Thursday, March 28, 2024

These are the best cheap fitness trackers that will get job done!

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When you’re on a budget, every dollar counts. That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to skip out on owning a fitness tracker, though. With a bit of time and research, you’ll be on your way to finding a tracker that’s reasonably priced and does what you need it to do. We’ve gathered up some of the best cheap fitness trackers to help you decide. The Fitbit Inspire HR continues to hold a special place in our hearts. Although, there are some pretty close contenders.

Best Overall: Fitbit Inspire HR

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The Fitbit Inspire HR might be the most expensive option on the list, but it also has the most to offer. You’ll be able to navigate the basics right from your wrist thanks to the touchscreen that allows you to swipe and select. Due to its compact size, there are still several tasks that require you to use the app. We wish it had more than five days of battery life, but it’s not a dealbreaker, especially when more expensive smartwatches get less.

The “HR” in the name stands for heart rate, and you get a 24/7 heart rate monitor here. This might be overkill for some, but for people who need to manage stress or who want more detailed readings.

You can’t beat the fact that you’re scoring an affordable fitness tracker with so many features. You’ll have access to a cardio fitness score based on how fit you are and tips for improving, 15+ goal-based exercise modes, and sleep tracking with detailed sleep stages: light, deep, and REM sleep. Plus, the comfortable bands can easily be swapped out for other options and the stylish design allows for all-day wear.

Pros:

  • 24/7 Heart rate monitor
  • Connected GPS
  • Comfy and stylish

Cons:

  • No color screen
  • Mediocre battery life
  • Have to use app for a lot of features

Best Overall

Fitbit Inspire HR

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  • $94 from Amazon
  • $100 from Best Buy
  • $98 from Walmart

Do more for less

This tiny but mighty tracker does a lot for what it costs and it’s so comfortable and inconspicuous, you’ll forget you’re wearing it.

Best for Basic Tracking: Fitbit Inspire

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This fitness tracker follows closely behind the Fitbit Inspire HR — just without the heart rate monitor component. For some users, this might not be a huge loss. After all, it still handles most of the basics, including all-day activity tracking, calories burned, reminders to move, notifications, menstruation and fertility tracking, and so on. It also offers an appealing five-day battery life.

If you’re a fan of the reduced price tag and don’t think you’ll miss heart rate monitoring, this is a fabulous choice. However, it’s important to note you won’t have detailed sleep stages, guided breathing sessions, or any of the extra perks that the HR model offers.

Pros:

  • Reliable activity tracking
  • Fully swimproof
  • Female health tracking

Cons:

  • No heart rate monitor
  • No connected GPS
  • No sleep stage tracking

Best for Basic Tracking

Fitbit Inspire

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  • $69 from Amazon
  • $70 from Best Buy
  • $69 from Walmart

Less can be more

If you simply want a basic fitness tracker, this is a fine choice. More serious athletes will likely want to spring for the HR, though.

Best Value: Xiaomi Mi Band 5

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The Xiaomi Mi Band 5 is the latest fitness tracker from the Chinese company and it happens to be an excellent pick for budget shoppers. This tracker is bursting at the seams with premium features: It’s water-resistant up to 50 meters, promises 14 days of battery life, and will track daily activity, sleep, stress, and female health. It also provides you with message and call notifications on its AMOLED display, which is rare at this price point.

When you’re buying a fitness tracker this cheap, there’s bound to be some drawbacks. Most notably is how the display can be difficult to read in direct sunlight. You may find yourself having to use your hand to cover it for a clear reading. The strap also might not be the best quality given the cost but you can easily switch it out for something more comfortable.

Pros:

  • 11 sport modes
  • 14-day battery life
  • Heart-rate monitoring
  • Activity/sleep/stress tracking
  • Water resistance up to 50 meters

Cons:

  • Lackluster design
  • Spotty tracking accuracy
  • Poor screen visibility outdoors
  • Strap isn’t the best quality

Best Value

Xiaomi Mi Band 5

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  • $46 from Amazon
  • $40 from Walmart
  • $47 from Newegg

Best bang for your buck

You’ll have trouble finding another device with this price tag and the same impressive features.

Best Lightweight Design: Samsung Galaxy Fit

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The Galaxy Fit is the newest fitness tracker from Samsung. It only just hit the market, but there’s already a lot of buzz surrounding this ultra-lightweight device. In addition to enjoying a bright and beautiful screen, you’ll also get a week’s worth of battery life plus heart rate, activity, and sleep tracking. Fortunately, it won’t bother you while you sleep because it weighs a mere 23g. It’s definitely a steal for the price.

While it does provide support for running and cycling, that doesn’t include the luxury of GPS. Unlike some of the high-end fitness trackers from Samsung, the Galaxy Fit runs on realtime OS. You’ll have to sacrifice the more robust Tizen OS found on the company’s other devices, but you’ll receive stellar battery life in exchange.

Pros:

  • 7-day battery life
  • Bright screen
  • Water resistance up to 50 meters
  • Tracks heart rate, activity, sleep

Cons:

  • No Connected GPS
  • Limited watch faces

Best Lightweight Design

Samsung Galaxy Fit

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  • $100 from Amazon
  • $100 from Best Buy
  • $100 from Newegg

Light as a feather

The Galaxy Fit is great when you’re looking for a tracker that won’t distract you from your active lifestyle.

Best Heart Rate Tracker: Wahoo TICKR FIT

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You won’t find a more precise heart rate tracker than the Wahoo TICKR FIT. This device utilizes the latest optical heart rate technology to provide you with accurate heart rate and calorie burn data for up to 30 hours. Plus, it’s integrated with Bluetooth and ANT+, so it can easily connect to smartphones and other compatible devices. You’ll always be comfortable when you wear it thanks to the performance materials that are designed to withstand intense activity.

Use the LED lights to see if your device is connected and functioning. The TICKR FIT works with several popular fitness apps, including Wahoo Fitness, Strava, Nike+ Running, Apple Health, and more. View your workout data while you exercise, including all the essential metrics.

Pros:

  • No need for chest strap
  • Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity
  • Works with multiple apps

Cons:

  • Proprietary charger
  • Velcro strap snags

Best Heart Rate Tracker

Wahoo TICKR FIT

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  • $80 from Amazon
  • $80 from Best Buy
  • $80 from Newegg

Follow your heart

When you’re looking for a comfortable and convenient way to track heart rate and calorie burn data, the Wahoo TICKR FIT is the answer.

Best Fitness Features: Huawei Band 4 Pro

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There’s a lot to be said about fitness trackers that offer a bit of everything, like the Huawei Band 4 Pro. You’ll enjoy numerous fitness features, including built-in GPS, heart-rate monitoring, activity/sleep tracking, swim tracking, and more. The battery promises to last five days with typical use and seven hours in GPS mode. We dare you to find another tracker in this price range that offers all of these features.

The downside is that third-party app support is rathered limited. Additionally, you may not find the band to be the most comfortable option on the market but fortunately, these can be swapped out. It can feel a bit bulky for users with dainty wrists, which can be cumbersome during workouts.

Pros:

  • Built-in GPS
  • Heat-rate monitoring
  • Activity/sleep tracking
  • Water resistance up to 50m
  • VO2 max and SpO2 monitoring

Cons:

  • Limited third-party app support
  • Included band isn’t great

Best Fitness Features

Huawei Band 4 Pro

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  • $100 from Amazon
  • $73 from Walmart
  • $68 from Newegg

A bit of everything

You’ll get a little bit of everything with the Huawei Band 4 Pro, like GPS, heart-rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and swim tracking.

Best Fashionable Tracker: Withings Move

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Sometimes, you want the look and feel of a fashionable smartwatch without having to spend top dollar for it. That’s where the Withings Move comes in. You can even customize it with different color schemes to match your personal style. More importantly, it offers an array of features that are sure to enhance your workout experience. It comes with a replaceable battery that should last up to 18 months, so you don’t even have to worry about charging.

You’ll love having connected GPS, multisport activity and sleep tracking, and water resistance up to 50 meters. Keep in mind that because this tracker has an analog watch face, you’ll have to refer to the Health Mate app to review your data. This is but a small price to pay for a stylish tracker you can wear on any occasion.

Pros:

  • Multisport tracking
  • Various color choices
  • Amazing battery life

Cons:

  • No heart rate monitor
  • No altimeter
  • Analog watch face

Best Fashionable Tracker

Withings Move

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  • $70 from Amazon
  • $70 from Best Buy
  • $115 from Walmart

Fashion-forward

You don’t have to break the bank for a stylish fitness tracker, or watch, in the case of the Withings Move.

Best Compact Tracker: Garmin Vivofit 4

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This Garmin VIvofit 4 does a lot for its size, which is why it’s one of the best cheap fitness trackers you’ll find. The Garmin Vivofit 4 features the integrated Move IQ system, which includes automatic activity detection that syncs to Garmin Connect. Each activity type is classified once it’s been synced. Additionally, Garmin Connect allows you to save, plan, and share your activities with others.

The always-on customizable color display is a nice touch, not to mention the 1+ year battery life so you don’t have to remember to charge it. The basics are covered, too. Your device will track steps, sleep, distance, and calories burned. It will also provide a personalized daily step goal. The screen is super small, so that might not be valuable to some, but that’s what you pay for a tracker that’s designed to be compact and unobtrusive.

Pros:

  • Long battery life
  • Color display
  • Swim-friendly

Cons:

  • No heart rate monitor
  • Very small screen

Best Compact Tracker

Garmin Vivofit 4

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  • $69 from Amazon
  • $74 from Walmart
  • $69 from B&H

Small but powerful

When you want a compact design but a tracker that still delivers, you’ll have met your match with Garmin Vivofit 4.

Best for Beginners: Honor Band 5

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At a price point this low, you might not expect much from the Honor Band 5, which is a direct competitor of the Xiaomi Mi Band 5. It’s slightly less robust, but it still brings a lot to the table for an insanely cheap fitness tracker. You’ll have a bright AMOLED display, 14-day battery life, 10 sport modes, heart-rate monitoring, and activity/sleep tracking. It even offers SpO2 monitoring, which measures blood oxygen saturation levels.

Given the lower price point, you’ll be missing out on some of the more sophisticated health/fitness tracking features. For example, you won’t have stress monitoring or female health tracking on the Honor Band 5. That being said, beginners will love that this affordable device covers all the basics without breaking the bank.

Pros:

  • Heart-rate monitoring
  • Activity/sleep tracking
  • Water resistance up to 50 meters
  • SpO2 monitoring
  • 10 sport modes
  • Amazingly affordable

Cons:

  • No stress tracking
  • No female health tracking

Best for Beginners

Honor Band 5

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  • $36 from Amazon
  • $33 from Walmart
  • $50 from Newegg

Calling all newbies

This Honor Band 5 is cheap and ideal for beginners with features like heart-reate monitoring and 10 sport modes.

Best Battery: Amazfit Bip

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If you’re tired of forgetting to charge your tracker, you’ll be pleased to meet the Amazfit Bip. This incredible battery life can last for more than 30 days on a single 2.5-hour charge. Not bad at all. You also get automatic activity tracking, heart rate monitoring, smartphone notifications, and a built-in GPS. It looks more like a smartwatch than a fitness tracker, if that’s the aesthetic that you’re going for. It’s no wonder this tracker is also one of the best Amazfit smartwatches you can buy.

You can see your notifications on your wrist, but you’ll need to whip our your smartphone to respond to any of them. It only offers four sport modes: running, treadmill, cycling, and walking. This might feel a bit restrictive for serious athletes, but it could also be more than enough for others who only need the basics.

Pros:

  • Weeks of battery life
  • GPS + GLONASS
  • Ultra-lightweight
  • Notifications

Cons:

  • Limited app support
  • No quick replies
  • Only four sports modes

Best Battery

Amazfit Bip

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  • $70 from Amazon
  • $70 from Best Buy
  • $70 from Walmart

Minimal charging

For this price and this many features, there isn’t much to complain about. You can even take it in the pool.

Best cheap fitness trackers Which should you choose?

Tracking on a budget doesn’t mean you have to settle for a mediocre fitness tracker. As you can see, there are quite a few affordable options that have so much to offer. We still love the Fitbit Inspire HR because not only does it cover the necessities, but it’s comfortable and stylish as well. This is hard to come by when you’re searching for a fitness tracker in a very specific price range, but Fitbit has pulled it off.

Of course, you can always browse the other trackers on this list and see if there’s a better device that meets your needs. Everyone wants something a bit different from a tracker depending on their fitness level and personal preferences for other critical factors, like how it looks and feels. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of options when you browse the wearable market, especially when you’re looking for the best cheap fitness tracker.

The good news is that if you decide to raise your budget a bit, you’ll open yourself up to various other fitness trackers that might be a better match for your needs.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

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Courtney Lynch is a freelance writer at Android Central. She’s obsessed with all things health, fitness, and music. At any given time she can be found checking out the latest and greatest gadgets while simultaneously petting her dog and sipping iced coffee.

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