When it comes to buying a budget smart watch, there are different options to choose from as there are many makes and models of smart watches available. If you are looking for a best smart watch on a budget, we have a few recommendations for you. I have been reviewing smart watches for many years and I have come across many budget smart watches but a lot of the budget smart watches lack reliability, responsiveness and other important features. In this guide, I have chosen the best budget smart watches which offer reliably, smooth user experience and are packed with features. There is no one best budget smartwatch, it all depends in what you are looking for in a smart watch. Weather you are looking for a best cheap smartwatch for style, running, health & fitness tracking or for general day to day use, we will help you find one at best price!
Best Smart Watch On A Budget – Quick List
Garmin venu sq2
If you are looking for a low cost Garmin smart watch with all the basic Garmin features along with touch screen, AMOLED display and Garmin pay, then this is the best Garmin smart watch to buy. It offers similar features to Garmin Venu 2 but costs less than half the price!
Amazfit bip 5 CHEAP smart watch
AMOLED display, large 1.91″ screen size, built-in GPS, Bluetooth calling, health & Fitness tracking. Install 70+ app via Zepp app. Compatible with IOS and Android. Full details below.
CMF Pro 2 budget smart watch By Nothing
AMOLED display with auto brightness, Bluetooth calling with AI noise reduction, aluminum body, built-in GPS. Compatible with IOS and Android. Full details below.
Garmin Forerunner 255
AMOLED display with auto brightness, Bluetooth calling with AI noise reduction, aluminum body, built-in GPS. Compatible with IOS and Android. Full details below.
Samsung galaxy watch 5
Premium looking smart watch, Samsung BioActive sensor, Sapphire crystal screen, sleep & health tracking, built-in GPS and many more features. Full details below.
Xiaomi redmi watch 5 lite
Long battery life, health & fitness tracking with over 150+ modes, over 200+ watch faces. Simple, easy to use and responsive user interface. Full details below.
Garmin Venu SQ2 – Garmin’s best budget smart watch
+ Built in GPS
+ AMOLED display and Touchscreen
+ Low cost Garmin smart watch with many features
+ Garmin Pay
+ Accuracy of tracking and health & fitness monitoring
Garmin venu sq2
If you are looking for a low cost Garmin smart watch with all the basic Garmin features along with touch screen, AMOLED display and Garmin pay, then this is the best Garmin smart watch to buy. It offers similar features to Garmin Venu 2 but costs less than half the price!
Garmin Venu SQ2 is not the cheapest on the list but considering Garmin watches can cost over £500 or even £1000, Venu SQ2 is priced very cheap. Venu SQ2 offers similar features compared to Venu 2, which is Garmin mid-range to premium smartwatch and cost a lot more. Considering Venu sq2 costs less than half the price when compared to Venu 2, this watch offers excellent value for money. Garmin’s Venu SQ2 also comes with built-in GPS, Garmin pay option and 1.14″ touch-screen with AMOLED display. The SQ2 offers a good battery life of up to 11 days, the battery life largely depends on how often and what features you are using on the smartwatch.
CMF Pro 2 Best Android Budget Smart Watch
Top on our list of budget smart watches is CMF Pro 2 smart watch. I was really impressed with this watch, for the price it offers many features. The user interface is responsive and the screen is sharp and bright. The watch body is made up of aluminium which is a big plus as other watches in this price range usually have plastic body. Because of the aluminium body the watch is light weight and durable. The screen also has auto-brightness option, again which is lacking in some of the other watches in the same price range. The connection process of the watch to a smartphone is quick and straightforward. CMF pro 2 smart watch is compatible with both the IOS and Android, and connects to a smart phone via CMF watch app. The watch can track over a hundred different exercises, and offer auto tracking for certain activities such as walking, running and cycling. However, I found the auto tracking feature to be a bit laggy. It normally does not start tracking the activity until 5-10 mins after starting. To be honest, I found this feature is also not too good in some of the more expensive smart watches. CMF Pro 2 watch also offers, 24 hour heart rate monitoring, oxygen levels monitoring, stress measurement, and sleep tracking.
CMF Pro 2 budget smart watch By Nothing
AMOLED display with auto brightness, Bluetooth calling with AI noise reduction, aluminum body, built-in GPS. Compatible with IOS and Android.
Overall, this watch is a good buy. If you are looking for a budget smart watch which looks stylish and offers many features, then we do recommend buying this watch. However, if you looking for a watch with advanced features and with ability to add additional apps etc and willing to spend a little bit more then we recommend having a look at Galaxy watch 5, Xiaomi watch 2 or Garmin Forerunner 55. Please note Xiaomi watch 2 is only compatible with Andriod phone and runs on WearOS which gives you ability to install additional apps on the watch. Garmin Forerunner 55 may be suitable for you if you looking for a reliable running watch but do not watch to spend too much on a smart watch.
CMF Pro 2 watch Specs
| Specs | Display: 1.32’’ AMOLED Display with auto-brightness 466 x 466 with 353 PPI, 620 nits peak brightness, 60 fps refresh rate Strap Colours: Grey, Blue, Orange Built-in GPS: Yes Weight: 44.4 to 48.1 grams depending on colour Water Resistant: IP68 Replaceable Watch Straps: Yes Microphone and Speaker: Yes Connectivity with Smart Phone: iOS 13 and above, Android 8.0 and above App: CMF Watch App Sensors: Accelerometer sensor, Ambient light sensor, Heart rate, Oxygen Saturation |
| Where To Buy | Amazon: Ash Grey | Dark Grey | Orange |
Garmin Forerunner 255 – Best Budget smart watch for running
+ Low cost smart watch compared to other Garmin watches
+ Built in GPS and NFC for Garmin Pay
+ Reliable tracking with many tracking features including detailed reports
+ Long battery life
+ Compatible with IOS and Android
– No touch scree
– No AMOLED display
If you are looking for a best budget smart watch for running which offers accurate tracking then we recommend Garmin forerunner 255 smart watch. This watch costs a bit more then most watches on our list, however considering the price of Garmin watches, Forerunner 255 do provide an excellent value for money. The watch offers 1.3″ MIP display which does not use a lot of power, meaning it provides a longer battery life. The screen is large enough and can easily be seen in bright outdoor conditions. Garmin forerunner 255 offers health & fitness tracking, heart rate monitoring, message notifications & reminders, find my phone and many other features. It also has NFC for Garmin pay and GPS built in. The watch is compatible with both Apple and IOS, can connects via Garmin connect app. The only downside of this watch is that it does not offer a touch screen, it has five button to control the watch.
Garmin Forerunner 255
AMOLED display with auto brightness, Bluetooth calling with AI noise reduction, aluminum body, built-in GPS. Compatible with IOS and Android. Full details below.
Amazfit bip 5 Low cost smart watch For day to day use
Offering similar features to CMF pro 2 watch, Amazfit BIP 5 smart watch is second on our list of budget smart watches. It is an excellent entry level smart watch with plenty of features, offering smooth and responsive user interface. It has basic health tracking features such as heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen saturation, stress tracking etc. The large AMOLED screen size is large and vibrant. It also has Bluetooth calling feature, built-in GPS and compatible with both IOS and Android. Amazfit BIP 5 has over 120 sport modes and can automatically detect some of the exercises. I found the user interface smooth with no lag. The only downside of this watch compared to CMF 2 Pro is that its body is made of durable plastic instead of metal. Overall Amazfit BIP 5 is a good budget friendly smart watch with plenty of smart features. If you are looking for a budget smart watch with large display and value for money, then this watch may be suitable for you.
Amazfit bip 5 budget smart watch
AMOLED display, large 1.91″ screen size, built-in GPS, Bluetooth calling, health & Fitness tracking. Install 70+ app via Zepp app. Compatible with IOS and Android.
Amazfit BIP 5 smart watch specs
| Specs | Display 1.91 AMOLED Compatibility Android 7.0 and above, iOS 14.0 and above App Zepp app Connectivity Bluetooth Weight 26 grams Battery Lithium Ion GPS Yes Other Features Activity Tracker, Alarm Clock, Phone calls |
| Why Buy This Watch | + Large, vibrant 1.91-inch AMOLED display + Lightweight and comfortable design + Bluetooth calling feature + Activity and health tracking + Good Battery life |
| Why Not Buy This Watch | – Plastic body though it’s lightweight – No NFC for mobile payments |
| Where To Buy | Check On Amazon |
Samsung Galaxy Smart Watch 5 – affordable option if you are looking for a samsung watch
Samsung galaxy watch 5
Premium looking smart watch, Samsung BioActive sensor, Sapphire crystal screen, sleep & health tracking, built-in GPS and many more features.
Samsung Galaxy watch 5 is easily the winner. The only reason its on number three on list of budget smart watches is because its not exactly a budget smart watch. If you follow the Amazon link you can buy it for a reasonable price. The watch you will get is not a brand new product but a refurbished watch in excellent condition.
Amazon renewed Products
“This refurbished product is inspected, tested and cleaned in accordance with Amazon Renewed requirements to be fully functional. Premium and Excellent condition products will show no signs of cosmetic damage visible from 30 centimetres“
Redmi Watch 5 Lite – Xiaomis best cheap smart watch
Xiaomi redmi watch 5 lite
Long battery life, health & fitness tracking with over 150+ modes, over 200+ watch faces. Simple, easy to use and responsive user interface.
Redmi watch 5 lite is premium version of Redmi watch 5 active, offering premium look, compact size, built in GPS, AMOLED display and water sports tracking. Unlike Xiaomi watch 2, this smart watch is compatible with both IOS and android, and connect to a smart phone via Mi Fitness app. It offers health and fitness tracking from sleep monitoring, oxygen saturation, heart rate monitoring to exercise and water sports tracking. I found the raise to wake option for screen very responsive and had no trouble using the watch indoor or outdoors due to its sharp AMOLED display. The Bluetooth call calling feature is quite handy and I had no trouble making or receiving calls even when my phone was over 5-10 meter away. The call quality is also quite impressive. The heart rate sensor is quite accurate, it gave very similar readings when compared with Garmin Venu 2 smart watch. The sleep tracking feature is quite handy – I wore it to bed a few times and compared the data with Garmin Venu 2 and I was quite impressed with the results. During the sleep tracking it tracks total sleep time and gives break down of deep sleep, light sleep and REM sleep. The values were comparable to Garmin Venu 2. The watch body is made of durable plastic with shiny metal coating, giving it a premium look. Only down side I found on this what is, it doesn’t support additional apps. If you want to be able to install additional apps on the watch then you should consider Xiaomi Watch 2, but Xiaomi watch 2 is only compatible with Android phones as it runs on WearOS.
Redmi Watch 5 lite: Buy at Amazon
Redmi Watch 5 Lite specs
Screen Size 1.96″ Display Type AMOLED Resolution 410 x 502 / 332 ppi
System Xiaomi HyperOS Features Health Tracking Heart rate, Sleep tracking, SpO2 Activity Tracking Yes, Watersports tracking Yes
GPS Yes, Gyroscope Yes, App Mi Fitness , Compatibility Android / IOS
Watch Colours Various, Bluetooth calling Yes
Raise to wake Yes
Battery 470 mAh
Weight (Without straps) 29.2 g Changeable straps Yes
Things to consider before buying a smart watch on a budget
Weather you are on a tight budget or just want to try a budget smart watch first to see if you really need a smart watch for daily use, we also recommend considering the points below before buying a budget smart watch. When buying a smart watch it is quite easy to overlook certain things. Budget smart watches provide value for money but certain features may be missing. This may not be an issues for you as you may not be looking for for those features. However, if you are expecting certain features in a budget smart watch and they are missing then you may need to return the smart watch. Therefore, we recommended considering the points below before purchasing a budget smart watch and carefully look at the features the smart watch has before purchasing it.
Points to consiDer:
- Why are you buying a smart watch and what features are you looking for in a budget smart watch?
- What is you max budget?
- Do you need built-in GPS and Bluetooth calling features?
- Are you looking for accurate health and fitness tracking and how important is accuracy of health and fitness tracking to you?
- Do you want to be able to download additional apps to the smart watch?
- Do you own an IOS or Android phone (some watches may not be compatible with IOS)?
- Do you want to be able to make card payments with the smart watch using apple or google pay?
- Are you looking for long battery life in the budget smart watch?
- Does the type of display matter for you? Are you happy with standard LCD display or would you prefer AMOLED display?
- Do you have a small wrist size and want a watch with small display or prefer large screen size?
