Back on my (fit) beat
It's almost the end of January, which means it's time to get serious with those fitness resolutions.
At the start of every year in recent memory, I’ve made the commitment (more like “commitment”) to take my fitness more seriously. And every year, I’ve almost always failed to keep the promise. I’m sure many of you out there have struggled with this: motivation usually peaks in January, and eventually wanes as you get busy with school, work, a fling, or other things. I’ve tried many, many things, from different workouts (as you may have previously read in our pages) to getting fitness buddies and various diets, in the hope that one will eventually stick.
But this year is a little different (or so I hope). To kick off my renewed motivation for fitness for the new decade, Fitbit lent me their newest smartwatch to play around with, the Versa 2. To be honest, working out wasn’t at the top of my list when I got the watch back in December (I mean, the holidays are the time for stuffing yourself), but I took it as a challenge. As the new year crept closer, I went back to my ol’ faithful Saddle Row and braced myself for some intense indoor cycling.
Once I put on the Versa 2, I noticed one thing: it actually looks pretty good. You could say that it looks like a pretty good dupe of an Apple Watch (which is twice the price of the Versa 2, mind you), but it still holds its own character. I gotta say, the Versa 2 is Fitbit’s best-looking smartwatch to date.
The watch’s face looks like a smooth pebble, and it’s hard to tell where the screen starts and the bezels end when the screen is off. This is the case even when the watch is displaying the time, if you choose a watch face that has a black background. This is because the Versa 2 finally got upgraded with an AMOLED (nerd name: active-matrix light-emitting diode) screen, which means that pixels displaying black are actually turned off, resulting in deeper blacks and a screen that appears flush with the bezel. Not only does it look sleeker, but it also makes the screen easier on the eyes when you’re in the dark room of an indoor cycling studio, for example.
The new screen also allows the watch to have an always-on display, which means you don’t have to violently raise your wrist or furiously tap the screen every time you want to check the time or see how you’re doing on your workout. The only problem with the always-on display is that there’s only one default watch face for it, and you can’t change it. This is so the watch can preserve battery power by displaying a monochrome display while it’s in this mode; once you press the button to wake it up, it’ll show your watch face of choice.
Speaking of customization, as with most smartwatches, the Versa 2 has the option of swapping out its straps. The stock ones that come in the box are rubber, which make them versatile enough for both working out and wearing out. However, if you’re keen on changing it up and matching them with your outfits, swapping them out is pretty simple. Plus, the bands are pretty affordable to boot. Straps range from standard rubber ones to woven and even metal bands for more formal occasions.
But how does it fare as a fitness tracker, the point of this watch’s existence in the first place? The only thing I can say is that I have barely any complaints. It pairs with both Android and iOS devices, and its accompanying app is pretty fuss-free. You can even add your friends and see their daily progress if you want to be competitive about it.
Navigating the watch is also pretty simple and intuitive. When you press the watch’s lone button on its side, it takes you to the app drawer, where you can access things like workouts, the timer, alarms, the weather, and the like. It even has its own standalone Spotify app, where you can access your music library — yes, even your playlists. The Versa 2 also has its own stock media controls from its control center too just in case, which you can access by swiping down on the home screen.
The only thing to note here is that the workout app only has a limited number of modes in the exercise app, which include Run, Bike, Swim (yes, the watch is waterproof), Treadmill, Weights, Interval Timer, and a general Workout mode, which may be a bit limiting if you’re a the kind of person that tries out a lot of different workouts. But don’t worry: the general Workout mode will cover most exercises. If you really need more modes,
Fitbit’s premium subscription (which you can access and pay for via the app) gives you access to guided programs, challenges and adventures, and detailed health and fitness stats for the serious athlete or fitness enthusiast.
In addition to that, the Fitbit Versa 2 also puts an emphasis on tracking your sleep, which you’ll know, if you work out on the reg, impacts how well you do on your exercises. Through the app, the watch gives you a sleep score, which is based on the quality of your sleep — yes, it can track whether your slumber was *chef’s kiss* or not.
You obviously have to wear the watch while you sleep, so you may be wondering: how or when do you charge it? Well, let me tell you: the battery life of the Versa 2 is amazing. Fitbit’s website says six-plus days of battery life per charge, and using it without the always-on display, it regularly lasted at least a week without needing a charge. Turning on the always-on display will yield less, but you still won’t be charging it every night. Plus, it charges pretty quickly anyway, so it won’t have to leave your wrist for long.
Now, it’s too early to say whether or not the Versa 2 will keep me committed to working out again, but for now, so far so good — and I’ve got the stats to prove it.
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The Fitbit Versa 2 is retails for P12,890 on Lazada. For more information about the watch and Fitbit’s subscription service, visit fitbit.com/ph.