When it comes to sorting through worthy wearable tech, there's no better endorsement than from the people who use them day-in, day-out: personal trainers. After all, they talk about training metrics each and every day; things like calorie burn and heart rate tracking are the PT equivalent of presentations and spreadsheets.
Fitbit Versa 2 Health & Fitness Smartwatch with Voice Control, Sleep Score & Music, Bordeaux, One Size, Exclusive to Amazon
Fitbit Versa 2 Health & Fitness Smartwatch with Voice Control, Sleep Score & Music, Bordeaux, One Size, Exclusive to Amazon
When a personal trainer publicly backs a brand – especially when they have a casual 321,000 followers on Instagram – you can be almost certain it's worth stumping up the cash (unless they're backing ‘diet’ lollipops and laxative tea, obviously). Follow the advice of James Stirling, a.k.a @londonfitnessguy, and you'll get something far better than a dodgy stomach and a tinge of regret: the Fitbit Versa 2.
The Versa 2 is arguably the best watch in Fitbit's extensive range, and it just so happens to be discounted by 25% in Amazon's Black Friday sale, meaning you can snap one up today for just £128.99 here. The smartwatch comes loaded with Fitbit Pay, as well as all the usual apps featured in Fitbit watches, plus it's waterproof, making it the ideal all-weather training partner.
“The Fitbit Versa is my favourite health and fitness smartwatch and boasts some impressive features,” Stirling told Men's Health. “The heart rate feature is great for tracking improvements in your fitness and recovery. Upon completion of your workout you are presented with a graph in-app, which highlights the time spent in each zone – fat burn, cardio and training peaks. You can also see your heart rate during exercise, which is particularly important when training for endurance events.”
That’s not all. The watch allows you to choose from workout modes including run, bike, yoga and more to set personalised goals, as well as tracking your pace and distance in real time during runs or rides by connecting to your phone’s GPS. Plus, guided breathing sessions personalised to your heart rate are on hand to help you decompress after a tough session.
And we haven't even mentioned the sleep tracker. “When it comes to recovery, sleep is paramount and Fitbit's sleep score allows you to review the quality of your sleep each night,” Stirling says. “The watch provides data on REM, light and deep sleep while also showing you periods in which you were awake.”
But if you think the Fitbit Versa is just a sports watch, you couldn't be more wrong. It's also been engineered to help you manage your schedule and streamline your day, alerting you to call, calendar, text and app notifications when your phone is nearby. The long-lasting four-day battery life means you can get on with the important stuff.
“Overall, the Fitbit Versa is a great tool for understanding more about our daily expenditure,” Stirling says. “If fat loss is your goal, you can track your Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) and calories burned during exercise to make more informed decisions when it comes to diet.”
And who doesn't want that? No matter whether you're a seasoned gym-goer or lacing up for the first time, the Fitbit Versa will keep you accountable and on the right track. Get yours in the Amazon Black Friday sale today for £149.
