Fitness Gadgets Wearables for your connected health The Fitbit Versa Lite was officially announced couple of days ago, we already reviewed the big brother Versa. The rumor mill had indicated it in the form of the Versa 2, but only the published pictures as well as some specifications were correct. The product name Versa 2 was not.
The Versa Lite Edition should win many new fans at least because of its lower price. In return, the following more or less smaller features will be lost compared to the normal Versa:
- No integrated music memory
- No floor counter by means of barometric altimeter
- No guided training sessions on the display
- Limited float recording (no lap count)
- No mobile payment via NFC
- 1 instead of 3 keys
For athletes, however, all other functions are available, such as Connected GPS to display speed or record the route via smartphone GPS. Now let’s take a look…
Fitbit Versa Lite
As the name suggests, the Versa Lite Edition is not technically new. Rather, the above points are omitted, making the fitness watch affordable for more people. These are not killer features, if you are honest. This actually makes the Lite Edition a very interesting tracker, as most of the specifications of the Versa are also valid for the slimmed down version. Among them is the PurePulse heart rate monitor as well as an aluminium case, which is also waterproof to 5 ATM. That’s enough for you to take to the swimming pool.
There is also no integrated GPS receiver on the Versa Lite, but there is still the option of tapping the GPS receiver of the smartphone to display and record speed and to graphically display the distance run in the Fitbit app. If you depend on an integrated GPS receiver, you’ll have to switch to the Ionic, for example.
Reading tip: Choose the right Fitbit tracker.
The back of the Fitbit Versa Lite retains its current shape and look. We have made a comparison with the back of the Versa from our review. On the left you can see our Versa test model, on the right the Versa Lite Edition.
Fitbit Versa Lite vs Versa
The following comparison illustrates the differences between the Versa Lite Edition and the Versa:
| VERSA | VERSA LITE | |
|---|---|---|
| Activity tracker | Yes | Yes |
| Heart rate monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Waterproof to 5 ATM | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced sleep analysis | Yes | Yes |
| Women Health Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic training recognition | Yes | Yes |
| Multisport | Yes | Yes |
| Speed and distance recording via Connected GPS | Yes | Yes |
| SpO2 sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Guided breathing exercises | Yes | Yes |
| Smartphone notifications | Yes | Yes |
| Float recording | Yes | Yes/No (no lap count) |
| Floors | Yes | No |
| Mobile payment via NFC | Yes | No |
| Music storage | Yes | No |
| Guided exercises on display | Yes | No |
| Phys. keys | 3 | 1 |
| Battery life | 4 to 5 days | 4 to 5 days |
 | Product page | Product page |
Fitbit Versa Lite:
Like the first Versa, the Lite Edition will be released in March, but is much cheaper. The Versa Lite will be delivered from 22.03.2019 on.
You can buy the Versa Lite for example here:
Fitbit Versa Lite: Alternatives
The following alternative products are available for the Fitbit Versa Lite:
The Fitbit Ionic is particularly suitable for sports enthusiasts who want a sporty and smart all-rounder with a great display and very good app. It also has a local music memory and GPS.
The Garmin Vivoactive 3 is a competitor’s sports watch. It offers features for amateur athletes as well as professionals and GPS. The Garmin Connect App is very powerful and mature.
The Polar A370 scores particularly well in sports and accuracy. In addition, the very good display and its operation is a highlight.