimmed-down experience. But this is where that market niche comes into play.
As a fitness tracker, the Lite comes with pretty much everything that you might need, including steps counting, sleep tracking, pulse monitoring, GPS connection with the smartphone, notifications, apps, different faces, and to use it for payments, in select countries. For women users, it also comes with the option to log periods in the app, gauge ovulation, and get private alerts on your wrist.
Before analyzing anything else, we have to answer a simple question? Who’s buying this tracker? Or better yet, who’s it built for? To answer that question, we need to take a look at what’s missing in the Lite Edition.
The tracker won’t register the numbers of floors climbed, won’t show the on-screen workouts from Fitbit Coach, won’t offer the option to store 300 songs and to access Deezer, and the option to track laps during pool workouts is also missing. The list is finished by the option to get a premium band at purchase, but I don’t think this will have a noteworthy impact.
And now let’s take the case of a regular Fitbit user, like myself. I’m usually interested in the number of calories burned, I want to record workout sessions like biking, and to monitor my sleep and heartbeat.
If we sum up all of the information from what Fitbit is offering and my particular case, it looks like the Fitbit Versa Lite is much more suited for what I need. There is only one thing that I might miss, the lap tracking in the pool, but I have to be honest with myself and say that I’ve never done so many laps that I need to count them and to improve my times.
When deciding what Fitbit to buy, you need to know what are going to use it for, and maybe you don’t need to spend $60 extra on a device you’ll never use. When you think about it, the niche Fitbit is aiming with the Versa Lite is much more consistent than you might think initially.
The Good
I also have to mention the beautiful Mulberry color I had for testing. It’s an intense purple that will definitely make the tracker noticeable. And what’s interesting is the fact that the Lite edition has the four other colors for people to choose from, options which are not available for the rest of the versions.
The Bad
On the other hand, the tracker can’t count the number of floors, which most likely has to do with the fact it’s missing the pressure sensor. It’s not a big problem, but if Fitbit ever decides to enable them on the regular Versa for more than just floor counting, the Lite edition owners are going to miss out.
Conclusion
I think that Fitbit made a mistake by not making this tracker ready for launch along with the regular Versa edition. Users would have had more to choose from. In any case, if you are looking at a Versa and Versa Lite, make sure you imagine how it’s going to be used. Chances are the Lite edition is more than enough for your needs.
