Introduction
Fitbit have released three new devices recently: the Fitbit Inspire 2, Sense and Versa 3. The latter two is what we’re going to talk about here, but we’ve covered Inspire 2 in another article if you’re interested in that.
Now, the Fitbit Sense and the Versa 3 are quite similar. The designs are uncanny and they share some features. The Sense has more bells and whistles. Like a skin temperature sensor and ECG monitor. The significant difference is that it costs around $70 more for Sense. Also if you’re interested in a band style, you may want to explore the newly released Charge 5.
We’ll discuss if the price difference is really worth it in this comparison of the Fitbit Sense versus the Fitbit Versa 3.
Compare prices and choose your favorite supplier from this list:
| Product | Supplier | |||
| Fitbit Sense | Amazon | View offer | ||
| Fitbit Sense | eBay | View offer | ||
| Fitbit Sense | Fitbit | View offer | ||
| Fitbit Sense | Target | View offer |
Fitbit Sense VS Fitbit Versa 3 – Price
The Fitbit Sense comes in at $299.95 whereas you’ll be able to get a Versa 3 for $229.95. If you don’t need a GPS you might even be tempted at getting a Versa 2. You can compare the Versa 3 and 2 here.
The Sense does come with a six-month free trial of Fitbit Premium which is normally $10 a month or $79 for the year. This opens up your world to additional and more in-depth features like sleep scoring, custom workouts and guided meditations and relaxation activities.
Fitbit Sense VS Fitbit Versa 3 – Design
To look at the devices, there’s little difference. They are identical size and have the same display. The Sense has two notches on either side of the display, but they’re not for any function.
You can get the Sense with three types of cases: either gold, graphite or silver stainless steel. The bands come in only 3 colors when you purchase them – sage grey, carbon, and lunar white.
The Versa 3 comes in black or gold aluminum. The bands come in 5 different colors – pink clay, midnight blue, olive green, thistle, and standard black.
You can swap the bands on both models and there are infinite options to suit your taste or mood.
Fitbit Sense VS Fitbit Versa 3 – Incident Detection
When it comes to Fitbit devices, they’re some of the best on the market and ahead of many fitness trends. Their one drawback is their lack of incident detection software. Incident detection refers to the popular smartwatch feature that can detect falls and instantly calls emergency contacts. This is seen on many modern smartwatches, but it’s not yet integrated into the Fitbit range.
How Does Incident Detection Work?
Incident detection uses movement-sensitive sensors that are built-in to the smartwatch to determine if you’ve fallen. These sensors can detect if you’ve stopped moving or taken a hard impact from a fall. Once the sensors have detected a fall, the watch starts an alert which you have 60 seconds to disable.
If you aren’t injured you can turn the alert off, however, if you’re unresponsive and the alert doesn’t get disabled the watch will notify emergency contacts or the authorities through an SOS call. This is handy for anyone who takes part in sports or any senior citizens.
Some watches also offer users the chance to make deliberate SOS calls via a watch button. This uses the same SOS software as incident detection, but users can choose to make the call quickly and easily without falling.
When Will Fitbit Include This Feature?
Many speculate that as Fitbit is focused on health and fitness they haven’t yet been able to focus on added safety features. While Fitbit is leading the way with premium ECG trackers and SpO2 monitors, it’s lacking the infrastructure to implement fall detection services.
It’s speculated that the next Fitbit launch will be in the Spring/Summer of 2022. Fans of the brand are anticipating a new Fitbit Versa 4 or a Fitbit Sense 2, so if you’re happy to wait until the next generations of these watches are launched, you may have a better chance of getting a Fitbit with incident detection features.
Fitbit Sense VS Fitbit Versa 3 – Health and fitness features
The most significant difference between the Fitbit Sense and Versa 3 is the health and fitness features. They share features, like built-in GPS, allowing you to track a run without having your phone about your person.
They also both have a heart rate sensor, which provides data to the Workout Intensity Map. This indicates when your heart was working the hardest. It’ll monitor your heart rate 24/7 which means it can work out your sleep score too.
The Fitbit Sense has a better offering here. It has an ECG app which will hopefully be FDA approved for activation. This will monitor your heart health for early signs of AFib (atrial fibrillation). This is a condition that makes your heart beat irregularly. In theory, this is a potentially life-saving feature. The Sense will alert you to any extreme heart rate, be it high or low.
You’ll find a skin temperature sensor on the belly of the Sense. This monitors your epidermis temperature through the night. This could help indicate illness, ovulation or pregnancy. Fitbit doesn’t claim any medical certifications for this, but it is useful.
The Sense also has an EDA (electrodermal activity) sensor; which monitors the electricity flowing around the outer skin layer. This information is accessed by placing your palm over the display. The Sense is marketed as a device to help you manage stress and this feature, in particular, is what they’re talking about. The EDA is how you can measure your bodily response to stress. You use the app to access mediation and relaxation activities as a way of mitigating stress.
Fitbit Sense VS Fitbit Versa 3 – Smart features
The Sense and Versa 3 share smartwatch features. This includes Fitbit Pay, phone notifications like calls, texts and calendar appointments, custom watch faces, apps, music storage and control.
Both offer compatibility with Google Assistant and Alexa.
Both offer a 6 day battery life (although only 12 hours when you’re in GPS mode).
Which is best?
The biggest deciding factor is the importance you place on health and fitness features.
If you’re looking for a fitness tracker with some smart options, the Versa 3 will suit you. At this price point, it competes with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2, the Garmin Forerunner 55 and the Apple Watch Series 3. You could also compare Fitbit to Garmin here.
However, if you’re in the market for a smartwatch that will help manage stress as well as your fitness, the Fitbit Sense is a far more holistic device.
Do you have a favorite Fitbit device? Drop us a comment and let us know…
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