Best Affordable Waterproof Fitness Trackers For Outdoor Sports In 2021

by Free Range Entrepreneur | Dec 10, 2020 | Gear, Health & Fitness, Kitesurfing, Software & Apps, Surfing | 0 comments

Best Affordable Waterproof Fitness Trackers For Outdoor Sports In 2021

Make a mark with these affordable waterproof fitness trackers you can wear in the shower, pool, or great outdoors.

What is the best waterproof fitness tracker? The best gear is the gear you actually use and the best waterproof fitness tracker isn’t just a handy tool for your workouts or runs, but a constant companion for an active lifestyle whether you’re running, swimming, doing something more adventurous or just in the shower.

Not all health trackers are waterproof though, so they may not survive a dip in the pool or powerful rainstorm. If you believe this is something your fitness tracker will be exposed to, you will want something better.

As well as functionality, finding a fitness tracker that is affordable and meets your budget is also key. Fortunately fitness trackers in general tend to be quite affordable so there is considerable choice and you don’t need to forego much in terms of functionality at the budget end of the market.

That’s why we have put together a list of some of the best affordable waterproof fitness trackers that are excellent at tracking all factors of multi sport health and fitness, and can also survive a dunk in the drink.

Not all of the trackers on this list are brilliant at monitoring your swimming stats – you may want something specific for that – however they are all constructed to go into the pool with you and won’t die the instant you take a dive in the water with them on your wrist.

This list is for fitness trackers, so we have not included smart watches like the Fitbit Versa 2, Apple Watch 5 or Samsung Galaxy Watch.

Now let’s go into the deep end so you can discover our recommended water-proof fitness trackers that you can purchase today.

1. Fitbit Charge 4

Take flight with the best all-round waterproof fitness tracker

Waterproof rating: Up to 50m Screen: Yes, monochrome Heart rate tracker: Yes Waterproof: Yes Activity tracking: Yes GPS: Yes Battery life: Up to 7 days Compatibility: Android/iOS/Windows

In-built GPS
Fitbit Pay
Heart rate training
No colour screen

The Fitbit Charge four is water resistant up to 50 meter, and like it’s predecessor the Fitbit Charge three, it’s appropriate for pool, lake or ocean activities.

However that’s not the sole reason to choose the Charge 4. Although it’s appearance is very nearly the same as its predecessor, with the equal slim, discreet design, the Charge four has some serious enhancements beneath the cover. The most vital upgrade for everyone who enjoys swimming, strolling or biking is the addition of on-board GPS. Finally, you can hit the water or the pavement without needing to carry your phone.

You can additionally use the Fitbit Charge four to access your Spotify playlist and make purchases using Fitbit Pay (through one of the supported banks).

There’s nevertheless no colour screen, however that could be the reason why the battery life is so long (up to seven days). If it really is some thing you can stay without, this is one of the best water-resistant health trackers around.

2. Garmin Instinct Solar

Incredible battery life for adventuring on and away from dry land

Waterproof rating: Up to 100m Screen: Yes, monochrome Heart rate tracker: Yes Waterproof: Yes Activity tracking: Yes GPS: Yes Battery life: Potentially unlimited Compatibility: Android/iOS

At the high end of the budget on our list but good quality, Garmin has launched some high-quality water-proof watches in recent times, including the highly-specialized Marq Captain, which can be used to control autopilot on a yacht!

However out of the rest, the Garmin Instinct Solar comes out on top – a first-rate tough, splendidly sensible health tracker that is best for adventures off the beaten track.

The Instinct Solar’s unique factor is its magnificent battery life, which is theoretically limitless if you are in a position to provide its Solar Glass with enough sunlight to keep it running in power-saving mode. But even with regular use, normal GPS tracked exercises and patchy solar exposure, it will nevertheless keep going for weeks instead of mere hours or days.

Its chunky layout might not be to everyone’s liking but is available in a variety of colours to suit different tastes, however with all day activity and heart-beat monitoring, stress tracking, on-board GPS, SpO2 monitoring and dozens of exercise profiles, it is a top choice for swimming, surfing, kayaking and plenty more water sports.

3. Fitbit Versa 3

A feature packed fitness tracker watch for both in and out of the water

Waterproof rating: Up to 50m Screen: Yes, colour Heart rate tracker: Yes Activity tracking: Yes GPS: Yes Battery life: up to 6 days Compatibility: Android/iOS

Swimming is one of 30 exercises the Fitbit Versa three is able to track, and like all latest Fitbits, it is water resistant to a depth of 50m. Built in GPS monitoring ensures open water swimming and other water sports will be recorded accurately.

The Versa three is a high-quality all-round smartwatch and health tracker that’ll serve you well for outdoor sports, at the pool and on dry land. It handles contactless repayments by means of Fitbit Pay, all-day heart rate monitoring, sleep monitoring, customised smartphone notifications, and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) monitoring.

The tracker supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, giving you access to voice commands to control your home smart devices from your wrist.

If you want a watch that you can put on all day long, it is an excellent choice.

4. Letsfit Fitness Tracker (and other budget options)

Best Budget Tracker

Waterproof rating: IP68 Screen: Yes, colour Heart rate tracker: Yes Waterproof: Yes Activity tracking: Yes GPS: No Battery life: Up to 7 days Compatibility: Android/iOS

Heart Rate Monitor,
Activity Tracker
IP68 Waterproof Rating
Sleep Monitor

$29.99 / £36.99

Letsfit’s smartwatch is a essentially a knockoff of the Fitbit Versa, almost all the way down to the font on the watch face, however the differences are apparent to anybody who has used an actual Versa.

It is definitely one of the more budget options but this is noticeable in some places. The latch is made from lower priced plastic, the tracked metrics on the watch face are rudimentary and the VeryFitPro app is less user friendly and not as enjoyable to use.

But it is waterproof, and the pedometer is fairly accurate. The battery life is about a week, and the band is smooth and comfortable. If you want an equally cheap, less complicated tracker, I also like the Xiaomi Mi Band 5 ($39.93 / £28.55) which has a long-lasting battery, is waterproof, camera, and is comfortable or alternatively the Amazfit Band 5 ($29.99 / £39.00) with a host of features including built-in Alexa.

But if you are inclined to spend a little more, it is really worth searching for older Garmin or Fitbit models that in many instances go on sale for under £100/$100.

5. Garmin Vivosmart 4 and Vivosport

It can tell you how much energy you have

Waterproof rating: Up to 50m Screen: Yes, monochrome Heart rate tracker: Yes Activity tracking: Yes GPS: No Battery life: up to 7 days Compatibility: Android/iOS

Body metrics
Long battery performance
Small screen
No GPS

The Garmin Vivosmart four stands out chiefly through its Body Battery metric, which effectively tries to measure how worn out you are.

It also has most of the fundamentals covered, with a heart rate monitor, a health age estimate, computerized workout tracking, sleep monitoring, stress monitoring and waterproof up to 50 meters.

All that plus up to a week of battery charge make for an outstanding tracker, particularly given that buying this won’t make you bankrupt.

We were particularly impressed with the Vivosmart 4, however one drawback to be aware of is that there’s no GPS and the display screen is small and occasionally unresponsive – in particular when wet, which takes some of the glamour off its waterproof credentials. If you like Garmin and would prefer to have GPS for running and other outdoor activities then the Garmin Vivosport ($84.99 / £90.00) is probably a better choice.

6. Huawei Band 4 Pro

Stylish and practicality on a budget

Waterproof rating: Up to 50m Screen: Yes colour Heart rate tracker: Yes Activity tracking: Yes GPS: Yes Battery life: 14 days standby Compatibility: Android/iOS

Great battery
AMOLED colour screen
Powerful GPS
Open water swim mode

Replacing the Huawei Band Three Pro is the Huawei Band Four Pro. This is one fine affordable health tracker and a great option to purchase if you are on a strict budget. It has some tremendous features considering how little it costs, making it really budget friendly.

The Band Four Pro comes with GPS built-in, it has a water resistant design with open water swim mode capable to 5 atmospheres, although we wouldn’t push it to its limits at this price point, and there is a 0.95-inch AMOLED colour display to show all of your metrics on your wrist.

The heart rate tracker is accurate, and powerful GPS we did find it to be quite accurate. If you are searching for a low cost entry-level tracker to dip your toes into the world of health tracking, this is a good place to start.

7. Fitbit Inspire HR

Inspire you to get off the sofa

Waterproof rating: Up to 50m Screen: Yes monochrome Heart rate tracker: Yes Activity tracking: Yes GPS: No Battery life: 5 days Compatibility: Android/iOS

Premium design
Lots of tracked metrics
No swim tracking
No contactless payments

This is not the most comprehensive health tracker in our list, however it does a lot given its price tag and you still get access to all of Fitbit’s top-end services.

The Fitbit Inspire HR unsurprisingly provides a heart rate tracker alongside a range of different health monitoring capabilities.

It isn’t quite as successful as the Fitbit Charge as it lacks swim monitoring or Fitbit Pay integration, however it is still a decent tracker and is a good deal cheaper.

Additionally it’s slimmer than a lot of other trackers you can buy, so if you are after a Fitbit that is not as heavy or bulky on your wrist you may favor the Inspire HR as your health band.

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