Affordable fitness tracker

By Victoria Songaffordable fitness tracker, a senior reporter focusing on wearables, health tech, and more with 11 years of experience. If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission.

The quick list 2. Best overall 3. Best with GPS 4. Best subscription 5. Best with Alexa 6.

Affordable fitness tracker

Keeping tabs on your daily movement can make you conscious of your activity level and motivate you to stay on top of your gym sessions, or at least hit your steps. That rings especially true if you spend most of your day sitting at a desk like I do. Having a device handy that can keep you accountable can be a game changer. While many smartwatches on the market are decked out with fitness tools, the average affordable tracker might offer just enough to help kickstart your health journey. They go well beyond just counting steps, providing in-depth reports on how you're sleeping at night or giving you a breakdown of your heart rate variability during a workout. Even the most basic tracker should have at least three features: a program to track workouts or movement of some sort, the option to monitor and collect sleep data and the ability to measure health metrics like heart rate and blood oxygen levels though, the readings might not be super accurate. A cheap workout tracker can be great for someone looking to keep tabs on small, achievable goals like 10, 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 or give deeper insights into performance data. At the very least, a budget workout tracker should be able to track workouts beyond walking and running — otherwise, it would just be a pedometer. The number of activities a device will recognize varies. At this price, 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.

We prioritize the latter wherever possible. Battery life: 14 days. The Amazfit GTR Mini has a round display akin to a smartwatch but is lightweight despite its larger design, affordable fitness tracker.

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Gone are the days of basic pedometers being the only option for cheap fitness trackers. These days, even budget-friendly trackers offer advanced training and data-gathering functionality to help you monitor and push toward your fitness and health goals. The best cheap fitness trackers will provide plenty of insight to keep you motivated and moving. As a fitness enthusiast and frequent watch reviewer, I have used countless fitness trackers and smartwatches.

The best cheap fitness trackers give you an easy and affordable way to keep tabs on your workouts, walks and general health metrics if you're on a budget. Many of the best fitness trackers you can buy today are advanced devices, but are also expensive, aimed more at experienced exercisers or people with specific training goals. If you want a simpler option to track your couch-to-5K programme or to make sure you hit your daily 10k steps, then one of the best cheap fitness trackers is a great choice. Although you won't find the advanced tech or high-end features of more expensive devices in this best cheap fitness trackers guide, we've tested a range of trackers and smartwatches over the years and each option in this list has been selected for a reason. Some are, surprisingly, packed with insightful metrics, others are incredibly comfortable, some boast a brilliant battery and most are easy-to-use for complete beginners. Some are older models, but still great pieces of tech well worth picking up for a song. The data you can track on your fitness tracker is different depending on which device you're using. Many offer always-on heart rate tracking, and some have built-in GPS, which makes them a perfect running companion. Find out more about how we test. The Fitbit Inspire 3 has replaced its predecessor, the Inspire 2, as the best cheap fitness tracker you can buy today.

Affordable fitness tracker

Keeping tabs on your daily movement can make you conscious of your activity level and motivate you to stay on top of your gym sessions, or at least hit your steps. That rings especially true if you spend most of your day sitting at a desk like I do. Having a device handy that can keep you accountable can be a game changer. While many smartwatches on the market are decked out with fitness tools, the average affordable tracker might offer just enough to help kickstart your health journey. They go well beyond just counting steps, providing in-depth reports on how you're sleeping at night or giving you a breakdown of your heart rate variability during a workout. Even the most basic tracker should have at least three features: a program to track workouts or movement of some sort, the option to monitor and collect sleep data and the ability to measure health metrics like heart rate and blood oxygen levels though, the readings might not be super accurate. A cheap workout tracker can be great for someone looking to keep tabs on small, achievable goals like 10, 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 or give deeper insights into performance data. At the very least, a budget workout tracker should be able to track workouts beyond walking and running — otherwise, it would just be a pedometer.

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It also has excellent battery life, a slightly brighter MIP display, solar charging, and the option of upgrading to sapphire crystal. Of course, you get the basics, like steps and calories burned, but you get a whole lot more, too. These are available in the stellar Garmin Connect app, which might even be a bit overwhelming at first, as it offers a much more detailed look into your activities than other apps. Best with Alexa 6. Its simple set-up makes it a good choice for complete fitness tech beginners. This feature identifies irregular heart rhythms, which may be a sign of atrial fibrillation AFib. The Inspire 3 measures steps and heart rate throughout the day, and the Fitbit Inspire 3 also tracks heart rate variability and stress, how long you spend in different heart rate zones during workouts, and your breathing rate. With Garmin, however, it's not about the looks, but rather the quality, and the Vivosmart 5 delivers, offering heart rate tracking and a PulseOx sensor. Huawei Band 7. Best fitness band. The Honor Band 5 performs well across the board and is a solid choice if you enjoy more than just the usual cardio workouts. Fitbit is one of the longest-running pun intended and most well-known wearable brands. The Pixel Watch 2 is a significant update over the original.

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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. Fitbit is a great, versatile brand with a lot of trackers to choose from. Despite its high-quality touchscreen display and impressive range of features, Xiaomi has managed to keep the price down and make the Mi Smart Band 5 feel much more expensive than it is. If you do, it reduces this number quite a bit. However, the effort is worth it, both for your mental and physical well-being. Waterproof: Yes. Like a lot of stress trackers, this feels a bit inconsistent. You can also save a couple hundred dollars this way if budget is your main concern. All fitness trackers will at least be able to count your steps just like the good old days. Reasons to avoid - No contactless payments. Battery life: 7 days.