This Fitbit Versa 3 Review demonstrates an affordable smartwatch that offers many features, including sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring, GPS, and more.
- Receive a Daily Readiness Score that reveals if you’re ready to exercise or should focus on recovery (requires Fitbit Premium membership. Premium content recommendations are not available in all locales and may be in English only)
- Run, bike, hike and more phone-free—and see your real-time pace & distance—with built-in GPS. Then check out your workout intensity map in the Fitbit app
- Active Zone Minutes uses your resting heart rate to gauge exercise effort and gives you a buzz when you step up the intensity so you can make the most of your workouts. Fitbit Versa 3 is water resistant to 50 meters
- Better track heart rate 24/7 with PurePulse 2.0, Fitbit’s enhanced heart rate technology
- Use Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa Built-in to get quick news, set bedtime reminders and alarms, control your smart home devices and more just by speaking to your watch
The Versa 3 is the third generation of this popular wristband. It’s an upgrade from the previous model but still has some great features as its predecessor. This Fitbit Versa 3 review will take you through all the basics about the device, what it does well, and how it compares with other models in the market.
If you are looking for a new fitness tracker or want to see if this one might be right for you, read on!
Top Smartwatch
With an all-day-long display, integrated GPS, blood oxygen, and temperature monitoring when sleeping, lasts for up to 6 days, has built-in heart rate tracking, and offers activity reminders, the Fitbit Versa 3 is the best choice if you’re looking for a top smartwatch for most people. However, you cannot use the stress trackers and FDA-approved EKG (also called ECG), which means you won’t see your resting heartbeat, but instead, get basic stats from your workouts. Plus, it’s cheaper than both the Apple Watch Series 6 and the Fitbit Charge HR 3.
Better design all-around
Fitbit Versa 3 still has the same watch body square-shaped and made out of metal just like its predecessor, but now it comes with a larger 1.5-inch screen and a thinner bezel. It’s brighter, clearer, and even better looking than before. Also, because it’s a “toned down” version which means there aren’t so many stats displayed on the screen, it’s always on to give you an instant glance at the current time without any need to move your wrists. Additionally, since Fitbit supports third-party apps such as Apple Watch, Android Wear, Pebble Time Steel, Samsung Gear S2, etc., you have plenty of choices of watch face designs to choose from.
Despite these improvements to the design, the touch screen and Fitbit’s interface aren’t quite as responsive as you might find on Apple Watches or Galaxy Watchesof similar price points. There’s no lag.
In place of a physical button for the camera function, there’s now just an indentation at the top left corner of the screen where the button would be if one were present. It doesn’t provide any tactile feedback when pressed, but it’s easy to figure out by looking at the display.
Fortunately, some changes don’t require any training at all. Fitbit also redesigned the strap mechanisms of its two newest models — the Fitbit Versa 2 and the new Fitbit Versa 3 smartwatch. It’s much simpler than the earlier models, which were a small, awkward clasp.
More effective training tools to track fitness
It’s reasonable to think that most Fitbit devices cover the basic needs of tracking health and fitness, including distance, the number of steps taken, and calorie burn, among others. The Versa 3 offers these functions at an affordable price point.
It’s not the first Fitbit smartwatch, but it’s certainly one of them. Being a runner and cyclist, having access to a detailed map of my running (cycling) trips would be great to plan future runs/trips accordingly. And yes, there’s no need to bring my phone everywhere when doing these activities. The only drawback is that it can take a couple of minutes to connect to the GPS signal. It’s recommended to stay still during this time. However, I got distracted to take off right when I pressed start. You’ll need to wait for at least four minutes before you see whether or not your order was successful.
Healthy Notifications
As mentioned above, Versa 3 can be used to tell you how many active zone minutes you’ve had throughout the day. It’s a great tool to help you achieve your goals.
Active Zone Minutes
When you exercise, Versa 3 may also notify you of your heart rate zone. The heart rate is used to calculate your intensity. The watch will buzz to alert you when you enter various zones, such as fat burn, cardio, or peak. This allows you to determine whether you should exert more effort or rest throughout your exercise. Versa 3 contains a statistic called Active Zone Minutes. This uses the heart rate to evaluate how long you’ve been involved in physical activity, even if it doesn’t need you to walk about for an extended period. Instead of 10,000 steps, strive for at least 20 Active Zone minutes based on your goals. According to Fitbit, Active Zone Minutes are a more accurate assessment of your fitness levels than steps.
Set Daily Goals
Like the other Fitbit devices, I enjoy how the Versa 3 creates weekly goals for your activity rather than making judgments daily. Trying to get in a workout while dealing with a swine flu outbreak is difficult as a parent with two children at home. Because there are free days, my daily objectives were both feasible and inspiring. My daily progress on the watch would be considered working progress rather than a complete failure. Its Versa 3 alerts you (and rewards you with an animated display) when you meet your target at the end of the week. You’ll be earning points till the end of the week. On the Fitbit smartphone app, you will be able to get a complete summary of your daily activities.
Vo2 max
By delving far enough into the settings, it may even tell you your fitness level. Versa 3 monitors your heart rate to calculate Vo2max (maximum oxygen consumption while exercising). Then shows it on graphs to demonstrate how you compare to the population. Cardio Fitness levels are referred to in the Fitbit smartphone app. You can go there by tapping the heart symbol on today’s summary and then swiping right on the map. Fitbit Premium subscribers also get access to videos and programs for guided exercises.
Paid membership
A paid membership costs $10 per month, but the Versa 3 comes free for the first three months. You may follow the course on your phone by utilizing courses from businesses like Popsugar and Daily Burn. Alternatively, you can download the full exercise on your device using the Fitbit Coach App. It was more convenient for me since I can generally get in a 10-minute abs workout directly after jogging without having to look at my phone for instructions.
SpO2 (blood oxygen levels)
However, it’s crucial to emphasize that the Versa 3 is much more than just a fitness tracker. It also monitors your health, such as SpO2 (blood oxygen levels) and breathing rate, as well as variations in skin temperature as you sleep. All of them will provide you with an overall picture of your health.
Fitbit Sense’s sole ECG
It is important to remember that this is not a medical gadget and should not be used to diagnose the etiology of a problem. Always seek the advice of a doctor or other trained health expert if you have any health-related concerns about a condition or your health objectives. It is Fitbit Sense’s sole ECG that has obtained FDA clearance.
Sleep Tracking
Fitbit is a sleep tracking powerhouse, and its Versa 3 wristwatch delivers one of the most comprehensive views of your sleep habits compared to other smartwatches. The amount to which it can assist you is a different story. It also considers the time and the various stages of sleep (deep light, deep, and REM) that are standard in sleep monitoring.
However, it also determines your heart rate, breathing rate, blood oxygen levels, and temperature variations when you sleep. At the start of each day, you may access all of this information through the Fitbit app.
Fitbit also offers sophisticated sleep analysis for Premium customers, which puts this data into context by knowing how you compare to the average person. This was useful for an inexperienced sleep monitor like me. It also provides advice on how to enhance your sleeping patterns. In my situation, that meant going to bed earlier, something I was aware of. Unfortunately, it is insufficient to compel me to go to bed at 10 p.m. It hasn’t happened yet.
One of the biggest issues was the inability to read this information at a glance on your watch’s display as you wake up. You can get a quick summary of your sleep duration and SpO2 levels (if you’re wearing an accurate watch face). However, to get additional information, you’ll need to go to the Fitbit app.
This, for me, isn’t the purpose of having an electronic watch. I’d regularly spend days, even weeks, without opening the application. When I did go in to check it up, I was pleasantly surprised by some of the information I uncovered.
Skin temperature
In general, fluctuations in skin temperature were associated with changes in my menstrual cycles. And because the Fitbit Sense tracked skin temperature too, I could observe how you might begin to connect between these two sets of data points over time.
Temperature monitoring isn’t something you’ll likely do daily. However, it’s helpful to have a plethora of knowledge about your body to reflect on if the need arises.
A great thing about having a smartwatch like the Versa 3 (or any other) is that it’ll be able to track your steps, distance traveled, calories burned, active minutes, etc., so you don’t need to worry about tracking these things manually anymore. You just wear the watch and go!
In addition, depending on your score, you’ll be given recommendations for workouts, meditations, and a personalized activity zone minutes objective.
Versa 3 Gets Smarter
The Fitbit’s earlier smartwatches were less expensive than rivals like Apple Watch and Samsung Gear S3 because they lacked broader compatibility among third-party apps and cellular connectivity. Its new Versa 3 has both features.
With its new features like call notifications, text messaging, and quick replies, the Versa 3 smartwatch is one of the most versatile wearables available today. The Versa 3 also has a heart rate monitor feature for tracking health metrics such as calories burned, steps taken, distance traveled, etc. In addition, there’s GPS support, so you don’t need to worry if you’re running late because you forgot where you parked your car.
You’ll get turn-by-turn directions right on your wrist. Other than these essential functions, the Versa 3 offers plenty of customization options too. For example, you can choose from different strap colors, add custom widgets, change the font size, and adjust the brightness level. There is also various watch faces out there for you to use, depending on your mood.
While I haven’t had the chance to test Amazon’s Alexa yet thoroughly, I did find one thing interesting when trying both Alexa and Google Assistant — they each offer different ways to order products through their respective platforms.
You can also playback music stored on your phone by connecting via Bluetooth headphones or speakers. However, if you want to take calls without having to hold up your phone, you won’t be able to connect any external devices like speakers or headphones.
Versa 3 has a built-in speakerphone but not one that supports hands-free calling. It doesn’t support wireless charging either, so there’s no way to charge your device when connected to power at night. The battery life is pretty good, though – we got through two days of regular usage before needing a recharge.
Battery life is unparalleled
Indeed, its three days of battery life isn’t quite up there with some competitors, like Fitbit Charge 3, which has five days of battery life. But if you’re looking for something simple, inexpensive, and reliable, then the Versa 3 might just fit the bill. And even though it doesn’t offer any special features beyond basic fitness tracking (like heart rate), it does charge quickly—in half an hour versus two hours for the Charge HR2.
Plus, unlike the Charge HR2, the Versa 3 offers 24/7 activity tracking and sleep monitoring. However, if you’re updating an earlier model, be aware it’s because the Versa 3 uses a proprietary new charging system, which means that it’s incompatible with the older model. It’s magnetic and needs to place it at the right angle to charge. It takes time to become accustomed to using these tools.
A healthy balance of fitness features and health monitoring
It has enough health metrics to let you know if you’re doing well without having to buy another one. You’ll get accurate tracking when you ride outside, making it great for outdoor activities like biking and running. And its Sleep Stages feature helps track your sleeping habits, so you don’t need to worry about waking up too early.
Although the Versa3 is a solid smartwatch pick for Android folks, the Charge4 might be an ideal fit for iPhone individuals who need a Fitbit watch. At around $100 lower than the Versa3, you can appreciate essentially the same excellent wellbeing and physical exercise highlights yet without the capacity to send out texts using voice. A few of these extras won’t work with iPhones at all.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Fitbit Versa 3 is a decent option for those seeking a basic smartwatch that tracks steps, calories burned, distance traveled, and sleep quality. If you’re looking for more advanced features such as GPS, Wi-Fi connectivity, and cellular capabilities, you may be better off with a Fitbit Blaze or Charge 4 instead.
As a veteran fitness technology innovator and the founder of GearUpToFit.com, Alex Papaioannou stands at the intersection of health science and artificial intelligence. With over a decade of specialized experience in digital wellness solutions, he’s transforming how people approach their fitness journey through data-driven methodologies.