The Best Budget Fitness Trackers for Staying Active in 2025

Embarking on a health journey or seeking deeper insights into your workouts? A fitness tracker can transform your exercise routine into a fun, gamified experience while providing valuable data. The good news is that many of these wearables, often resembling smartwatches, are surprisingly affordable. Whether you're after a feature-rich device that rivals the best smartwatches or a simple tracker that covers the basics like step counting and heart rate monitoring, there's a budget-friendly fitness tracker suitable for every wrist size.

TL;DR – The Best Budget Fitness Trackers:

Our Top Pick### Fitbit Inspire 3

0See it at Amazon### Xiaomi Smart Band 9

0See it at Amazon### Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro

0See it at Amazon### Amazfit Band 7

0See it at Amazon### Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen)

0See it at Amazon### Garmin Venu 3

0See it at AmazonContributions by Kevin Lee

1. Fitbit Inspire 3

Best Budget Fitness Tracker

Our Top Pick### Fitbit Inspire 3

0Smartwatches and fitness trackers don't have to break the bank, and the Fitbit Inspire 3 is a prime example. Priced under $100, this tracker boasts a vibrant AMOLED display and a durable, sleek band that's comfortable enough to wear during sleep. With a 10-day battery life, you'll rarely need to take it off, though using the always-on display will reduce this duration. Navigation is user-friendly with touch technology and two haptic buttons.

Designed with fitness tracking in mind, the Fitbit Inspire 3 offers comprehensive features such as 24/7 heart rate monitoring, step counting, blood oxygen level measurement, and movement reminders. It also includes automatic exercise tracking for those who often forget to start their workouts, and sleep monitoring to analyze sleep quality. Additionally, it offers basic smartwatch features like phone notifications and a find my phone function via Bluetooth, although it lacks music storage and contactless payment capabilities.

2. Xiaomi Smart Band 9

Best Ultra Cheap Fitness Tracker

### Xiaomi Smart Band 9

0For under $50, the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 offers a budget-friendly option without skimping on essential features. It features a 1.62-inch AMOLED display and an impressive 21-day battery life, making it perfect for basic tracking and over 150 sports modes.

The Smart Band 9 includes standard health monitoring like a pedometer, heart rate monitor, blood oxygen saturation, and sleep tracking. It supports various activities, including running, HIIT, kickboxing, and swimming, providing detailed insights into calories burned, average heart rate, and workout duration. While the metrics might not be as precise as those from higher-end devices with GPS, the band still offers valuable workout data.

The latest model enhances battery life and screen brightness, reaching up to 1,200 nits for clear visibility in sunlight. The touch-responsive, colorful display lacks physical buttons but allows quick access to fitness metrics and limited smartwatch features like call and message notifications and music playback control. However, initial phone pairing can be somewhat challenging.

3. Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro

Best Budget Fitness Tracker with GPS

### Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro

0The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro, priced under $100, enhances the standard model with a built-in GPS for accurate workout mapping. It features a larger 1.74-inch AMOLED display and supports 24/7 heart rate and SpO2 monitoring, sleep and stress tracking, and over 150 sports modes.

While the GPS is impressively accurate, some sports modes offer only basic metrics like heart rate and time. The band also offers limited smartwatch features such as music playback and notifications, but lacks NFC support for contactless payments. Its user-friendly interface, vibrant screen, and long battery life make it a stylish and functional fitness tracker.

4. Amazfit Band 7

Best Budget Fitness Tracker With Health Monitoring

### Amazfit Band 7

0The Amazfit Band 7, priced at just $50, packs a punch with its features. It boasts a large 1.47-inch always-on AMOLED display and a slim, comfortable band. With an 18-day battery life (or 28 days in battery-saver mode), it's designed for long-term use.

Supporting over 120 sports modes and automatic smart recognition of four activities, the Band 7 is water-resistant up to 50m, making it suitable for swimming. Health monitoring includes heart rate, blood oxygen levels, stress, and sleep tracking. It also integrates Amazon Alexa for a touch of smartwatch functionality, including on-watch notifications.

5. Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen)

Best Budget Apple Watch

### Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen)

0The 2nd-gen Apple Watch SE offers a budget-friendly entry into the Apple Watch ecosystem, powered by the same S8 SiP chipset as the Series 8. It features an optical heart rate sensor, built-in GPS, and automatic workout detection, including swimming.

As a full-fledged smartwatch, the SE allows you to answer calls, respond to messages, make contactless payments, and stream music directly from your wrist. It includes crash detection for safety and comes with 32GB of built-in storage for additional fitness apps. With its slim design and impressive battery life, it's a versatile choice for fitness and everyday use.

6. Garmin Venu 3

Best Budget Fitness Tracker for Workouts

### Garmin Venu 3

0The Garmin Venu 3 is ideal for those serious about their workouts. It supports a variety of exercises, including swimming, cycling, and golf, with over 30 preloaded sports apps. It features highly accurate GPS, heart rate monitoring, ECG, blood oxygen, and temperature sensors.

The standout feature is the Body Battery, which provides insights into your body's rest levels based on activity, stress, and sleep. As a smartwatch, it offers a bright AMOLED display and up to 14 days of battery life, although this decreases with constant use of features like the always-on display. It supports basic smartwatch functions like calls and texts when paired with Android phones, though its app selection is more limited compared to Apple and Google smartwatches.

What to Look for in a Budget Fitness Tracker

When choosing a fitness tracker, consider not just its ability to count steps or track sleep, but also the quality of the hardware, comfort, software, and its effectiveness in tracking your desired activities. As prices increase, so do features like heart rate monitoring, GPS, and advanced display technology. However, even basic, affordable trackers can provide a wealth of health data.

What kind of fitness tracker do I need?

The ideal fitness tracker depends on your specific needs. If you're looking to track basic metrics like steps, heart rate, and time, a compact and affordable option like the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 is sufficient. These often come with color displays, long battery life, and additional features like sports modes, sleep tracking, and phone notifications.

For activities like running, biking, or hiking, consider spending a bit more for GPS support. If you seek comprehensive functionality beyond fitness tracking, a smartwatch like the Apple Watch SE or Garmin Venu 3 might be the best fit, offering larger screens, more apps, and the ability to handle calls and texts.

If you're an active runner or gym-goer, complementing your fitness tracker with a great pair of earbuds can enhance your overall experience.