You don\u2019t need to spend a fortune to stay on top of your health goals while tracking your fitness. These days, even cheap fitness trackers come packed with features that help you monitor your heart rate, track your steps and even analyze your sleep stages. Many budget options now include GPS tracking for those outdoor runs, real-time heart rate tracking to keep you in the right zone during workouts and, thankfully, most work with both iPhone and Android devices.<\/p>\n
Some even go beyond basic metrics, providing insights on daily readiness to help you decide if you\u2019re up for an intense workout or need a lighter day. From simple step counters to more advanced running watches, affordable fitness trackers offer plenty to support your journey toward better health without breaking the bank.<\/p>\n
Table of contents<\/h2>\nBest budget fitness trackers for 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Image](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/uu\/api\/res\/1.2\/rbzfzUW4EJ15Y.Y8o7cGTw--~B\/Zmk9c3RyaW07aD03MjA7dz0xMjgwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u\/https:\/\/media-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2026-01\/d1248670-efe0-11f0-bfef-f4401bf04caf\")
<\/p>\nXIAOMI<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\nTracking type:<\/strong> Heart rate, sleep, stress, blood oxygen, women\u2019s health | Supported Operating System:<\/strong> Android 6.0 and above, iOS 12.0 and above | Memory:<\/strong> 100GB | Screen size:<\/strong> 1.47\u201d | Waterproof: <\/strong>5ATM water resistant | GPS:<\/strong> No | Battery life: <\/strong>18 days<\/p>\nOur previous pick here, the Xiaomi Smart Band 8, now has a successor in the Smart Band 9. The Xiaomi wearable we tested stood out because it had the easiest interface to navigate when recording workouts, it also had the most comfortable band to sleep in. The latest device has pretty much everything you would expect on a fitness tracker, and it comes at a price that\u2019s hard to beat. The 1.47-inch, 60Hz display is full color and shines pretty bright both indoors and out. Although it doesn’t have a physical navigation button, you can move through the UI by swiping up and down, or left and right.<\/p>\n
The Smart Band 9 excels like its predecessor in that its workout reports are very detailed \u2014 more than you’d think. Unlike some of the other trackers we tested, the Smart Band 9 does not require you to download any exercises from its companion app. Meaning, you can get right into tracking exercises as niche as skiing. When a workout is complete, you get all the information you\u2019d want on your wrist \u2013 from heart rate readings to pace and speed, to calories burned and more. It may sound basic, but some of the other trackers we tested only report step count and distance traveled after a walk. The amount of time spent in each heart rate zone will appear in your summary, from light, intensive, aerobic to anaerobic.<\/p>\n
Sleep tracking will be easy on the Smart Band 9 as well thanks to its comfortable, lightweight design. The do-not-disturb feature is easy to turn on from the watch face and the screen shouldn’t wake you up at night. The sleep insights after wearing it overnight impressed me with their detail. Right on my wrist, I was able to learn how long I slept and also got a detailed sleep graph that showed me when I was in light and deep sleep. This was all free, on my wrist and it was further broken down for me in the Mi app. I also was able to gather information on my average HR during sleep and my breathing patterns.<\/p>\n
And, most importantly, you’ll be able to go a long time with the Smart Band 9 before it needs more juice. Xiaomi promises up to 18 days of battery life, which is a few more days than the Smart Band 8.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\n- Easy to navigate interface<\/li>\n
- Full color display<\/li>\n
- Comfortable design<\/li>\n
- Good fitness tracking and sleep monitoring<\/li>\n
- Long battery life<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
\n- No physical navigation button<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
$30 at Amazon<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n\n![\"Image](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/uu\/api\/res\/1.2\/Agx_xIn8oC8kqi996HOoYA--~B\/Zmk9c3RyaW07aD03MjA7dz0xMjgwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u\/https:\/\/media-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2024-01\/b0ddecc0-ae43-11ee-a8ff-8a985b77aa11\")
<\/p>\nAmazfit<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\nTracking type:<\/strong> Heart rate, sleep, stress, blood oxygen, women\u2019s health | Supported Operating System:<\/strong> Android 7.0 and above, iOS 12.0 and above | Memory:<\/strong> 2.3GB | Screen size:<\/strong> 1.47\u201d | Waterproof: <\/strong>5ATM water resistant | GPS:<\/strong> No | Battery life: <\/strong>18 days<\/p>\nThe Amazfit Band 7, like the Xiaomi Band, has all of the workouts you can track pre-loaded on your wrist. It also has a unique interface that allows you to set a custom goal, like burning 500 calories, before starting a workout. Plus, it features a generous 18 days of battery life (or more if you enable battery-saver mode).<\/p>\n
The Amazfit band has a special scoring system called PAI, which stands for \u201cPersonal Activity Intelligence.\u201d This metric is derived from your heart rate during all activities (even ones that don’t involve tracked workouts) and gives you a numeric score from 1 to 100. You want to get your score as close to 100 as possible, through workouts and rest, to keep your overall heart health strong. Like the Xiaomi Smart Band, the Amazfit Band 7 gives a user a breakdown of their overall heart rate zone activity on the watch face.<\/p>\n
The watch also has a unique \u201cone tap measure\u201d that gives you insights into your heart rate, blood oxygen levels and even a stress score based on your heart rate variability.<\/p>\n
There are some downsides to the Band 7, though, namely that it is considerably slower than the Xiaomi Smart Band when it comes to starting and ending exercise sessions. It also does not have a physical navigation button, making it sometimes hard to exit a page. That would have been something I could have overlooked if the watch\u2019s display had been a bit on par with the Xiaomi Band. Despite having an AMOLED color display, the Band 7\u2019s screen was sometimes hard to view even indoors.<\/p>\n
It does get brownie points for being a bit more comfortable to sleep in than some of the others we tested, but it still takes some getting used to. If you do sleep with the Band 7 for a week though, you can get an in-depth sleep analysis about your susceptibility for conditions like sleep apnea. The caveat is that you need to pay a premium for this more detailed sleep report. Through the Zepp app (formerly Amazfit) you can pay $10 monthly or $50 annually for a premium subscription, which also includes meditation content and an AI sleep coach.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\n- Supports custom goal setting per workout<\/li>\n
- Good activity and sleep tracking<\/li>\n
- Comfortable design<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
\n- Slow performance<\/li>\n
- No physical navigation button<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
$50 at Amazon<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n\n![\"Image](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/uu\/api\/res\/1.2\/_aKiPr5e2pNFoURRB3iiuQ--~B\/Zmk9c3RyaW07aD03MjA7dz0xMjgwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u\/https:\/\/media-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2024-01\/201ee990-ae44-11ee-9b1e-75a566a566c0\")
<\/p>\nFitbit<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\nTracking type:<\/strong> Heart rate, sleep, stress, blood oxygen, women\u2019s health | Supported Operating System:<\/strong> Android 10.0 and above, iOS 15.0 and above | Memory:<\/strong> 6.4GB | Screen size:<\/strong> 0.7\u201d | Waterproof: <\/strong>5ATM water resistant | GPS:<\/strong> No | Battery life: <\/strong>10 days<\/p>\nI expected more out of the Fitbit Inspire 3 because, well, it\u2019s Fitbit. Also, considering it’s the most expensive tracker on the list, you would think you would get more. The tracker does serve its purpose -\u2013 it can record your workouts. However, only 6 kinds of activities can be tracked at a time. To add more niche exercises like a weight-lifting routine, you need to open the Fitbit app and swap one exercise widget for another. It does give a rudimentary breakdown of your calories burned, heart rate, and all of the things you would normally want to get in a performance report. In comparison to the Fitbit Charge 6, the Fitbit Inspire 3 doesn\u2019t boast a built-in GPS, so you have to take your phone with you to accurately record pace or distance.<\/p>\n
One thing I do appreciate about the Fitbit Inspire 3 is its Active Zone Minute breakdown after a workout is tracked. This is a feature unique to Fitbit that calculates how hard your workouts were and how much fat you burned in the process. The app does a good job of breaking down other health metrics during exercise and can tell you how much recovery you need before your next workout. It’s nice to have that information, but the fact that you need to pull out your phone to get deeper insights can be a nuisance.<\/p>\n
The Inspire 3 also does not allow you to directly log menstrual cycle data on it, whereas the Xiaomi Band and Amazfit Band 7 do. The battery life on this tracker is on par with what the company says, though. It charges to full in under 45 minutes and dies after about 10 days of use. So in between tracking workouts and gathering sleep data, I did not have to worry much about missing a night of sleep tracking to charge it overnight. The Fitbit Inspire 3 is comfortable to sleep with, maybe even slightly more comfortable than the Amazfit Band 7, but the fact that its sleep coaching is only available for premium Fitbit subscribers does take away from the appeal.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\n- Supports Active Zone Minutes tracking<\/li>\n
- Good battery life<\/li>\n
- Comfortable design<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
\n- Cannot manually add menstrual cycle data directly from the band<\/li>\n
- Lots of data hidden behind Fitbit Premium paywall<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
$92 at Amazon<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
What to look for in a cheap fitness tracker<\/h2>\n
All of the best fitness trackers should have at least three features: a program for activity tracking, the option to monitor and collect data about your sleep patterns and the ability to do things like heart rate monitoring and blood oxygen level tracking (though, the readings might not be super accurate). Don\u2019t set your sights too high and expect metrics like blood pressure monitoring or ECG support; for that, you\u2019d need to invest in a more expensive fitness watch or wearable like a Samsung Galaxy Watch, which falls under the best smartwatches category and will set you back over $400.<\/p>\n
Fitness features<\/h3>\n
A cheap workout tracker can be great for someone looking to keep tabs on small, achievable goals like 10,000 steps before sundown or 30 minutes of a HIIT workout to get your heart rate peaking. An experienced long-distance runner looking to train for a triathlon might opt for a more expensive device that can measure cadence or ground contact time, and can track more customizable workouts, offer different sports modes or give deeper insights into performance data.<\/p>\n
At the very least, a budget workout tracker should be able to offer fitness tracking features beyond walking and running \u2014 otherwise, it would just be a pedometer. The number of activities a device will recognize varies. Some will get funky with it and consider skateboarding a workout, while others won\u2019t be able to track a jumping jack.<\/p>\n
At this price point, you can expect a device to measure a mix of cardio, machine workouts and strength training. With each, you might get a numerical or visual breakdown of heart rate activity, overall pace, and calories burned per session. Although some cheap trackers can offer a really good overview of heart rate zone activity during a workout, a more technically advanced device might be able to go a step further and explain what your results mean and coach you on how to keep your heart rate in a specific bracket so that you can burn more fat per workout. I found that the more budget-friendly the device, the more likely it is that a tracker will fall short when it comes to smart counseling or offering predictive insights beyond a given workout. If a budget tracker does happen to offer some semblance of a coaching program, you can expect it to sit behind a paywall.<\/p>\n
Workout tracking and planning your recovery is just as essential to any fitness journey. A sub-$100 device should be able to tell you how long you\u2019ve slept and provide a breakdown of deep, light and REM sleep patterns. It’s not a guarantee that you will get a sleep \u201cscore\u201d or insights on how to get better rest \u2014 that data is usually found on more expensive wearables. Also, because these trackers aren\u2019t designed for bedtime specifically \u2014 be mindful of comfort. The bands and watch face on a budget fitness watch may not be ideal for getting some good shut-eye.<\/p>\n
Connectivity and practicality<\/h3>\n
Not all of the best budget fitness trackers are designed to seamlessly integrate with a smartphone. The trackers tested for this roundup can\u2019t directly make calls or send texts to contacts on a paired iPhone or Android smartphone. They can, however, display and dismiss incoming calls and notifications via a Bluetooth connection. You can forget about checking your email or paying for a coffee from your wrist using these more affordable devices.<\/p>\n
Most cheap fitness trackers also won’t include built-in GPS tracking. Instead, they usually depend on a paired smartphone to gather location data. The drawback of using a fitness tracker without GPS is that it might not provide as precise for tracking distance or pace. You also can’t use a budget tracker to get turn-by-turn directions during a walk or while running errands. For the more outdoorsy consumers, having GPS could be a key safety feature if you want this kind of functionality at your fingertips.<\/p>\n
Design<\/h3>\n
You also might find that an inexpensive fitness tracker is harder to navigate than a more advanced smartwatch. Whether it be a screen size issue or simply not having a smart enough interface, don’t expect every feature to be one that you can engage with directly on your wrist. You\u2019ll likely need to use your phone to input data or access detailed wellness metrics.<\/p>\n
Build quality will also vary. While you won\u2019t get premium materials or ultra-bright OLED screens, most best cheap fitness trackers include some level of sweat and water resistance \u2014 perfect for everyday wear and casual workouts. And for those starting out with basic gadgets to support their fitness journey, these affordable trackers offer a great balance of essential features without the hefty price tag.<\/p>\n
Other budget fitness trackers we tested<\/h2>\nAmazfit Bip 6<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe Amazfit Bip 6, an $80 smartwatch from Zepp Health, didn\u2019t quite make the cut. As a fitness tracker, it\u2019s decent, but it\u2019s a frustrating smartwatch substitute. For workouts, the built-in GPS tracks runs and rides without your phone and, combined with the heart rate and blood oxygen sensors, collects a good amount of data to create accurate pictures of your exertion levels, cadence and pace. It\u2019s remarkably lightweight but doesn\u2019t feel cheap and the AMOLED screen is bright and sharp. It\u2019s not an always-on display, but lifting your wrist wakes it reliably.<\/p>\n
The sleep tracking data is on par with what we measured on other smartwatches and there\u2019s even a daily readiness score that compares your sleep quality and the previous day\u2019s exertion to estimate how physically prepared you are for the day ahead \u2014 similar to what Pixel Watches, Fitbit devices and Garmin watches offer. And since the watch battery lasts for over a week on a charge, you may be a lot more apt to wear it to bed than a watch you have to charge daily.<\/p>\n
We weren\u2019t expecting an $80 device to be a serious Apple Watch challenger, but the Bip 6\u2019s glitches and overly complicated interface (both on the app and on the watch itself) were disappointing. During a week of testing, I got multiple repeated notifications, even after they were deleted, along with suggestions to stand when I was actively doing chores around the house. The watch faces are not customizable, so it was hard to get the info I needed at a glance (the Zepp app has lots of paid watch faces that may have what I wanted, but I didn\u2019t want to pay $3 for something that\u2019s free elsewhere).<\/p>\n
Marketing details state that the Bip 6 can auto-detect workouts, including walking and bike riding. During testing, I walked once or twice per day for over one mile and went on two bike rides, but no workout was ever detected. The watch integrates with Apple Health, so I was able to see how it compares to the data my Apple Watch gathers. After a week of wearing the Bip 6, with no changes to my daily routine, I averaged 400 fewer calories burned and 2.4 fewer miles tracked each day. That was possibly the biggest disappointment of all. \u2014 Amy Skorheim, Senior Reporter<\/em><\/p>\nWyze Watch 47c<\/h3>\n
I didn’t have high expectations of the Wyze Watch 47c, but I was shocked at how little this tracker can do. The 47c can only track walks and runs. It has a dedicated widget, a small logo of a man running, and when you tap it, it begins measuring your pace, heart rate, calories burned and mileage. It does not auto-detect or auto-pause workouts and it doesn’t differentiate between a run and walk. Most importantly, this device can\u2019t track any other exercises. It\u2019s basically a glorified pedometer.<\/p>\n
The 47c was also my least favorite to sleep with, mainly because the square watch face is so large and heavy. Even if I did manage to sleep through the night with it on, it only gave me a basic sleep report. \u2014 M.S. <\/em><\/p>\nGarmin vivofit 4<\/h3>\n
The Garmin vivofit 4 has a tiny display that is not a touchscreen and all navigation happens through one button. The watch face is impossible to read outdoors and the exercise widget is also very finicky. To start tracking a run, you have to hold down the main button and flip through some pages until you get to a moving person icon. Once there, you have to press the bottom right corner of the bar and hold down and if you press for too long or in the wrong spot, it\u2019ll switch to another page, like a stopwatch. It\u2019s incredibly frustrating.<\/p>\n
Once you start a run though, it will start tracking your steps, your distance \u2014 and that’s pretty much it. It does not auto-detect or auto-pause workouts. It doesn’t alert you of any mileage or calorie milestones. \u2014 M.S.<\/em><\/p>\nWhat about fitness rings?<\/h2>\n
While smart rings are gaining popularity for health tracking, they generally don\u2019t fall into the \u201cbudget\u201d or \u201ccheap\u201d price range. A smart ring like the Oura Ring offers features such as sleep monitoring, heart rate tracking and readiness scores in an ultra-compact form factor that fits on your finger instead of your wrist. These rings are best suited for people who want discreet, all-day health insights without wearing a traditional watch or band \u2014 but with prices typically starting above $300, they\u2019re more of a premium option than a budget-friendly pick.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nXIAOMI<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Tracking type:<\/strong> Heart rate, sleep, stress, blood oxygen, women\u2019s health | Supported Operating System:<\/strong> Android 6.0 and above, iOS 12.0 and above | Memory:<\/strong> 100GB | Screen size:<\/strong> 1.47\u201d | Waterproof: <\/strong>5ATM water resistant | GPS:<\/strong> No | Battery life: <\/strong>18 days<\/p>\n Our previous pick here, the Xiaomi Smart Band 8, now has a successor in the Smart Band 9. The Xiaomi wearable we tested stood out because it had the easiest interface to navigate when recording workouts, it also had the most comfortable band to sleep in. The latest device has pretty much everything you would expect on a fitness tracker, and it comes at a price that\u2019s hard to beat. The 1.47-inch, 60Hz display is full color and shines pretty bright both indoors and out. Although it doesn’t have a physical navigation button, you can move through the UI by swiping up and down, or left and right.<\/p>\n The Smart Band 9 excels like its predecessor in that its workout reports are very detailed \u2014 more than you’d think. Unlike some of the other trackers we tested, the Smart Band 9 does not require you to download any exercises from its companion app. Meaning, you can get right into tracking exercises as niche as skiing. When a workout is complete, you get all the information you\u2019d want on your wrist \u2013 from heart rate readings to pace and speed, to calories burned and more. It may sound basic, but some of the other trackers we tested only report step count and distance traveled after a walk. The amount of time spent in each heart rate zone will appear in your summary, from light, intensive, aerobic to anaerobic.<\/p>\n Sleep tracking will be easy on the Smart Band 9 as well thanks to its comfortable, lightweight design. The do-not-disturb feature is easy to turn on from the watch face and the screen shouldn’t wake you up at night. The sleep insights after wearing it overnight impressed me with their detail. Right on my wrist, I was able to learn how long I slept and also got a detailed sleep graph that showed me when I was in light and deep sleep. This was all free, on my wrist and it was further broken down for me in the Mi app. I also was able to gather information on my average HR during sleep and my breathing patterns.<\/p>\n And, most importantly, you’ll be able to go a long time with the Smart Band 9 before it needs more juice. Xiaomi promises up to 18 days of battery life, which is a few more days than the Smart Band 8.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n $30 at Amazon<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Amazfit<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Tracking type:<\/strong> Heart rate, sleep, stress, blood oxygen, women\u2019s health | Supported Operating System:<\/strong> Android 7.0 and above, iOS 12.0 and above | Memory:<\/strong> 2.3GB | Screen size:<\/strong> 1.47\u201d | Waterproof: <\/strong>5ATM water resistant | GPS:<\/strong> No | Battery life: <\/strong>18 days<\/p>\n The Amazfit Band 7, like the Xiaomi Band, has all of the workouts you can track pre-loaded on your wrist. It also has a unique interface that allows you to set a custom goal, like burning 500 calories, before starting a workout. Plus, it features a generous 18 days of battery life (or more if you enable battery-saver mode).<\/p>\n The Amazfit band has a special scoring system called PAI, which stands for \u201cPersonal Activity Intelligence.\u201d This metric is derived from your heart rate during all activities (even ones that don’t involve tracked workouts) and gives you a numeric score from 1 to 100. You want to get your score as close to 100 as possible, through workouts and rest, to keep your overall heart health strong. Like the Xiaomi Smart Band, the Amazfit Band 7 gives a user a breakdown of their overall heart rate zone activity on the watch face.<\/p>\n The watch also has a unique \u201cone tap measure\u201d that gives you insights into your heart rate, blood oxygen levels and even a stress score based on your heart rate variability.<\/p>\n There are some downsides to the Band 7, though, namely that it is considerably slower than the Xiaomi Smart Band when it comes to starting and ending exercise sessions. It also does not have a physical navigation button, making it sometimes hard to exit a page. That would have been something I could have overlooked if the watch\u2019s display had been a bit on par with the Xiaomi Band. Despite having an AMOLED color display, the Band 7\u2019s screen was sometimes hard to view even indoors.<\/p>\n It does get brownie points for being a bit more comfortable to sleep in than some of the others we tested, but it still takes some getting used to. If you do sleep with the Band 7 for a week though, you can get an in-depth sleep analysis about your susceptibility for conditions like sleep apnea. The caveat is that you need to pay a premium for this more detailed sleep report. Through the Zepp app (formerly Amazfit) you can pay $10 monthly or $50 annually for a premium subscription, which also includes meditation content and an AI sleep coach.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n $50 at Amazon<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Fitbit<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Tracking type:<\/strong> Heart rate, sleep, stress, blood oxygen, women\u2019s health | Supported Operating System:<\/strong> Android 10.0 and above, iOS 15.0 and above | Memory:<\/strong> 6.4GB | Screen size:<\/strong> 0.7\u201d | Waterproof: <\/strong>5ATM water resistant | GPS:<\/strong> No | Battery life: <\/strong>10 days<\/p>\n I expected more out of the Fitbit Inspire 3 because, well, it\u2019s Fitbit. Also, considering it’s the most expensive tracker on the list, you would think you would get more. The tracker does serve its purpose -\u2013 it can record your workouts. However, only 6 kinds of activities can be tracked at a time. To add more niche exercises like a weight-lifting routine, you need to open the Fitbit app and swap one exercise widget for another. It does give a rudimentary breakdown of your calories burned, heart rate, and all of the things you would normally want to get in a performance report. In comparison to the Fitbit Charge 6, the Fitbit Inspire 3 doesn\u2019t boast a built-in GPS, so you have to take your phone with you to accurately record pace or distance.<\/p>\n One thing I do appreciate about the Fitbit Inspire 3 is its Active Zone Minute breakdown after a workout is tracked. This is a feature unique to Fitbit that calculates how hard your workouts were and how much fat you burned in the process. The app does a good job of breaking down other health metrics during exercise and can tell you how much recovery you need before your next workout. It’s nice to have that information, but the fact that you need to pull out your phone to get deeper insights can be a nuisance.<\/p>\n The Inspire 3 also does not allow you to directly log menstrual cycle data on it, whereas the Xiaomi Band and Amazfit Band 7 do. The battery life on this tracker is on par with what the company says, though. It charges to full in under 45 minutes and dies after about 10 days of use. So in between tracking workouts and gathering sleep data, I did not have to worry much about missing a night of sleep tracking to charge it overnight. The Fitbit Inspire 3 is comfortable to sleep with, maybe even slightly more comfortable than the Amazfit Band 7, but the fact that its sleep coaching is only available for premium Fitbit subscribers does take away from the appeal.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n $92 at Amazon<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n All of the best fitness trackers should have at least three features: a program for activity tracking, the option to monitor and collect data about your sleep patterns and the ability to do things like heart rate monitoring and blood oxygen level tracking (though, the readings might not be super accurate). Don\u2019t set your sights too high and expect metrics like blood pressure monitoring or ECG support; for that, you\u2019d need to invest in a more expensive fitness watch or wearable like a Samsung Galaxy Watch, which falls under the best smartwatches category and will set you back over $400.<\/p>\n A cheap workout tracker can be great for someone looking to keep tabs on small, achievable goals like 10,000 steps before sundown or 30 minutes of a HIIT workout to get your heart rate peaking. An experienced long-distance runner looking to train for a triathlon might opt for a more expensive device that can measure cadence or ground contact time, and can track more customizable workouts, offer different sports modes or give deeper insights into performance data.<\/p>\n At the very least, a budget workout tracker should be able to offer fitness tracking features beyond walking and running \u2014 otherwise, it would just be a pedometer. The number of activities a device will recognize varies. Some will get funky with it and consider skateboarding a workout, while others won\u2019t be able to track a jumping jack.<\/p>\n At this price point, you can expect a device to measure a mix of cardio, machine workouts and strength training. With each, you might get a numerical or visual breakdown of heart rate activity, overall pace, and calories burned per session. Although some cheap trackers can offer a really good overview of heart rate zone activity during a workout, a more technically advanced device might be able to go a step further and explain what your results mean and coach you on how to keep your heart rate in a specific bracket so that you can burn more fat per workout. I found that the more budget-friendly the device, the more likely it is that a tracker will fall short when it comes to smart counseling or offering predictive insights beyond a given workout. If a budget tracker does happen to offer some semblance of a coaching program, you can expect it to sit behind a paywall.<\/p>\n Workout tracking and planning your recovery is just as essential to any fitness journey. A sub-$100 device should be able to tell you how long you\u2019ve slept and provide a breakdown of deep, light and REM sleep patterns. It’s not a guarantee that you will get a sleep \u201cscore\u201d or insights on how to get better rest \u2014 that data is usually found on more expensive wearables. Also, because these trackers aren\u2019t designed for bedtime specifically \u2014 be mindful of comfort. The bands and watch face on a budget fitness watch may not be ideal for getting some good shut-eye.<\/p>\n Not all of the best budget fitness trackers are designed to seamlessly integrate with a smartphone. The trackers tested for this roundup can\u2019t directly make calls or send texts to contacts on a paired iPhone or Android smartphone. They can, however, display and dismiss incoming calls and notifications via a Bluetooth connection. You can forget about checking your email or paying for a coffee from your wrist using these more affordable devices.<\/p>\n Most cheap fitness trackers also won’t include built-in GPS tracking. Instead, they usually depend on a paired smartphone to gather location data. The drawback of using a fitness tracker without GPS is that it might not provide as precise for tracking distance or pace. You also can’t use a budget tracker to get turn-by-turn directions during a walk or while running errands. For the more outdoorsy consumers, having GPS could be a key safety feature if you want this kind of functionality at your fingertips.<\/p>\n You also might find that an inexpensive fitness tracker is harder to navigate than a more advanced smartwatch. Whether it be a screen size issue or simply not having a smart enough interface, don’t expect every feature to be one that you can engage with directly on your wrist. You\u2019ll likely need to use your phone to input data or access detailed wellness metrics.<\/p>\n Build quality will also vary. While you won\u2019t get premium materials or ultra-bright OLED screens, most best cheap fitness trackers include some level of sweat and water resistance \u2014 perfect for everyday wear and casual workouts. And for those starting out with basic gadgets to support their fitness journey, these affordable trackers offer a great balance of essential features without the hefty price tag.<\/p>\n The Amazfit Bip 6, an $80 smartwatch from Zepp Health, didn\u2019t quite make the cut. As a fitness tracker, it\u2019s decent, but it\u2019s a frustrating smartwatch substitute. For workouts, the built-in GPS tracks runs and rides without your phone and, combined with the heart rate and blood oxygen sensors, collects a good amount of data to create accurate pictures of your exertion levels, cadence and pace. It\u2019s remarkably lightweight but doesn\u2019t feel cheap and the AMOLED screen is bright and sharp. It\u2019s not an always-on display, but lifting your wrist wakes it reliably.<\/p>\n The sleep tracking data is on par with what we measured on other smartwatches and there\u2019s even a daily readiness score that compares your sleep quality and the previous day\u2019s exertion to estimate how physically prepared you are for the day ahead \u2014 similar to what Pixel Watches, Fitbit devices and Garmin watches offer. And since the watch battery lasts for over a week on a charge, you may be a lot more apt to wear it to bed than a watch you have to charge daily.<\/p>\n We weren\u2019t expecting an $80 device to be a serious Apple Watch challenger, but the Bip 6\u2019s glitches and overly complicated interface (both on the app and on the watch itself) were disappointing. During a week of testing, I got multiple repeated notifications, even after they were deleted, along with suggestions to stand when I was actively doing chores around the house. The watch faces are not customizable, so it was hard to get the info I needed at a glance (the Zepp app has lots of paid watch faces that may have what I wanted, but I didn\u2019t want to pay $3 for something that\u2019s free elsewhere).<\/p>\n Marketing details state that the Bip 6 can auto-detect workouts, including walking and bike riding. During testing, I walked once or twice per day for over one mile and went on two bike rides, but no workout was ever detected. The watch integrates with Apple Health, so I was able to see how it compares to the data my Apple Watch gathers. After a week of wearing the Bip 6, with no changes to my daily routine, I averaged 400 fewer calories burned and 2.4 fewer miles tracked each day. That was possibly the biggest disappointment of all. \u2014 Amy Skorheim, Senior Reporter<\/em><\/p>\n I didn’t have high expectations of the Wyze Watch 47c, but I was shocked at how little this tracker can do. The 47c can only track walks and runs. It has a dedicated widget, a small logo of a man running, and when you tap it, it begins measuring your pace, heart rate, calories burned and mileage. It does not auto-detect or auto-pause workouts and it doesn’t differentiate between a run and walk. Most importantly, this device can\u2019t track any other exercises. It\u2019s basically a glorified pedometer.<\/p>\n The 47c was also my least favorite to sleep with, mainly because the square watch face is so large and heavy. Even if I did manage to sleep through the night with it on, it only gave me a basic sleep report. \u2014 M.S. <\/em><\/p>\n The Garmin vivofit 4 has a tiny display that is not a touchscreen and all navigation happens through one button. The watch face is impossible to read outdoors and the exercise widget is also very finicky. To start tracking a run, you have to hold down the main button and flip through some pages until you get to a moving person icon. Once there, you have to press the bottom right corner of the bar and hold down and if you press for too long or in the wrong spot, it\u2019ll switch to another page, like a stopwatch. It\u2019s incredibly frustrating.<\/p>\n Once you start a run though, it will start tracking your steps, your distance \u2014 and that’s pretty much it. It does not auto-detect or auto-pause workouts. It doesn’t alert you of any mileage or calorie milestones. \u2014 M.S.<\/em><\/p>\n While smart rings are gaining popularity for health tracking, they generally don\u2019t fall into the \u201cbudget\u201d or \u201ccheap\u201d price range. A smart ring like the Oura Ring offers features such as sleep monitoring, heart rate tracking and readiness scores in an ultra-compact form factor that fits on your finger instead of your wrist. These rings are best suited for people who want discreet, all-day health insights without wearing a traditional watch or band \u2014 but with prices typically starting above $300, they\u2019re more of a premium option than a budget-friendly pick.<\/p>\n\n
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What to look for in a cheap fitness tracker<\/h2>\n
Fitness features<\/h3>\n
Connectivity and practicality<\/h3>\n
Design<\/h3>\n
Other budget fitness trackers we tested<\/h2>\n
Amazfit Bip 6<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Wyze Watch 47c<\/h3>\n
Garmin vivofit 4<\/h3>\n
What about fitness rings?<\/h2>\n