5 Best Budget Fitness Trackers That You can’t Ignore

If you’re looking for a good fitness tracker but don’t want to spend a fortune on them, all hope is not lost.

The fitness tracker market is flooded with budget fitness trackers ranging from around $60 to as low as $20. Some will disappoint you, for sure, but there are some that stand out despite being on the lower end of the budget.

Our goal in this article is to help you find the best fitness tracker on a tight budget.

Best Activity Trackers at Glance

• Huawei Band 4 Pro – Best overall fitness tracker
• Xiaomi Mi Band 5 – Best value for money
• Fitbit Inspire 2 – Best design
• Amazfit Band 5 – Most notable feature (Alexa built-in)
• Honor Band 5 – Special mention

Huawei Band 4 Pro

The Best Overall Budget Fitness Tracker – Our Top Pick

Why should you buy Huawei Band 4 Pro?

Not many fitness trackers have a combination of a little bit of everything. Especially at this price point. Huawei is determined to win over the global market and is doing it by giving superb features at much lower price points. What this means for us is that we’re getting a ridiculously good deal, a real bang for the buck. If you’re someone who doesn’t care too much about brands and prefer to get the most out of your money, this is the watch for you.

Huawei Band 4 Pro Review

I’ve had a long debate internally whether or not to put this at the top of the list. The reason is that Huawei is not a brand you first consider when you’re looking for a fitness tracker. But the Huawei Band 4 Pro definitely deserves this spot at this price point when you look at the features eye to eye with its competitors.

Unlike most fitness bands at this price point, the Huawei Band 4 Pro is equipped with a built-in GPS that allows you to leave your phone behind while tracking distance. Yes, other bands like the Fitbit charge 4 has a similar feature, but they also come in a more expensive price point (around 2 x the price). This feature alone makes the Huawei Band 4 Pro stand out from its competition, it also is the reason for us giving it our best overall spot.

The sleep tracking feature of the Huawei Band 4 Pro is also a stand out amongst its competition. It not only tracks your sleep, but it also tracks your naps throughout the day. That gives you a better look at your sleeping habits.

Another notable feature is the built-in pulse oximeter. It gives you accurate blood oxygen level reading that gives you insights into how your body is absorbing oxygen. A very important feature for endurance athletes. Not all fitness tracker is equipped with it and is definitely a feature worth looking.

In terms of exercise modes, it tracks running, cycling, rowing and elliptical machines, walking, and free training. Basically, most exercises fitness enthusiasts usually do. It also gives you professional sports guidance and recommended recovery time and training effects based on the data gathered.

Outside of fitness, the Huawei Band 4 Pro functions like a mini smartwatch, giving you notifications, and music controls on your wrist.

What I don’t like about Huawei Band 4 Pro

• There’s a free wallpaper feature but some of them contain Chinese characters
• The glossy screen is easily scratched
• Not the most appealing design

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Xiaomi Mi Band 5

Best value for money

Why should you buy Xiaomi Mi Band 5?

If you’re looking to spend the least amount of money without compromising so much on features, this is perfect. It cost roughly half of the price of the Huawei Band 4 Pro and the only major compromise is the built-in GPS.

Xiaomi Mi Band 5 Review

The Xiaomi Mi Band 5 is one of the cheapest fitness trackers on this list but is definitely one we shouldn’t miss. Following its predecessor, the Mi band 4 which happens to be one of the best selling budget fitness tracker, the Mi band 5 made a few adjustments to make the Mi band series better.

Firstly, it has made its screen 20% bigger and secondly, it has a pretty convenient magnetic charging feature. It comes with all fitness tracker basics such as a heart rate monitor, activity tracker, and sleep monitor with good accuracy.

If you’re looking for a reminder to stay active and get off the couch, the Mi Band 5 gives idle alerts that notify you that you need to move, stretch or do any physical activity.

A few of its most notable features are personal activity intelligence (pai) that calculates your vitality index and gives suggestions on how you can improve it, a stress monitoring feature that actively tracks stress levels and gives out suggestions for easing and recovery as well as breathing exercises mode that provides guided breathing exercises visible in the display screen.

The Mi Band 5 does not have a built-in GPS like the Huawei Band 4 Pro and therefore, needs to connect to your phone to track distance during outdoor running. Pretty inconvenient for outdoor runners and trail runners.

When it comes to fitness, it has 12 exercise modes to choose from. Some of it is running, cycling, swimming, jump rope, freestyle, yoga elliptical, and many more.

Outside of fitness, it shows you notifications, reminders, and alerts but you can’t respond to them through the watch (you probably wouldn’t like to do that either because the screen is so small to type).

For a fitness tracker that cost roughly half of our best overall but does not lag behind when it comes to features, the Mi Band 5 is definitely a fitness tracker you should consider.

What I don’t like about Xiaomi Mi Band 5

• Not the best-looking band, looks very plain
• NFC and smart assistant is not available outside china
• No built-in GPS

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Fitbit Inspire 2

Best in design

Why should you buy Fitbit Inspire 2?

Functions-wise, this is not the best option at this price point, to be honest. But if you’re looking for a more elegant design, the Fitbit Inspire 2 is definitely one that catches attention.

Fitbit Inspire 2 Review

Despite not having the best features and being one of the more expensive activity trackers on this list, the Fitbit Inspire 2 is still one of the best budget fitness watches you can buy if you’re more on the looks.

The Fitbit Inspire features a simple and elegant design, probably the best among the whole list (in my opinion).

In terms of exercise itself, it offers more than 20 exercise mode, a lot more than the first two we’ve reviewed. Plus, it has an Active Zone feature that helps you work out smarter and more efficiently.

With the Fitbit app, you also get personalized PDF insights to help you have a better conversation with your physician regarding your health habits. Plus, you get to use the Fitbit premium feature which includes detailed exercise guides and nutrition for FREE for 1-year when you buy any Fitbit watch.

What I don’t like about the Fitbit Inspire 2

• It cost a little more than the Huawei Band 4 Pro but does not get as near when it comes to features, It looks way better though
• No built-in GPS means you can’t run outdoors without your phone.
• No colored display

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Amazfit Band 5

Most notable feature

Why should I buy the Amazfit Band 5?

There’s a lot of similarities between the Amazfit band 5 and the Xiaomi Mi Band 5. But what may make you want to buy this instead of the Mi band is the Alexa integration. Alexa users get so much convenience being able to access their personal assistant right on their wrist.

Amazfit Band 5 Review

Like all the other fitness bands on this list, the Amazfit has an accurate HR, activity, blood oxygen saturation, and sleep, tracker.

Where the Amazfit Band 5 really stand out is the Alexa integration. It makes it so convenient to be able to ask for information, the weather or get translations simply by asking Alexa on your wrist. In addition, It also comes with women’s health, similar to Xiaomi Mi 5 as well as the stress monitor.

In terms of fitness, it has 11 exercise modes to choose from. Plus, it also has breathing exercises feature that allows you to ease out and relax during a stressful day.

It’s important to not that it has almost an identical look to the Xiaomi Band 5 where the only difference is that this is a little bit taller and thinner than the Mi Band 5.

It is at the same price point as the Honor Band and the Mi Band making it one of the cheaper options on this list.

What I don’t like about the Amazfit 5 Band

• Hard to see in sunlight
• Really looks similar to Xiaomi Mi Band 5

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Honor Band 5

Why should you buy Honor Band 5

The Honor Band 5 is a good mix of design and features. Although it doesn’t have any notable feature not present in other brands, it does have a much cheaper price point than most of the fitness trackers on this list (similar to the Mi Band 5). When comparing it to the Mi Band 5, it only just comes down to features vs aesthetics.

Honor Band 5 Review

Like most budget-friendly fitness tracker, the Honor Band 5 features all of the basics such as a heart rate monitor, sleep tracker, pulse oximeter, and activity tracker.

It’s waterproof up to 50m and supports swimming exercise modes along with other land based exercises.

Overall, I’d say it not as good as the Xiaomi Mi 5 when it comes to features but is a good alternative.

What I don’t like about the Honor Band 5

• There’s no feature that makes it stand out
• The straps are made out of shiny, cheap plastic

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The Final Verdict

If you have a little bit more to spend, then the Huawei Band 4 Pro has the best features and one that’ll surely not disappoint you. But if you’re looking for the lower range of cheap fitness trackers, all the bands reviewed here serves the same purpose with slight differences from one another. I hope I helped you find the perfect fitness tracker for you.