Best Cheap Smartwatch 2022

Apple Watch Series 3

Still one of the most Powerful Smartwatches Available

It may not be the latest or best in the Apple Watch Series, but if you want a highly functional smartwatch that doesn’t take a huge chunk out of your pocket, the Apple Watch Series 3 is the way to go. This iOS device comes with everything you’d want in a cheap smartwatch, including GPS tracking, fitness tracking, an optical heart rate sensor, as well as an accelerometer and gyroscope for precise workout readings.

Embedded in an elegant aluminum casing, the Apple Watch Series 3 is also swim-proof, which means that you can take it for a dive in the pool. And thanks to its dual-core processor, you get a budget smartwatch that’s fast and accurate. While the display isn’t as big as the Apple Watch Series 4 and 5, it’s almost as clear and vivid as they are. Other functionalities included in this watch are the ability to make and receive calls on your watch, reply to texts and emails, access to Siri, as well as setting alarms and note reminders.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active2

A Galaxy Dedicated to your Fitness Goals

The Samsung Galaxy Watch is one of the best smartwatch lines on the market, but the Active2 takes those fundamentals and strips them down to what you’d need in a fitness watch. The result is a genuine contender for the title of best cheap smartwatch. The fitness management here is front and center, and it’s some of the best we’ve ever seen. Dedicated fitness goals provide you with some serious coaching, and with the implemented sleep tracking functionality, you’re getting 24/7 coverage.

In some ways, the more stripped-down design here is even an asset. You can get nearly a single week’s worth of usage out of a single charge, so you can just strap it on and forget it. That’s further complemented by the fact that it feels great even when you’re in the middle of a marathon.

Letsfit Fitness Tracker Smart Watch

The Basics For a Fair Price

“Cheap” can mean many different things depending on your budget, but the Letsfit is bound to be a cheap smartwatch by practically anyone’s standards. It bears a price tag of less than $50 without making any major sacrifices for the case of keeping things cost-effective. If you’re simply concerned with a smartwatch that can track your activities, this may be the one for you.

There’s a lack of features and little access to apps here, but Letsfit makes the most of the GPS feature at work here. While there are only three preset activity modes included, you can download a decent selection of others, so you can get accurate results whether you’re practicing yoga or preparing for a marathon. This cheap smartwatch also features a mode that can handle your sleep tracking.

Apple Watch SE

The New Budget Smartwatch from Apple

New for 2022, the Apple Watch SE is a beautiful piece of hardware endowed with a plethora of different functions. It features a Retina display and a square unibody, just like the Series 6. The infinity 3D glass wrapping around the sides even makes it a simply gorgeous timepiece to wear. Available in both 40mm and 44mm, the Watch SE is water-resistant and runs on Apple’s latest Watch OS 7. You get to enjoy smartwatch features like sleep tracking, new workout modes, new watch faces, altimeter, GPS, and heart rate monitoring. Like the more expensive Watch Series 6, it features Bluetooth 5.0, 18-hour battery life, and 32GB of storage.

That being said, the Apple Watch SE does come with some caveats. First off, while it may offer about 20% more performance than the series 5, it still features the same processor as the Series 5. This Apple watch doesn’t come with the always-on display featured on the Series 6 which, while it may help conserve battery life, is a feature many would appreciate having.

Additionally, the Watch SE doesn’t come with the new ECG and SPO2 features, which are the main highlights of the Series 6. This means that you won’t be able to measure your oxygen blood levels or your heart’s rhythm and electrical activity. All in all, if all the extra features on the Series 6 don’t mean much to you or if you simply want an Apple watch at a budget price, the Apple Watch SE is the best option you can choose.

Fitbit Versa 2 Fitness Smartwatch

Fitness First and Foremost

Fitbit is so on point with their smartwatch technology that they’re in a position to do more with less – at least when compared to some of the other big names in smartwatch design. The Versa is more lightweight than its predecessor, and Fitbit manages to keep the price low while retaining all of the best features and design sensibilities of Fitbit products.

Cost-cutting measures have bled out in some interesting ways. While you’ll need to carry your phone with you (as there’s no Wi-Fi support here), a five-day battery life ranks among the best. If you’re looking for a mid-range, cheap smartwatch that focuses almost entirely on fitness and sleep tracking features, this is one of the best cheap smartwatch models for you. And unlike a lot of other budget-priced smartwatch models, there are a whole ton of sensors built-in. That means you can get more information from every step you take.

Garmin Forerunner 35 GPS Running Watch

The Best GPS Technology Around

Garmin has made a confident jump into the smartwatch field, even constructing their own operating system to run their line of models. The Forerunner 35 constitutes Garmin’s move into the entry-level space, and it’s a confident gadget catered to the needs of more athletic consumers. There’s no attempt here to oversell the customer with gimmicks. Instead, the Forerunner is focused on getting the fundamentals right, sprinkling in a few nice bonuses, and producing a watch that’s under budget without sacrificing build quality.

GPS, dedicated tracking modes for running and biking, and an optical heart rate monitor are all available here, but where this Garmin smartwatch really shines is with the little things. Some thoughtful design decisions make this an ideal choice as an exercise watch. Notifications use a vibration function to ensure your exercise isn’t interrupted, while the Move IQ system automates the exercise tracking process.

Amazfit T-Rex Pro Smartwatch

A Watch That Will Last Forever

The Amazfit T-Rex Pro model stacks a lot of power into a smartwatch that comes in at well under Two Hundred dollars. This could very well be the best cheap smartwatch in terms of value for money. It sports a simply amazing battery life of well over 18 days on a single one-and-a-half-hour charge, and its lightweight style evokes the look and feel of the Apple Watch.

And while this isn’t going to be able to come close to competing with the Apple Watch head-to-head, its fitness features are respectable. This is a cheap smartwatch with a heart rate monitor, dedicated pedometer, and GPS. If you’re looking for a watch to take with you on freeform hikes or jogs, the Amazfit T-Rex Pro can serve you incredibly well.

Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle Touchscreen Smartwatch

Dressing in style doesn’t have to mean dressing expensively. The fifth generation of the Fossil Carlyle proves that you can get a dress watch for cheap, and while it’s not the best cheap smartwatch in terms of features and specs, it really does a savvy job of making the most of everything that Chrome OS offers.

Fossil hasn’t gone with the classic look of a dress watch here, instead opting for something more technologically advanced. Best of all, it’s easy to navigate. The touchscreen itself is light and responsive to the touch without being too loose. Getting to the apps you need to use is incredibly easy, and there are even voice controls that can handle everything from taking calls to accessing your favorite apps. There are even three separate battery modes available, with the third being fully customizable to your needs.

TicWatch E2 Smartwatch

Chinese manufacturer Mobvoi has released a sensible and cheap smartwatch for Android and iOS devices with their TicWatch E2. While Google’s Wear OS platform has earned something of a bad reputation in the smartwatch community, Mobvoi milks everything they can out of the aging technology. Part of that is accomplished through the presence of the versatile and powerful Snapdragon 2100 processor, but Mobvoi also makes some smart moves in terms of design. Functionality takes precedence over style here with a plain and slim body and a smoothly responsive touchscreen interface.

Mobvoi has positioned their smartwatch around outdoor use, a sensible choice since they have to opt out of some of the higher-end features you’d expect from some of the best digital watches. The waterproof case is supplemented by pre-loaded tracking modes for both swim tracking and surfing, and run and sleep tracking are also built-in right out of the box.

Fitbit Ionic Watch

If you want the best deal on budget smartwatches, we still think that the Fitbit Versa 2 is the best way to go. But if you find yourself underwhelmed by the lack of features and battery life of the Fitbit Versa 2, this is a smartwatch that offers a solid – and solidly priced – alternative. The heart rate tracker is always on, but that’s just skimming a list of features that also includes the ability to make payments with just a tap of your wrist.

The big selling point here over the Fitbit Versa 2 is the inclusion of an always-on built-in GPS. Combine this with the ability to download up to 300 songs on local storage, and you’re left with an affordably priced option for a standalone smartwatch. The store is also fully featured here, providing a broad variety of watch faces and apps that can lend more personality to your device.

Garmin vívoactive 3 GPS Smartwatch

Garmin produces some of the best GPS devices on the market, but they also produce some of the best smartwatches for iPhone or Android. Garmin has equivalents to practically all of the major services that the major phone operating systems support along with some of the most exhaustive activity tracking we’ve had the pleasure of experiencing.

There’s a lot to do right out of the box here, too. Fifteen different activities come pre-programmed and cover everything from yoga to swimming. But the most impressive component here is the Garmin Connect interface which folds together a whole wealth of fitness metrics gathered 24/7 and contextualizes for them. This is one of the best ways we’ve seen of monitoring your health in the long term. If you find yourself bored with what’s built-in, you can also use Garmin’s store to get access to thousands of apps.