Fitness trackers tend to be expensive. But that doesn’t mean every single one of them are priced as such. Thankfully, there are few of them available in the market that comes with an affordable price. Not cheap imitators but branded ones such as Fitbit and Garmin.
Do fitness trackers work without a phone?
The answer is yes since fitness trackers generally can be used on its own without a smartphone. You can still obtain work out details such as numbers of calories burned, distance covered regardless of walking or running and heart rate monitoring -- all of which are shown on a tracker’s screen display.
But of course, that doesn’t mean you should leave your smartphone behind altogether. Synching your fitness tracker’s activity data to your smartphone allows you to take more controls and further access with the help of a companion app. By doing so, you’ll get to receive smart notifications like SMS & incoming phone calls and real-time data for more accurate readings.
Now, if you are looking for a budget-friendly fitness tracker below RM 500 range, check out these 7 best of them below.
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For a fitness tracker that costs under RM 500, the Fitbit Inspire HR has all the basic essentials covered: a built-in heart rate monitor that tracks 24/7, various activity-tracking features which counts steps, distance and calories burned and even a detailed sleep tracking mode.
The Fitbit Inspire HR’s slim-fit and lightweight design also serves a major plus here, making it suitable even for wearers with a smaller wrist. The battery life can last up to 5 days of continuous use while the fitness tracker’s 50m water resistance means you can take it for a swim or jog under the rain.
The Amazfit Pace combines the best of both worlds in a wristwatch: a round-shaped, sporty design with matching black & orange strap for casual wear and an all-in-one fitness tracker. For the latter, they even come with a built-in Sony 28-Nanometer GPS module that helps to accurately record your real-time data such as pace, distance and altitude.
You can also look forward to the Amazfit Pace’s assorted features such as a 24/7 heart-rate monitor, an activity tracker up to 11 sports modes and a durable battery life capable of lasting up to 5 days. The watch itself is designed with comfort in mind, thanks to its skin-friendly ceramic bezel, which also happens to be wear- and scratch-resistant.
This slim-fit Fitbit Alta HR boasts a built-in heart rate monitor that utilises the company’s PurePulse technology to monitor the wearer’s blood flow from his or her wrist. It doesn’t matter where you are having a stroll or during your workout session.
Other highlights to look out for include an all-day activity tracker, an auto sleep tracking and exercise recognition, with the latter uses the SmartTrack technology to automatically detect and record your exercise routines in the Fitbit app such as biking and running. Design-wise, the bright yet tap-friendly OLED display ensures you’ll get a clear readout regardless of indoors or outdoors.
At under RM 200, you’ll get a wealth of value-for-money features in the sleek-looking Xiaomi Mi Band 4. It boasts a bright AMOLED touchscreen display with an astonishing battery life worth 20 days long! As a fitness tracker, it tracks both daily workouts and sleeps while also comes equipped with a built-in heart rate monitor.
The Xiaomi Mi Band 4 even comes with dedicated sports modes such as walking, outdoor/indoor running and cycling. The watch can sustain water immersion and splashes up to 50 metres, making it a swim- and shower-friendly wearable device.
Take it for a swim in the pool without worries with the Garmin Vivofit 4, which packs a 5 ATM resistance rating. That means it can sustain water pressures up to 50 metres deep. You can even have it on while taking a shower.
Apart from being a swim-friendly fitness tracker, the Garmin Vivofit 4 also tracks your daily activities from walking to running 24/7. You can even customise your activity tracking by periodically syncs the tracker to a downloadable Garmin Connect app. Finally, the 1 year+ battery life can survive long enough on a single charge.
If you wear a fitness tracker primarily for swimming, this budget-friendly Huawei Band 3 Pro might be your ideal companion. It tracks your swimming activity such as numbers of calories burned and distance regardless of hitting the pool or open water.
It also helps that the 5ATM water rating means the Huawei Band 3 Pro can withstand water immersion up to 50 metres. Other than using it for swimming, it has essential features like a built-in GPS that uses a low power consumption, a heart-rate monitor and a 12-day battery life.
The Amazfit Bip’s integrated GPS+GLONASS system found in its square-faced wristwatch provides a more accurate readout when comes to tracking your distance. This include monitoring workout activities like cycling, running and walking.
Also, expect other highlights include an IP68 rating that is both resistant to water (up to 1.5m deep) & dust, a long-lasting 190 mAh battery life up to 30 days and an always-on colourful display with a large 1.28-inch reflective screen.