Floyd Bruno
Fitness on a Budget
Looking for the best value sports watches can be a hazardous task. If you are on a tight budget, you might be thinking that a decent fitness tracker is out of your grasp. And you would be right if you are looking at the top end of the scale. Some watches that offer fitness tracking functions, such as the Apple Watch Series 5, will set you back almost £400. The good news is that there are many budget-friendly options that will give you great features without the high cost. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best value sports watches on the market and what they have to offer.
And while we will be looking at the best value sports watches available, that doesn’t necessarily mean the cheapest. Instead, we’ve looked at a broad section of the market to bring you the sports watches that give you the most bang for your buck.
At a Glance; The Best Value Sports Watches
Honor Band 5
Sitting at around the £31.99 mark, the Honor Band 5 is a cracking fitness tracker for the price. It’s waterproof to 5ATM which means it is great for a wide range of activities, including running, walking, cycling, swimming, and cross-training. And as a simple pedometer, it’s perfect for the job and you’ll get accurate step tracking.
Essential Reading: Best Fitness Trackers Guide
If that wasn’t enough, you get sleep tracking and a heart rate monitor thrown into the bargain. you’ll also get around one week of battery life with normal use.
Price at the time of Article: £31.99
Honor Band 5
Fitbit Inspire HR
The Fitbit Inspire HR may be on the pricier end of the scale but it offers a huge range of features and benefits. Its attractive design is the first thing you notice. Sleek and modern design and a crystal clear display make this a smartwatch you’ll be proud to have on the show. All-day tracking, automatic exercise recognition, and calorie burn tracking help you to keep tabs on your daily activities, whether you choose to walk, run, cycle, or swim. It’s waterproof to 50m and also features GPS tracking via your phone. You’ll also get reminders to move at regular intervals. When it comes to battery life, expect to get 5 days of life with normal use. The cost of the Fitbit Inspire HR at the time of writing is around £69 to £89.99.
Price at the time of Article: £89.99
Garmin Forerunner 45
Garmin has a huge following when it comes to making fitness trackers but how do they fare when it comes to the best value sports watches? Well, the Garmin Forerunner 45 is a hot contender when it comes to value for money. This lightweight device features most of the features you would expect with a sports watch with some surprising extras thrown in for good measure. For example, the music controls make it easy to run or walk with music without having to dig out your phone to change tracks during your workout.
Essential Reading: Music on the Move: Choosing a Running Watch with Music
The Garmin Forerunner 45 also uses GPS to accurately track where you are working out. There’s sleep tracking, a heart rate monitor, and also stress tracking. The body battery feature is a nice touch and estimates your body’s energy levels. Swimmers probably won’t favour the 45 as it has no real swim tracking feature. The cost of the Forerunner 45 is around the £140 mark but it is a Garmin and comes packed with features that make it great value for money.
Price at the time of Article: £149.99
Garmin Forerunner 45 Your Music Buddy
Amazfit Bip
The Amazefit Bip comes in at around £50 and you get a lot of watch for your money. This is one of the best value sports watches around and comes with everything you need to keep track of your fitness, sleep, and more. The Bip also offers amazing battery life and will give you daily analysis of your runs and walks for weeks on end without needing a charge. It features the almost obligatory GPS and heart rate monitor functions and comes with an app to help you monitor post-run stats. And if it’s Apple Watch looks you are after, the Bip is a great imitator and will keep people guessing. One thing to be aware of is that this sports watch isn’t great for other sports such as swimming. For runners on a shoestring, however, this is a great all-rounder for the money.
Price at the time of Article: £79.99
Fitbit Charge 3
When it comes to good looks, versatility, and a great price, the Fitbit Charge 3 ticks all the right boxes. The waterproof design makes it perfect for the pool, the shower, or heavy downpours. It might not be the cheapest device on our list but as far as the best value sports watches go, it’s a safe bet. In addition to tracking your run via GPS, the Charge 3 is easy to use and features onboard music and quick exercises you can follow from your wrist. It also has an impressive battery life for a Fitbit offering up to 7 days of power with normal use. The 24/7 heart rate monitor also allows you to track calorie burn, optimise your workouts, and reveal health trends. Coming in at a respectable £99 – £109, the Fitbit Charge 3 offers great value and a powerhouse of features.
Price at the time of Article: £109.99
Samsung Galaxy Fit
The week-long battery life, bright, colourful touchscreen, and impressive good looks make the Samsung Galaxy Fit one of the best value sports watches you can get. It is able to track a wide range of activities such as running, walking, cycling and swimming and it is smart enough to recognise when you have started moving and when you stop. In addition to accurate fitness tracking, there is also asleep and stress tracking, the latter of which isn’t a standard feature on sports watches just yet. However, one thing that holds the Galaxy Fit back is the lack of connected GPS. If you are looking for a sports watch that can track your runs, swims, or rides by location, you might want to choose another watch that has this functionality. Cost-wise, the Samsung costs around £80.
Price at the time of Article: £59 (On Sale)
Samsung Galaxy Fit
Wrapping Up
Get Fit spending less ££’s
Whether you are looking for an ultra-cheap fitness tracker or you have just over £100 to spend, our list of the best value sports watches is sure to help you find what you need. Remember, cheap doesn’t have to mean inferior. With more and more sports watches flooding the market, it has never been easier to find a great deal.
