In the early days of wearables, a search for “best cheap fitness trackers” would retrieve a bunch of jumped-up Bluetooth pedometers. But 13 years on from the launch of the original Fitbit, the market has matured significantly, and even the cheapest devices have screens and a set of features that go far beyond mere step-counting. All have heart rate monitoring as standard and will connect to your phone’s GPS signal to more accurately track the distance of outdoor walks, runs or bike rides.
The good news is that budget trackers have improved so much that models from reliable brands are among the cheapest on Amazon, so there’s no need to risk buying a dirt cheap device on Amazon from an unknown company (never wise, especially since you’ll need to include the companion app on your smartphone).
All our recommendations below are from well-known brands, and we’ve laid out your options, paying attention to features, style, battery life and the quality of the app. If you think you could stretch to three figures, explore our recommendations of the best fitness trackers as well.
While the dividing line between fitness tracker and smartwatch has become increasingly blurred, if you’d prefer something with a bigger screen and more smartphone integration, be sure to check out our guide to the best smartwatches.
The Best Cheap Fitness Trackers
The Huawei Band 7 packs a lot into a compact tracker. Lightweight, comfortable and durable with a beautiful AMOLED screen, the band is rated 5ATM, which means it’s water resistant up to depths of 50m, and does a good job of tracking lengths and recognising your stroke in the pool.
The band automatically monitors your heart rate, steps, stress levels, sleep and blood oxygen saturation levels. You can also manually track your weight and menstrual cycle in the app. There’s no built-in GPS, but if you’re after versatility, there are 96 workout modes to choose from. So if you’ve ever wondered how many calories you burn during a parachuting session, now’s your chance to find out.
Read more in our Huawei Band 7 review
It was Fitbit that fired the starting pistol on the fitness tracker gold rush back in 2009, but it has been in danger of being shown up by cheaper pretenders for some time. Even so, while the Fitbit Inspire 2’s black-and-white OLED screen feels a touch antiquated compared with the younger upstarts, it offers two things that go a long way to justifying the higher cost: Fitbit Premium and the superb Fitbit app.
Premium costs $79.99/£79.99 a year, but Fitbit provides 12 months’ worth free of charge. It’s excellent for people who want to get a bit more out of their wearable, with advanced insights, bespoke workouts, running guides, and guided audio and video workouts. The Fitbit app, meanwhile, isn’t just brilliantly intuitive and widely compatible with other software – it’s also extremely popular, and the chances are you’ll see at least a few friends registered, allowing them to compete with them, which can really help with motivation.
The Fitbit Inspire 2 feels pricy from a hardware perspective, but as an overall package it remains a sensible choice for lots of people who want a more hands-on workout companion. With the release of next-gen Inspire 3, the 2 has had its RRP cut in half in the UK (and while it has just disappeared from the US site it is still available from other retailers). We confidently predict that stock of the Inspire 2 will be included in Black Friday sales this year so smart shoppers could pick up a bargain.
Read more in our Fitbit Inspire 2 review
The Amazfit Band 5 attempts to bring low-cost fitness trackers into a new realm with the surprise inclusion of Amazon’s Alexa smart assistant. Swipe left on the screen, ask a question and – assuming your phone is nearby – your answer will be printed in tiny text on the screen.
If that sounds gimmicky, frankly that’s because it is. But the rest of the Amazfit Band 5 makes quite a compelling package given it’s usually under £35. As well as the same PAI calculation as the Xiaomi Mi Band 5 (above), the Amazfit Band 5 includes a blood oxygen sensor, support for 11 exercises and a stress measurement tool. If the latter shows you that you’re too tightly wound, you can do a guided breathing exercise from your wrist to calm down.
Read more in our Amazfit Band 5 Review
While Samsung is better known for its Galaxy Watch series of pricy smartwatches, the Korean company established itself in the budget sector with the cheap and cheerful Galaxy Fit 2 – it’s impressive how much you still get for your money. The bright 1.1in (28mm) AMOLED screen is highly readable, and the Galaxy Fit 2 is very effective at spotting when you’re working out and logging it automatically, should you forget to start it up yourself.
During testing, we found the battery life fell slightly short of the claimed 15 days of typical use, and 21 days of low use. Low usage involves disabling the heart rate monitor and auto workout tracking, while normal usage means you don’t wear the band to bed for sleep tracking. We did get a week’s use out of it before needing to recharge.
We miss having a physical button to press, and the clasp design can make the band a bit uncomfortable. The Samsung Health app also feels a bit shallow for those who like to pore over the data, and there’s still no web version. Despite this, the Galaxy Fit 2 is a good choice for those who already use Samsung phones and don’t want to spend three figures on a Galaxy Watch.
Read more in our Samsung Galaxy Fit 2 review
The Garmin Vivosmart 4 is a little long in the tooth now, but unless you’re willing to stretch to three figures for the new Vivosmart 5, it remains a worthwhile option if you’re set on a Garmin-branded device in this price range. You do pay a premium for the brand name, but it’s a stylish device with impressive features that have gradually made their way down from Garmin’s more expensive offerings. VO2 max? Check. Fitness age? Check. Body battery? Check.
The 0.75in (19mm) screen is a bit fiddly, and given its price the lack of built-in GPS is disappointing. Still, the accompanying Connect app is packed with data for fitness nerds, and since the latest Vivosmart 5 isn’t an especially great leap forward, we recommend shopping around for a deal on the 4.
Xiaomi’s Mi Band fitness trackers have done a superb job of undercutting the opposition without skimping on features. The latest model is the Mi Band 7, which offers everything that made the previous versions so popular – bright AMOLED screen, excellent stamina, water resistance and decent sports tracking.
The battery life is still an impressive two weeks, and Xiomi has bumped up the screen size to 1.62in (41mm). A big leap from previous versions is the number of sports modes that are supported, which now sits at over 110.
A new addition is the Competition feature, allowing for some (hopefully friendly) rivalry as you compare daily training scores. And if aesthetics are your thing, there are 100+ new watch faces and an array of new strap colours to choose from.
Stats fans who love to pore over their metrics will enjoy the Professional Workout Analysis, including Training Load Analysis (recommendations based on your Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption), Maximal Oxygen Uptake Analysis (used to track improvements in your exercise capacity) and Training Effect (used to help you get the right balance between easy and hard workouts).
