Fitbit Versa: The tech industry discovers women. Nice try.
8.6.2018
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Thomas Kunz
It's great that Fitbit is thinking of women: the Fitbit Versa is the first smartwatch to make period tracking possible. But loads of apps do exactly the same thing. What makes Fitbit better?
Apps for menstrual tracking have been around for a long time. Fitbit is now the first smartwatch manufacturer to integrate its own tracking function into a smartwatch. I tested the period tracker for almost two cycles.
Fitbit thinks about women. And not because Fitbit produces its smartwatches in the colour pink or rose, or because the watches are smaller and should therefore only fit women's wrists - as is the case with other manufacturers. In the health hype, where we record, monitor and analyse everything possible with smartwatches and activity trackers, the female cycle has been left out until recently. This is despite the fact that the menstrual cycle has a major influence on health and athletic performance. And anyway: every woman should know her cycle and document it somewhere.
Period tracking is called "Health for Women" at Fitbit. However, Fitbit's name disregards the fact that women of a certain age no longer have a period to track.
Fitbit introduced the cycle monitor with the launch of the Versa smartwatch on 23 March, but the function has only been available for iOS and Windows users since 7 May. Android users had to wait even longer. For them, tracking came with an update at the end of May. You can also get the function with the Fitbit Ionic.
The "Health for Women" function is activated when you register as a woman when setting up your account in the Fitbit app - which of course makes sense. You must make the entry in your Fitbit account under "Personal"
.
Parallels to other apps and no contraception
Apps that track your period cycle are a dime a dozen. There are over 220 apps for iOS and 250 results for period trackers in Android's Playstore. The most used app is the Clue app. Fitbit's period tracker is similar. I know Clue. After six months of period tracking, I have a good handle on the somewhat cumbersome app, but I think it could be easier. I don't want to have to spend half an hour with the app just to document my period. Fitbit does it better. The input is quick, easy and self-explanatory.
Fitbit's period tracking is not intended as a contraceptive method. Fitbit simply calculates the days on which you are fertile and displays this period. Compared to reliable contraceptive methods, the Versa records far too little data and analyses it inadequately, if at all.
Tracking without correlations
In addition to your period, symptoms can be recorded and, according to Fitbit, the cycle is compared with other health statistics, such as your sleep, your sporting activities or your body weight. However, you have to do this yourself and check the individual statistics in the app or on the watch. In the current version, Fitbit does not tell you what the relationship with your other data ultimately brings.
You enter this data in the app:
- Your last period
- The intensity of your bleeding and fluids
- Your condition in the cycle
- Last time you had sex
- The morning after pill
The app calculates this data for you:
- Fertile time
- Day of ovulation
- Predicted period
In the settings, you must enter your average period length and the average cycle length for the calculation.
You can only record the data in the Fitbit app, not directly on the watch. On the smartwatch, you will see a kind of countdown for the time at which the app calculates your period and where you are in your cycle. The app calculates your cycle based on your information. You could also do this yourself with any other tracking app or even with an Excel spreadsheet. You can enter your condition, i.e. whether you have cramps, headaches, sensitive breasts or acne, as another type of diary. The data is not relevant for the Fitbit calculation and Fitbit does not give you any information about what the symptoms mean in your cycle.
An advantage over other apps is that you have all your health data at a glance on the watch. It is also possible to set a reminder for your next period.
This should be better
The period tracking with Fitbit is mathematically correct and works so far. But there are things I miss with Fitbit's period tracking. You have to work out the correlations between your data yourself. If you've slept badly, the app doesn't give you any indication that this may have happened because you're about to get your period. And as I said, you can enter that you have cramps, but Fitbit won't give you any information or a link to your cycle. You can also record acne or discharge, but the app does nothing except simply save the data. Fitbit's tracker is therefore only slightly different from other tracking apps.
Other apps also allow you to record your body temperature, which can tell you a lot about your menstrual cycle. This is not possible with Fitbit. Yet you have a watch directly on your wrist that measures all kinds of bio values.
It's also a shame that the data cannot be recorded on the watch, only in the app on the smartphone. This is probably because the whole thing would be a bit fiddly on the small smartwatch.
Why women should know about their cycle
If you know your cycle and have documented it properly, you will notice any irregularities. This is important. Because you will notice signs of illness or pregnancy much more quickly.
The fact that the cycle is displayed directly on the smartwatch is practical. If you don't want this, you can simply hide the tile in the menu. When visiting the doctor, women are usually asked where they are in their cycle. With the Versa on your wrist, you can answer the question like a shot. The calendar is also practical for holiday planning. Beach holidays during your period are impractical, to say the least. [[image:14523796]]The app shows you your cycles in the overview
The countdown on the clock shows you when you need to pack tampons in the morning. And if you suffer from PMS (premenstrual syndrome), you can use the countdown to see when pain might occur. This is the case a few days before your period starts. You can record symptoms of PMS, i.e. cramps, breast tenderness, headaches and so on, in the app and, if you like, look at them again in your next cycle. Over time, you'll know roughly when to expect pain or the unloved symptoms.
Conclusion: Do women need period tracking on their wrist?
As a smartwatch, the Fitbit Versa naturally offers many more functions than period tracking. But you don't need a smartwatch just to track your cycle. The many free apps will do just as well, even if they are more complicated. However, if you like to track your health anyway, it's a nice feature that the Versa can also record your period.
According to Fitbit, a new cycle function will be added to the watch at the end of the year. This should provide tips for the individual cycle phases. That sounds promising.
It's great that the technology scene is finally placing more emphasis on once taboo topics such as periods and that women are finally also a target group for gadgets.
Testing devices and gadgets is my thing. Some experiments lead to interesting insights, others to demolished phones. I’m hooked on series and can’t imagine life without Netflix. In summer, you’ll find me soaking up the sun by the lake or at a music festival.
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