The best cheap fitness trackers for 2026

Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products . Xiaomi / Engadget The best cheap fitness trackers for 2026 The best budget fitness trackers can help you stick to your fitness goals without breaking the bank. You don’t need to spend a fortune to stay on top of your health goals while tracking your fitness. These days, even cheap fitness trackers come packed with features that help you monitor your heart rate, track your steps and even analyze your sleep stages. Many budget options now include GPS tracking for those outdoor runs, real-time heart rate tracking to keep you in the right zone during workouts and, thankfully, most work with both iPhone and Android devices. Some even go beyond basic metrics, providing insights on daily readiness to help you decide if you’re up for an intense workout or need a lighter day. From simple step counters to more advanced running watches, affordable fitness trackers offer plenty to support your journey toward better health without breaking the bank. Table of contents Best budget fitness trackers for 2026 Tracking type: Heart rate, sleep, stress, blood oxygen, women’s health | Supported Operating System: Android 6.0 and above, iOS 12.0 and above | Memory: 100GB | Screen size: 1.47” | Waterproof: 5ATM water resistant | GPS: No | Battery life: 18 days Our previous pick here, the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 , now has a successor in the Smart Band 9 . The Xiaomi wearable we tested stood out because it had the easiest interface to navigate when recording workouts, it also had the most comfortable band to sleep in. The latest device has pretty much everything you would expect on a fitness tracker, and it comes at a price that’s hard to beat. The 1.47-inch, 60Hz display is full color and shines pretty bright both indoors and out. Although it doesn't have a physical navigation button, you can move through the UI by swiping up and down, or left and right. The Smart Band 9 excels like its predecessor in that its workout reports are very detailed - more than you'd think. Unlike some of the other trackers we tested, the Smart Band 9 does not require you to download any exercises from its companion app. Meaning, you can get right into tracking exercises as niche as skiing. When a workout is complete, you get all the information you’d want on your wrist - from heart rate readings to pace and speed, to calories burned and more. It may sound basic, but some of the other trackers we tested only report step count and distance traveled after a walk. The amount of time spent in each heart rate zone will appear in your summary, from light, intensive, aerobic to anaerobic. Sleep tracking will be easy on the Smart Band 9 as well thanks to its comfortable,...

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