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Fitness
The Fitbit Versa Lite retains all of the important fitness features from the original Versa. Meaning, it also offers all the functionalities of the Fitbit's tracker range with added smarts.
We found the PurePulse 24/7 to be the most useful tool as it tracks heart rate very accurately. It will track throughout the day at different intervals to give you consolidated data of your overall heart health, as well as when you’re working out.
It also supports automatic tracking. So if you start running, take a pause or end the workout, the Versa Lite will know without you doing it manually.
There are just two features that we wish were there on the watch. First is the on-screen workout, which is essentially a guided exercise routine with a demo on the screen. Second is that there's no in-built GPS tracking, which means you'll have to carry your phone to track your routes if you are out for a run.
It doesn't give you the most in-depth fitness data, and if you may want to look at something else for a more professional-grade running or cycling watch. The Versa Lite only gives you data that's relevant to the average person of a regular gym-goer to track overall health and progress.
Other wellness-focused features include guided breathing exercises, cardio fitness level, sleep monitoring and female health tracking. What's good is that all the features are built to help the users in spite of filling up the feature list with unwanted gimmicks.
Interface and performance
Just like its name, the Versa Lite has a very simplistic and light interface. The display can be turned on by tapping on the screen or pressing the button on the left edge of the watch. Once turned on, it's an easy-to-operate UI that uses swipe gestures to navigate through the menu.
Four apps are displayed per page, so you may sometimes have to do a bit of scrolling to find what you need. It’s not the slickest interface, but it works when you’re trying to find a specific feature.
While many might miss a lot on the design part of the UI, we think that having a simplistic interface suits even more users. The easier it is to operate, the better it is in terms of functionality. But if you still like a lot happening inside the interface, you might find it boring after a point.
Performance-wise, there's not a lot to talk about. In simple words, it's satisfactory for the kind of features it offers. Apps launch in a jiffy and don't take long loading time. Though it's not as swift as some top-end wearables, it still tries to do much more than offering just the fitness features.
We found the software to be stable in most parts but there were some minor hiccups in places where we tried to interact with the notifications. But thankfully, it wasn't something that would irritate you when you're wearing the Versa Lite on a day to day basis.
Then there’s the Fitbit app, which is a fantastic hub for all the information that you’ve recorded on your watch. Here you can download new apps and watch faces, as well as dig into the data that your watch has recorded.
Smartwatch features
It's not as smart as mainstream smartwatches using Wear OS or watchOS. But it does support a decent amount of third-party apps alongside Fitbit's own apps and services. But you shouldn't expect an app selection as comprehensive as you'd get on the Wear OS or the Apple Watch.
That said, a lot of the key fitness features you’ll be looking for are covered here by Fitbit’s software. You’ll also get notifications through to your wrist, but you won’t be able to do much with them apart from reading them. However, Android users can send quick replies to some messages but there's a limit to it too. So you'll still have to take out your phone out of the pocket in more instances.
What's really interesting is the level of visual customisations it offers. You can choose from over a huge variety of watch faces.
The big restrictions on the Versa Lite in comparison to other smartwatches include lack of contactless payment, there's no internal memory for music and hence, you can't pair Bluetooth headphones to listen to music or even workout instructions. Which is a big con that may not be liked by many as most of us prefer listening to music while running. The original Versa does offer both the functionalities though, so if the price difference is not much, you can go for the latter.
Battery life
As per the company's claims, the Fitbit Versa Lite lasts for at least four days from a single charge, but what also matters is how extensively you use it. If you constantly use it for workouts, it's likely that you might get a little less than what's claimed.
Our usage was very basic, involving an hour of workout and basic walking so we got more than 4 days of backup in most scenarios. That’s still pretty good considering a lot of other smartwatches only last for a day or so.
You can recharge the Fitbit Versa Lite with a proprietary charger that’s included in the box, so you’ll need to remember to take this with you when you go away.
