Fitbit Sense 2 vs. Fitbit Versa 4: Which new smartwatch is best for you?

Picking between Fitbit smartwatches has never been an easy task, and the choice has perhaps never been harder than with the company's latest, the Sense 2 and Versa 4. 

Almost identical in design, running on the same operating system and offering plenty of the same features and tracking, these two have much more in common than they have differences. 

Given there's a sizeable price disparity between the pair, however, and the fact there are still a couple of key differences to be aware of, we've created this guide to highlight them. 

We've already tested each smartwatch individually as part of our in-depth reviews, but this represents much more of a direct comparison after a couple of weeks on opposite wrists. 

If you're trying to pick between the current generation of Fitbit watches, here's what to consider.

• Fitbit Sense 2 review
• Fitbit Versa 4 review

Price comparison

The most notable difference between these two devices is also arguably the most important: what you'll be paying. 

The Sense 2 is the company's flagship watch and comes in at the higher asking price.

It's not necessarily as clear-cut as this, however. Both of these smartwatches are routinely available through third-party retailers and the like for less than the RRP, meaning the disparity is often much bigger or smaller than what's listed above. 

To keep an eye out for the latest prices, take note of the widgets below. 

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Design and sensors

Looking at the Versa 4 and Sense 2 side by side, there are no differences in the screen size, case size, or build quality.

Both also feature the same button on the edge of the aluminum case, with the same punchy AMOLED display and resolution packed onto the watch face. 

The real difference in the overall designs is in the sensor department.

The Sense 2 features a more detailed array on the rear of the case, with a continuous electrodermal activity (cEDA) sensor and a multipurpose electrical heart rate sensor packed in alongside the optical heart monitor.

This unlocks a good chunk of health features that aren't available on the Versa 4, though both devices feature GPS tracking and blood oxygen monitoring capabilities. 

Another big omission in the Versa 4 is the lack of Wi-Fi, though it does still, at least, offer the ability to enjoy Google Pay/Fitbit Pay by featuring NFC. 

Aside from this, the main design differences are in the colors and finishes.

The Sense 2 is available in three stylings - a graphite case/graphite band, a silver case/white band or a gold case/blue band option. The Versa 4, meanwhile, is available in a black case/black band, silver case/blue band, rose gold case/pink band and rose gold case/burgundy band. 

Given the lack of practical design differences, you can't really go wrong here from a pure on-the-wrist perspective. Both are small, light and comfortable enough for 24/7 wear, and we think they present a really neat and relatively unisex option. 

Health monitoring

While the design differences are minimal, there are sizeable changes in the area of health monitoring. 

Both of these smartwatches will provide the health tracking basics, such as all-day heart rate monitoring, high/low heart rate notifications, irregular heart rhythm notifications, sleep tracking, and SpO2 blood oxygen readings.

Both will also provide wellness reports, menstrual health tracking, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, and skin temperature variation.

And Fitbit's presentation of this data, and via its Metrics Dashboard, is among the best in the business.

But the Sense 2 takes this even further, thanks to those extra sensors detailed in the section above.

With an ECG and cEDA (continuous electrodermal activity sensor) sensor on board, the Sense 2 adds health features like ECG readings, and advanced stress tracking.

The cEDA is designed to look for stress responses from the skin, and track them over time. It's designed to alert you to take a break (and maybe some guided breathing), and help you piece together what makes you stressed.

As we mentioned during our extended review, we're not really sure the potential of the cEDA sensor and the stress tracking is quite reached with the Sense 2.

We found that the notifications of stress readings were easy to miss, and retrospectively, offered little insight into what could be triggering events. 

If stress is a real problem for you, we can see its usefulness, but as general users, we found the experience underwhelming. 

Likewise, for a subset of people, ECG is really important. Being able to take an ECG at specific moments to share with your doctor is hugely useful for those with conditions.

However, those without Afib or symptoms can get much of the benefit of ECG with the automatic recognition of irregular heartbeats that has now rolled out across all Fitbit devices, including the Versa 4.

Fitness and exercise tracking

For the most part, the experience outside of health tracking and monitoring is largely identical - and that means you don't really have to compare something like tracking your exercise or gaining daily activity metrics. 

Both run through Fitbit OS, and everything is presented in the same way. So, features like Cardio Fitness Score, Daily Readiness Score, Active Zone Minutes, steps, calories and more are all available on the watches and in the Fitbit app, while exercise tracking is also automatic or can be selected manually. 

We find the Fitbit app a much friendlier way to dig into our exercise, given the slightly laggy nature of Fitbit OS on both devices, but there is at least a relatively complete list of tracked elements and insights.

Fitbit doesn't officially list IP ratings for either device, but it does say they can be used in the pool, shower and the like. In our experience, that's certainly proved true, though we're not entirely sure how confident we would feel submerging it for long periods. 

When two smartwatches run the same software, we usually take the design into account in order to provide a recommendation for those particularly interested in this area. Given their shared design, however, there really is nothing to split them when working out.

Given the Versa 4's typically lower asking price, we'd say it just about edges it here.

Smartwatch features

It's a similar story again when it comes to the smartwatch features.

Both have access to Google Wallet and Google Maps, which is an improvement from the last generation, but, despite the Sense 2 having Wi-Fi, the third-party app experience is otherwise non-existent. That means there's no room for music streaming apps like Spotify, or fitness apps like Strava, like we've seen from Fitbit smartwatches in the past. 

It's a real disappointment, but there are at least some basics like call, app and text notifications, Alexa support and plenty of watch faces to hold onto. We should note that both can also be connected to an iOS or Android device, which is a positive. 

All in all, this is another area where there are virtually no differences - and we'd actually caution anybody looking for a full-fledged smartwatch in either of these two. They don't really come close to offering a 'proper' experience, and there are plenty of smartwatches - even budget smartwatches - that can rival the features here.

The general experience is enough to get by, though, and, again, by virtue of being cheaper and offering the same experience, the Versa 4 edges the Sense 2.

Battery life

With such a similar all-around experience, it's no surprise that Fitbit quotes the same six-day battery life for both the Versa 4 and Sense 2. In our testing, the number of days you can eke out naturally varies, but the two watches do match up with one another regardless.

With the always-on display turned off on either device, and with some tracked exercise (both GPS and non-GPS) throughout use, you can expect to lose around 10-15% each day. If you turn the always-on display on, this extends to around 25-35% per day depending on your exercise use. The Sense 2 does have the slightly weaker battery life of the two, which we expect is down to the continuous EDA sensor, though it's not a significant enough drop-off to really notice.

Compared to the rest of the competition, then, both offer very good battery life - even if it's not entirely unexpected with such a lack of smartwatch features. Particularly for those who are more interested in tracking exercise and sleep, getting 3-4 (or 6-7 days) is very good.

Verdict: Which should you choose?

As you'll have gathered if you've been diligently scrolling through this comparison, the Versa 4 and Sense 2 are extremely similar smartwatches in almost all the key areas.

There are differences in the health tracking experience thanks to the sensor array, and this does make the Sense 2 a better overall watch on paper, but the upgrades are pretty minimal in the grand scheme of things.

Really, then, the question is how much you personally value these upgrades - both the health tracking and the different case finishes. 

If you really think you'll value the stress monitoring or ECG readings available in the Sense 2  - and you can find it at a price that's closer to the Versa 4 than the RRP - we think it's a solid fitness tracker and so-so smartwatch watch to have on your wrist. 

In almost every other case, however, we think the Versa 4 is the Fitbit smartwatch to choose from this generation. You get 90% of the design and tracking experience as you do with the Sense 2 for (usually) a decent chunk less cash.

We do think there are better out-and-out smartwatches at this price than either of these watches, but the Versa 4 is generally our recommendation for those deciding between Fitbit's smartwatches.