Smartwatches offer tremendous benefits for health or fitness tracking. Choosing the right ones is not an easy task, though, especially with prices ranging from a couple of dozens of dollars to up to hundreds. This article will present our selection of the best to keep you healthy and connected without breaking the bank.
Are cheap smartwatch reliable?
A lot of factors will impact the price of a smartwatch. For example, build quality, sensors, companion app, and of course, the brand. Unfortunately, it is impossible to compare premium brands such as Apple, Fitbit, or Garmin to cheaper alternatives.
Big tech companies also invest a lot in marketing and after-sales services. So, just like the price of a perfume bottle will have a vast price range, smartwatches prices can be very different.
At the end of the day, do not expect the same quality with a smartwatch costing less than $50 than with a premium model. Cheap alternatives are cheap, but it doesn’t mean they are not reliable. Just consider them as a way to get into the world of digital health and choose the one that best fits your needs.
You will not be disappointed, and when your budget allows, you will be able to upgrade to a more prestigious brand with a wealth of knowledge about what you like and the features you need.
Yamay 023
Best for health tracking
Price when reviewed
$44.99
Yamay is not new to the world of smartwatches and is in our selection of the best watches for blood pressure recording. The sensor uses photoplethysmography technology (PPG). Once regularly and calibrated adequately with a standard and FDA-cleared arm-pressure cuff, it will provide accurate results.
The Yamay 023 also comes with heart rhythm and blood oxygen monitoring. In addition, it also monitors sleep cycles and synchronizes all the data with the companion app. available for iOS or Android.
More than a pure health watch, the Yamay 023 also offers numerous fitness tracking modes, including nine sports (walking, running, hiking, cycling, treadmill, fitness, mountaineering, spinning, and yoga).
Waterproof, this competent budget watch offers a long-lasting battery (up to 10 days) and comes with an easy-to-use magnetic charging cable.
Available in five different colors (black, pink, grey, green, and blue), the YAMAY is a solid choice for balancing a familiar look with numerous features and a very reasonable price.
Pros
- Numerous health tracking features
- Competent for fitness tracking
- Long lasting battery
- Reputable brand
Cons
- Blood Pressure feature needs to be calibrated regularly
Yamay SW022
Best for women
Price when reviewed
$44.99
With its round watch face (1.8 inches) and its sleek design, the Yamay SW022 is stylish and light to wear. It comes with six watch faces to choose from and can even be personalized with the picture of your choice to make it truly unique.
A well-rounded smartwatch combines health tracking (sleep, heart rate) and fitness tracking (13 indoor or outdoor exercise modes).
Charging in just 2.5 hours, it offers seven days of battery life and up to 30 days in standby mode. IP68 Waterproof, the Yamay will let you control music and receive text messages or phone notifications even while bathing or under the shower.
Pros
- Stylish
- Personalized watch face
- Numerous sport modes
- Long battery life
Cons
- Bluetooth can be inconsistent
- Quality control could be improved
Amazfit Bip S
Best for swim
Price when reviewed
$44.99
With a weight of just 1.1 ounces, the Amazfit Bip S concentrates many technology and exciting features. The 1.28″ Transflective Color TFT is bright and easy to look at even when exercising outdoor. With more than 14 sport modes available, it has a lot to offer.
5 ATM Waterproof, the Amazfit Bip S is perfect for the swimming pool. Offering 24 hours heart monitoring and human-PAI health monitoring, the watch is not a real health watch tracker but is more than enough to check on your health status, including sleep tracking.
Available in 3 colors (charcoal black, sakura pink, and oxford blue), more than 150 watch faces are available. The battery will last up to 30 days in standby mode—a practical, stylish, and easy-to-use smartwatch.
Pros
- 150 watch faces
- ATM 5 Water resistant
- Bright screen for outdoor
- Long battery life
Cons
- Limited health features
Tinwoo T20 Series
Best value for money
Price when reviewed
$49.99
The Tinwoo Smartwatch certainly doesn’t like a cheap watch. With a 1.3 inches metallic frame, wide 240×240 pixels watch face. It will look great both in the boardroom or at the gym. In addition, the watch face will automatically switch to night or day mode.
When paired with an iOS or Android phone, the GPS data will directly show on the watch. In addition, the Li-polymer 300mAh is rechargeable both using a magnetic USB or wireless charging mode. Charged in just two hours, the battery will last up to 10 days or 20 days in standby mode.
IP68 is water-resistant; you can wear it under the shower or even at the swimming pool. As for fitness and healthcare tracking features, the Tinwoo has nothing to envy to more prestigious brands: heart rate monitoring, pedometer, sleep monitoring are just a couple of the features it has to offer.
Pros
- Stylish
- IP68 Water resistant
- 9 sport modes
- GPS tracking
- Weather forecast mode
Cons
- Battery life seems overacted
- Pedometer could be more precise
VTech Kidizoom DX2
Best for kids
Price when reviewed
$43.88
When thinking of smartwatches, Kids and teenagers deserve one too. It can be a great way to combine style and health. Moving more becomes fun. The VTech DX2 has been specially designed to be splash and kids-proof! Even if it looks like a grown-up watch, it offers wristbands that perfectly fit 4-12 years old wrists.
The watch includes 55 watch faces, two cameras to have fun, and even Augmented Reality games to have fun with friends. But, of course, parents have full control over the time spent playing. With its touchscreen and multi-function buttons, the DX2 interface is ideally suited for tiny fingers.
The battery is rechargeable using the provided micro-USB cable. The VTech Kidizoon DX2 comes in 5 different colors for boys or girls (pink, blue, camouflage, black and Purple).
Pros
- Designed for Kids
- Splash Resistant
- 2 cameras (including one for selfies)
- Durable design
Cons
- Screen may be too large for small wrists
- Customer service could be better
- Battery life
To wrap up
YAMAY 020 | YAMAY SW022 | Amazfit Bip S | Tinwoo T20 Series | VTech Kidizoom DX2 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Screen Size | 1.3″ TFT HD LCD color screen | 1.8" 3D Touch Screen | 1.28" Transflective Color TFT | 1.3" full round display | 1.8" |
Battery Life | 7-10 days | 7 days | 30 days | 10 days | 2-3 days |
Water Resistance | Yes (IP68) | Yes (IP68) | Yes (5 ATM) | Yes (IP68) | Splash Resistant |
Health Tracking | Heart Rate, Sleep Tracking, Blood Pressure | Heart Rate, Sleep Tracking | Heart Rate, Sleep Tracking | Heart Rate, Sleep Tracking | No |
Sport Modes | 14 | 13 | 14 | 9 | Podometer |
Call Message Notification | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Watch Material | anodized aluminum | aluminum alloy | aluminum alloy | metallic frame | Metallic frame |
Camera | No | No | No | No | Yes (2) |
FAQs
No, all of these smartwatches are not standalone, meaning that they do not include a SIM card, meaning they do not offer the possibility to receive or emit calls. However, they somehow are all connected via Bluetooth to iOS or Android smartphones and receive notifications.
As for any smartwatch, several points have to be considered. Among them: durability and build quality (Do not expect too much from these entry products, though), Battery life, Device compatibility (most of them are compatible with iOS or Android), Design, Health Features, Fitness features. Finally, do not forget to choose the watch with your favorite design.
Reasonably priced smartwatches are for everybody. Even if they are budget products, they are functional and mostly accurate. Use them to discover the world of digital health tracking before upgrading or as a way not to damage your premium smartwatch when doing more extreme sports such as swimming or skiing.