Smartwatches are becoming increasingly popular these days with more people getting interested in trying out this wearable technology yearly because of the immense benefits which they offer.
Even with these impressive sales stats, most top smartwatches are still not for people on a tight budget. Thankfully, more brands are now coming into the smartwatch manufacturing industry in a bid to make smartwatches cheaper and more affordable to people who are on a budget.
If you’re looking to get a smartwatch but on a tight budget, then below are the best smartwatches under $50 that work like charm, but before we go into that, let’s take a look at some factors to consider when going for a cheap smartwatch as opposed to other high-end smartwatches like the Apple Watch and others top smartwatches in the market.
In a hurry? Then below is a summarized list of my top 5 picks on the best under $50 smartwatches.
Table could not be displayed.Are Cheap Smartwatches Worth It?
Cheap smartwatches are seen as fragile and less durable smartwatches by many, could this be true? Well that’s not completely true, at least in my opinion but don’t worry, i will explain just why i said that.
For example, the Apple Watch Series 5 sells for almost $400 while the LetFit smartwatch retails for just less than $40 on Amazon, the difference? Not much and besides the drastic drop in price, other specs are pretty much the same. They do almost the same work and if you’re looking to try out smartwatches for the first time, I recommend going for cheaper top-rated smartwatches like the ones i will be outlining in this article.
Who Are Cheap Smartwatches For?
Cheap smartwatches are basically for people who are looking to try out smartwatches for the first time or people who want to get smartwatches with a tight low-end budget. Just make sure you’re getting a smartwatch that fits your lifestyle.
Factors To Consider When Choosing A Smartwatch Under $50
1) Durability
You don’t want to get something that will end up breaking up the next day so make sure you get a durable smartwatch with good build quality. One way to know if a smartwatch is durable is by checking out customer reviews online from people who have actually gotten the smartwatch in the past.
Some cheap smartwatches tend to have lesser durability so you should be aware of this.
2) Battery Life
Battery life is another important factor to consider if you’re going for a smartwatch within this price range. Generally, smartwatch batteries don’t tend to last long and this is a known fact so just make sure you get a smartwatch that promises an average of 3-5 days of battery life or more.
You can check out my article on the best smartwatches with long battery life if you’re keen on getting a smartwatch with impressive battery life.
3) Device Compatibility
The Apple Watch, for example, doesn’t work out of the box with Android phones because they are designed to work only with devices on the Apple ecosystem so before getting any smartwatch within this price range, make sure it is compatible with your current smartphone.
Thankfully, most smartwatches we see these days tend to be compatible with Android and iOS smartphones (except the Apple Watch for reasons best known to Apple) but to be on the safer side, it is best to be sure that the smartwatch you’re going for is compatible with your device to avoid unwanted difficulties after purchasing.
4) Design & Style
Watches tend to add style to our dressing and it is important to know if the design of a particular smartwatch matches your dressing style before purchasing it. You can know that by just viewing pictures of the watch on various shopping sites (like Amazon for example).
Some smartwatches also allow you to swap to original bands with any band of your choice which can be purchased online so make sure you check these things before buying. Many watches also allow you to customize watch faces to fit any color or style of dressing.
5) Tracking Accuracy
If you’re getting a smartwatch primarily for fitness tracking, then it is very important to know how accurate the tracking capabilities of the smartwatch you are purchasing is, and obviously, if it comes with activity tracking features out of the box.
6) Alerts & Notifications
I know these are some basic functions that you would almost always find in most smartwatches but some smartwatches still lack this feature especially in the <$50 price range so make sure the watch you intend purchasing has smart alerts and notification enabled before paying.
7) Others?
Other features you should also look out for when getting smartwatches, in general, are customizable (will you be able to customize things like watch faces, icon arrangement e.t.c?), third party apps (some watches don’t allow the installation of third-party apps while others do), weight (is it light-weight?), comfort to wear, band size, watch radius (will it fit your wrist size?) e.t.c.
Top 10 Best Smartwatches Under $50 Right Now
Below are my picks on the top 10 best smartwatches under $50 in 2021. I will be writing a short summarized review of each product and this will contain a list of their pros and cons and key benefits in order to help you make an informed buying decision.
1) MorePro CS201 – Best Overall
The MorePro CS201 is the latest smartwatch in MorePro’s line of watches and the top winner on this list of the best smartwatches under $50 right now. It is a budget-friendly watch that contains all you will be needing from a smartwatch + an outstanding battery life to back it all up.
Although an all-rounder smartwatch, the MorePro CS201 is strongly geared towards fitness tracking. The watch comes with 18 sport modes of which some of them include running, fast walk, swimming, yoga, tennis e.t.c and each one of these modes are designed to track your activity in a particular sport and provide data that could potentially help you improve your game in it.
The battery life is also one of the best you can get from a smartwatch within this price range. According to Morepro, the battery should last around 4-5 days (or more) on normal use and 2-3 days when using all its features which include GPS tracking and full fitness tracking. For me, this is just great for the price.
Other features of the Morepro CS201 smartwatch are smart notifications (which includes calls, SMS & email), app alerts from your favourite social media apps like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, health tracking with Morepro’s advanced HR sensor, inbuilt GPS tracking, IP68 & 5ATM waterproof (meaning you can take it for swimming of 50m max), music playback control and many other features which you will be needing from a modern smartwatch.
Key Specifications
- Screen Size – 9.65 x 1.38 x 0.39 inches
- Weight – 1.44 Ounces
- Compatibility – IOS 10.0/Android 5.0 or above and Bluetooth 5.0 or later
- Battery Life (Normal Use) – 4-5 Days
- Battery Life (Full Use) – 2-3 Days
- Charging Method – Magnetic wireless charging
- Control Method – Touchscreen, physical button
- Waterproof – Yes
**2) Yamay 020 – Best Budget
The Yamay 020 Smartwatch is the latest smartwatch in Yamay’s line of smartwatches and an excellent watch for its price. It is a stylish looking smartwatch that fits any gender including kids.
The main selling point of this smartwatch is its fitness tracking capabilities and it does it better than most smartwatches within this price range. It automatically tracks your daily fitness activities from steps walked to calories burned, distance covered, heart rate, and even a sleep tracker which starts functioning the moment you go to bed.
It is also an IP68 rated waterproof smartwatch meaning you can have it on while swimming or taking a shower without any problems. Battery life on this smartwatch is also great and according to most customers who have used this smartwatch, its battery tends to last up to 5 days or more on a single charge which is quite impressive for its price range.
Other features if the Yamay 020 smartwatch includes call, SMS & email notifications + other notifications and messages from popular social media apps like Facebook, Instagram & Twitter, menstrual cycle tracking (for females), stopwatch/countdown timer and more.
The only major drawback of the watch is that it doesn’t allow you to install other third-party apps because it runs on a Yamay’s proprietary OS but if this is not a problem for you, then I recommend you go for it. Just make sure all the features you’ll be needing are already available before purchasing because you simply can’t install additional apps for other purposes.
Overall, the Yamay 020 smartwatch is a great budget smartwatch that lets you have a taste of premium smartwatch features like activity tracking, customizable watch faces, stylish design, and a good battery at an affordable price of less than $50.
Key Specifications
- Screen Size – 1.3″ TFT HD LCD color screen
- Compatibility – iOS 8.0 & Android 4.4 above smartphones
- Battery Life (Normal Use) – 5 Days
- Charging Method – Wired charging
- Control Method – Touchscreen, physical buttons
- Waterproof – Yes (IP68 Rating)
- Other Features – GPS tracking, menstrual cycle tracking for women, multiple watch faces, heart rate monitoring.
3) Kospet PROBE – Best Battery Life
The Kospet Probe smartwatch is another outstanding smartwatch within the $50 price range and my third pick on this list. It features a 1.3 inch round HD touchscreen display and an awesome battery life that can last for up to 30 days on a single charge.
This watch is compatible with most iOS and Android devices so you have nothing to worry about in terms of compatibility. Fitness and activity tracking on this smartwatch also works great and it comes with high-quality motion and optical sensors that can monitor and record your heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen rate, and more all day long when enabled.
It also features a smart notification system that shows notifications for calls, SMS, email + notifications from social media apps like Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter directly on your watch without hassles.
Other features of the Kospet Probe Smartwatch include an inbuilt GPS tracking system with 10 sport modes, customizable watch faces from their “YFit” app which is available on various app stores and more. It is also IP68 waterproof so you have nothing to worry about when swimming or having a shower with your watch on.
Overall, the watch is a great value for its price and i didn’t notice much difference in performance when i compared it to my $300 Apple Watch.
Key Specifications
- Screen Size – 1.3” Full Touch Screen Display
- Compatibility – Android 4.4+ and IOS 9.0+ with Bluetooth 4.2 and above
- Weight – 1.73 Ounces
- Battery Life (Normal Use) – 30 Days
- Battery Life (GPS) – 7 Days
- Charging Method – Wired charging
- Control Method – Touchscreen, buttons
- Waterproof – Yes (IP68 Rating)
- Other Features – GPS, multiple sport modes, fully customizable
**4) LetsFit ID205
The LetsFit ID205 is another smartwatch priced at just under $50 that works really great. It features a large 1.3 inch HD touchscreen display which allows you to access most of its features without having to check your smartphone all the time like some other smartwatches do.
At its price point, I would say this smartwatch really performed well beyond my expectations and there was really not much to complain about.
It comes with a smart activity-tracking feature via the “VeryFitPro” app which allows you to track and monitor your daily health/fitness activities such as calories burned, heart rate, distance covered, sports mileage, sleep quality and more via special sensors mounted just beneath the watch’s case.
Fitness tracking aside, the LetFit ID205 also comes with other interesting features which include smart notifications for incoming (and missed) calls, text messages, emails + notifications from top social media apps like Facebook, Whatsapp e.t.c. Multiple sports modes, music playback control amongst others are also pre-installed on the watch.
When it comes to battery life, this smartwatch also performs impressively and according to LetFit, the ID205L smartwatch could last up to 10 days on a single charge. It is compatible with most Android and iOS devices (Android OS 4.0 or iOS 8.0 and above to be specific) and requires Bluetooth 4.0 and above to work with the VeryFitPro app which is available on the respective app stores for Android and iOS.
Overall, the LetsFit ID205 smartwatch is an impressive smartwatch that is offered at a very affordable rate. If you need a watch that does the job of fitness tracking, music playback control, and more + a good battery backup for less than $50, then this is a device to consider.
Key Specifications
- Screen Size – 1.3 inch HD display
- Compatibility – Android OS 4.0 or iOS 8.0 and above (with Bluetooth 4.0)
- Battery Life (Normal Use) – 10 Days
- Battery Life (GPS) – No inbuilt GPS
- Charging Method – Magnetic wireless Charging
- Control Method – Touchscreen, physical button
- Waterproof – Yes (IP68 Rating)
5) Umidigi UWatch GT
The Umidigi UWatch GT is Umidigi’s flagship offering in the smartwatch market and at an affordable price! It features a 1.3 Inch round IPS color touchscreen display which gives you access to most of its important features directly on your wrist. The screen is also scratch resistant to some point and this reduces the worry about having scratches on its screen while going about your daily activities.
In the area of battery life, the Umidigi UWatch GT also performs well. It features a super large battery that offers up to 10days of battery life on a single 2-3 hour charge under normal usage. For its price range, this is really nice.
Another area where the UWatch GT really stands out is fitness tracking. It automatically tracks various fitness/health activities like heart rate, calories burned, distance walked, sleep quality(and quantity) alongside others. You can also sync your health data with popular fitness apps like Google Fit, Apple Health, and Strava from the VeryFitPro app which works with the watch via a Bluetooth connection.
It is also lightweight and with a good build quality which is one thing we don’t see on cheaper smartwatches these days.
Other features of the UWatch GT from Umidigi includes customizable watch faces, smart notifications from your favorite apps (including calls, SMS & emails), do not disturb mode (dnd) alongside many other features. It also works well with most Android & iOS devices via a Bluetooth connection and the VeryFitPro app so compatibility issues are almost non-existent here.
All in all, the Umidigi UWatch is a fairly nice and budget-friendly smartwatch offering from Umidigi although it comes with some minor flaws which is pretty much normal with most smartwatches within this price range.
Key Specifications
- Screen Size – 1.3 Inch HD Display
- Compatibility – IOS 8.0 or Android 4.4 and above
- Battery Life (Normal Use) – 7-10Days
- Battery Life (GPS) – No inbuilt GPS
- Charging Method – Wireless charging
- Control Method – Touchscreen, physical buttons
- Waterproof – Yes (5 ATM Rating)
6) Blackview BV-SW01
The Blackview BV-SW01 smartwatch is a stylish and professional looking smartwatch from Blackview that you can also get for just under $50. It features a 1.3 inch HD touchscreen display which allows you to access most of the watch’s features directly on your wrist without having to use your smartphone in most cases.
Fitness and health tracking features on this device also perform excellently well for its price although with some minor drawbacks. Its advanced HR sensor is capable of monitoring your heart rate, taking an analysis of your sleep (light sleep, deep sleep and wake up time), monitoring calories burned, step tracking alongside others and the data gotten from these tracking activities could help you know more about your health in real-time.
The watch also comes with multiple sport modes aimed at helping you record your fitness data differently for specific sports or exercise. Battery life is also great on the Blackview BV-SW01 smartwatch. Basically, you will be getting around 7-10 days of battery life on normal use and this might be lower (or even higher) depending on which features and services you enable and the rate in which they’re used.
Other features of this smartwatch include water resistance up to 50m (IP68 rating), music playback control when paired with your smartphone, dust resistance, smart notifications from apps (including calls, SMS, and emails), stopwatch, relaxation guides and more.
Overall, the Blackview BV-SW01 smartwatch is an awesome pick if you’re on a tight budget. It just works out of the box and for its price, you will basically be getting most features of the Apple Watch and other high end watches like the FitBit Versa 2 and even the Samsung Galaxy Watch. More importantly, it works.
Key Specifications
- Screen Size – 1.3 Inch TFT-LCD Touchscreen display
- Compatibility – iOS 8.0 & Android 4.0 and above
- Weight – 3.98 ounces
- Battery Life (Normal Use) – 10 Days
- Battery Life (GPS) – 4-5 Days
- Charging Method –
- Control Method – Touchscreen, physical buttons
- Waterproof – Yes, up to 50m (IP68 Rating)
- Other Features – 24/7 Heart rate monitor, GPS tracking, 9+ sport modes, sedentary alerts, music playback control, relaxation guides.
***7) Amatage Smartwatch
If you’re looking for a sleek and stylish smartwatch and you don’t want to spend so much money on watches from top brands, then you should consider getting this watch from Amatage.
It features a 1.4-inch 2.5D full-screen touch LCD display and multiple exercise modes which include walking, running, cycling, basketball, football, badminton and skipping. Like most smartwatches on this list, the Amatage smartwatch also comes with Fitness tracking abilities which include heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, calories measurement, relaxation guide and many more.
Battery life on this smartwatch is actually pretty outstanding in my opinion and you would basically be getting around 7 days of battery life on a single 2 hour charge. This would be greatly shortened if you enable features like GPS tracking and continuous heart rate monitoring for a long time.
The watch is also IP67 waterproof which means it can be used for wet activities like hand washing and light bathing but not for deep water activities like swimming. Other features of the Amatage smartwatch are smart notifications from apps (emails, sms and calls included), music playback control, stopwatch and more.
Overall, if you’re not a watch fanatic (like me) and you’re looking for a cheap smartwatch that gets the job done most of the time, then I highly recommend the Amatage smartwatch.
Key Specifications
- Screen Size – 1.4-inch 2.5D full-screen touch LCD display
- Compatibility – iOS 8.0 & Android 5.1 and above
- Battery Life (Normal Use) – 7 days
- Battery Life (Full Use) – 3-4 days
- Charging Method – Wired charging
- Control Method – Touchscreen, buttons
- Waterproof – Yes (IP67 rating)
***8) Willful SW020-BK-U1
Next up on this list is a pretty decent (and cheap) smartwatch from Willful which was released in mid-2019. Like most smartwatches on this list, the Willful SW020-BK-U1 smartwatch is mainly focused on fitness tracking and health monitoring and it does the job quite well for its price.
It features a 1.3-inch LCD colored touchscreen display with a good number of watch faces for customization and a brightness adjustment function which could be done manually or automatically to fit any environment.
Speaking of battery life, you should expect around 7-10 days of battery juice on this watch although Willful says it can last up to 30 days. You will however, get lesser battery life when you have power hungry features like GPS and all day activity tracking enabled.
Like I mentioned earlier, this smartwatch is mainly focused on fitness tracking and it comes with many fitness tracking features you can find on most high-end smartwatches and fitness trackers. Some of these features include heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, calorie measurement, and up to 14 sport modes which give you detailed data about your fitness in a specific sport or exercise.
The Willful Smartwatch is also water-resistant up to 50m (IP68 rated) meaning you can have it on while swimming or having a shower without issues. Other features of this watch include smart notifications and app alerts (including SMS, emails and call notifications), female-specific health tracking (includes menstrual cycle measurement), stopwatch, music playback control (uses your smartphone), alarm clock and a whole lot of other impressive features.
Overall, I must say that I was really impressed with this smartwatch from Willful. It does almost everything the $300+ Apple watch does at a very affordable price so I highly recommend it. Fitness tracking on this watch is great and if you are a fitness-oriented person who needs a watch that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, then you should definitely check out this smartwatch from Willful.
Key Specifications
- Screen Size – 1.3-inch LCD Color Touchscreen Display
- Compatibility – iOS 8.0 & Android 4.4 above
- Battery Life (Normal Use) – 10 Days
- Battery Life (Full Use) – 5-7 Days
- Charging Method – Wired charging
- Control Method – Touchscreen, physical buttons
- Waterproof – Yes, up to 50m (IP68 Rating)
****9) Lintelek H19
The Lintelek H19 smartwatch is a budget smartwatch offering from Lintelek which features an impressive 1.3 inch touchscreen color display and an amazing battery life.
Although with a unique design, the Lintelek H19 smartwatch looks very much like smartwatches in the Apple Watch series so you would basically be getting the stylish design of the Apple Watch on your wrist + more for just under $50.
Fitness tracking on this smartwatch is also great but not the best in the market. At its price range, there is really not much to complain about. The heart rate monitoring feature which allows you to monitor and record your heart rate directly on your wrist works great and its data are pretty much accurate when i tested.
It also comes with a blood pressure monitoring tool which in my experience could be a little bit off sometimes but it’s great to see a smartwatch come with a feature like this.
Sleep monitoring on this smartwatch is also pretty accurate and works most of the time for tracking your sleep quantity and quality. Battery life wise, the Lintelek H19 smartwatch performed very well and according to Lintelek, you should be getting around 7 – 10 Days of battery life on a single charge. Of course, this depends on which features you enable and use actively. More features enabled = lesser battery life.
Other features of the Lintelek H19 smartwatch include smart notifications from apps (calls, emails and text messages included), music playback control, weather forecast, customizable watch faces, and more. The watch is also compatible with most Android and iOS smartphones out there so compatibility issues are pretty much non-existent in my opinion.
Overall, the Lintelek H19 smartwatch is a pretty decent and affordable smartwatch and there is really not much to complain about at this price range.
Key Specifications
- Screen Size – 1.3-inch touchscreen display
- Compatibility – Android 4.4 and above, IOS 9.2 and above
- Battery Life (Normal Use) – 7-10 Days
- Battery Life (Full Use) – 3-4 Days
- Charging Method – Wired charging
- Control Method – Touchscreen, buttons
- Waterproof – Yes
10) Coulax Smartwatch
Wrapping up this list, we have a stylish budget smartwatch offering from a not-so-popular wearable brand known as Coulax. It features a round HD touchscreen display and an amazing battery life to back it all up.
One good thing about this smartwatch is that it not only monitors your heart rate but also helps in measuring other things like calories burned, blood pressure, and oxygen level. It also features a sleep tracker that measures the quality and quantity of your sleep when turned on.
Speaking of battery life, Coulax says the battery should be able to last for at least 7 days on a single 2.5-hour charge and most users say they got just that or slightly lower. The watch is also compatible with most android and iOS smartphones and it can be connected to your phone via a Bluetooth connection and the VeryFit app which you can download the app store for your device OS.
The Coulax smartwatch also comes with multiple sport modes which allow you to measure your fitness data differently for most sporting activities or exercises. Other features of this smartwatch include weather status reports, customizable watch faces, music playback control (uses your smartphone), breathing training, smart notifications (including calls, emails & text messages), and more.
Overall, I would say the Coulax sports smartwatch is a moderate smartwatch at its price although it comes with some issues in the area of fitness tracking. If you’re not really interested in fitness tracking and you just need a smartwatch to show you notifications and get the job done with a great battery life to back it up, then I would suggest this watch but if you’re taking your fitness data very seriously, then check out other watches on this list which work flawlessly in the area of fitness tracking.
Key Specifications
- Screen Size – 1.06-inch Round HD Touchscreen Display.
- Compatibility – Android 5.0 and above, iOS 9.0 and above
- Battery Life (Normal Use) – 7 Days
- Battery Life (Full Use) – 2-3 Days
- Charging Method – Wired Charging
- Control Method – Touchscreen, physical buttons.
- Waterproof – Yes, up to 50m (IP68 Rating)
FAQs
Q: Are Cheap Smartwatches Any Good?
A: Yeah, sure. Some of them even offer you value comparable to $300+ smartwatches like the Apple Watch so yes, they are good but mostly for people who want to get started with smartwatches and don’t want to spend money on high-end ones.
Q: Are There Any Apple Smartwatches Under $50?
A: No, there are no Apple watches under $50 and I don’t think Apple will be releasing any smartwatch within this price range in the nearest future.
Q: Do All Smartwatches Use Bluetooth?
A: Not all, but most smartwatches use Bluetooth technology for connecting & syncing data with your phone.
Conclusion
There you have it, my top picks of the best smartwatches you can get for under $50 in 2021.
Like i said earlier, smartwatches within this price range are mostly for people who are new to smartwatches and wearable tech in general and if you haven’t used any smartwatch before, then most smartwatches here are a good to get for a start.
If you got any questions or any smartwatch you would love me to consider adding on this list, let me know in the comments below and i will try to respond as soon as i can.
Not satisfied with the smartwatches on this list, hen check out my other articles on the best smartwatches under $100, and the best smartwatches under $150.