You do not need to spend hundreds of dollars on a shiny new smartwatch to reap the benefits of fitness tracking — you can monitor your stats just as effectively with the best budget fitness trackers like the Fitbit Inspire 3 or the Garmin Vivosmart 5. These smart wearables boast great performance, a wealth of smart features and stylish design, yet they cost far less than some of the top-shelf models. The best part? They are getting even cheaper in the run-up to the Black Friday sale.
True, the best budget fitness trackers may not offer the high-octane performance and military-grade durability typical of best Garmin watches, but they still feature most of the key metrics like heart rate, body composition, sleep tracking and step count. "They can be a total game-changer for smashing your goals without costing an arm and a leg," Patrick Stephenson, a personal trainer, golf content creator and former professional golfer, told Live Science. Scroll down to the Budget fitness trackers FAQs to read more about affordable trackers.
However, picking the right model can be a difficult task, even for the most data-driven consumers. The market is flooded with low-cost fitness trackers of dubious quality, and frustrated users often abandon them not long after the purchase. But that is where we step in.
To help you make the best choice possible, we have tried and tested countless budget fitness trackers on the market. We put each and every model through its paces, taking note of their battery life, design, features, ease of use, and many other aspects. You can read more about our testing protocol in the How we test section down below.
But if you are looking for wearables with a more premium feel, consider investing in one of the best fitness trackers or best running watches instead.
The quick list
Best under $100
This colorful Fitbit takes the top spot thanks to its compact, unobtrusive design, bright display and plenty of accurate tracking features — a whole package for just $99.95.
Best under $50
Feather-light, compact and jam-packed with fitness tracking features, this wristband boasts long battery life and more than 100 different sports modes — and it costs just $49.99.
Best budget Garmin
Top-notch Garmin quality for less than $150 — this fitness tracker offers a sleek, durable design, advanced health and workout tracking features, and a seven-day battery life.
Best budget smartwatch
Extensive smartwatch functionality without breaking the bank — this light, stylish and exceptionally comfortable fitness tracker packs plenty of features into its $70 price tag.
Best budget sleep tracker
Compact, comfortable to wear, and brimming with health tracking features, the Charge 5 offers excellent sleep monitoring capabilities — and it costs less than $150.
The best budget fitness trackers we recommend in 2024: Thoroughly tested by our expert team with hands-on, real-world experience
Why you can trust Live Science Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best ones for you. Find out more about how we test.
Best fitness tracker under $100
✅ You want excellent sleep and stress tracking features: Its measurements are accurate and easy to understand.
✅ You need something small and compact: It is lightweight and unobtrusive.
✅ You want long battery life: This fitness tracker can last up to 10 days between charges.
❌ You struggle with small and fiddly displays: It has a relatively tiny screen.
❌ You want to use it mainly outdoors: It does feature GPS or on-watch maps.
🔎 Fitbit Inspire 3: This sleek fitness tracker won our seal of approval with its excellent tracking performance, lightweight design and long battery life. Its features are, however, quite basic. ★★★★
The Fitbit Inspire 3 takes the top spot thanks to its compact design, excellent battery life and a multitude of tracking features. Not to mention, it costs just $99.95. If you are looking for excellent value for money, this colorful band should land on your radar.
With a big color AMOLED screen, the Inspire 3 can track steps, workouts, heart rate and sleep. It can also tell you how much time you spend in each heart rate zone, personalized to your age and fitness level. Similar to the Apple Watch’s Activity app, it has a metric called Active Zone Minutes that encourages you to reach daily movement goals. During our Fitbit Inspire 3 review, we enjoyed how it tracks passively in the background giving you useful insights into your health and fitness habits.
As with so many of Fitbit’s products, it is the battery life – 10 days – that is most impressive on the Inspire 3. While this will depend on usage, and go down significantly if you use the always-on display mode, it is still great to not have to charge the tracker too often.
The Inspire 3 does not have the same quick-release buttons as the Charge 5, so swapping bands is a little bit fiddly. It is also lacking GPS but you can use your phone to track routes and distances on hikes and runs. Comes with six months free Fitbit Premium membership so you can enjoy extra features and content.
- Read our full Fitbit Inspire 3 review
Best fitness tracker under $50
✅ You want exceptional battery life: This trooper can last up to two weeks on a single charge.
✅ You are looking for a cheap multisport watch: This humble band can track more than 100 different activities.
✅ You want to track your periods: It allows you to monitor your menstrual cycle.
❌ You want exceptional accuracy: Its sleep and workout tracking features may lack precision.
❌ You are a swimmer: The screen loses responsiveness upon contact with water and sweat.
🔎 Xiaomi Smart Band 7: This neat fitness band offers a wide range of tracking features and exceptional battery life for less than $50. However, it lacks the reliability of more premium devices, and its workout and sleep features could use some improvement. ★★★½
The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 7 is proof that you do not have to spend a fortune on health and fitness tracking, nor do you have to sacrifice fancy features either. Its design makes it nice to look at, too. During our Xiaomi Smart Band 7 fitness tracker review, we were impressed by the sheer number of features on this Fitbit lookalike. For example, you can use it to track your menstrual cycle - a feature previously reserved for some of the more premium players, such as the Apple Watch. However, we also found that its screen can become unresponsive, especially when wet or sweaty.
The band tracks blood oxygen, sleep and stress – impressive for a product at this low price – and we love the ‘relax reminders’ that prompt us to do a guided breathing meditation when stress levels reach above a certain number. If you are a swimmer, it is water resistant up to 50 meters, although we found the screen hard to use during and post-swim.
The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 7 has an impressive battery life and is a comprehensive health and fitness tracker at a budget-friendly price (only $49.99, not accounting for seasonal discounts). It has a ludicrous number of activity tracking options too, with over 110 different sports modes.
If you are a budget-conscious fitness fanatic and you are willing to compromise on accuracy and screen design, the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 7 will be right up your street.
- Read our full Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 7 review
Best budget Garmin watch
✅ You are data-driven: It provides a wide range of in-depth health and fitness stats.
✅ You want something small and discreet: No rugged or bulky design.
✅ You can stretch your budget: At $150, it is one of the most expensive trackers in this guide.
❌ You want to use it mainly outdoors: No GPS or on-watch maps.
❌ You want exceptional sturdiness: This watch is not as durable as some of the more premium Garmin watches.
🔎 Garmin Vivosmart 5: This compact fitness band delivers the best of Garmin's tracking features for less than $150, but it lacks the frills of more premium devices. ★★★
If you are the kind of person who loves a huge amount of data, and do not mind the Vivosmart 5’s utilitarian design, then this could be the budget fitness tracker for you. Lightweight, easy to use and with heart rate and SpO2 sensors, it has a crisp OLED screen, but it is still monochrome rather than color. It is one of the best budget Garmin watches you can get right now.
You can look at your stats free of charge in the brilliant Garmin Connect app, where there are also guided workouts to try, plus running and cycling training programs. During our Garmin Vivosmart 5 review, we were particularly impressed by the automatic sleep tracker. Every morning you get a mini sleep report including a ‘sleep score’ to help you understand how much rest you are getting. But note, it does not track naps – so if you like a snooze this could mess up your nightly sleep data.
Garmin says the watch has a seven-day battery life – but most people report five days when they have been using it for regular workout tracking.
The Vivosmart 5 does not have an inbuilt GPS, so you will need a Bluetooth connection to your phone to track your route and pace when training outside. It has an on-board accelerator that can gauge distance and pace, but we would only use this as a rough estimate. This watch is all about the stats, so if you are a numbers nerd you will love it.
- Read our full Garmin Vivosmart 5 review
Best budget smartwatch
✅ You want something light and comfortable: No rugged or bulky design.
✅ You want long battery life: It can last up to 14 days on a single charge.
❌ You want highly accurate workout tracking: It may lack some of the precision seen in more premium trackers.
❌ You want exceptional durability: This watch may not pull its weight as an outdoor watch.
🔎 Amazfit Bip 3 Pro: With its long battery life, multiple smartwatch credentials and ultra-comfortable design, this fitness tracker punches way above its wallet-friendly price point. ★★★★
Like all the best fitness trackers, The Amazfit Bip 3 Pro is lightweight, comfortable to wear (even during sleep) and has a simplistic design that is easy to use. The sleep tracker on this band comes with lots of actionable tools, although the accuracy does vary.
During our Amazfit Bip 3 Pro review, we liked that it doubled as a smartwatch, packing in tools like ‘find my phone’ and displaying notifications on its easy-to-read screen. While it does not have in-built music storage, it does allow you to navigate your tunes from your wrist (when your phone is connected) and you can control your camera, although we are not sure how useful that would be.
Women can use the watch to track their cycles and monitor fertility, which is a nice touch, and its in-depth sleep tracking actually tells you how well you are managing the different stages of sleep (light, deep and REM.)
If you want absolute accuracy for distance tracking, you will need to try one of the best running watches — but we think most people will be impressed with the in-built GPS on this model. All in all, it is a good package for this price.
- Read our full Amazfit Bip 3 Pro review
Runner-up
Best budget smartwatch: Runner-up
The Amazfit Active costs around $40 more than the Bip 3 Pro, but it offers longer battery life, more precise fitness measurements and better smartwatch credentials. It boasts a better-looking display, too.
For
- Feather-light
- Ultra-long battery life
- Accurate tracking features
Against
- Chunky display
- Lacks some durability
- Some features are subscription-only
Best budget sleep tracker
✅ You want advanced health tracking features: It can track your sleep, stress levels, heart rhythm and more.
✅ You need something small and unobtrusive: It features a light and compact design.
✅ You want long battery life: This fitness tracker can last a week between charges.
❌ You struggle with small displays: It may be difficult to read.
❌ You want media playback: It does not store music.
🔎 Fitbit Charge 5: This skilfully designed fitness tracker comes with good battery life, crisp display and plenty of health tracking features, but it is not as advanced as some of the pricier Fitbits. ★★★★
Drum roll please, in our opinion this is the best Fitbit you can buy right now, with options for stress and sleep tracking, mindfulness sessions and health and fitness data you did not even know you needed. At nearly $150, it is one of the most expensive models in this guide, but this neat wearable offers excellent value for money — and let us explain why.
The Fitbit Charge 5 feels like the Swiss Army Knife of fitness trackers, with in-built GPS, heart rate and step monitoring, as well as an ECG app and new electrodermal activity (EDA) tracker. This will allow you to check for atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat) while the EDA test looks at sweat secretion — a marker of stress. Once you have worked out your stress levels, you can help reduce them with the library of mindfulness sessions.
During our Fitbit Charge 5 review, we loved how easy it was to read, even in sunlight, which is a good thing as there are no physical buttons. Sadly there is no option for music playback and it is quite reliant on its accompanying app if you want to get the most out of it, but other than that we struggle to fault this extremely impressive and affordable wearable. As we mentioned before, the Charge 5 is slightly more pricey than the other options in this list, but also has a wider range of features.
- Read our full Fitbit Charge 5 review
Our expert consultants
Patrick Stephenson is a golf fitness coach and senior editor at Weekend Golfing, a website dedicated to golfing fans. He was a Division 1 golfer at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, and holds a +4 handicap. Patrick told Live Science why fitness trackers do not need to be expensive and recommended his favorite budget-friendly models.
Best budget fitness trackers: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best budget fitness tracker?
In our opinion, the Fitbit Inspire 3 strikes the best balance between quality and affordability. This compact, lightweight band watch offers long battery life and plenty of tracking features — and it tends to cost less than $100.
It is also Stephenson’s personal favorite. "I'm a huge fan of the Fitbit Inspire 3," he said. "It's packed with neat features, including an in-depth sleep analysis which can be an absolute game-changer for optimizing rest." Runners, however, may prefer the Garmin Forerunner 55. “It's a little pricier but it has got some serious specs, such as built-in GPS to map your routes and VO2 max estimates," Stephenson said.
What is the best budget smartwatch?
If you are looking for good smartwatch credentials at a bargain price, we recommend the Amazfit Bip 3 Pro. This watch tends to cost less than $70, but it comes with an impressive battery life, lightweight design and a wide range of features.
If you are willing to spend a bit more, the Fitbit Versa 2 is a stellar shout, Stephenson said. "At around $170 you can find it at a discount. It has all the workout tracking and heart rate sensor goodies you'd expect, but then you can also check texts, control music, and even make payments straight from your wrist," he said.
Are the budget fitness trackers worth it?
Budget fitness trackers may not have the cutting-edge sensors or fancy materials typical of more premium models, but they are still better for health tracking than just using your phone, Stephenson said. "The data is more accurate, and having it automatically record your moves takes all the hassle out of it," he said. In addition, many budget fitness trackers come with fitness apps and premium subscription options. "That extra analysis and personalized coaching can be a total game-changer for smashing your goals without costing an arm and a leg," Stephenson said.
How to choose the best budget fitness tracker for you
When looking for a budget fitness tracker there are a few things to consider. Firstly, battery life is often a deal breaker. Fitbit is renowned for creating trackers and smartwatches with amazing stamina, and many of its competitors are now catching on (some of the above options even outlast the famous Fitbits). Battery life will go down depending on usage, so if you’re tracking sleep overnight, as well as regular workouts, expect to charge your device more often.
Is GPS included? Many trackers can pair with your phone to track routes and distance, but if this is important to you, it might be worth paying a few extra bucks to get inbuilt GPS (bear in mind this will also zap the battery).
Another factor is will the device track all the sports and activities you want? And how easy is it to use and access the data? Smaller screens mean the fitness tracker will be lightweight, but you might struggle to read the stats.
How we tested these budget fitness trackers
How we test the best budget fitness trackers
Our reviewers. We know a lot about the best budget fitness trackers — we use them all the time at Live Science. As highly experienced fitness professionals and self-proclaimed exercise fanatics, we know firsthand the many benefits of progress tracking, and only the very best wearables take pride of place on our wrists. However, good does not necessarily mean expensive. Many of our all-time favorite models are on the affordable end of the spectrum, helping us to hit our fitness goals without breaking the bank. You can trust us here — we have tested plenty of budget fitness trackers over the years, so we know which models can punch way above their affordable price points.
We strive to be as objective as possible in our reviews, which is why we test all fitness trackers to the exact same standard, using the same procedures. After spending at least a week with each model, we rank it across the following categories:
Design. We carefully assess the tracker's durability, appearance and overall functionality. We check whether it is comfortable to wear, easy on the wrist and intuitive to use, and we make note of its size, weight and ability to withstand minor scuffs and scratches. Put simply, we want to know who this fitness tracker was made for.
Display. This is where we look into the heart of a fitness tracker — its display. We check the size, durability and resolution of the screen, and assess how bright, colorful and easy to read it is in different circumstances (for example, in direct sunlight). We also make note of the touchscreen's responsiveness and any lags we experienced during testing.
Features. We want to know every single setting of the fitness tracker in question. For example, how many sports modes and health tracking features does it have? Does it come with any smartwatch credentials or connected apps? Can it store music or on-watch maps? Also, does it offer personalized health and fitness guidance, and if so, is it any useful?
Performance. We put the fitness tracker through its paces to get a good understanding of its battery life, tracking performance and connectivity with third-party devices. We wear it during the day, while performing a range of different workouts, and during sleep, regularly switching between different modes and settings. Finally, we assess the validity of its heart rate tracking features using a chest-strap heart rate monitor (such as the Polar H9) or a more high-end fitness tracker model.
Value for money. Finally, we give our verdict on the key issue: does this affordable fitness tracker offer real value?
After testing, we use these categories to calculate a final score out of five, and decide whether the watch deserves a spot in our roundup of the best budget fitness trackers on the market.
