REASONS TO BUY
Great distance accuracy
Wide screen
Thin profile
REASONS TO AVOID
Poor step count tracking
Poor heart rate monitoring
Fitbit Versa 4 Review
This tracker is for those that like a larger screen, Fitbit dieting, and community involvement with their apps
Credit: Fitbit
RELATED: Best Fitness Trackers
Our Verdict
The Fitbit Versa 4 offers decent features and functionality but fails to stay competitive against its alternatives. With its great distance precision and wide screen, the Versa 4 provides accurate tracking and a comfortable viewing experience. The device's thin profile adds to its sleek design, while its community features foster engagement and motivation. However, there are a few downsides to consider. The step count accuracy is questionable, which may affect the overall tracking experience. Additionally, the heart rate monitoring performance falls short of expectations. Despite these drawbacks, the Fitbit Versa 4 remains a mostly reliable fitness tracker that will get the job done. To see how it rates next to the competition, check out our full best fitness tracker article.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product Fitbit Versa 4 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Bang for the Buck | Best Buy on a Tight Budget | |||
| Price | $200 List $149.95 at Amazon | $100 List $69.95 at Amazon | $150 List $149.99 at Amazon | $50 List $49.99 at Amazon | $60 List |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | If you prefer a larger screen and value Fitbit's dieting and community features in its apps, this option will be suitable for you | We recommend this product if you're looking for an affordable and lightweight fitness tracker that offers excellent fitness features | This tracker is highly recommended for data enthusiasts. It logs extensive information and presents it through numerous graphs for detailed analysis | For individuals on a tight budget who can overlook inaccurate heart rate monitoring or a lack of dieting features, this could be an excellent choice | While this tracker is inexpensive, we recommend exploring more accurate alternatives that can provide you with greater reliability and functionality |
| Rating Categories | Fitbit Versa 4 | Fitbit Inspire 3 | Garmin Vivosmart 5 | Amazfit Band 7 | Xiaomi Mi Band 7 |
| Fitness Impact (40%) | |||||
| Health Impact (30%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (15%) | |||||
| Display (10%) | |||||
| Ergonomics (5%) | |||||
| Specs | Fitbit Versa 4 | Fitbit Inspire 3 | Garmin Vivosmart 5 | Amazfit Band 7 | Xiaomi Mi Band 7 |
| Heart Rate Monitor | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Altimeter (stair tracking) | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Manufacturer Stated Battery life | More than 6 days | Up to 10 days | Up to 7 days | Heavy Usage: 12 Days Typical Usage: 18 Days Battery Saver Mode: 28 Days |
Heavy Usage: 9 Days Typical Usage: 14 Days |
| Measured Charge Time | 2 Hours | 1.25 Hours | 1.5 Hours | 1.75 Hours | 1.5 Hours |
| Sensors | Multi-path optical heart rate sensor, red and infrared sensors for oxygen saturation (SpO2) monitoring, altimeter 3-axis accelerometer, ambient light sensor |
3-Axis accelerometer, optical heart rate monitor, red and infrared sensors for blood oxygen (SpO2) monitoring, ambient light sensor | Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor, accelerometer, ambient light sensor, pulse OX blood oxygen saturation monitor | BioTracker™ 3.0 PPG biometric sensor (supports blood-oxygen, 1PD + 2LED), 3-Axis acceleration sensor, geomagnetic sensor |
High precision 6-axis sensor and PPG heart rate sensor 6-axis sensor: Low power-consumption 3-axis accelerometer and 3-axis gyroscope PPG heart rate sensor |
| Memory | Saves 7 days of detailed motion data, minute by minute, Saves daily totals for the last 30 days, Stores heart rate data at one-second intervals during exercise tracking and at five-second intervals all other times | Saves 7 days of detailed motion data, minute by minute, Saves daily totals for the last 30 days, Stores heart rate data at one-second intervals during exercise tracking and at five-second intervals all other times | 7 timed activities, 14 days of activity tracking data | Not mentioned on site | Not mentioned on site |
| Water Resistance | 5 ATM | 5 ATM | 5 ATM | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Notifications | Text, call, push notifications | Text, call, push notifications | Text, call, push notifications | Text, call, push notifications | Text, call, push notifications |
| GPS Tracking | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Music Control | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Sleep Tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Fitbit Versa 4 impressed us with its accurate distance tracking, wide screen, and community features — but it suffers from inaccurate step count and poor heart rate monitoring.
Performance Comparison
This tracker provides decent features, accurate tracking, comfortable viewing, and community engagement. However, there are concerns about step count accuracy and heart rate monitoring.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Fitness Impact
In terms of fitness impact, the Fitbit Versa 4 impresses across multiple submetrics. Its community features shine, offering extensive groups and challenges for users to engage in. The walking performance is decent, while the step count falls consistently short. However, the device excels in distance precision, accurately recording distances.
Cycling tracking is commendable, providing elevation and map views. The workout tracking offers great app visuals, with the app breaking down interval exercises. The heart rate (HR) tab showcases personalized HR zones and visual graphs. With a wide variety of trackable options, including popular sports, users can choose from 41 different activities.
The Versa 4 has plenty of workout-tracking options.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Health Impact
The Fitbit Versa 4 offers a range of health features that contribute to its overall health impact. Starting with the heart rate monitor, it falls short in accuracy, taking over 30 seconds to adjust and failing to track spikes in heart rate during workouts. This compromises its reliability as a fitness-focused smartwatch, especially for intense cardio sessions.
The HR monitoring of the Versa 4 leaves much to be desired.
Credit: Jessica Riconscente
In terms of dieting, the Fitbit Versa 4 excels with its intuitive and easy-to-use food journal feature. Users can conveniently input their meals, adjust portion sizes, and even utilize the barcode reader for quick and accurate logging. This feature provides valuable support for individuals managing their nutrition.
The additional health indicators on the Fitbit Versa 4 include standing/inactivity reminders, a mental/stress detector, a progress bar, and blood oxygen monitoring. However, it lacks ECG and skin temperature features. While these indicators contribute to a holistic health profile, the absence of ECG and skin temperature measurements is a notable limitation.
Overall we were not impressed with this tracker's health options.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Sleep tracking on the Fitbit Versa 4 yielded mixed results. While it accurately captured major wake-ups and provided insights into sleep duration, there were instances of misalignment in tracking sleep hours and recording false wake-ups. However, it did capture significant wake-up events accurately, showcasing its potential to monitor sleep patterns effectively.
Ease of Use
When evaluating the ease of use of the Fitbit Versa 4, several factors come into play. The battery life, with a duration of up to six days depending on usage, is above average and offers convenience. The charging setup, although not as robust as some smartwatches, is commendable for its ability to lay flat and connect with just one hand. The magnetic connection is strong and secure.
Putting on the Versa 4 is a breeze.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
In terms of the app, Fitbit utilizes a familiar interface across its devices. The layout is clean and intuitive, with a “today” tab and additional options in the bottom menu. While it may not display as many numbers initially, users can easily access graphs and detailed information.
Navigating menus on the Versa 4 resembles a smartwatch setup, with a drop-down menu for quick settings and notifications accessible by pulling up. However, some testers found the abundance of functions and tracking options in the left and right swipe menus to be less efficient for a fitness tracker, especially when compared to a dedicated smartwatch.
Navigating the Versa 4 is similar to a smartwatch.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Display
The screen quality of the Versa 4, which carries the highest weight in this metric, impressed testers with its clean and clear visuals. Additionally, when using watch faces depicting art pieces, the display showcased the fine details with remarkable clarity.
In terms of responsiveness, the larger screen size of the Versa 4 seemed to contribute to its fluid and accurate touch recognition, allowing users to navigate menus and perform quick flicks with ease. As for smart notifications, the wider screen not only provided a more enjoyable viewing experience but also supported the display of emojis, adding a touch of fun and expressiveness to notifications.
The display is lackluster for this wearable.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ergonomics
When it comes to ergonomics, the Fitbit Versa 4 excels in both comfort and profile design. Testers noted that the device feels comfortable on the wrist, with the increased surface area of the display spreading out the sensor area underneath, providing a gentle and pleasant experience. Despite its weight, the Versa 4 feels lighter than it actually is, enhancing the overall comfort. In terms of profile design, the watch boasts a thinner wide square display and a wide band, contributing to a lower-profile look that doesn't rise excessively on the wrist.
We were impressed with the ergonomics of the Versa 4.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Should You Buy the Fitbit Versa 4?
The Versa 4 is an overall solid fitness tracker but does not stand out relative to its competition. There are a number of options that are better at the price point.
What Other Fitness Trackers Should You Consider?
Paying only a bit more for the Apple Watch SE Gen 2 will give you an overall superior experience in every regard. If you are an Android user, another option that runs laps around the Versa 4 is the Garmin Vivoactive 4.
If the Versa 4 were more affordable, it may be worth considering.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
—
Jessica Riconscente and Jared Eastlick
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