Fitness trackers, heart rate monitors and pedometers have been around for a number of decades, but only in recent years have they become more popular with the average Joe and Josephine just trying to get fit and healthy. Stylish but smart, there's a huge variety available - some of which, will cost you a small fortune.
That isn't all that's on offer, however. You can get plenty of brilliant tech and style with the best budget fitness trackers.
A fitness tracker can help keep you motivated on your exercise journey; having your stats on your wrist keeps you in the zone, whether you're in the gym or at your desk. They're intelligent, telling you when to move, how to get a great night's sleep and to drink more water. What's more, you can get alerts for your text messages and calls, track your calorie burn, heart rate and even take guided meditation sessions.
We've rounded up some of the best budget fitness trackers available, according to real reviews from real people. Let's get to it.
How to choose the fitness tracker for you
When selecting your budget fitness tracker, it's worth thinking of a must-have, would-like-to-have, and don't-care-if-I-have list. That way, you can easily find the best-suited to you.
If you just want to track your steps, you can opt for a simple device. If you'd like to see your heart rate, have GPS tracking and sleep information, you'll need something a little more high-end. If you swim, you'll need it to be waterproof, and if you're likely to forget it while it's on charge, it's best to have one with a long battery life.
Next, let's talk design. If you're not used to wearing something on your wrist, you probably won't enjoy a big, bulky sports watch. A slimmer, sleeker style would be more to your taste. If you don't want it to look like a fitness tracker at all, you can purchase a separate metal strap so it resembles a classic watch.
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The best budget fitness trackers
1 of 6Willful Smart Watch
Editor's pickAvailable in a variety of cute colours including this baby pink, this watch will help you track all the important metrics including steps, calorie consumption and sleep, and be the ultimate workout buddy with nine different exercise modes.Key specifications:• 1.3 inch display• Records daily data including sleep• Monitors heart rate • IP68 waterproofReview: "This watch came early and timely. It is beautiful stylish and looks amazing on my wrist. I bought the blue colour, so lovely. No technicality in operating this watch and even the application is very easy to use and navigate through. I am able to check my heart rate whenever I want, monitor sleep, able to control my music even from the watch. It is good for exercising and monitoring progress made. I will definitely buy another one, the pink one looks lovely ud83dude0d and I recommend to any one interested."
2 of 6TEMINICE Fitness Trackers
Best all-rounderThis watch has a bigger screen, so it's great if it's the style you're after. It comes in four colours, is loaded with features and has a touch screen which is really responsive. Key specifications: • All-day activity tracking• Sleep tracking• 5ATM waterproof (up to 50m for ten minutes)• Calorie counter• Music control• Stopwatch and countdown• Nine exercise modes• 7-10 days battery lifeReview: "Since my Fitbit broke I've been looking for a new watch that can count my steps and fitness activity. This watch is absolutely brilliant! Easy to connect via the app. Battery life is outstanding! It will depend on if you have it connected to your phone via Bluetooth all the time and if you have GPS turned on. Responsiveness to touch is great. Records activity really well. Vibrates when you receive an alert whether that be a message, phone call or other alert. Can tell you whether you have Facebook, Instagram or SMS messages which is nice. App is easy to use and there are plenty of options to choose from. Easy to pair to phone."
3 of 6Honor 5i Fitness Tracker
Best battery lifeThis nifty little gadget has a brilliant battery life, plus loads of great features for the price. You can receive notifications, control your music, check your fitness levels, sleep patterns, and much more. It might not be a well-known brand, but the tech excels. Key specifications:• All-day activity tracking• Sleep tracking• Notifications• Water-resistant up to 50m• SpO2 blood oxygen monitor• Music control• 20 day battery life• 10 exercise modesReview: "I have used a number of smartwatches and bands with various levels of sensors ranging from cheap, to too expensive. The Honor band surprised me on a number of points. The SpO2 tracking is something that is not common, but as a trained first responder, I find it interesting, even if most people will not understand the info and insight this can provide. Heart rate tracking and step counting is spot on when measured alongside my Galaxy watch and the sleep tracking data tracks well against other devices. The fitness tracking app you can use with it also provides very detailed graphs and info. All in all, this is a superb little device that provides a lot of accurate info at a great price."
£31.19
4 of 6Fitbit Inspire Health & Fitness Tracker
Best entry-level optionThe Fitbit Inspire is a brilliant but simple gadget. It's slimline, comfortable to wear, and has plenty of capabilities to track your activities. All you need to do is connect your device to the app and you're good to go. If it's just a step counter and sleep tracker you're looking for, this is the one for you.Key specifications:• All-day activity tracking• Sleep tracking• Notifications• Water-resistant up to 50m• Up to ten days battery lifeReview: "So far a reliable and simple tracker. After Fitbit discontinued the One I was devastated. Then I remembered I had lost two of the Ones and thought changing to a wrist tracker might be worth a try. After looking around I chose this one. I like the app and this tracker is a decent price. Simply functionality, I didn't want the HR tracking as I use a Polar tracker with a chest strap for that. The Inspire is working fine for me so far, I bought the slightly overpriced clip for it just in case but so far haven't found wearing it on my wrist too bad. So far so good!"Want heart rate tracking, GPS and 15+ exercise modes? You'll need to opt for the Inspire HR, instead.
£88.75
5 of 6LATEC Fitness Tracker
Best easy to useThis fitness tracker comes in three colours, so you can find the perfect one for you. It has a whole host of features, including heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking and up to seven days battery life. We particularly like the bluetooth camera capabilities, which make taking a group photo a breeze.Key specifications:• All-day activity tracking• Sleep tracking• Notifications• IP68 waterproof (depth of 1.5m underwater for up to thirty minutes)• Bluetooth camera capabilities• Up to seven day battery life• 14 exercise modesReview: "Once you've downloaded the app it's plain sailing. You set it up via the app for personal details etc. [It has] all the usual smart watch functions like pedometer, heart rate monitor, sleep monitor. It's waterproof so don't worry about splashing it when washing your hands. Alerts for messages, emails, calls your choice. Long battery life and the feature I love is the watch charges via the USB in the bracelet so you don't need to worry about a cable. A couple of hours to charge fully for practically a week's worth of watch features. Love it. [It has a] silicone strap that's really comfortable and it's not that big, so it's unobtrusive."
6 of 6Xiaomi Mi Band 5 Fitness Tracker
Best for narrow wristsThis sleek tracker is a dead ringer for the Fitbit Inspire. It's easy to set up, has a nice display and tracks accurately. You can take calls, set reminders and no matter what you do, your heart rate will be monitored and you'll be alerted of any abnormalities.Key specifications:• All-day activity tracking• Sleep tracking• IP68 waterproof (depth of 1.5m underwater for up to thirty minutes)• Calorie tracker• 12 exercise modes• Seven day battery lifeReview: "After both my Apple watch 2 and Fitbit Charge 3 ran out of life, I decided to go for a different one. I selected this one and it's never let me down. It's as good as any Fitbit. I can't tell any huge differences between this one and my son's Fitbit Charge 4. They do exactly the same things beside this one costs [less]. It is actually lighter than a Fitbit charge and the battery lasts a bit longer than Fitbit. It is quite comfortable to wear. It comes with everything built in so you don't need to remember where you put your cables etc. I charge it on my desktop all the time. The app that comes with the watch does everything on the tin. You can't expect more. I would highly recommend this one."
None of these ticking the boxes? We've got the best of the best fitness trackers right here, but you'll need to spend more to get more. Does Fitbit have your heart? Don't forget to check out our roundup.
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How to set up a fitness tracker
So, your brand new watch has arrived, you've unboxed it and you're eager to get going - what are the next steps?
First, you'll want to start by charging up your device. Some fitness trackers come with their very own charging cable, so all you need to do is plug it into your laptop, wait for the battery symbol to appear and you're good to go.
Next, it's time to download the app. Most trackers will have a compatible iPhone and Android app allowing you to set up an account, and input your metrics, set your preferences and goals.
Finally, once you're all set up, it's time to pair. The pairing process may vary slightly from brand to brand, but you'll likely need to activate your Bluetooth and follow on-screen instructions.