Embarking on a health journey or seeking to enhance your workout insights? A fitness tracker can transform exercise into an engaging game while providing valuable data. Fortunately, many of these devices, often resembling smartwatches, are available at budget-friendly prices. From feature-packed models that can compete with the best smartwatches to basic ones that track steps and monitor heart rate, there's a wide range of affordable fitness trackers suitable for all wrist sizes.
TL;DR – The Best Budget Fitness Trackers:
Our Top Pick### Fitbit Inspire 3
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### Xiaomi Smart Band 9
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### Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro
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### Amazfit Band 7
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### Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen)
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### Garmin Venu 3
0See it at AmazonContributions by Kevin Lee
Fitbit Inspire 3
Best Budget Fitness Tracker
Our Top Pick### Fitbit Inspire 3
0Smartwatches and fitness trackers don't have to break the bank, and the Fitbit Inspire 3 is a perfect example. With a price tag under $100, you get a vibrant AMOLED display and a durable band that's sleek, compact, and comfortable enough for sleep tracking. The 10-day battery life is impressive, though it decreases with the always-on display mode. Navigation is intuitive with touch technology and two haptic buttons.
The Fitbit Inspire 3 excels in fitness tracking with features like 24/7 heart rate monitoring, step counting, blood oxygen level measurement, and movement reminders. It also offers automatic exercise tracking, which is great if you often forget to start a workout, and sleep monitoring to understand your sleep quality better. Basic smartwatch features include phone notifications and a find my phone feature, though it lacks music storage and contactless payment capabilities.
Xiaomi Smart Band 9
Best Ultra Cheap Fitness Tracker
### Xiaomi Smart Band 9
0For less than $50, the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 offers a 1.62-inch AMOLED display and an exceptional 21-day battery life, providing basic tracking and over 150 sports modes. See it at Amazon
The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 packs essential features like a pedometer, heart rate monitor, blood oxygen saturation, and sleep monitoring into a sleek, slim design. It boasts over 150 fitness modes, including running, HIIT, kickboxing, and swimming, offering detailed activity data like calories burned and average heart rate. While not as precise as higher-end smartwatches with GPS, it still provides valuable workout insights.
The latest model of Xiaomi's Smart Band boasts an increased battery life, lasting up to three weeks with moderate use, and a brighter screen reaching 1,200 nits for visibility in direct sunlight. The colorful, touch-responsive AMOLED display compensates for the lack of physical buttons, allowing easy access to fitness metrics and limited smartwatch features like call and message notifications and music playback control. However, pairing with a phone can be a bit finicky.
Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro
Best Budget Fitness Tracker with GPS
### Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro
0With built-in GPS, 24/7 heart rate and SPO2 monitoring, sleep and stress tracking, and numerous sports modes, the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro is a feature-rich option. See it at Amazon
If you're looking for more features than the Xiaomi Smart Band 9, the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro is the answer. It features a larger, rectangular 1.74-inch AMOLED display that echoes the style of an Apple Watch and includes an accurate GPS for tracking runs, bike rides, and hikes.
In addition to the GPS, it offers 24/7 heart rate and SPO2 monitoring, sleep and stress tracking, and supports over 150 sports modes. However, some of the more unique modes only measure heart rate and time. While not a full smartwatch, it includes limited smartwatch features like music playback and notification display, though it lacks NFC support. With a price under $100, it's a stylish and feature-rich fitness tracker with a responsive screen and long battery life.
Amazfit Band 7
Best Budget Fitness Tracker With Health Monitoring
### Amazfit Band 7
0The Amazfit Band 7 offers an affordable solution with long battery life, comprehensive health monitoring, and sleep tracking. See it at Amazon
The Amazfit Band 7, priced at just $50, features a large 1.47-inch always-on AMOLED display and a slim, comfortable band. It boasts a battery life of up to 18 days with typical use and 28 days in battery-saver mode.
With over 120 sports modes, including automatic smart recognition for four, and water resistance up to 50m, it's well-suited for various activities, including swimming. Health monitoring includes heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and stress, while sleep tracking provides insights into sleep quality. It also offers smartwatch features like on-watch notifications and Amazon Alexa integration.
Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen)
Best Budget Apple Watch
### Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen)
0The 2nd-gen Apple Watch SE runs on the S8 SiP chipset, offering speedy processing at a more affordable price. See it at Amazon
The Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) is not just a fitness tracker but a versatile smartwatch. It features an optical heart rate sensor and built-in GPS, ideal for hikes and various workouts, including swimming. With 32GB of storage, you can download additional apps from the App Store if the built-in fitness apps don't meet your needs.
As a full-fledged smartwatch, it allows you to answer calls, respond to messages, make contactless payments, and stream music directly from your wrist. It also includes safety features like crash detection, which can automatically call emergency services if needed. Its slim design and impressive battery life (by Apple Watch standards) make it a comfortable and practical choice.
Garmin Venu 3
Best Budget Fitness Tracker for Workouts
### Garmin Venu 3
0The Garmin Venu 3 offers comprehensive exercise tracking, GPS, and heart rate monitoring, along with animated workouts, phone notifications, and contactless payments. See it at Amazon
Garmin is renowned for its detailed health and fitness tracking, and the Venu 3, while the priciest of our budget picks, is packed with features. It tracks various exercises, including swimming, cycling, and golf, with over 30 preloaded sports apps, supported by highly accurate GPS, heart rate, ECG, blood oxygen, and temperature sensors. The animated workouts for pilates, HIIT, and cardio add an extra layer of engagement. The standout feature is the Body Battery, which provides insights into your body's rest levels based on activity, stress, and sleep.
Beyond fitness tracking, the Garmin Venu 3 serves as a smartwatch with a bright AMOLED display and up to 14 days of battery life, though this decreases with the always-on display and automatic workout detection. It offers standard smartwatch features like call and text responses when paired with the best Android phones, though its app selection is more limited compared to Apple and Google smartwatches.
What to Look for in a Budget Fitness Tracker
When choosing a fitness tracker, consider more than just step and sleep tracking. The overall experience depends on hardware quality, comfort, software capabilities, and the accuracy of the tracking features you're interested in.
As the price increases, so do the features, including heart rate monitoring, GPS, and OLED displays. However, many basic trackers are affordable and still offer a wealth of health data.
What kind of fitness tracker do I need?
The type of fitness tracker you need depends on your intended use. For basic functions like step counting, heart rate monitoring, and timekeeping, a compact, ultra-cheap band like the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 is sufficient. These models often come with color displays, long battery life, and additional features like various sports modes, sleep tracking, blood oxygen sensors, and phone notifications.
For activities like running, biking, and hiking, consider spending a bit more for a model with GPS support. If you're looking for comprehensive functionality beyond fitness tracking, a smartwatch like the Apple Watch SE or Garmin Venu 3 might be ideal. These offer larger screens, built-in storage, access to numerous apps, and the ability to handle calls, texts, and other notifications directly from your wrist.
If you're an active runner or gym-goer, consider pairing your fitness tracker with a great pair of earbuds to enhance your exercise experience.
