{"id":719160,"date":"2026-07-30T14:01:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T14:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/719160\/"},"modified":"2026-07-30T14:01:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T14:01:11","slug":"4-best-budget-smartwatch-models-for-less-than-250-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/719160\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Best Budget Smartwatch Models for Less Than $250 (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why WIRED recommends: You get a smartwatch with a gently curved design that\u2019s almost identical to the original Versa but with the welcome return of a physical button. The 1.58-inch AMOLED display touchscreen is large and vibrant, and battery life lasts up to six days.<\/p>\n

As for fitness tracking, the Versa 4 is equipped with a built-in GPS to track outdoor workouts and motion sensors to log indoor swims. Google Health Coach offers AI-powered coaching and insights that provide a holistic view of your health and wellness. Lastly, you get access to a suite of Google apps, including Amazon Alexa, Google Maps, and contactless payments with Google Wallet.<\/p>\n

The trade-offs: Automatic activity tracking supports only 40 exercise modes, which is fewer than many other fitness trackers. There are no third-party apps or music controls. Voice and texting features are limited to Android users. Finally, it\u2019s water-resistant only up to 50 meters.<\/p>\n

Honorable Mentions<\/p>\n

Amazfit Bip 6 for $79<\/a>: Former editor Adrienne So<\/a> liked the Bip 6 for its aesthetic, responsive AMOLED screen, week-long battery life, and 140 sport modes. She did find its fitness-tracking capabilities and the Zepp app to be occasionally inaccurate. If you\u2019re willing to spend $20 more<\/a>, get the Amazfit Active 2<\/a> instead.<\/p>\n

Google Fitbit Charge 6 for $160<\/a>: The Fitbit Charge 6<\/a> remains one of the best entry-level fitness trackers, packed with just enough features to build healthy habits without overwhelming you with data. Its heart rate tracking held up well against more expensive devices in testing, and it can even connect to compatible gym equipment, including Peloton bikes and NordicTrack treadmills. The Charge 6 is now a couple of years old\u2014it launched in 2023\u2014and the Fitbit Air offers most of these features at a lower price point. But if you\u2019re looking for a fitness tracker with a screen, consider the Charge 6. If you don\u2019t care for a built-in GPS, the Fitbit Inspire 3<\/a> costs less than $100 and is just as accurate.<\/p>\n

Samsung Galaxy Watch FE for $226<\/a>:\u00a0The Galaxy Watch FE is a fine budget Wear OS smartwatch. The 40-mm model has a smaller screen that doesn\u2019t get as bright, and it\u2019s equipped with a slower processor and a smaller battery compared with the Watch7 series. The battery lasts just about a day, if not a little less. The health sensors are almost the same, and Gear editor Julian Chokkattu<\/a> got accurate results for heart rate and sleep tracking.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Why WIRED recommends: You get a smartwatch with a gently curved design that\u2019s almost identical to the original…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":719161,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[11917,786,415,263,129,1758,2781,86,56,54,55,5824],"class_list":["post-719160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-gadgets","tag-fitness-trackers","tag-gadgets","tag-gear","tag-review","tag-reviews","tag-shopping","tag-smartwatches","tag-technology","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom","tag-wearables"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/719160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=719160"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/719160\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/719161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=719160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=719160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=719160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}