Choosing the Right Budget Fitness Tracker: A Comprehensive Guide
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 options exist, ranging from feature-rich alternatives to premium smartwatches to basic step counters and heart rate monitors. This guide explores several budget-friendly choices for various needs and wrist sizes.
TL;DR – Top Budget Fitness Trackers:
Our Top Pick: Fitbit Inspire 3 See it at Amazon
Xiaomi Smart Band 9 See it at Amazon
Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro See it at Amazon
Amazfit Band 7 See it at Amazon
Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) See it at Amazon
Garmin Venu 3 See it at Amazon
Contributions by Kevin Lee
- Fitbit Inspire 3: Best Budget Fitness Tracker
The Fitbit Inspire 3 proves that high-quality fitness trackers don't need a hefty price tag. For under $100, it offers a bright AMOLED display and a comfortable, durable band suitable for sleep. Its 10-day battery life (reduced in always-on mode) minimizes charging needs. Navigation is intuitive via touchscreen and haptic buttons.
Features include 24/7 heart rate monitoring, step counting, SpO2 measurement, and movement reminders. Automatic exercise tracking and sleep monitoring enhance its utility. Basic smartwatch features like phone notifications and a find-my-phone function (via Bluetooth) are included, but music storage and contactless payments are absent.
- Xiaomi Smart Band 9: Best Ultra-Cheap Fitness Tracker
The Xiaomi Smart Band 9, priced under $50, delivers impressive value. Its sleek design incorporates a 1.62-inch AMOLED display and exceptional 21-day battery life. It offers comprehensive health monitoring and over 150 sports modes.
While accuracy might not match premium GPS-equipped smartwatches, it provides valuable workout insights, including calories burned and heart rate. The bright display (1200 nits) ensures readability in sunlight. Touchscreen controls are responsive, though phone pairing can be finicky. Smartwatch features include call and message notifications and music playback control.
- Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro: Best Budget Fitness Tracker with GPS
An upgrade to the Smart Band 9, the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro features a larger (1.74-inch) rectangular AMOLED display and a surprisingly accurate built-in GPS for workout mapping. It retains 24/7 heart rate and SpO2 monitoring, sleep and stress tracking, and over 150 sports modes. Many modes primarily track heart rate and time.
Limited smartwatch features include music playback and phone notifications (no replies). NFC is absent. Despite this, its stylish design, responsive screen, user-friendly interface, and long battery life make it a compelling option under $100.
- Amazfit Band 7: Best Budget Fitness Tracker with Health Monitoring
The Amazfit Band 7 ($50) boasts a large 1.47-inch always-on AMOLED display, slim design, and impressive battery life (18 days typical use, 28 days in battery-saver mode). It supports over 120 sports modes (four with automatic recognition) and 50m water resistance.
Health monitoring includes heart rate, blood oxygen, and stress tracking, along with sleep analysis. Smartwatch functionality includes notifications and Amazon Alexa integration. GPS is absent.
- Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen): Best Budget Apple Watch
A more affordable Apple Watch option, the 2nd-gen Apple Watch SE utilizes the same S8 SiP chipset as the Series 8, offering fast processing. It includes an optical heart rate sensor, built-in GPS, automatic workout detection (including swimming), and 32GB of storage for additional apps from the App Store.
As a full-fledged smartwatch, it supports calls, messages, contactless payments, and music streaming. Crash detection is a valuable safety feature. Battery life is good by Apple Watch standards.
- Garmin Venu 3: Best Budget Fitness Tracker for Workouts
Garmin's Venu 3, while the most expensive on this list, is worth the investment for serious fitness enthusiasts. It provides highly accurate GPS and heart rate monitoring, along with over 30 preloaded sports apps, animated workouts, and the insightful Body Battery feature for assessing energy levels.
It tracks various activities (swimming, cycling, golf, etc.), and includes ECG, blood oxygen, and temperature sensors. As a smartwatch, it offers notifications, smart assistants, and text replies (with compatible phones). App selection is more limited than Apple or Google smartwatches. Battery life is up to 14 days (reduced with always-on display and automatic workout detection).
Choosing Your Fitness Tracker:
Consider your needs: A basic tracker like the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 suffices for step counting, heart rate monitoring, and timekeeping. GPS is essential for runners and hikers. For comprehensive functionality beyond fitness tracking, a smartwatch is recommended. Remember to consider hardware quality, comfort, software, and tracking accuracy when making your decision.
