The best cheap smartwatches we’ve reviewed and ranked here are great because they don’t sacrifice much in order to keep their prices down. While they may not have every feature under the sun, they’re all more than enough wrist-tech for most people, all at a price that won’t have you remortgaging your house.
Every watch here is £150 / $150 or less, meaning a few decent recent options like the Huawei Watch GT 2e miss out. But excellent well-priced options like the Fitbit Versa Lite and TicWatch E2 mean there’s something on our list for everyone.
Have a think about your needs and tastes – do you want something to mainly track your steps and exercise, or do you want a watch that’ll deliver smartphone notifications with a slick look? Some will also have on-board GPS for running without your phone or NFC for mobile payments.
Be sure to read each individual review for a full run down to make sure you’re buying the best cheap smartwatch for you.
1. Fitbit Versa Lite
Like a Fitbit Versa, but lighter on features
OS: Fitbit OS | Compatibility: Android 5+, iOS 10+ | Display: 1.34″ 300 x 300 | Processor: N/A | Onboard storage: N/A | Battery duration: Around four days | Charging method: Magnetic connecting pin | IP rating: IP67 | Connectivity: N/A
Cheaper than other Fitbits
Small and comfortable design
No Fitbit Pay
No onboard storage for music
You’ve probably already heard of the Fitbit Versa in your search for a new smartwatch, but did you know the company now has a less feature-rich and therefore more affordable version of it? It’s called the Fitbit Versa Lite, and it’s now our best cheap smartwatch.
It isn’t the most comprehensive smartwatch experience as notifications are limited, you can’t listen to music and there’s no contactless payment tech, but all of that said, if you’re looking for an attractive timepiece that tracks your workouts as well as offering a few basic smartwatch features this may suit you.
Before you buy the Fitbit Versa Lite, we’d recommend checking prices for the Fitbit Versa. In some markets it has cost a similar amount to the Lite, and if you can get the original watch you’ll get additional features such as music and swim tracking too.
If not, the Fitbit Versa Lite is a great companion if you’re looking for a fitness focused smartwatch.
Read our full Fitbit Versa Lite review
2. TicWatch E2
Basically the only great cheap Wear OS watch
OS: Wear OS | Compatibility: Android 4.3+, iOS 8+ | Display: 1.39″ 400 x 400 OLED | Processor: Snapdragon Wear 2100 | Onboard storage: 4GB | Battery duration: Around 48h | Charging method: Magnetic connecting pin | IP rating: IP67 | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1
Affordable price
Easily two day battery life
No NFC for payments
Bland design
The TicWatch E2 isn’t a phenomenal upgrade upon the TicWatch E, but it will offer a waterproof design and better battery life for a similar price to the original watch.
The design of this watch hasn’t been improved much, so it still doesn’t feel particularly premium on your wrist but it’s still a good looking piece of tech that we’re happy to wear at all times of day.
You’ll get around two days of battery life from the watch, there’s GPS built-in and swim tracking as well if you like to take your devices into the pool for a dip.
One of the biggest frustrations is the lack of NFC which means you can’t use Google Pay on the watch, but you do get all of the rest of the benefits of Wear OS here. That’s something nothing else on this list offers.
Read our full TicWatch E2 review
3. Amazfit Bip
Looks like an Apple Watch, but it’s not as smart
OS: Amazfit OS | Compatibility: Android/iOS | Display: 1.28″ 400 x 400 LCD | Processor: MediaTek N/A | Onboard storage: Just for fitness data | Battery duration: Up to 45 days | Charging method: Proprietary charger | IP rating: IP68 | Connectivity: Bluetooth 4
Stylish design
Excellent companion app
Auto-pause feature doesn’t work
Finicky UI
OK, this isn’t the most inventive smartwatch you’re going to find to buy in 2020, but it is one of the cheapest. In fact, it may even be the most affordable watch that is actually worth buying.
It looks quite like an Apple Watch, but this device is a whopping six times cheaper than a top-end Apple Watch Series 5 when bought brand new.
It doesn’t do anywhere near as much as the Apple Watch, but it does sport some incredible battery life at 45 days and lots of features for cyclists and runners including a heart rate sensor.
Read our full Amazfit Bip review
4. Garmin Forerunner 30
A pared-back run tracker that packs in some serious features
OS: Garmin OS | Compatibility: Android/iOS | Display: 0.93″ 128 x 128 | Processor: N/A | Onboard storage: Just for fitness data | Battery duration: Up to 5 days | Charging method: Proprietary charger | IP rating: N/A (Garmin claims 5 ATM) | Connectivity: Bluetooth
Clear screen
Fantastic app
Design isn’t incredible
No touchscreen
The Garmin Forerunner 30 is the first dedicated fitness watch you’ll find on this list, and this is mostly built for runners. It’s a device you’ll want to wear if you’re big into your jogging, but it does have some features suitable for cyclists too.
It has GPS onboard, a heart rate monitor – that we found to be accurate in our testing – and a few other features that make is stand out as one of the most affordable running watches.
It has a VO2 Max monitor, which allows you to record your fitness level over time, something that is usually reserved for top-end devices. There’s no touchscreen, but it does have a fantastic app that you use to control it.
Read the full Garmin Forerunner 30 review
5. Polar M200
Another running watch for your consideration
OS: Polar OS | Compatibility: Android/iOS | Display: 26mm diameter | Processor: N/A | Onboard storage: Just for fitness data | Battery duration: Up to 6 days | Charging method: Proprietary charger | IP rating: N/A (Polar claims water resistant) | Connectivity: Bluetooth
Accurate GPS
Good battery life
Dated screen
Not a premium design
The Polar M200 is one of the most affordable running watches money can buy and you’ll find it includes almost all of the fitness features you’ll want from a smartwatch.
We found the GPS could be a little slow at times, and the design isn’t as premium as some of the other devices we’ve seen from Polar, but apart this is a solid running watch with great battery life.
This won’t offer notifications and apps like some of the other devices on this list, but if fitness is the main aim for you the Polar M200 is an affordable choice that offers a variety of top features.
Read the full Polar M200 review
Photo illustration: TechRadar; Mobvoi; Amazfit; Garmin