Sure, it won’t give you notifications from texts, emails, or social media. But when you’re working out, who needs to see those distractions anyway? For that alone (but also because of the lightweight and thin design), the Withings is great for the gym, for the run, or for any activity when you want to focus on fitness.

We gave serious consideration to the FitBit Inspire HR for many of the same reasons. All other things being equal, we figured the Withings had a cooler band and a better battery. So we gave the nod to the Withings. But you can’t go wrong with either choice.

What’s the best affordable fitness tracker you can buy? Here are the ones that caught our eye.

 

Best Overall

Sometimes you don’t want to look like you’re counting steps or calories. If you’re after a watch that also tracks fitness, the Withings Activite Pop fits the bill.

It’s a classy, simple face, free of buttons, levers, and colors. A stainless steel case houses a face with hour marks, but no numbers. The second dial is the catch; it’s a step-tracker with ten hash-marks. You set the parameters within the Withings app. And if you use any number of Withings’ great smart scales, you can seamlessly sync all three devices in the same app.

 

Best Set It & Forget It

The Inspire HR is made by Fitbit, and while you could spend far less on a tracker, there’s something to be said for going with the tech you trust. Unlike some of the less-pricey models, it tracks your heart rate 24/7, measures your sleep patterns, and has swim tracking.

You’ll reach your fitness goals faster if you’re mindful of them. The Inspire keeps you aware while keeping you connected—no matter where you are.

Best for Comfortable Wear

Reviewers tout this tracker’s accuracy and long battery life. The heart rate monitor is spot-on, and the constant updates and notifications are easy to read.

But comfort is what puts the HalfSun above the rest. It’s thin and light, despite the large-ish face. And it’s like the band isn’t even there.

Best for Swimming

This tracker is light, sleek, and available in six band colors. It tracks up to 14 different sport modes, so it’s versatile. And it monitors your heart rate automatically, every five minutes.

While we wouldn’t trust any non-dive watch for diving deep, with over 700 reviews and a solid four-star rating, Yamay is one of the better options for water fun.

Best for Training

The Forerunner 25 is designed by and for active people. Ideal for runners, it can take jostling and shaking and sweat and pressure, and still deliver accurate metrics. And it claims to be waterproof to five atmospheres, so it’s safe for showering and surface swimming.

The Garmin Connect community is a fantastic feature, too. It lets you map your rides and runs, share them with friends, and hook up with like-minded fitness enthusiasts when you’re out on the trail.

Best Large Face

The BingoFit is great for when you’re on the move. You can quickly and easily see exactly where you are—and where you need to get—with just a glance, no matter if you’re jogging, kayaking, or shooting the rapids.

It’s a large face, but a very clean UX interface with no protruding buttons or bright colors (unless you choose a colored band, of course).

Best for Outdoors

The Akuti is everything you need in a tiny tracker. It’s a heart rate monitor, step counter, message reminder, calorie counter, and sleep monitor. And it supports multiple sports modes, including walk, run, hiking, and cycling.

You can even remotely control your phone camera with the Akuti, and it can get to fully charged within two hours.

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