What is a Fitbit and why do you need one?
Basically, it looks like a watch but it’s way more than that. It’s a ‘smart’ watch that helps you track your personal fitness and stay healthy.
The Fitbit Versa is one of the top smartwatches out there, coming in as a close second to the Apple watch except without the hefty price tag. Its special features like the Heart Rate Monitor and Sleep Tracker are just some of the cool things it can do.
When I purchased a Fitbit Versa for Mother’s Day, I was thrilled to start using it. I had done my research and felt the Versa was the best Fitbit on the market. It did not disappoint. I absolutely love it!
Disclosure: Crunchy Menopause is a professional review site that receives compensation from the companies whose products I review on this website. Each product has been tested thoroughly and has been given high marks only if it really is the best. Crunchy Menopause is independently owned and the opinions expressed here are my own. That means, if you purchase something through one of my links, I get money for it. ~ Sincerely, Kat
One of the main reasons I wanted to buy a Fitbit was for health reasons. I wanted to track my heart rate and sleep patterns specifically because of menopause. Women have always questioned how menopause symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats affect the body, and the Fitbit just gives that added piece of mind that you’re okay.
Let’s explore some great features and how they can make you feel better just by wearing this incredible smartwatch.
Heart Rate Monitor
The Heart Rate Monitor is a great feature. When I first started using it, I didn’t really know what the numbers meant. I had to look that up. I tracked my resting heart rate, and then my activity heart rate. It was within the normal range.
During hot flashes and night sweats I was surprise to find that my heart rate didn’t go up or down drastically. I was just fine. It put to rest the age-old myth that you’re somehow not okay when you experience hot flashes or night sweats during menopause.
A feature that was not included in the Versa was the blood pressure monitor. Since I had done a lot of research on the various Fitbits available on the market, I already knew it didn’t include a BP monitor, so I wasn’t disappointed.
However, I also found out that blood pressure monitoring isn’t really accurate on a Fitbit anyway, because there is no compression. I didn’t want a blood pressure measuring tool if it wasn’t going to be accurate.
Some say the BP on a Fitbit is near accurate, but how do they know? Really, it’s just a great big guessing game, and I think Versa got it right. There is no need for a blood pressure monitoring feature if its not accurate.
Overall, I am happy with the heart rate monitoring feature on the Fitbit Versa. It’s easy to read and gives me peace of mind that I’m okay.
Great feature!
Female Health Tracking
The Fitbit Versa has a special feature called the Female Health Tracker. What it is, is a program to track a woman’s cycle. That’s great, but what about older women who don’t have a cycle anymore. We would like to be included.
I was a bit offended that there was no option for menopausal women. Granted, there is no cycle to track at this age, but there are other things to track, like hot flashes, and night sweats. That still falls into the category of Female Health Tracking.
I would like it if Fitbit considered that not all women have cycles but still have things pertaining to their health they would like to track, like menopause, or even pregnancy at the opposite end of the spectrum.
This feature is a fail. I deleted it the moment I figured out it was only for certain women. I am still a woman even though I’m in menopause now, and I’d like to be included in this feature somehow.
Fitbit got a fail for this one.
Sleep tracker
Of all the features of the Fitbit Versa, I love this one the most. I was so excited to use it because as a woman going through menopause, my sleep patterns are not the same as they used to be.
In fact, I was very curious about what was going on in my head while I was sleeping. I wanted to know how long I was sleeping, what kind of sleep I was having, and how often I was waking up.
Basically, I wanted to know if my sleep patterns were normal.
After some research, I figured out how to decipher the sleep stage information, and found it quite interesting. On the days that I had a difficult day at work, or I was going through some kind of difficulty, my REM sleep was always higher. I learned that REM sleep is a corrective measure to sort things out from the day.
I was sorting out my problems through my dreams. I never knew that’s what happens during REM sleep. So cool!
This feature is absolutely great! I love wearing it at night to track my sleep. I don’t even notice it on my wrist at night. It’s so lightweight and comfortable.
The Fitbit Versa got a pass on this feature.
Step Counter
Okay, so this one’s cool too. The step counter really changed my life. Not only can you set a limit on how many steps you do each day, but it surprises you when you meet your goal.
I remember the first day I wore the Fitbit Versa and I met my goal. I set it for 10,000 steps because I heard that number keeps you fit. I walked to work that day and got 8000 steps by the time I got to work in the morning. By mid-afternoon, on my break, my whole arm vibrated. Fitbit congratulated me for meeting my goal of 10,000 steps by buzzing my arm.
I felt so proud of myself for achieving this. That started making me WANT to walk more steps. By the end of the day, I had made over 18,000 steps. I was tired but full of pride.
Each day after that, I found myself deliberately walking more so I would meet and surpass my goals.
The Fitbit Versa gets a huge pass for this feature. I love how it helps me throughout the day too. It reminds me that I have to move more when I have been too idle, and also how many steps I have to do per hour to make my goal.
I absolutely love it!
Relax Feature
I’m the kind of person that worries a lot. I have a hard time calming down, and I can work myself into a dither. I try not to be so anxious, but it’s very hard for me. I need some help.
In comes the Fitbit Versa and this cool feature that actually helps you relax. All you have to do is activate it and it cycles you through a series of breathing exercises to help you calm down with deep breathing.
At first, when I saw this feature, I scoffed at it. I didn’t think a little watch could help me calm down, but It actually did. It was quite effective.
It makes you take the time to remember to breathe. That’s handy for me especially when I have a busy day at work and I just need to take a moment. I press the relax feature, and away I go.
It’s the perfect calming gadget.
Fitbit, you have outdone yourself with this feature. I’d highly recommend getting a Versa just for this reason. If you can do some deep breathing exercises, you’ll lower your blood pressure, and your heart rate, and you’ll be able to cope with stress way better than without this wonderful smartwatch.
Beauty
I really love the look of my watch. The coral pink band goes perfectly with the rose gold face of the Fitbit Versa.
You can even get other watch bands in different colors. Just take a peek at some of them on Amazon below. They are absolutely beautiful!
You can even dress it up with bracelet-type watch bands like the ones above. I need to get some nice ones to wear for special occasions like these.
I’m glad I went for the longer band because it was way more comfortable than a tight band. The band is also made out of a great rubber-type fabric that feels great. At first, I thought it would make me sweat, but it doesn’t. I keep it loose enough that it allows my wrist to breathe.
The Fitbit Versa comes with an extra band for a larger wrist. I have big wrists so I found that option to be great. It was so nice of Fitbit to include it. And changing the band was pretty easy. All I had to do was snap a little button and off it came.
The clock face can even be changed. I tried a few different faces but realized I wanted to match the numbers to the peach band. I switched the white numbers to peach right away. I love how pretty it looks when it’s coordinated.
The clock face doesn’t light up unless you push a button, or raise your wrist to view it. I like this feature because it doesn’t waste power. It only lights up when you need to see it. At first, I tried to find a way to keep it lit up all the time, but I quickly realized there was wisdom in keeping it dark as often as possible.
I didn’t want to be constantly charging it.
Overall, the Fitbit is a little beauty. At first, I couldn’t make up my mind whether I wanted a large watch face or a small one, but I’m glad I went for the large.
My thinking was that a big square watch would look too masculine on a woman, but I was wrong. With the right band, it can be unisex. A large face is also easier to see the notifications.
I’m glad I didn’t go for the small narrow watch. I like to show it off. Ops, did I just say that out loud? I guess I like to show off. But who wouldn’t want to show off a beautiful watch like the Fitbit Versa.
Thank you, Fitbit for making the Versa not just fully functional, but beautiful as well. It’s really a show stopper.
Exercise
The Fitbit Versa has an exercise feature where you can run laps, customize stats, and track your progress through each routine. You can bike, swim, run. You can lift weights and use the treadmill all while tracking your progress.
Each type of exercise is customizable as well with its own setting depending on what exercise you are doing.
I think this feature is fabulous because it encourages physical activity by making it fun. I love to keep active and play with my watch at the same time.
Sure, people say you can track these things with your phone app too, but there is something about having it all on your wrist that makes it a whole lot easier.
And when you first open your Fitbit, you load up the Fitbit app on your phone anyway. So you’re still using an App, but only to sync information with your phone.
You can leave your phone behind and still track your exercise.
Fitbit gets a pass with this exercise feature. I love how it encourages me to keep physically active no matter what age I am.
One feature I do wish it had is an Intermittent Fasting feature. I’ve been doing IF for years and track my progress with the Zero App. I get notifications from my phone on my watch, but it would be nice if I could track my fasts right on my watch.
Notifications
I adore the notifications feature on the Fitbit Versa. It works in conjunction with my iPhone. But it can also work with and Android phone. The apps that I allow notifications for, will show up on my watch.
For example, my daughter’s friend was having a baby. I was anxiously awaiting news of the birth. I had to go to bed and leave my phone on my desk. But I had my Fitbit on. I still got the notification I was waiting for.
“Baby girl has arrived. All doing well!”
That’s all I needed to see on my watch. I didn’t need to get up and respond. I just needed the notification for peace of mind. That’s what the Fitbit Versa does for you with it’s notifications feature.
I also like to get emergency alerts and crime watch notifications on my Fitbit. If I’m at work doing something away from my desk and phone, I still get important notifications to stay safe.
I can get encouragement on my Fitbit too. I have a Bible app on my phone and I turned on notifications to that. I didn’t realize I did, but because of that, I suddenly got a Bible verse on my watch one day.
Realizing it was a notification, I decided I wanted to keep it. Now every day, a Bible verse flashes across my Fitbit Versa and encourages me. Sometimes it comes in the nick of time. If I’m feeling sad, it always cheers me up and encourages me when I get this type of notification.
Notifications on the Fitbit Versa make it feel personal like somebody cares about you. It’s strange to say that, but sometimes you need that. Sure, you can always check the phone, but your phone isn’t always with you. The Fitbit is. As long as your phone has wifi or data and it’s near you, you will get as many notifications as you want.
You will never feel alone again.
MUSIC
You can download your music from your smartphone to your Fitbit but only if you own the rights to the songs. You can also download podcasts.
However, you can’t download music with the Versa Light. Only the full-featured Versa will allow this feature.
Once you have your music stored on your Fitbit, you can pair Bluetooth earphones with your Fitbit.
I think adding the music feature to the Fitbit Versa is a good idea. I don’t know if it’s really necessary though because I use my phone for music and podcasts, but I can see how it would be handy on a run.
Who wants to take your phone with you all the time when you can listen right from your watch.
I admit I have not used this feature yet. I don’t know if I will because I’m just so used to listening on my phone and it seems like an added step to load it all on your watch. But thanks Versa for giving me options. I really like that.
APPS
The Fitbit Versa actually comes with its own apps. You can load a Starbucks gift card on your Versa and pay with your watch. I think that’s cool. I don’t know why you would want to, but hey, I like that you can.
It comes with a music App if you want to sign up. It also comes with a coaching app and specific workouts like Yoga.
I like that these are options because it makes the Fitbit more usable. The apps are also accessible through the Fitbit App on your phone, or on your desktop computer.
I don’t know if the Apps are really necessary but it’s nice to have some ‘toys’ on your Fitbit.
Water Resistant
The Fitbit Versa is water-resistant up to 50ft. What that means is you can swim with it and have it track how many laps you swim. You don’t have to worry about it getting wet.
However, like any technology, I am hesitant to get it wet. I just don’t trust that it won’t wreck. I know it was made to swim with, but for me, I would rather not try this feature out. It’s good to know that if I’m wearing it in the rain, it won’t die. But that’s it for me.
It’s a nice feature Fitbit, and to those brave souls who want to try it, I say go for it. But for me, I will continue to baby it. I want to keep it for a long time.
Alarms
I am not one for setting alarms, but when I do, I admit I’m impressed with the Fitbit Versa alarm feature. I’ve set alarms for my 15-minute coffee breaks at work, and it just buzzes my arm to let me know times up. Very handy!
You can also set a wake-up alarm and have it vibrate on your wrist instead of sound an alarm. It won’t wake your partner up or annoy you with some tune that drives you crazy.
The Alarm is a cool feature. You’ll never sleep through this alarm. Your watch is always on your arm, unlike your smartphone which you sometimes forget or don’t hear.
Yes, having an alarm feature on your Fitbit is a must!
Charging
The Fitbit Versa charges pretty easily. It comes with a small black box that you squeeze open and set the watch face inside.
It doesn’t take long to charge up, and the charge lasts for 4 days. I charge it here and there when I have it off, so it seems like it holds a charge for a lot longer than that.
A friend recommended the Fitbit Blaze to me, but I admit I decided to go for the Versa instead because of the easy charging. With the Blaze, you have to dismantle the face just to charge it. I didn’t like that.
Overall, I never have had an issue with charging. Versa hit the nail on the head with this process. Charging is easy.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, purchasing the Fitbit Versa was definitely worth it. I use it every day, and it’s was affordable compared to buying an expensive Apple Watch. I don’t even know if I would get the Apple Watch if I could afford it.
To me, the Fitbit was made for tracking fitness. It just knows how to do that better. The Apple Watch is a monster in regards to functionality. I don’t know if I would want to tackle that just for tracking fitness.
Also, this review wasn’t endorsed by Fitbit. I just wanted you to know that. They didn’t pay me to write it. They didn’t give me the watch for free. I paid for it myself. I just wanted the world to know how great this product is because I love my own Fitbit Versa so much.
So, from someone who actually wears one every day, the Fitbit Versa is absolutely worth the money!
I also like the fact that the Fitbit comes with its own Fitbit app. To me, that just pulls everything together so well.
I hope to use my Fitbit for a long time, and I highly recommend getting one. Specifically, the Fitbit Versa, because it’s so darn pretty!
Kathleen Morris writes articles about menopause on Crunchy Menopause. She writes about natural ways to go through menopause for the body, mind, and spirit. She uses reference material and research papers as listed below:
References
- Science Daily
- The North American Menopause Society
- Harvard Health
- Endocrine Web
- NCBI (Pub Med)
- Alternative Medicine for Menopause (LCBI)
- Healthline
- WebMD
- Women’s Health Concerns
- Reader’s Digest
- Mayo Clinic
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Author Kathleen Morris
Kathleen Morris is a successful published author, blogger, and Youtuber. She enjoys writing about things she’s passionate about and making a difference in the world.