The Fitbit Versa 2 used to be the best Fitbit. Not anymore, though. Since its release in October 2019, Fitbit rolled out many new wearables, including the Sense, the Fitbit Versa 3 and the Fitbit Charge 5. Now that the Versa 2 is the cheapest ever on Black Friday, one might ask the question: should I buy one or am I better off getting a newer fitness tracker? This is one of the burning questions raised by our Best Fitbit and Garmin Cyber Monday deals live blog.
Just because the Versa 2 doesn't represent the latest generation of fitness trackers, that doesn't mean it's worthless. On the contrary, the Versa 2 is a capable wearable and, among other things, can measure your body's preparedness to exercise through its Daily Readiness Score (DRS), which is as new of a feature as it gets.
Granted, as well as the Versa 2, you will also need a Fitbit Premium subscription to actually see your DRS, but even without that, the Versa 2 has plenty more to offer. It can measure blood oxygen saturation, has 20 "goal-based" workout modes, Fitbit Pay contactless payment options and even provides you with a stress score.
(opens in new tab)- In the US? Buy the Versa 2 at Walmart, was $199.95, now only $119 (opens in new tab)
- Visiting from Australia? Get the Versa 2 for $199.16 (was $299.95) at Amazon AUS (opens in new tab)
- Check out this Charge 4 deal next: cheapest EVER
- And Versa 3: DITTO
This is all well but before you hit the 'Buy Now' button on Amazon, there are a few things worth considering.
Firstly, although it's true that the Versa 2 tracks a bunch of health metrics, it's never been famous for tracking them accurately. And if a wearable can't track heart rate accurately, all the estimates (e.g. calories burned) will be inaccurate which might be an issue if you're planning on losing weight, for example.
Sadly, this issue is not likely to improve with future software updates. Although Fitbit releases frequent (and free) software updates for its wearables, the dated optical heart rate sensor can only be improved so much. Some higher-end running watches such as the Garmin Forerunner 945 will serve you well for years to come, the same can't be said about the Versa 2.
And especially since Fitbit's acquisition by Google, there are concerns about how long will Fitbit support its own proprietary operating system. Will Fitbit switch over to using Wear OS soon? We can't tell. Once it happens, though, the days of the Fitbit OS will be numbered.
Should you get the Fitbit Versa 2 for Black Friday? I would recommend finding a newer fitness tracker or a cheap Garmin watch instead. The Garmin Forerunner 45 (opens in new tab) is the same price as the Versa 2 but tracks heart rate more accurately. The HUAWEI Watch Fit Elegant (opens in new tab) is a good £40 cheaper than the Versa 2 and looks much prettier.
Desperate to have a Fitbit wrapped around your wrist? Check out our roundup of the best Fitbit deals for Black Friday and beyond.
