Fitbit Versa 4 : Workout Mode Ability And What To Expect

If fitness tracking is of utmost importance to you when it comes to selecting a smart watch, then this article is sure to be of help. I have laid out a rating system for smart watches that takes into account their ability to track your workouts.

Each smart watch is rated based on its capacity to monitor three levels of physical fitness, from basic to intermediate to advanced. As I’m trying out the Versa 4 with this new rating system for the first time, I’m hoping it will provide the value you need before investing in a smart watch.

After my thorough assessment of the Fitbit Versa 4 and its 40 different workout modes, I have to admit that there are still some flaws in the product. My overall rating for this device is 7 out of 15 stars. It is a lower rating than expected but I feel that it is a fairly accurate rating given the current market situation. Fitbit’s real strength is in the health features, and my rating system has exposed it. In this article I will also discuss the following things:

What the final ratings tells you
Fitbit Versa 4 not built for tracking advanced workout modes, but will offer alternatives that would be better.
Fitbit Versa 4 is reasonably good to track intermediate workout modes

Fitbit Versa 4 Workout Mode Rating

Activity Level	No of Stars out of 5
Beginner Level	5
Intermediate Level	2
Advanced Level	zero

Workout Mode Rating : According to the ranking system the Fitbit Versa 4 gets a 7 out of 15. This score only applies if you are premium subscriber only.

Workout Mode Rating System

Basic Level : Calorie counting, have various workout modes available to track, heartrate tracking, step counting, duration of workout, heart rate variation recording, ability to connect to third party apps (directly or indirectly), auto detection workout.
Intermediate Level : Ability to determine your fitness level, ability to measure training load/intensity, GPS Tracking, ability to improve cadence, AI coach feature
Advanced Level : Ability to connect to motion sensors, ability to prepare you for a race, Ability to provide advanced analytics (similar to Polar flow, Garmin Connect), ability to provide specialist features to improve performance. Advanced auto detection (automatically change workout modes based on your motion)

What Does The Final Rating Tells You

My new scoring system is doing its job and it gives an accurate reflection of how I think the Fitbit Versa 4 can be advantageous to you; in short, it’s a smartwatch that provides basic workout monitoring. Through the years I have put many Fitbit watches through their paces and it’s workout mode tracking functionality seems to be pretty generic. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing; there are many people who actually prefer the basic level of fitness tracking, so the decision always comes down to what particular needs you have.

**Fitbit Versa 4 :** Basic level workout tracking is still relevant in the market, it just comes down to individual preferences.

Fitbit Versa 4 Is Not Built To Track Advanced Workout Modes

Ability to connect to motion sensors – No
Ability to prepare you for a race – No
Ability to provide advanced analytics (similar to Polar flow, Garmin Connect) – No
Ability to provide specialist features to improve performance – No
Advanced auto detection – No

Unfortunately, if you are looking for a device with advanced exercise mode tracking, then the Fitbit Versa 4 is not the right choice for you. However, if you want a smartwatch that offers this type of workout tracking, the Garmin Forerunner 55 is the top contender on the market that’s at the same price point as the Fitbit Versa 4. The Forerunner 55 is a remarkable smartwatch that is designed to track advanced exercise modes.

Fitbit Versa 4 Is Reasonably Good to Track Intermediate Workout Modes

When considering tracking your workouts on an intermediate level, the Fitbit Versa 4 can provide some satisfactory monitoring. However, it will only be accessible to Fitbit Premium members. I am going to provide a list of features that the Versa 4 does not track at intermediate level.

Ability to determine your fitness level
Ability to improve cadence
AI coach feature

I was amazed that the Fitbit Versa 4 was not capable of keeping track of one’s fitness level, but is it really essential? For some, it is, but for others, it is not. On the other hand, if you are consistent with your daily routine, perhaps you do not need a fitness level monitor. Features that measure your fitness level include the heart rate recovery feature, 10 minutes walking test, and the V02 monitor which can measure both the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems which can tell you what your fitness level is at.

Intermediate Level Workout Modes The Fitbit Versa 4 Can Offer

The Versa 4 can only offer two features when tracking at intermediate level. I will explain what it is and what feature is built in the Versa 4 to track

Ability to measure training load/intensity: This is only applicable to those who have subscribed to the Fitbit Premium package and can be achieved by using the Daily readiness score. The daily readiness score is a compilation of the data collected from your workout and sleep recovery, which is then used to calculate a score. Depending on the score, you can then train at that intensity level, so that you don’t overexert yourself. Which is very helpful for those who are just starting out and not sure what they can or cannot do.

GPS Tracking: When it comes to accuracy, the built-in GPS of the Versa 4 doesn’t have a good reliability score. In my recent article, I gave the Versa 4 1 out of 4 in terms of accuracy. What would be an improvement would be if the next-generation watch has assisted GPS, which will use other resources like cell phone towers and servers to connect to a satellite faster and provide continuous tracking, thus increasing the gadget’s accuracy.

**Left :** Example of the GPS tracking, I did manage to improve the accuracy, but you may get results like this a lot. **Right :** This is how it should look like, this the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro tracking, with a accuracy of 99% on a easy GPS test.

If you’re looking for a device that is in the same price range as the Versa 4 and is capable of tracking an intermediate level workout, you can’t go wrong with the Huawei Watch GT3 or the Garmin Forerunner 55. Both devices have an impressive 5 out of 5 rating with regards to their intermediate level tracking capabilities.

Final Conclusion

Undoubtedly, I sincerely hope you have gained a hefty amount of knowledge regarding the Fitbit Versa 4’s workout mode abilities. As I previously stated, if tracking a workout is the most critical aspect when selecting a smartwatch, then I trust my new rating system has been of use to you, and has answered any queries you may have had about the tracking capabilities of the Fitbit Versa 4.

If you are pleased with the Versa 4’s workout mode abilities at a basic level, would you consider getting the Fitbit Inspire 3? It is almost like for like in comparison to the Versa 4, with the only true difference being that you get an extra 15 workout modes in the Versa 4. It’s definitely worth looking into, and it’s really one of my favourite fitness trackers that I have tested so far. Anyway I hope you found my article useful, thank you for reading and I will end with a final summary about the Fitbit Versa 4 workout mode ability.

Versa Workout Mode Ability is 7 out of 15 stars
Capable of tracking workouts at a basic level with a 5 out of 5 star rating, which is the bare minimum for a smart watch.
The Versa 4 is fairly reasonable when tracking at intermediate level with a 2 out of 5 star rating
If intermediate level tracking is important to you then the Huawei Watch GT3 and the Garmin Forerunner 55 is the perfect alternative at a similar price.
The Versa 4 does not offer advanced workout mode tracking, best alternative is the Garmin Forerunner 55 at a similar price.
Consider the Fitbit Inspire 3 as an alternative since it’s workout mode ability is like for like with the Versa 4.