Fitbit Versa 2 Review: Top Selling Fitness Tracker in 2020, but a good Watch?

From a name like 'Fitbit', one would expect its products to not sway far from fitness. Over the last few years, Fitbit has built itself as a household name successfully to the point that teens these days refer to any odd fitness tracker on the wrist a 'Fitbit'. What supports that reputation is the Fitbit Versa 2 listed as the top seller in Amazon's fitness tracking category.

However, in line with this review series, my question is not whether the Fitbit Versa 2 is a great fitness tracker, but instead, is it a decent watch for business travelers?

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Fitness tracker + Business suit = Fashion Disaster...or is it?

There was a time when fitness trackers look like thick silicon wristbands, which doesn't look completely disastrous, but definitely cramps the sleek professional look with some hipster vibe. The Versa 2 distances itself from that with a rounded square aluminum case construction, glass face with curved edges, and a square AMOLED display.

What impressed me more was actually the construction of the back of the watch, which is a domed profile, centered with a large piece of glass that contains the heartbeat sensor.

Various smartwatches/trackers that I have used have different ways of dealing with sweat, which to me is very important because often when I travel for work, I end up in humid cities where I need to know the sweat will not damage the watch or create unpleasant smells - which I'd like to think is very much part of a person's fashion.

Amazfit manages sweat using a plastic back, and Suunto does the same - which keeps everything light and durable. But the Versa 2 does it more tastefully with the domed glass where mostly only the glass part touches my skin. This actually makes it more pleasurable to wear - probably not practically, but having glass touching my skin felt better than plastic, even better than stainless steel. The back of the Versa 2 is definitely one of my favorite parts of the fitness tracker design.

Conclusively in the style department, the Versa 2 has my vote for being adequate as a timepiece that goes with the suit. It's minimalistic, sleek, plus it has the construction quality of a nice watch.

Surprisingly responsive to my wrist

One of the things that I could not stand with past fitness trackers is that delay between turning your wrist and the time showing up. The whole point of wearing a watch to me is so that I can see the time quicker, instead of having to pull out my phone. There is nothing more cringy than seeing a gentlemen in a nice suit flicking his wrist repeatedly to try to get the time to show up on his watch.

Recent smartwatches has improved this, but the Fitbit Versa 2 is one of the smoothest, most responsive smartwatch that I've used so far. Not only does the screen flick on when I turned my wrist to check, but it even flicks off when I turned my wrist back to its original position.

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(Photo from amazon.com)

The responsiveness makes it much closer to a conventional watch, without resorting to the always-on display - which it also has. But as with any always-on displays, it consumes the battery quicker, which is not desirable on a device that already needs a charge every few days.

That said, the always-on designs that turns into a minimalistic version of the watch face was something that I was into. Fitbit has some themes that have very nicely designed always-on modes that caught me by pleasant surprise, which then toggles on and off responsively according to the orientation of the wrist.

Profiled straps

I love details, and I believe those who appreciate timepieces also appreciate it when watchmakers make that extra mile in putting in the details. Remember the profile that I mentioned previously about the watch case where it is flat on top, and domed on the bottom which minimizes the contact? I found the exact same profile on the strap! It sure gave me a warm fuzzy feeling in my inner OCD self.

Not only does the strap have a nicely profiled cross section, it also comes off the case on an angle - like a CASIO G-Shock. This means the watch never lays flat on the table, but also means it wraps itself more nicely around the wrist where it mostly stays - especially for a tracker that monitors your sleep.

Who is the Fitbit Versa 2 for?

This fitness tracker has my stamp of approval as a watch that can go on my business trips. It looks sophisticated enough to look at home when I need to dress up, and it is responsive enough to read when I need to take a quick glance while rolling my carry-on with the other hand. To me the fact that this smartwatch is made by a renowned fitness tracker company is a bonus. With its heart rate detection, even tap-to-pay function all makes it a well-worth watch to own.

David is a tech enthusiast/writer who is often on the move and is on a mission to explore ways to make his overhaul flights more enjoyable. This is a contribution to an ongoing IBTimes review series on gadgets for Business Travelers.