Whether you're starting a fitness journey or seeking deeper workout insights, a fitness tracker can gamify exercise and provide valuable data. Fortunately, many affordable wearables—often smartwatch variations—offer excellent value. From feature-rich options rivaling top smartwatches to basic step counters and heart rate monitors, budget-friendly fitness trackers cater to all needs and wrist sizes.
TL;DR – The Best Budget Fitness Trackers:
-----------------------------------------
Our Top Pick
Fitbit Inspire 3
Xiaomi Smart Band 9
Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro
Amazfit Band 7
Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen)
Garmin Venu 3
Contributions by Kevin Lee
1. Fitbit Inspire 3
Best Budget Fitness Tracker
Our Top Pick
Fitbit Inspire 3
Product Specifications
Size: 39.3mm x 18.6mm
Thickness: 11.75mm
Battery life: 10 days
Connectivity: Bluetooth
Sensors: Heart rate monitor, SpO2
Tracking: Swim, sleep, steps
Water resistance: Up to 50m
PROS: Bright AMOLED touchscreen, Long battery life
CONS: Some more advanced features require a subscription
Fitbit continues to dominate the budget fitness tracker market with the Inspire 3. For under $100, you get a bright AMOLED display and a durable, sleek, and comfortable band suitable for sleep. The 10-day battery life (reduced with the always-on display) minimizes charging needs. Navigation is simple via touch and two haptic buttons.
The Inspire 3 excels at fitness tracking, offering 24/7 heart rate monitoring, step counting, blood oxygen level measurement, and movement reminders. Automatic exercise tracking is convenient, and sleep monitoring enhances sleep quality understanding. Basic smartwatch features include phone notifications and a find-my-phone function (via Bluetooth). However, music storage and contactless payments are not supported.
2. Xiaomi Smart Band 9
Best Ultra Cheap Fitness Tracker
Xiaomi Smart Band 9
Product Specifications
Size: 46.53mm x 21.63mm
Thickness: 10.95mm
Battery life: 21 days
Connectivity: Bluetooth
Sensors: Heart rate monitor, SpO2
Tracking: Swim, sleep, steps
Water resistance: Up to 50m
PROS: Over 150 sports modes, Impressive 21-day battery life
CONS: Tracking isn't always 100% accurate
The sub-$50 Xiaomi Smart Band 9 boasts a 1.62-inch AMOLED display and exceptional battery life, offering basic tracking and 150 sports modes. It rivals Fitbit in features, including a pedometer, heart rate monitor, blood oxygen saturation monitor, and sleep monitoring. Over 150 fitness modes provide detailed workout data (though accuracy may be less precise than higher-end devices with GPS).
The Smart Band 9 offers a three-week battery life (with moderate use), a brighter 1200-nit display, and excellent touch responsiveness on its 1.62-inch AMOLED screen. Smartwatch features include call and message notifications and music playback control, though phone pairing can be finicky.
3. Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro
Best Budget Fitness Tracker with GPS
Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro
Product Specifications
Size: 43.27mm x 32.49mm
Thickness: 10.8mm
Battery life: 21 days
Connectivity: Bluetooth
Sensors: Heart rate monitor, GPS, SpO2
Tracking: Swim, sleep, stress
Water resistance: Up to 50m
PROS: Accurate built-in GPS, Large, full-color AMOLED display
CONS: No NFC
The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro upgrades the Smart Band 9 with a larger (1.74-inch) rectangular AMOLED display and a surprisingly accurate built-in GPS. It retains 24/7 heart rate and SpO2 monitoring, sleep and stress tracking, and over 150 sports modes (though some modes offer limited data). Smartwatch features include music playback and notifications (but no response capability or NFC).
Despite its sub-$100 price point, the Smart Band 9 Pro offers a stylish design, a bright and responsive screen, a user-friendly interface, and impressive battery life.
4. Amazfit Band 7
Best Budget Fitness Tracker With Health Monitoring
Amazfit Band 7
Product Specifications
Size: 37.3mm
Thickness: 12.2mm
Battery life: 18 days
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2
Sensors: Heart rate monitor, SpO2
Tracking: Swim, period, sleep
Water resistance: Up to 50m
PROS: Tons of tracking including stress and sleep, Amazon Alexa and other smartwatch features built-in
CONS: No built-in GPS
The $50 Amazfit Band 7 boasts a large 1.47-inch always-on AMOLED display, a slim and comfortable band, and excellent battery life (up to 18 days or 28 days in battery-saver mode). It supports over 120 sports modes (with automatic recognition of four), is water-resistant to 50m, and offers health monitoring (heart rate, blood oxygen, stress), and sleep tracking. Smartwatch features include notifications and Amazon Alexa integration.
5. Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen)
Best Budget Apple Watch
Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen)
Product Specifications
Size: 40mm x 34mm
Thickness: 10.7mm
Battery life: 18 hours
Connectivity: Cellular (optional), 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3
Sensors: Heart rate monitor, GPS, accelerometer
Tracking: Swim, sleep, period
Water resistance: Up to 50m
PROS: Huge selection of apps, Special safety features, like crash detection and built-in GPS
CONS: Fewer sensors than other Apple Watch options
The Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) offers a budget-friendly option with the same S8 SiP chipset as the Series 8, providing speedy processing. It includes an optical heart rate sensor, built-in GPS, automatic workout detection (including swimming), and 32GB of storage for apps from the App Store. Full smartwatch functionality includes calls, messages, contactless payments, and music streaming. Crash detection is also included.
6. Garmin Venu 3
Best Budget Fitness Tracker for Workouts
Garmin Venu 3
Product Specifications
Size: 45mm
Thickness: 12mm
Battery life: 14 days
Connectivity: Bluetooth, 802.11n
Sensors: Heart rate monitor, GPS, temperature
Tracking: Swim, sleep, stress, energy
Water resistance: Up to 50m
PROS: Highly accurate GPS and heart rate monitor, Helpful Body Battery feature
CONS: Limited app selection compared to other smartwatches
The Garmin Venu 3, while the most expensive on this list, provides comprehensive health and fitness tracking. It tracks various exercises (including swimming, cycling, and golf) via its accurate GPS and heart rate monitor, and offers over 30 preloaded sports apps, animated workouts, and a Body Battery feature for assessing energy levels. Smartwatch features include calls, smart assistants, and text responses (though app selection is limited).
What to Look for in a Budget Fitness Tracker
Choosing a fitness tracker involves considering hardware quality, comfort, software, and tracking accuracy. Higher-priced trackers offer features like heart rate monitoring, GPS, and OLED displays. However, many affordable trackers provide substantial health data.
What kind of fitness tracker do I need?
Your needs determine the right tracker. For basic step counting, heart rate monitoring, and timekeeping, an ultra-cheap band like the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 suffices. Many budget options include color displays, long battery life, various sports modes, sleep tracking, blood oxygen sensors, and phone notifications.
Runners, bikers, and hikers may prefer GPS support. For broader functionality beyond fitness and health tracking, a smartwatch offers a larger screen, built-in storage, more apps, and the ability to answer calls and texts.
Active individuals might also consider a good pair of earbuds to complement their fitness tracker.
