If you're looking for a budget fitness tracker – or a cheap Fitbit – there are plenty of decent options out there. In 2020, there's no need to be paying over $50/£50 for a fitness tracker.
Spending just a little more will get you access to better apps and analytics, such as Fitbit or Garmin. That means upping your budget to around $70/$80 – which in our opinion is worth it. After all, if you're serious about making positive changes then a simple number on your wrist won't get you that far. You can check out our guide to the best fitness trackers money can buy to see what you're missing.
Below you'll find out choices for the best affordable trackers currently on the market, for (around) £70 or less. None are perfect, so be sure to read the full reviews so you know exactly what features you're getting - and which you'll be without.
Xiaomi Mi Band 4
Price when reviewed: £34.99
Xiaomi Mi Band 4 key features
- Works with Android phones and iPhones
- Tracks steps and sleep
- Automatic sports tracking
- Heart rate monitor
- Waterproof design with swim tracking
- Notifications
- Music playback controls
- Contactless payments (on NFC models)
- Up to 20-day battery life
The latest Mi Band from Chinese tech giant Xiaomi might have jumped up in price ever so slightly, but it's not too much to consider it a solid budget buy.
While it looks a lot like its predecessor the Mi Band 3, it has a notable hardware addition in the shape of a fantastic color AMOLED touchscreen. Xiaomi has also added a mic to support voice control and it still promises nice big battery life.
Samsung Galaxy Fit e
Price when reviewed: £35
Samsung Galaxy Fit e key features
- Works with Android phones and iPhones
- Tracks steps and sleep
- Auto workout tracking for walking, running, dynamic workout
- Displays notifications
- Includes heart rate sensor
- 6-7 days battery life (typical usage)
- 5ATM (up to 50 metres) waterproof rating
It's taken a while, but Samsung has finally gone budget with one its latest fitness trackers, the Fit e, an attractive activity band that's a good fit for beginners.
The super-slim waterproof (up to 50 metres) Fit features a simple monochrome touchscreen display that's not up there with Samsung's best, but should be good enough for most for reviewing your fitness tracking data.
In terms of tracking, it'll count steps, monitor sleep and automatically track running, walking and dynamic workouts. Just don't expect perfect accuracy. You also get a heart rate sensor for that extra hit of biometric data and respectable 6-7 days battery life.
While some of the design feels a little too budget and we did experience some tracking inaccuracies in places, the Fit e offers excellent value for money. It's also nice to see Samsung offering a wearable option for those who don't want to spend big.
Check out our full Samsung Galaxy Fit e review
Huawei Band 3 Pro
Price when reviewe: £64.99
Huawei Band 3 Pro key features
- Works with Android phones and iPhones
- AMOLED touchscreen display
- Built-in GPS
- Heart rate monitor
- 5ATM waterproof
- Swim tracking
- 12-day battery life
- 7 hours GPS battery life
Like its predecessor the Huawei Band 2 Pro, the Band 3 Pro is a sub-£100 fitness tracker that packs in a whole lot.
Along with an improved touchscreen display, the new Pro include built-in GPS, heart rate monitoring, sleep monitoring and coaching for breathing and running.
This is also one of the few trackers on this list that can be dunked in the water thanks to its 5ATM water rating. For those who like to keep tabs on notifications, you'll get bumps for calls, texts and inactivity, too.
If something like the Mi Band or Galaxy Fit e is too basic, then the Band 3 Pro for a little bit more money is well worth considering as an alternative instead.
Fitbit Inspire
Price when reviewed: From £69.99
Fitbit Inspire and Inspire HR key features
- Works with iPhones and Android phones
- Swimproof design with swim tracking
- Track steps, sleep, distance, active minutes, calories burned
- Notifications
- Automatic exercise recognition
- 24/7 heart rate tracking (Inspire HR only)
- Guided Breathing (Inspire HR only)
- Connected GPS (Inspire HR only)
Fitbit's latest fitness tracker is actually a pair of fitness trackers. There's the Inspire and Inspire HR. These two devices not only replace the Alta and Alta HR, they have killed off the Flex, Zip and One for good.
Both devices have swim-proof designs and track steps, distance and sleep. They also provide notification support and automatic workout recognition. However, they differ with that heart rate sensor.
The Inspire HR uses that for 24/7 heart rate tracking, Sleep Stages, Guided Breathing, and goal-based exercise modes. The Inspire HR also comes with Connected GPS for your outdoor runs.
You will save about £20 by opting for the Inspire over its HR sibling. Either way, you're getting one of the best budget fitness trackers available.
Garmin Vivofit 4
Price when reviewed: 69.99
Garmin Vivofit 4 key features
- Works with Android phones and iPhones
- Tracks steps and sleep
- Suitable for swimming, basic rest timer
- Room for 4 weeks of data
- Includes inactivity Move bar
- 1-year battery life
Garmin's most basic fitness tracker is a bit of a throwback. Steps, sleep and calories are the metrics here. There's no heart rate or workout modes, though you will get credit for being active thanks to Garmin's Move Bar that you'll need to strive to keep topped up.
The Vivofit 4 is also pool friendly, so don't be afraid to take it for a swim although it won't track your strokes or count laps. You're just getting a basic rest timer.
Smartwatch-style features are non-existent here too. You won't be able to review your notifications or control your music from this durable activity band.
It will give you a year's worth of battery life though, so you can forget about needing to keep a charger around. All that with an always-on screen. With the Vivofit 4, you're getting a simple, no frills fitness tracker backed up by Garmin's Connect software.
If you're happy with the basics, the Vivofit will serve you well.
Honor Band 5
Price when reviewed: £29.99
Honor Band 5 key features
- Works with Android phones and iPhones
- Tracks steps and sleep
- Water resistance up to 5ATM (50 metres)
- Heart rate monitor
- SpO2 monitor
- Tracks 10 exercises
- Notifications
- Up to 14-day battery life
Honor is an offshoot company from Huawei and it's all about offering affordable wearables that pack a features punch. That is exactly what you get from the Honor Band 5.
Priced in at around the same as the Mi Band 4, the Band 5 has a AMOLED touch display at the heart with a comfy strap that'll keep it in place even during the toughest workouts.
Honor manages to find space for a heart rate monitor to continuously track during the day and when you're in the gym. Unlike other devices on this list, it also includes an SpO2 to measure the amount oxygen in blood. Why is that useful? Well, it's another useful metric to indicate your current state of fitness.
It's not just about fitness here either. You can view phone notifications, control music playback and you can download watch faces (when paired to Android phones).
Throw in two weeks of battery life and there's a whole lot to like about the this tracker that offers fantastic value for money.