Smartwatches are a great set of devices to have as an extension of your smartphone. They come with a variety of interesting features from heart rate monitoring to step counting, fitness coach, GPS tracking, health monitoring (sleep tracking, calories calculator, blood pressure monitoring) and so much more.
The problem with most newer smartwatches we see these days is that they are not cheap. With the Apple Watch Series 5 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 costing more than $400 for the lowest models, this is a trend that will continue growing.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe these things are worth every penny but we can’t just rule out the fact that they are just too expensive for being watches.
Not everyone has $300+ to splash on a new smartwatch so, in this article, I will be sharing my top picks on the best smartwatches under $150 to buy right now. These smartwatches have been tested personally by me and they will give you just enough value as you’ll be getting on high-end $300+ smartwatches.
In a hurry? Then below is a summarised list of the best under $150 smartwatches right now.
What To Look Out For When Getting A Smartwatch Under $150
Before getting a smartwatch in this price range, there are some important factors to look out for to prevent getting a low-quality watch. In this section of the article, I will walk you through some crucial things you need to look out for when getting smartwatches in general and not just cheap (under $150) smartwatches.
Battery Life
If you ask me, battery life is the most important factor to look out for when getting any smartwatch. I don’t like to have a smartwatch that will need to be charged now and then and I don’t think you like that either.
Smartwatches with tons of features and cellular capabilities like the Apple Watch for example tend to have lesser battery life when compared to other GPS-only or non GPS smartwatches.
The battery life you’ll get on any smartwatch generally depends on how you use the watch and which features are enabled. Having power-hungry features like continuous heart rate tracking, GPS tracking, LTE, and always on all the time will greatly reduce the battery life of any smartwatch so this is something to take note of.
In summary, you should consider how often you’re willing to keep plugging your smartwatch. A smartwatch advertised with 18 hours of battery life will need to be charged every single day while a smartwatch advertised with up to 7 days of battery life won’t need to be charged for a whole week.
Fitness Tracking
Fitness tracking is something almost everyone buys smartwatches for these days and if you’re buying a smartwatch primarily for fitness tracking, then it’s very important to get a smartwatch with all the fitness tracking features you’ll be needing.
Most smartwatches on this list are fitness-focused smartwatches and I will be outlining the fitness tracking and health features of each smartwatch while writing a short review of them below.
Some of the main fitness tracking features you would want any smartwatch you opt for to have include step tracking (pedometer), heart rate monitoring (optical or ECG in some cases), GPS tracking (inbuilt or with your phone’s GPS), multiple sport modes and sleep tracking.
Compatibility
The last thing you want to have is a smartwatch that isn’t compatible with your smartphone and even though there are currently some standalone smartwatches, all smartwatches need to be connected to your smartphone at some point to sync data from the watch to your smartphone.
Luckily, most smartwatches (except the Apple Watch for reasons best known to Apple) we see now are compatible with most Android & iOS devices so there is little to worry about then it comes to this. Still, it’s very important to verify that any smartwatch you opt for is compatible with your smartphone. Very important!
Alerts & Notifications
Smart notifications and alerts are also some features we see on smartwatches these days that I love to have on my smartwatch and I believe many others love that too. In case you don’t understand what this means, its just a feature that allows you to view your latest notifications (missed/incoming calls, text messages & emails) + alerts (or notifications) from social media apps like Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others.
Some smartwatches allow you to view and reply to these notifications from the display, others only allow you to view them. If you’re very much interested in this, make sure the smartwatch you’re going for comes with this (most smartwatches do) + any other added features (like replying or deleting these notifications directly from your wrist).
Display
Most smartwatches use bright colorful LCD or AMOLED displays while other high-end smartwatches like the Apple Watch and most Samsung Galaxy watches use OLED displays. The difference? Well not much, but OLED displays are the newer and brighter versions of AMOLED displays. AMOLED displays also tend to consume more battery life when compared to OLED displays.
Display size is another important factor to consider. If You have slightly bigger fingers than normal, then it won’t be easy to use the touchscreen feature on smartwatches with smaller display sizes.
Most people also prefer smartwatches with round-shaped displays over square-shaped displays so if you prefer one display shape over another, make sure you take a look at these things before purchasing any smartwatch.
Apps
Just the way all smartphones don’t use the same operating system, all smartwatches don’t also use the same operating systems. Popular smartwatch operating systems include wearOS (formerly Android Wear), WatchOS (for Apple Watches), Tizen OS (for Samsung watches), Fitbit OS (for Fitbit smartwatches), and many others.
Some operating systems have more developers than while others don’t. Operating systems with many app developers usually mean there will be more third-party apps available for download (free or paid) and that’s also the case here.
Apple’s WatchOS and Google’s wearOS are the biggest operating systems for smartwatches and they both have thousands of free and paid apps available on their app stores available for download on smartwatches powered by them.
Samsung’s Tizen OS is the third on the list and the OS is growing every year with many developers coming in to create apps for the platform. Other proprietary wearable operating systems like Fitbit OS, Garmin Watch OS, and a lot of others are deficient in their apps department so this is something to be aware of.
The Best Smartwatches Under $150 In 2022
Below are my top picks on the best smartwatches under $150. I will also be writing a short but semi in-depth review of each smartwatch, its pros, and cons alongside areas where they stand out when it comes to smartwatches.
1) Samsung Galaxy Watch Active – Best Overall
Editor Rating – 4.8/5
The Samsung Watch Active although an older model Samsung’s Galaxy Watch series, is the best smartwatch under $150 right now. It features an impressive bright-colored touchscreen display and an impressive battery to power up the watch for days.
A fan of smartwatches with round displays? Then the Galaxy Watch Active could be a great fit for you if you’re on a tight budget. Display-wise, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active features a 1.1-inch circular 360×360 AMOLED display which gives you just enough room to use most of its features directly on the watch itself while having it on your wrist.
On its fitness tracking features, the Galaxy Watch Active comes with most of the fitness tracking features we see on most high-end smartwatches these days. Some of them include heart rate monitoring (via an optical sensor), sleep tracking, step counter (pedometer), GPS tracking (built-in), and more. The watch also allows you to install fitness apps like MyFitnessPal, Strava, MapMyRun & Strava.
Talking of battery life, the Galaxy Watch Active features a 230mAh battery, and I think Samsung went with a battery of this size to cut down on the weight of the watch as the Galaxy Watch Active is a very lightweight smartwatch.
In my experience, you should expect to get around 2 days of battery life on this watch when you have the always-on feature turned off. If you have the always-on feature turned on all the time + using power-hungry features like GPS tracking and continuous heart rate tracking, then the watch will need to be charged every day.
On its downsides, the only major problem I had with this smartwatch is its battery, honestly. I hate to always have to charge my watch every day when using most of the watch’s features all the time so if you opt for this watch, know that the battery isn’t the best.
Another issue I found on the watch is that it doesn’t come with Samsung’s signature rotating bezel which you can find on most Samsung Galaxy smartwatches. Again, I think Samsung removed this to cut down on the overall weight of the watch so I couldn’t blame them.
Overall, the Galaxy Watch Active is an excellent smartwatch if you ask me, the only area where it lacks is in its battery life and this is pretty common with most high-end smartwatches with tons of features (like the Apple Watch).
Key Features
- Battery Life – 2days
- Display – 1.1-inch circular AMOLED display
- Water Resistant – Yes (5 ATM rated)
- OS – Tizen OS
- Compatibility – Android 5.0, iOS 9.0 and above
- Connectivity – GPS, Glonass, Beidou & Galileo
2) Apple Watch Series 3 – Best for iPhones
Editor Rating – 4.7/5
The Apple Watch Series 3 although an older model of the Apple Watch, is still one of the best smartwatches you can find under $150. It is an excellent smartwatch for Apple’s iOS users but not an option if you’re on Android or any other mobile OS.
The Apple Watch Series 3 is available in two versions. The 38mm version comes with a 1.5-inch display while the 42mm version of the Series 3 features a 1.65-inch display. Both versions run on Apple’s watchOS and can be updated to the latest version of the operating system at any time.
Apple is known for churning out smartwatches with excellent fitness tracking features and the Series 3, although an older model, is not an exception to this. Fitness tracking features available on the Apple Watch Series 3 include heart rate monitoring (via an optical sensor), steps tracking (pedometer), GPS tracking (inbuilt), swim tracking, calories burned monitor, and more. Sleep tracking doesn’t come by default but you can use some sleep tracking apps to achieve that.
Unfortunately, the Apple Watch Series doesn’t ship with an ECG sensor for advanced heart health monitoring like the newer Apple Watch models (Series 4&5) do. The optical sensor works just fine but it’s not as accurate as an ECG sensor for heart rate monitoring.
On its battery life, the Apple Watch Series 3 doesn’t perform so well in my opinion and this is the problem with Apple Watches in general (none exempted). You will be getting around 18hours – 1day of battery life on average. The watch will need to be charged every day.
Overall, the Apple Watch Series 3, although an older model of the Apple Watch, is still very much worth giving a shot for its price. If you’re an iOS user, then this is the smartwatch I recommend but if you’re an Android, then check out other smartwatches on this list as Apple watches are not currently compatible with non iOS devices.
Key Features
- Battery Life – 18 Hours
- Display – 1.5-inch (38mm) & 1.65-inch (42mm)
- Water Resistant – Yes (up to 50m)
- OS – Apple watchOS
- Compatibility – iOS phones
- Connectivity – LTE (selected models), Bluetooth, WiFi
- Notifications – Yes
3) TicWatch C2 – Best for Android
Editor Rating – 4.5/5
The TicWatch C2 from Mobvoi is the best wearOS smartwatch you can get under $150 right now. It offers a stylish-looking design, an impressive battery, and tons of apps to choose from via the Google Play Store.
It comes with a round display and a great screen-to-body ratio so if you’re a fan of round/circular displays, then this might be a great smartwatch for you in terms of design. The TicWatch C2 is powered by Google’s wearOS so it comes with Google Assistant, Google Pay (for contactless payments at accepted stores), and the Google Play store with tons of apps to choose from.
On fitness tracking, the TicWatch C2 also performs great and way beyond my expectations. Fitness tracking features like sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring, step counter, calorie monitor, and more works just great and gives accurate data as well. You can also install other fitness apps like Google Fit, Strava, Runkeeper, and more from the Google Play Store easily if you need more fitness features.
Battery life on the TicWatch C2 is also pretty great but not the best. On this smartwatch, you would be getting around 2 days of battery life on average. This could be higher or lower depending on how you use the watch and which features or apps you use.
Overall, the TicWatch C2 is a great smartwatch offered at a very affordable price for the features it offers. The watch is powered by Google’s wearOS so you can choose any app from tons of apps available on the play store in case you need any additional features.
Key Features
- Battery Life – 2 days+
- Display – 1.3-inch AMOLED touchscreen display
- Water Resistant – Yes (IP68 rated)
- OS – wearOS by Google
- Compatibility – Android & iOS smartphones
- Connectivity – Bluetooth, WiFi
- Notifications – Yes
4) Fitbit Versa Lite – Good Fitness Tracker
Editor Rating – 4.5/5
As the name suggests, the Fitbit Versa Lite is the lower and cheaper version of the Fitbit Versa smartwatch. You might be asking how well it fares when compared to the non-lite model? Well, just as good for its price.
On its display, the Fitbit Versa Lite features a 1.34-inch bright-colored touch screen display. Although the bezels are a little bit large on this watch, you’ll still get enough room to use most of its features directly on your wrist.
The Fitbit Versa Lite is also an excellent lightweight fitness tracker. Fitness tracking on this smartwatch is not as good as the original Fitbit Versa smartwatch, but it’s still a bargain for its price. You’ll get all the basic fitness tracking features like heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, step tracking, Sp02 monitoring, calories burned monitoring, GPS tracking (via your phone’s GPS), and more on this watch and they are pretty accurate too!
The watch is also water-resistant up to 50m and you can use it while having a shower, washing your hands, or even swimming without any issues. It also comes with around 20+ goal-based workout modes which could help in getting more precise fitness data for specific workouts/sports.
Battery life is also a very important factor to look out for when going for any smartwatch and the Fitbit Versa Lite works just fine in the area of battery life. You should be able to get 4days or more of battery juice on this smartwatch. This largely depends on how you use the watch and what features you use while you have the watch on.
On its downsides, firstly, the Fitbit Versa Lite is not scratch-resistant so it’s very important to get a screen protector alongside the watch when buying. Another issue I noticed while trying it out is its display is very large and might not be a good fit for people with smaller wrists. If your wrist size is smaller than normal, I don’t recommend getting this smartwatch.
Overall, the Fitbit Versa Lite smartwatch is a pretty decent watch in my opinion and if you need a good waterproof smartwatch under $150, then consider getting this watch. Like I mentioned above, the watch is not a great fit for people with small wrists.
Key Features
- Battery Life – 4 days
- Display – 1.34-inch color LCD display
- Water Resistant – Yes (up to 50m)
- OS – fitbitOS
- Compatibility – (Apple iOS 12.2 & Android OS 7.0) or higher
- Connectivity – Bluetooth, GPS
- Notifications – Yes
5) Garmin vívoMove HR – Best Hybrid
Editor Rating – 4.2/5
If you need a good hybrid smartwatch under $150, then the Garmin vivoMove HR would be your best bet. This smartwatch is one of Garmin’s best hybrid smartwatches to date.
Now to its features. The Garmin vívoMove HR features a circular 0.38-inch x 0.76-inch non-touch display and a dedicated screen to display data from its smart features. As a hybrid smartwatch, this watch is made to look like traditional wristwatches but with smart features.
On fitness tracking, the Garmin vivoMove HR is one of the best hybrid smartwatches out there for fitness tracking. It comes with some fitness tracking features which include stress tracking, advanced sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring (via an optical sensor), steps tracking, calorie monitoring, vo2 max testing alongside others.
Hybrid smartwatches are the best battery life smartwatches in the market and as a hybrid smartwatch, the Garmin vivoMove HR is no exception to this. According to Garmin, you would bet getting around 5-7 days of battery life on this watch in smart mode (this displays fitness data and notifications directly on the watch) and 2 Weeks+ of battery life in watch mode (the watch will tell the time only).
Overall, the Garmin vivoMove HR smartwatch is the best hybrid smartwatch you can get for under $150 right now. No doubt about that. If you need a budget smartwatch that looks exactly like normal wristwatches but with special smart features underneath, then this could be a perfect choice.
Key Features
- Battery Life – 5 days+ (smart mode) & 2 Weeks+ (watch mode)
- Display – Circular 0.38-inch x 0.76-inch non-touch display
- Water Resistant – Yes (5ATM rated)
- OS – Garmin watchOS
- Compatibility – (Apple iOS 12.0 & Android OS 6.0) or higher
- Connectivity – Bluetooth & ANT+
- Notifications – Yes
6) Garmin vivoActive 3 – Best Durable
Editor Rating – 4.2/5
The Garmin vivoActive 3 although an older model in Garmin’s line of smartwatches is still a great smartwatch you can purchase for under $150 right now. It supports contactless payments via Garmin Pay, customizable watch faces, and an inbuilt GPS for activity tracking.
On its display, the Garmin vivoActive 3 features a 1.2-inch round touchscreen display which gives you just enough room to use most of its features directly on the watch while having it on.
Fitness tracking on the vivoActive 3 is also great and it gives you accurate tracking as you’ll be getting on most of Garmin’s high-end smartwatches. Some fitness tracking features bundled with this smartwatch include heart rate monitoring, V02 max estimation, heart rate variability (HRV) tracking, stress monitoring, among others.
Lastly, on its battery life, Garmin is known for producing smartwatches with great battery life and the vivoActive 3 is one of them. While using this smartwatch, I was able to get around 1 week of battery juice without using GPS and 16 hours+ of battery life when I used GPS all the time. These figures may be lesser (or even higher) depending on how you use the watch.
Other features of the Garmin vivoActive 3 include third-party apps support via the Connect IQ store, multiple sport modes for more precise activity tracking, smart notifications (calls, SMS, emails, and app alerts), fitness data syncing via the Garmin Connect app, and more.
On its downsides, firstly, its battery life is not all good if you’re someone who uses GPS all day and if you plan on getting this watch mainly for GPS tracking, then you’ll need to charge it every day. Another is that the watch provides inaccurate steps counting data in some cases when I tested. I don’t know if this is from my unit or the way I used it.
Overall, aside from the average-poor battery life when using the GPS all the time, the Garmin vivoActive 3 is still a great smartwatch to get considering the features you will be getting at that price point.
Key Features
- Battery Life – 7 days (normal use) – 16 hours (when using GPS)
- Display – 1.2-inch round touchscreen display
- Water Resistant – Yes (5 ATM)
- OS – Garmin watchOS
- Compatibility – (Apple iOS 12.0 & Android OS 6.0) or higher
- Connectivity – Bluetooth, GPS
7) Amazfit Bip – Best Budget
Editor Rating – 4.1/5
If you need a good fitness tracker and general health smartwatch that doesn’t break the bank, then the Amazfit Bip could be the perfect fit. It’s an all-rounder that you can get for just under $100 right now.
The Amazfit Bip features a 1.2-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 127 x 127 and a 2.5D Corning glass. Its display also comes with an anti-fingerprint coating which ensures the screen doesn’t attract fingerprint stains during daily use.
On fitness tracking, the Amazfit Bip is one of the best cheap smartwatches you can buy primarily for fitness tracking and it does its job just fine here. Some fitness tracking features available on this watch include continuous heart rate monitoring, GPS tracking (inbuilt), sleep tracking, calories burned monitoring, steps tracking, and lots more.
When it comes to battery life, the Amazfit Bip is an absolute beast and one of the best battery life smartwatches out there. Amazfit says this smartwatch can last for 45days (1 Month+) and I was able to get around 1 month of battery life when I didn’t use the GPS at all and around 3Weeks of battery life when I used the inbuilt GPS tracker around 3 times or slightly more per week. This smartwatch is an absolute battery beast!
Other features of the Amazfit Bip worth mentioning here include notifications, reminders, alarms. The watch also comes with 4 sport modes that provide detailed sports tracking data for outdoor and indoor running, walking, and outdoor cycling.
On its downsides, the only problem I had with this smartwatch was that I wasn’t able to install any third-party apps. This is because the watch runs on Amazfit proprietary operating system and not popular smartwatch operating systems like Apple’s watchOS and wearOS which offer you tons of third-party apps to choose from.
Overall, I would say the Amazfit Bip is a great budget smartwatch as it ticks all the boxes of features I love to find on smartwatches. The battery is also amazing and for its price, there’s next to nothing to complain about.
Key Features
- Battery Life – 30 days+ (without GPS) – 3 Weeks (with GPS)
- Display – 1.2-inch colored touchscreen display
- Water Resistant – Yes
- OS – Amazfit OS
- Compatibility – (Apple iOS 8.0 & Android OS 4.4) or higher
- Connectivity – Bluetooth, GPS+GLONASS dual-mode positioning
8) TicWatch E – Great Android Watch
Editor Rating – 3.9/5
The TicWatch E is another excellent wearOS-powered smartwatch from Mobvoi on this list and one of the best cheap android smartwatches right now. If you need a smartwatch that supports apps like Google Fit and Google Pay natively, this could be a great deal.
Now to its features. Firstly on its display, the TicWatch E smartwatch features a round 1.4-inch OLED touchscreen display which gives you just enough room to use most of its features directly on your wrist. The display is very responsive and I had no issue while using it.
On fitness tracking, the TicWatch E comes with most fitness tracking features I expect from smartwatches. On this watch, you can monitor your heart rate via a built-in optical PPG sensor, track sleep, measure your steps, and calories burned + more. The watch also has multiple sport modes and third-party app support (via the Google Play Store) in case you need additional fitness apps like Strava, MyFitnessPal, and others for more fitness tracking features.
Unfortunately, battery life is where this smartwatch lags as I was only able to get around 13 – 15 hours of battery life when I tested and also I resulted in having to charge the watch every night. If you plan on getting this smartwatch, then this is very important to take note of.
Other features of the TicWatch E include notifications, receive/make calls & send messages (for Android users only), personal assistant – Google assistant, contactless payments via Google Pay, native Google Fit support, inbuilt GPS tracking, music player, customizable watch faces, compass and more.
Overall, the TicWatch E to me is a great smartwatch powered by Google’s wearOS and one of the advantages of this is the fact that you get tons of great apps to choose from. Battery life is not the best so you should take note of that.
Key Features
- Battery Life – 15 hours – 1 day
- Display – 1.4-inch OLED touchscreen display
- Water Resistant – Yes (IP67 rated)
- OS – Android wearOS
- Compatibility – (Apple iOS 9.0 & Android OS 4.3) or higher
- Connectivity – Bluetooth, GPS, WiFi
9) Amazfit GTS – Best Stylish
Editor Rating – 3.5/5
The Amazfit GTS is another interesting and stylish smartwatch from Amazfit that you can get for under $150 right now. It’s an Apple Watch lookalike and a great fit for both men and women.
On its features, the Amazfit GTS comes with a 1.65-inch AMOLED touchscreen display and a large display area which makes the touch screen feature easier to use. It also comes with an always-on feature that can be enabled or disabled via the watch settings.
Battery life on this watch is also pretty decent and Amazfit says you’ll be able to get around 2 weeks of battery life on this watch. Fitness tracking features include continuous heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, steps counter, calories burned calculator, and more.
Other interesting features of the Amazfit GTS include music playback control, GPS activity tracking, compass, alarms, reminders, and more. It is also water-resistant up to 50m (5ATM rated) meaning you don’t need to worry when swimming or taking a shower when you have the watch on.
Overall, the Amazfit GTS is a sleek and stylish-looking smartwatch that offers great performance and amazing battery life for backup. The watch may not be best out there but it works.
Key Features
- Battery Life – 2 Weeks
- Display – 1.65-inch AMOLED touchscreen display
- Water Resistant – Yes (5 ATM Rated)
- OS – Amazfit OS
- Compatibility – (Apple iOS 10.0 & Android OS 5.0) or higher
- Connectivity – Bluetooth, GPS
10) Polar M200
Editor Rating – 3.3/5
The Polar M200 is my last pick on the best smartwatches under $150 and its also a great smartwatch for its price. If you’re a fan of smartwatches with round displays + fitness tracking, this watch might be a great fit for you.
Its display is nice but not everyone is a fan of round displays on smartwatches. The display size is measured at 1-inch and it gives you just enough room to use most of its features directly on your wrist via the two side buttons.
The Polar M200 is basically a fitness tracker so fitness tracking is a priority here. Fitness tracking features you’ll find on this watch include heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, steps counter, calories burned monitoring, and more.
It also comes with multiple sport profiles and you can choose the right profile for any sport or activity you’re doing while having the watch on. The profiles are there to help you get more accurate and precise fitness data from specific sports or workouts.
The battery life on this watch is also pretty decent and for its price, there is much to complain about. On normal use, you should be able to squeeze out around 4-6 days of battery juice on this watch and around 2 days or less if you use GPS all the time.
Overall, if you need a fitness-focused smartwatch that doesn’t break the bank, then I will suggest you consider the Polar M200.
Key Features
- Battery Life – 4 days (normal use) & 2 days (with GPS)
- Display – 1-inch dot-matrix display
- Water Resistant – Yes
- OS – wearOS
- Compatibility – (Apple iOS 12.0 & Android OS 5.0) or higher
- Connectivity – Bluetooth, GPS
Wrapping Up
There you have it, a comprehensive list of best smartwatches you can get for just under $150 right now and while i have tried to outline where each of these smartwatches perform very well and where they have their flaws, choosing the right smartwatch still mostly depends on your individual preferences.
If you’re on iOS, then the Apple Watch Series 3 would without any doubt be the best smartwatch to choose as its is compatible with iPhones and you wouldn’t be leaving the Apple ecosystem. Android user? Then consider getting the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active or the TicWatch C2 as both of them work great with Android devices (and iPhones too).
A fan of hybrid smartwatches? Then i highly recommend the Garmin vivoMove HR because it just works and offers a great battery life for power backup. The Amazfit Bip is also a great smartwatch and if you’re on a strict budget (under $70), i suggest you get it.
Did i miss anything in this article? Let me know in the comment section below. Also, If this article helped you decide the right smartwatch to buy for your budget, also let me know the watch you chose in the comments below as i would love to know.
Happy smartwatching!