Best Budget Smartwatch in 2022

Smartwatch Design and Display

The simplicity of the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini design is a step up from its predecessors, Amazfit GTS 2 and GTS 2e. Although it shares some characteristics with the Apple Watch Series 6 in terms of design, this is a far more affordable option and widely considered the best low-cost smartwatch out there.

Amazfit 2 GTS Mini feels remarkably light: The case is made from titanium alloy and plastic. The watch is suitable for showering and swimming, and you can dive down 50 meters while it’s strapped to your wrist. Customers can choose between three vibrant colors: Flamingo pink, sage green, and midnight black.

The screen is somewhat smaller than other Amazfit models, but the AMOLED display enhances clarity and colors. This practical feature is just one thing that makes this the best budget smartwatch.

Battery Life

Lab data shows that Amazfit GTS 2 Mini provides up to 14 days of battery life. Still, that number should be taken with a grain of salt: Depending on numerous factors, such as the settings and operating conditions, this maximum endurance will no doubt be shortened. The battery life can be reduced by heavy usage and even different skin types. We’re happy to report that the battery lasted for six days while running every app and function available, including several blood oxygen tests, sleep and heart-rate monitoring, and 45-minute running sessions every day.

Amazfit GTS 2 Mini uses a 220 mAh battery, the same type of battery used on more expensive models. Battery-wise, this is one of the best economical smartwatch models available on the market, as it uses a charging cable with magnets and takes about two hours to fully charge.

Applications and Interface

Fitness tracking features are a crucial component of this device, which comes with more than 70 built-in sports modes. These provide everything from notifications about different exercise stages, to heart-rate and physical-status monitoring. You’ll also get sports data reports after completing your workout.

Moreover, the device can serve as a personal health guardian by monitoring your blood oxygen saturation, heart rate, and sleep quality. Widely regarded as the best budget women’s smartwatch,  Amazfit GTS 2 Mini comes with a menstrual cycle tracking tool. A PAI Health assessment system uses an algorithm to process data about all the indicators it tracks to produce a score on your physical state. We tested out these features and found them to be a reliable indicator of the impact your daily habits have on your overall condition.

Connectivity

Connectivity with this Amazfit model is a mixed bag, since there is no support for Wi-Fi on the GTS 2 Mini. However, it comes with Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0, which typically allows for data transfer speeds of up to 2 Mbps and communication over distances of 240 meters. This is also considered the best low-budget smartwatch because users can remotely control their mobile phone to snap selfies.

Price

Overall, this smartwatch is an excellent fitness monitoring device for its price. It’s easy to use, responsive, the battery life is solid, and the selection of features makes up for any shortcomings. Our overall experience with the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini was impressive enough to get the device to the top of our list of the best budget smartwatch models.

Smartwatch Design and Display

When seeing the HUAWEI WATCH FIT, the first word that comes to mind is “stylish.” It has one of the sleekest designs on our best low-cost smartwatch list. The case is made from durable polymer fiber with a matte finish, and the design borrows heavily from other Apple Watch alternatives. On the downside, the strap feels a little too spongy.

Nonetheless, with a slightly arched AMOLED screen and vibrant colors, using HUAWEI WATCH FIT is a treat for your eyes. Everything is clearly displayed, and the interface is user-friendly. Thanks to the 456 x 280 HD resolution, the screen feels perfectly adequate. The only thing that bugged us was the relatively low visibility when the device was exposed to intense sunlight.

This is regarded by some as the best budget smartwatch for health activities, thanks to its science-backed fitness guidance features. In addition, the water resistance rating of 50 meters allows you to use it for shallow-water activities, including swimming.

Battery Life

The HUAWEI WATCH FIT comes with a 180 mAh battery that can last up to 10 days if you enable sleep tracking and heart rate monitoring, work out for 30 minutes per week, and receive up to 50 messages and three calls every 24 hours. If you activate the GPS mode, you’ll need to charge the device after around 12 hours. Ultimately, the battery life depends on user habits, but these are pretty accurate estimates that place Huawei among the best budget waterproof and GPS-capable smartwatch choices.

The magnetic charger isn't as impressive, especially if you want to use the smartwatch while it’s charging. Still, it’s powerful enough, as we managed to fully recharge the smartwatch within an hour.

Applications and Interface

Getting used to LiteOS takes a bit of time. Still, users will appreciate the visuals and responsiveness of the interface and installed apps. Simply swiping across the touchscreen will get you access to everything, from the activity dashboard, to heart-rate and stress-level monitoring, and even weather information. The sheer range of health-related options in the apps justifies designating this device as the best smartwatch on a budget. Fitness aficionados will love what the HUAWEI WATCH FIT can do.

The device comes with 96 workout modes, including real-time workout metrics for 11 sport modes. The remaining 85 modes can be customized. In addition to tracking workout duration, the watch monitors your breathing, heart rate, and calorie burning.

The data collected is remarkably accurate, which is one of the defining characteristics of any best budget smartwatch for health.

While there’s a music playback option, you can only play songs from your phone, not the actual smartwatch. One more thing we didn’t like was the lack of proper support for third-party apps.

Connectivity

Like much of the competition, the HUAWEI WATCH FIT only supports Bluetooth 5.0. Although this is pretty standard for the best smartwatch for the price range, we would’ve liked to see more options. Of course, there are a few additional perks when you connect the device to a Huawei mobile phone.

Price

You can snag one of these watches on Amazon for anywhere between $99.99 and $138.00, depending on the color you choose. This is widely regarded as the best budget smartwatch among sports lovers, but those with other interests may not find it as useful.

Smartwatch Design and Display

In our quest to answer the question: “What is the best budget smartwatch?” we stumbled upon one device that a lot of consumers haven’t necessarily heard of, but that seemed to have a lot to offer. The NDUR smartwatch was a pleasant surprise, thanks to several features that you wouldn’t commonly find on low-cost devices.

The body is made from zinc alloy, and it’s available in several colors, including gold and turquoise. The screen has a tempered-glass display, responsive touchscreen, and surprisingly bright display; this makes it easier to use in strong sunlight. The device is also water-resistant up to 1.5 meters in depth.

Battery Life

The NDUR smartwatch’s 170 mAh battery can last up to seven days with regular activity. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to brand it the best budget smartwatch with an activity tracker, as the battery lasted five days with intense fitness tracking usage. Surprisingly, it’s the notifications app that drains most of the battery’s resources. Of course, that comes down to how many notifications you’re receiving.

Applications and Interface

Blood pressure sensors are usually reserved for expensive smartwatches. However, despite its relatively low price tag, NDUR’s watch has this tool, along with a few other surprising options. As such, this device might just be the best budget smartwatch with a blood pressure reading option.

You’ll also get a blood oxygen sensor and fitness trackers for walking, running, badminton, cycling, soccer, and baseball. The heart-rate monitor gives a slightly higher reading than other devices, and the sleep-tracking tool might turn on when you’re merely lying down and watching television.

It’s also important to note that this smartwatch doesn’t have proprietary GPS; still, it can connect to your phone and its GPS to track running distances and chosen routes.

The core app, Da Fit, syncs the gathered data from your smartwatch to Google Fit for more detailed analyses. As is the case with other options on our “Best budget smartwatch” list, you can listen to music and get notifications about calls and messages, even those from social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, and WeChat). Unfortunately, answering messages is currently not supported.

Connectivity

The smartwatch comes with Bluetooth 4.0 and is compatible with any Android 5.0+ and iOS 9.0+ device. But don’t let the 4.0 protocol dissuade you. The speeds are similar to the ones you’d get with Bluetooth 5.0. The only reason this can’t be described as the best budget Bluetooth smartwatch is its distance limitation. It theoretically supports a range of up to 10 meters, as opposed to the 243 meters available with the 5.0 option. However, this is still more than enough for a stable connection with your smartphone.

Price

To get a brand new NDUR smartwatch, you’ll need to part with a minimum of $65. The price goes up if you opt for special colors. Whatever design you choose, you’ll get an impressive set of features for this price range. Even outside the US, NDUR offers excellent value, and at less than £50, it’s considered the best budget smartwatch in the UK.

Smartwatch Design and Display

The design won’t exactly take your breath away - the TicWatch GTX is bulky and looks a bit macho. Perhaps that explains why some regard it as the best smartwatch for men on a budget.

There are two buttons on the right side: One is a shortcut to a workout tracking app, and the other opens the main screen with all the options.

Although the device is water and sweat proof, the IP68 rating means that it can only be submerged up to a maximum depth of 1.5 meters, notably more shallow than most other watches on our list. A few other components are sort of inferior, too: For instance, scrolling through the different screens can feel a bit laggy.

That said, this isn’t some cheap alternative to other devices that are competing for the best knock-off smartwatch award. TicWatch GTX offers simplicity and the essentials at a highly affordable price.

Battery Life

The 200 mAh battery can last seven days with regular use and up to 10 days with Power Saving Mode on. Our testing shows that you can run the sleep and heart-rate tracking apps, and get notifications of incoming messages and calls for almost a week before having to charge the device - a quick process that only takes two hours. In short, you’re getting a smartwatch with long battery life.

Applications and Interface

This may not be the best budget smartwatch for outdoors people, but it has its perks. You can get the complete list of workout tracking and heart rate monitoring apps by swiping sideways across your screen. The upper button on the left side of the smartwatch allows you to see all available apps, such as TicPulse, TicExercise, and TicSleep.

Music control works fine, but you cannot use it during workout sessions, nor add it as a widget. The core features, including the notifications app, enable you to view your incoming calls and messages, which you can then delete. But we can’t say that this is the best budget smartwatch with messaging capabilities, because some messages break mid-sentence.

The fitness tracking apps employ a heart rate monitor and an accelerometer to track outdoor activity, monitor sleeping patterns, and count your steps. Unfortunately, there is no GPS, so distance tracking isn’t always accurate.

The TicExercise app offers 14 workout modes for running, swimming, rowing, mountain climbing, basketball, jumping rope, and cycling. The app tracks everything from the duration of your workouts, over the number of calories being burned, to your heart rate. However, TicWatch GTX isn’t the best budget smartwatch for heart-rate tracking because the readings tend to be inaccurate at times. On the other hand, this smartwatch and fitness tracker will still provide beneficial information about your step count and overall physical progress.

Connectivity

The TicWatch GTX uses Bluetooth 5.0 and is compatible with Android and iOS devices. Unfortunately, it has no Wi-Fi capabilities. Still, whatever it lacks in terms of connectivity, it makes up for in price.

Price

With a price tag of just $39.99, TicWatch GTX is the most affordable option on our “Best budget smartwatch” list. With its long battery life, notifications app, and adequate fitness tracking options, this is a device you shouldn’t overlook if you’re shopping on a budget.