7 Best & Cheap Fitbit Alternatives For Tracking Your Fitness

Why look for a high quality but cheap Fitbit alternative?

Fitbit is without question the best fitness tracker on the market, but over the last few years, the company has been facing many complaints from buyers.

Only 3 years ago, the company was forced to recall an entire batch of Fitbit Force activity trackers because many buyers said that the fitness watch caused them to develop rashes and a skin condition called as dermatitis.

This is a complaint made by many Fitbit users. Some users have complained that wearing the fitness and activity tracker caused them to develop skin problems. A journalist by the Alyssa Bereznak posted pictures on Twitter that showed the skin rashes she had developed after wearing the wristbands from Fitbit.

Fitbit has responded to the complaints strongly and insists that it is not the fault of their fitness watches if people wear their bands in a very tight manner. They say that the development of rashes are because of sweat and soap collecting under the fitness bands, and for the rashes to go away, all that you need to do is to stop wearing the wristbands for a while.

This argument doesn’t make sense as you want to wear the fitness watches every day when you go out for a run or a walk. Such a tepid response from Fitbit to this controversy has created a lot of negativity around Fitbit step trackers, activity trackers, and fitness trackers, and led to a demand for healthier and better Fitbit alternatives.

There are a number of alternatives to Fitbit that have emerged recently. Many of the Fitbit alternatives are similar to Fitbit in a lot of ways but better and cheaper.

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You may have come across many reviews of these cheap Fitbit alternatives, and want to know more about them. We have reviewed only the best Fitbit equivalents here. The cheap alternatives to Fitbit discussed here have been tested and properly vetted by us.

First, let’s understand why you need fitness trackers or fitness watches.

 

What are the Uses of Fitness Bands or Fitness Watches?

The best activity trackers, fitness trackers or step trackers do much more than counting or tracking the steps you take when you go for a run or a walk.

These activity bands are today more like wellness devices which are capable of a whole lot of things such as tracking sleep, giving you a warning whenever you are being too sedentary and monitoring your heart rate.

What’s more, a good fitness wristband can be customized to suit your individual needs. It tells you just how active you are and how much more active you should be for better health.

While some of the fitness trackers are nothing but step trackers which do step counting, others do much more, such as activity tracking and sleep tracking. These devices can be enabled with GPS tracking and provide you with an advanced VO2 max data and resting heart rate data.

 

Keeping this in mind, we have identified the very best Fitbit alternatives. Take a look!

(1) Garmin Vívosmart HR Activity Tracker Regular Fit – Black

Garmin Vívosmart HR Activity Tracker costs only $79.99. This is a very reasonably priced activity tracker that costs much less than Fitbit does. Garmin is a company that makes GPS devices for cars but lately has become more famous for their range of fitness watches.

This fitness band comes with special features such as a “move bar”, a bar that appears on screen when you have been inactive for an hour. Why is this important? According to health experts, you shouldn’t sit at your desk for more than 60 minutes at a time.

You should take a walk around the house or office or simply move your body in some way for 5 minutes when you have been in a sitting position for an hour. This helps you just as much as spending an hour at the gym. The “move bar” on Garmin tells you just how long you’ve been sitting.

There are other move bar segments that light up every 15 additional minutes that you stay inactive. If you just get up from your chair and take a walk around or perform some physical activity, the bars will disappear, one by one.

Garmin Vivosmart counts the number of calories you’ve burned through the day. It tracks your metabolic rate and gives you a good idea of the quality of your sleep. Garmin has a large fitness community which you can join. Interacting with other Garmin users who are in the same boat as you are and trying to get shed fat and get fit will motivate you to work harder on your fitness goals.

The Garmin Vivosmart activity tracker comes in a variety of colors and sizes. You can find one that is similar to Fitbit as well. You can choose a ban with a heart rate monitor or one without this option.

 

(2) Moov Now – Stealth Black – 3D Fitness Tracker & Real Time Audio Coach – [NEW] Run Walk Swim Cycle Workout Cardio Boxing

Moov Now is a round fitness tracker which is clipped into a strap or worn around the leg. This is then paired with your usual smartphone. Moov Now is actually a fitness game, which features actionable training goals. It gives you data on your activities such as running, cycling and swimming.

The wristband increases the level of difficulty every time you make some progress so that you don’t get stuck at a particular stage. It provides you with a gradual but visible improvement as you go along. Move Now covers running, workouts and has everything you would expect from a fitness tracker or activity tracker.

This device monitors your sleep and alerts you whenever you are being too sedentary. It works as an advanced sports coach and as a running and biking tracker.  It monitors your cardio when you train at the gym or perform body weight exercises. The device is fully waterproof, so you can wear it when you are swimming.

 

(3) Garmin Forerunner 220 – Black/Red Bundle (Includes Heart Rate Monitor)

Garmin Forerunner 220 is one of the best sports watches or running watches out there. It is much more than just a fitness tracker and is specifically targeted at runners. This device can be used with or without a heart rate monitor. It is an advanced running watch based on GPS, which is surprisingly accurate.

Garmin Forerunner 220 is ideal for both those who are new to running as well as for those who are experienced pros at running and have participated in many marathons.

This advanced GPS watch has a very good, lightweight design and is comfortable to wear. It features a high-resolution display and comes with a built-in accelerometer, which tracks the distance you cover and at the pace at which you cover, even when you are indoors.

This device is connected to the Garmin Connect app, which enables social media sharing of your fitness results and live tracking. So everything you do something really great, like running a mile within 4 minutes, you can share the results with your friends on the social media. It is also affordably priced and is one of the best Fitbit alternatives.

 

(4) Samsung Gear Fit Smart Watch, Black (US Version)

Samsung Gear Fit Smart Watch is an impressive wearable device from one of the world’s biggest companies – Samsung Electronics, which needs no introduction. This smart watch acts as a fitness tracker and is marketed as a high-quality Fitbit alternative.

Gear Fit is a very advanced device which tracks your heart rate and allows you to respond to notifications received on your smartphone. It is a very good activity tracker which excels at personalizing your journey to fitness. The device is very attractive to look at and comes with a colorful display.

Samsung Gear Fit Smart Watch has a large and attractive AMOLED screen and supports apps such as Spotify, which allows you to listen to music as you go on your early morning run or walk. This is a 24/7 wearable device which is water and dust resistant with a water-resistant rating of IP67.

The device comes with a personalized fitness motivator which features a heart rate sensor. You will be given real-time coaching from Gear Fit that actively supports and motivates you and helps you reach your fitness goals. This device is compatible with all new Samsung Galaxy smartphones models.

 

(5) Misfit Shine 2 Fitness Tracker & Sleep Monitor (Carbon Black)

Misfit Shine 2 Fitness Tracker is a refined version of the Misfit Shine which was launched in 2012. This fitness tracker is a different sort of device which is clipped to the shirt rather than a wristband that you wear on your wrist.

Misfit Shine 2 comes with a completely redesigned action clip, which sends vibration alerts and smartphone notifications. It has a very good battery life, which can be compared with that of some of the best activity trackers or step trackers out there.

The best part about this fitness tracker is just how accurate it is. When you compare the Shine 2 with a GPS running watch, you won’t get a difference of more than 0.1 km in the reading. Clearly, this is one of the most accurate alternatives to Fitbit.

What’s also impressive about this device is just how versatile it is. It can be clipped on to your shirt, waistband, pockets or shoes. It works as a perfect activity tracker for sleep monitoring. It can also be worn when you’re swimming as it is perfectly waterproof.

 

(6) Original Xiaomi Mi Band 2 Heart Rate Monitor Smart Wristband with OLED Display – BLACK

Original Xiaomi Mi Band 2 is a leading fitness tracker in the international market, and is very popular in Asia, in particular. This device is available in a number of different designs and types. It is comfortable to wear and can be worn even when you’re sleeping. It tells you whether you’re sleeping well or not.

The main issue with the Xiaomi Mi Band 2 is that while it is billed as a cheap alternative to Fitbit, today there are many Fitbit alternatives that are priced in the same range. That’s why the competition is getting a whole lot harder for Xiaomi Mi Band 2 than it used to be only a few years ago when it was the unrivaled top rated product in its price category.

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Still, there aren’t many activity trackers or fitness watches that provide the same accuracy of heart rate monitoring, steps counting, speed and distance tracking as this device.

Xiaomi Mi Band 2 is a hugely popular product in China where it has sold over a million units. It is still one of the best budget fitness bands out there. It is light, comfortable to wear, has a clear display and a good battery life and tracks your sleep as well. What’s not to like?

 

(7) Withings Steel HR – Activity Tracking Watch with Heart Rate Monitoring

Withings Steel HR is one of the most impressive fitness trackers and heart monitors out there. This fitness band is marketed as better than Fitbit and why not, this is the most impressive “Fitbit alternative” we have seen in a while.

This fitness watch works on both iOS and Android and is compatible with any smartphone. It tracks activities for measuring fitness such as the distance covered, steps taken, elevation, the pace of the running or walking, the number of calories burned and the heart rate maintained during the activity.

The Withings Steel HR monitors the heart rate very closely. It tells you when you need to move and when you need to relax. It alerts you whenever you are being too sedentary for your own good.

The device can be clipped to your shirt, shoes, pockets or wristband. It features an optimized heart rate monitoring system which tracks your heart rate continuously during the workouts. It gives you daily heart rate trends, the heart rate at night when you are asleep or resting, and monitors your overall health. The battery life of this activity tracker is impressive too.