Ever since the first Apple Watch hit the shelves, smartwatches have steadily found their way onto the wrists of millions of people. What at first seemed like a silly fad turned out to be an incredible little device, capable of much more than they were first given credit for.
With their astronomic rise in popularity, choosing the best smartwatch on the market is hard enough, as there are so many options to pick from. However, the task becomes even more difficult if you have a limited budget, or if you are just looking for something not to break a bank.
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GPS is one of the most useful features on a smartwatch. If accurately tracking your every step is important to you, these are our top picks.The market for the best budget smartwatches or even the best fitness trackers is wide and varied, and picking one that'll suit your needs might be a challenge. Here are our picks for the best budget smartwatches, together with recommendations as to why you should pick these particular ones. Whether you want to focus on style, features, or accurate data tracking -- we've got you covered.
Best budget smartwatches: Our top picks
Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen)
It's a no-brainer for Apple users
Apple did the impossible with the Apple Watch SE 2nd gen and created a budget-friendly smartwatch with the majority of flagship features that users are looking for. It's an incredible device with superb build quality, a clear screen and terrific performance. It's missing just a few features short of being perfect. If you use Apple products, that's probably the one to go for.
- Great smart and fitness features
- Classic Apple design
- Upgraded performance
- Works exclusively with Apple devices
- No Always-On-Display
- No SpO2 sensor
Even though Apple is not known for being a budget-friendly company, when the Apple logo finds its way to a lower priced device, it's usually a diamond in the rough. Exactly that happened with the Apple Watch SE 2.
Apple Watch SE (2022) review: Best of the bunch?
Apple has three smartwatches in its 2022 line up, including a second-generation Watch SE. Is it the one to buy? Here's our review.With the MSRP set at $249, but the price usually reaching below the $200 threshold thanks to various price cuts, it’s probably the most fully-featured budget smartwatch you can get right now -- of course, provided you have an iPhone to pair it with.
The 2022 model of the Apple Watch SE is a significant upgrade over its predecessor. With the second generation, you get a much faster processor, a color-matched body and some new features from the higher-tier Apple Watches. You get crash detection, advanced sleep tracking, fall detection and emergency SOS. You do have to give up some other stuff, such as Always-On Display, SpO2 sensor or a body temperature sensor. It's a great smartwatch overall, and we think it's the best choice if you're an Apple user.
Amazfit GTR 4
It does everything the competition does, and costs less
Amazfit continues its tradition of offering amazing, feature-rich wearables at consistently unrivaled prices. The Amazfit GTR 4 is a great looking, feature-rich smartwatch with accurate sensors and a slew of useful smart features that gives much more expensive rivals a run for their money.
- Incredible value
- Dual-band GPS
- Improved fitness tracking
- No NFC
- Some training modes are a bit limited
- Bloated user interface
There are loads of budget smartwatch and smartband manufacturers, but probably none are as prolific as Amazfit. The company, itself a part of Xiaomi's corporate structure, is well known for focusing on wearables with a perfect price-to-performance ratio, giving a run for its money to even the biggest players for a fraction of the price.
Amazfit GTR 4 and GTS 4 series offer tracking smarts at an accessible price
Amazfit has introduced a new range of affordable smart fitness trackers and watchesAmazfit GTR 4 is a great example of this approach. It's a smartwatch that looks as high-end as they get, it offers accurate health and fitness tracking, and has a great-looking OLED display. What's more, it has a robust feature set -- all the notifications, messages and voice assistants one would want are here, along with a 10-day battery and a dual-band GPS. For the price, you won't find a more feature-packed option everywhere, so if you're not set on buying a device from one of the big guys like Apple, Samsung, or Google, the Amazfit GTR 4 is probably the one to check out.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
Samsung's last-gen wonder
Samsung mastered the art of the perfect Android wearable, and the Galaxy Watch 5 is a testament to this mastery. The watch is slick, runs great, and provides both accurate health and fitness data, as well as optimized smart features with a slew of first and third-party apps. With the recent price drops, it's one of the best Android companions on the market.
- Incredible display
- Loads of smart features thanks to WearOS
- Fun customization options
- Pro model is only a bit more expensive and offers quite a lot more
- Doesn't work with the iPhone
While the Apple Watch is usually the smartwatch to get if you're an Apple user, Android has its own catalog of excellent devices that pair well with any phone running Google's OS. The most well-known one is undoubtedly the Galaxy Watch from Samsung.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 review: Marking time
Samsung has updated its Galaxy Watch, bringing more features and a longer battery life. But does it do enough to impress in this growing marketplace?Galaxy Watch 5, even though it's a generation old now, is still an excellent choice, especially considering that it heavily dropped in price when the Galaxy Watch 6 went on sale. Galaxy Watch 5 is a sleek, great-looking device with a gorgeous, round screen. It runs WearOS 3, so it's paired with all the smart functions you might need, and you also get excellent fitness and health tracking to boot.
It improved on the weakest element of the previous generation -- the battery life. Galaxy Watch 5 even has some cool protective features, such as sapphire glass covering the gorgeous display, ensuring it remains scratch-free for as long as possible. It's a great choice for a budget smartwatch, but do keep in mind that it only works with Android devices.
Fitbit Charge 6
It's the budget Fitbit to get
The Fitbit Charge 6 looks great, has a long battery life and monitors all the health and fitness metrics you could want, with a clean and easy-to-use UI to boot. Google and Fitbit continue to erase the line that separates fitness trackers from smartwatches, and the Charge 6 is a prime example of that.
- Useful, physical side button
- Excellent fitness tracking options
- Smartwatch features in smartband form factor
- The screen is a bit cramped
- Built-in GPS is hit-or-miss
- Not the best choice if you want a lot of smart features
Budget smartwatches come in all shapes and sizes. You can get square, Apple Watch-like devices, or round, classic-looking wearables. Or something completely different -- such as the Fitbit Charge 6. This Fitbit is an excellent middle ground between the land of smartbands, and the realm of more capable smartwatches.
Fitbit Charge 6 review: A fitness tracker with smartwatch DNA
Fitbit updates its popular fitness tracker with a healthy dose of smartwatch behaviour, thanks to Google.You get a minimalist, understated band that’s not as eye-catching as a smartwatch, without losing out on not only fitness features, but also smart features such as navigation or music playback. When it comes to fitness features, Fitbit is really in a league of its own. It offers vast tracking possibilities, accurate data and an incredible companion app, and all that in a device that is really cheap compared to the competition with similar features.
Fitbit Charge 6 also offers a longer battery life than its predecessor, giving you around seven days between charges. You also get a surprisingly nice, vivid display -- albeit it gets a bit cramped when using certain smart features, such as Google Maps. It's an amazing middle ground between a simple fitness tracker and a smartwatch, and with a low price to boot, it's the one to pick if you're looking for something a bit understated.
Huawei Watch Fit 2
Pay less, get more with this miraculous Huawei watch
Huawei Watch Fit 2 offers an incredible package for under $100. It packs accurate health and fitness sensors, various smart features, and everything is packed into a nice-looking (albeit derivative) body with a gorgeous display. For the price, you really cannot ask for more.
- Incredible screen and featureset
- Turn-by-turn navigation and route import
- Great price
- AppGallery lacks many big apps
- Limited iOS support
- Battery suffers with heavy usage
Sometimes getting a budget smartwatch is all about the screen. The great thing about smartwatches is that you may want to use them as a handy extension of your smartphone -- checking notifications, looking up the most important health info, and in general keeping your phone in your pocket for as long as possible.
Huawei Watch Fit 2 review: Upping its game
The Watch Fit 2 looks like a fitness tracker and behaves like a smartwatch - but does it do enough to hold its Fitbit rivals at bay?Huawei Watch Fit 2 excels at that, offering a slew of smart features and an incredible screen for a fraction of the price of the likes of Apple or Google. The design of the Huawei Watch Fit 2 is clearly influenced by the Apple Watch, but it stands on its own well, with an elongated screen and an incredible, 1.74-inch display.
This relatively huge smartwatch screen allows you to use various apps from the AppGallery, turn on turn-by-turn navigation, and, of course, has a multitude of watch faces to choose from when you're not actively using it. The choice of apps is a bit limited, but for under $100, it's probably the best deal you're going to find when looking for a wearable solely for its smart features.
Fitbit Versa 4
A Fitbit with more screen real-estate
The Fitbit Versa 4 is a solid activity, sleep and wellness tracker in a smartwatch form. It's starting to move away from its smartwatch roots, landing it at the bottom of this list, but it's still a phenomenal activity-focused smartwatch with some smart features remaining. An ideal companion for all your training needs.
- Accurate sleep and activity tracking
- Easy to use user interface
- Fitbit apps and fitness data shine above others
- It's not the most attractive design
- Less smartwatch features than the competition
Fitbit really is in a class of its own when it comes to decently priced, fitness-first smartwatches. Not only is the company known for its accurate health and fitness data, it also offers some of the best value wearables on the market right now. What's more, even though they tend to be more health and fitness-centric, Google -- Fitbit's owner -- does not forget about smart features.
Fitbit Versa 4 review: Not so smart now
The Fitbit Versa 4 is a fitness tracker with waning smartwatch powers.The Fitbit Versa 4 takes after the Google Pixel Watch and adds a few smart things to its mix of features, making it a compelling buy. Let's get one thing out of the way, the Versa 4 is not the best-looking smartwatch by any means, with its clunky, square shape.
What it loses in looks it gains is usability, offering a clean, very readable UI. With the addition of features such as Google Maps and Google Wallet, as well as a limited number of other apps from the AppGallery, it makes it a great entry-level smartwatch for fitness enthusiasts.
The bottom line: What is the best budget smartwatch?
The Apple Watch SE 2 is the best budget smartwatch that you can buy right now. It offers accurate fitness and health tracking, great smart features with a multitude of first and third-party apps and a responsive, easy-to-use UI. All that in a nice, high-quality case and with long software support. It does lack some features that you'd expect from such a device -- mainly Always-On Display. It's also compatible only with Apple devices, so Android users are out of luck.
Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen)
If you're looking for the best value, you should check out the Amazfit GTR 4. It looks and feels almost as premium as the Apple Watch, and it doesn't fall behind in its fitness tracking or smart capabilities as well, all for an even lower price. The UI here does need some more streamlining, but a 10-day battery and universal compatibility undoubtedly make it a steal.
How to choose the best smartwatch for you?
When choosing a smartwatch, especially a budget one, you have to make quite a few choices and selections before landing on the best device for you. Here are some of the specs, features and details you should consider between pulling the trigger on your purchase.
- Software and companion app -- Using your smartwatch is not only passive. You actively engage with its screen and UI (user interface) when browsing through health and fitness data or running your apps, and you use the companion app to check out your fitness scores on your phone. Both of these need to work well and be generally to your liking. A clunky, unwelcoming UI is the best way to make even the best hardware difficult to use.
- Features -- When choosing a budget smartphone, you usually need to choose what kind of features are the most important for you. Some smartwatches will focus on smart features like apps, calling, and music playback. Some will be much better at tracking your fitness journey, and some will be more accurate when measuring your vitals. Generally, all of them will do a bit of all, but choose the one that excels at the aspect that you want.
- Design and build quality -- The build is rather obvious -- generally, the pricier the device, the better the materials. However, the looks are much more subjective. You might want something that looks more flashy, or maybe you prefer a more classy, minimalist look, it's all up to you, and the device should reflect your personal style.
What's a good price for a budget smartwatch?
Of course, when choosing a budget smartwatch, price is the first thing to consider. In our list, we've limited ourselves to devices regularly found for $200 or under. Here you need to remember that pricier does not always mean better -- you might find a wearable that fulfills all your requirements for a much lower price if you narrow down your search enough, so do not be afraid of going for a cheaper smartwatch.