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Just checking in on everyone’s New Year’s resolution to get fit. Are we still doing this, or what?
Whatever your answer, a good fitness tracker can be super helpful but some of them out there—including smartwatches—cost more than my first car. Granted, it was a truly terrible car.
The good news is that wearable fitness trackers don’t have to cost a fortune. Here are four fantastic and affordable options that’ll help you track your steps, monitor your sleep, and more.
Amazfit has been making serious waves in the budget space. Their current “Band” model, the Band 7, sports battery life up to a whopping 28 days, a vibrant display, and all the essential health tracking you’d expect—heart rate, sleep, blood oxygen, stress, and several other metrics—all for a very reasonable price.
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This is a solid pick if you want a reliable tracker that simply works.
Xiaomi consistently delivers incredible value, and its latest tracker, the Smart Band 10, is tough to beat when it comes to features versus price.
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It gives you all the essentials, and more: step counting, heart rate, sleep tracking, smart notifications, heart rate, pulse oximeter, ambient light sensor, sleep tracking, swimming mode, up to three weeks of battery, and a ton of styles and colors to choose from.
If you’re a fan of the Fitbit ecosystem (now owned by Google), the Inspire 3 is your best bet for a budget-friendly option. It packs all the core features: steps, distance, calories burned, sleep stages, stress relief, blood oxygen, heart rate tracking, up to 10 days of battery, and more, all in a no-fuss design.
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Plus, you get access to Fitbit’s excellent app for data analysis and community features, including six months of premium features. Think of it as the reliable, slightly less flashy cousin of the more expensive Fitbits.
Okay, let’s bring in a name known for serious fitness tracking, but on a smaller scale.
The Garmin Vivosmart 5 is an excellent choice if you want the reliability and accuracy of Garmin without the price of a full-blown running watch.
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It’s a simple, minimalist band that tracks your steps, sleep, heart rate, hydration, respiration, blood oxygen, energy levels, and features up to seven days of battery. This is a solid, get-it-done option for people who want accurate data from a trusted fitness brand.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Doug Aamoth is a former writer and editor at TechCrunch and Time magazine, and has written for Fast Company, PCWorld, Money magazine, and other publications. With more than 20 years in consumer electronics, tech media, digital video, and software, his goal is to make technology approachable and useful for everyone, helping readers stay informed, productive, and secure in the digital age.