I have always been a little obsessed with numbers. Step counts, heart rates, sleep cycles—these metrics somehow make me feel like I’m making progress even when I skip leg day. Back in 2022 I used to rely on my phone to track steps, but half the time my phone would be sitting on my desk while I walked around the apartment. When I finally bought a cheap fitness band from a street vendor, it was a disaster. The strap broke in a week, the battrery life lasted about as long as an Instagram reel, and the heart rate measurements were about as reliable as my friend’s “I’ll be there in five minutes” texts. So in 2024 I decided to invest in proper budget trackers. After a year of playing with various bands and watches under ₹3,000–₹5,000, here’s my personal ranking, complete with my quirks and some human mistakes because that’s how life goes.
Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 – The Little Champ
The Mi Smart Band series has ruled the budget fitness tracker market for years, and the 2025 model only strengthens its hold. For around ₹3,500, you get an AMOLED display that’s bright enough to read in Rajasthan’s harsh midday sun, 24/7 heart rate and SpO2 monitoring, basic GPS tracking via your phone, 150+ workout modes, and a 5 ATM water resistance rating. Xiaomi claims the battrery lasts 16 days, and honestly it’s not far off. I charged it fully on a Monday, wore it through my evening runs, slept with it to track my sleep cycles, and by the following Sunday it still had 25% battery left. That’s insane for something so small. One thing I love: customizing the watch face. I spent an hour one afternoon scrolling through all the cartoon faces in the app because I couldn’t decide if I wanted Pikachu telling me the time or a minimal analog dial.
There are downsides. The strap still feels a bit flimsy, and I almost lost the tracker while trying to tie my shoelaces—it popped out and rolled under the sofa. Also, the accuracy of the step counter is sometimes off. When I sat through a two-hour movie, the band insisted I had taken 500 steps. Maybe my fidgeting counts as cardio? But overall, for the price, it’s a fantastic entry-level device.
Realme Band 3 – My Surprising Favorite
I didn’t expect to like Realme’s Band 3 because the Band 2 left me underwhelmed. But Realme really stepped up. The Band 3 costs around ₹2,999 and has a larger 1.8‑inch color display with better touch response, blood oxygen monitoring, and almost 100 sports modes. The battery lasts about 12 days, which is slightly shorter than Xiaomi’s band, but it charges super fast—just over an hour from empty to full. Realme’s app is also improved; I could see my step count, calories, sleep data, and even my stress levels. It told me my stress was “medium” on the day I missed a deadline, which felt like the band was reading my mind.
I actually took this band swimming once. It survived my lazy breaststroke and even counted my laps. The water resistance is rated at 50 meters, but I’m not planning to test that too far because I’m not Aquaman. Another cool feature is the ability to control music on my phone; I can pause, skip, or adjust volume right from my wrist while on the treadmill. However, the Realme band sometimes loses connection with my phone. I once went an entire morning thinking I had burned 800 calories, only to realize the band hadn’t synced since midnight. Oops. But Realme’s design and comfortable strap make it my daily driver. If I’m being honest, I prefer it over Xiaomi’s offering because the bigger screen makes it easier to read my notifications without squinting.
OnePlus Band – Good but Not Great
OnePlus is known for its smartphones, but they tried their hand at budget fitness trackers with the OnePlus Band. It costs about ₹2,499 and offers basic features like heart rate and SpO2 monitoring, sleep tracking, and 13 exercise modes. The display is bright and crisp, and the build quality feels more premium than the price suggests. The battery life is around 14 days, which is decent, and it charges via a small USB‑C charger. For OnePlus phone users, the band integrates nicely with the OnePlus Health app.
My problem with the OnePlus Band is that it feels like a product from a company that’s still learning the wearables game. The heart rate sensor often lags, showing my heart rate minutes after my run instead of in real time. The strap’s locking mechanism is weird—you have to feed the strap through a loop and then push it into a hole, which I always get wrong the first time. There was one morning when I was half asleep, trying to put it on, and ended up wearing it backwards for an hour. On top of that, the app sometimes throws random notifications in Chinese characters. I’m sure they mean something, but since I can’t read Chinese, they’re not helpful. If OnePlus refines the software, this could be a great device; for now, it’s just okay.
Honor Band 7 – The Underdog
Honor isn’t as prominent in India as it used to be, but the Band 7 deserves a mention. It costs just under ₹2,000 and has features you’d expect from a more expensive tracker: a 1.6‑inch AMOLED screen, SpO2, heart rate, 96 workout modes, and even menstrual cycle tracking (which my sister appreciated when she borrowed it). The battery claims 14 days, but in my testing it was closer to 10 with continuous heart rate on. Still, that’s not bad. I like the strap’s material; it’s soft and doesn’t irritate my skin even when I get sweaty. Plus, the watch faces are fun. I chose a silly one with a cartoon banana doing sit-ups because it made me laugh.
However, the Honor app is the weak point. It’s a bit buggy and sometimes refuses to sync data. There was a day when the app told me I had slept for 26 hours, which would be nice but is obviously not true. Also, the notifications support is limited. You can’t reply to messages or answer calls like on more expensive smartwatches. But if you just want basic health tracking without breaking the bank, the Honor Band 7 is a solid pick.
The Reality of Budget Trackers
Here’s the thing: no budget fitness tracker is perfect. They all have quirks. Sometimes they count your gesticulations as steps, sometimes they ignore an actual sprint. Many of them rely on your phone’s GPS, so if you leave your phone behind, your outdoor run will look like you teleported. And yes, occasionally the sensors freak out and tell you you’re dead when your heart rate drops to zero because the band slipped on your wrist. That happened to me on a bus ride; I looked down and saw a flatline. For a second I thought I was a ghost.
But these affordable devices have genuinely improved my habits. Seeing my sleep score drop after a late-night movie made me go to bed earlier. Getting a buzz when I’d been sitting for an hour reminded me to stretch. Tracking my heart rate while cycling helped me figure out when I was pushing too hard. And when I forget to charge my band for a couple of days and it finally dies, I actually miss it.
Tips for Choosing Your Tracker
If you’re considering a budget fitness tracker in 2025, think about what matters most to you. Battery life? Display brightness? Specific sports modes? Check if the strap is comfortable—this sounds minor, but if it’s scratchy you’ll end up taking it off. Make sure the app works with your phone and that the notifications you need are supported. Also, look at reviews (and not just mine). Some features like stress tracking and menstrual cycle predictions can be useful, but only if the algorithms are accurate.
Finally, don’t forget that these devices are tools, not miracles. Buying a fitness tracker won’t automatically make you healthier. It will just remind you of the habits you already know you should have. As long as you view it as a companion rather than a coach, you’ll get value from it.
My Ranking
If I had to rank the trackers I tried:
- Realme Band 3 – best display and overall experience
- Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 – incredible battery life and customization
- Honor Band 7 – cheap and cheerful with decent features
- OnePlus Band – could be good with better software
I have always been a little obsessed with numbers. Step counts, heart rates, sleep cycles—these metrics somehow make me feel like I’m making progress even when I skip leg day. Back in 2022 I used to rely on my phone to track steps, but half the time my phone would be sitting on my desk while I walked around the apartment. When I finally bought a cheap fitness band from a street vendor, it was a disaster. The strap broke in a week, the battrery life lasted about as long as an Instagram reel, and the heart rate measurements were about as reliable as my friend’s “I’ll be there in five minutes” texts. So in 2024 I decided to invest in proper budget trackers. After a year of playing with various bands and watches under ₹3,000–₹5,000, here’s my personal ranking, complete with my quirks and some human mistakes because that’s how life goes.
Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 – The Little Champ
The Mi Smart Band series has ruled the budget fitness tracker market for years, and the 2025 model only strengthens its hold. For around ₹3,500, you get an AMOLED display that’s bright enough to read in Rajasthan’s harsh midday sun, 24/7 heart rate and SpO2 monitoring, basic GPS tracking via your phone, 150+ workout modes, and a 5 ATM water resistance rating. Xiaomi claims the battrery lasts 16 days, and honestly it’s not far off. I charged it fully on a Monday, wore it through my evening runs, slept with it to track my sleep cycles, and by the following Sunday it still had 25% battery left. That’s insane for something so small. One thing I love: customizing the watch face. I spent an hour one afternoon scrolling through all the cartoon faces in the app because I couldn’t decide if I wanted Pikachu telling me the time or a minimal analog dial.
There are downsides. The strap still feels a bit flimsy, and I almost lost the tracker while trying to tie my shoelaces—it popped out and rolled under the sofa. Also, the accuracy of the step counter is sometimes off. When I sat through a two-hour movie, the band insisted I had taken 500 steps. Maybe my fidgeting counts as cardio? But overall, for the price, it’s a fantastic entry-level device
Realme Band 3 – My Surprising Favorite
I didn’t expect to like Realme’s Band 3 because the Band 2 left me underwhelmed. But Realme really stepped up. The Band 3 costs around ₹2,999 and has a larger 1.8‑inch color display with better touch response, blood oxygen monitoring, and almost 100 sports modes. The battery lasts about 12 days, which is slightly shorter than Xiaomi’s band, but it charges super fast—just over an hour from empty to full. Realme’s app is also improved; I could see my step count, calories, sleep data, and even my stress levels. It told me my stress was “medium” on the day I missed a deadline, which felt like the band was reading my mind.
I actually took this band swimming once. It survived my lazy breaststroke and even counted my laps. The water resistance is rated at 50 meters, but I’m not planning to test that too far because I’m not Aquaman. Another cool feature is the ability to control music on my phone; I can pause, skip, or adjust volume right from my wrist while on the treadmill. However, the Realme band sometimes loses connection with my phone. I once went an entire morning thinking I had burned 800 calories, only to realize the band hadn’t synced since midnight. Oops. But Realme’s design and comfortable strap make it my daily driver. If I’m being honest, I prefer it over Xiaomi’s offering because the bigger screen makes it easier to read my notifications without squinting
OnePlus Band – Good but Not Great
OnePlus is known for its smartphones, but they tried their hand at budget fitness trackers with the OnePlus Band. It costs about ₹2,499 and offers basic features like heart rate and SpO2 monitoring, sleep tracking, and 13 exercise modes. The display is bright and crisp, and the build quality feels more premium than the price suggests. The battery life is around 14 days, which is decent, and it charges via a small USB‑C charger. For OnePlus phone users, the band integrates nicely with the OnePlus Health app.
My problem with the OnePlus Band is that it feels like a product from a company that’s still learning the wearables game. The heart rate sensor often lags, showing my heart rate minutes after my run instead of in real time. The strap’s locking mechanism is weird—you have to feed the strap through a loop and then push it into a hole, which I always get wrong the first time. There was one morning when I was half asleep, trying to put it on, and ended up wearing it backwards for an hour. On top of that, the app sometimes throws random notifications in Chinese characters. I’m sure they mean something, but since I can’t read Chinese, they’re not helpful. If OnePlus refines the software, this could be a great device; for now, it’s just okay.
Honor Band 7 – The Underdog
Honor isn’t as prominent in India as it used to be, but the Band 7 deserves a mention. It costs just under ₹2,000 and has features you’d expect from a more expensive tracker: a 1.6‑inch AMOLED screen, SpO2, heart rate, 96 workout modes, and even menstrual cycle tracking (which my sister appreciated when she borrowed it). The battery claims 14 days, but in my testing it was closer to 10 with continuous heart rate on. Still, that’s not bad. I like the strap’s material; it’s soft and doesn’t irritate my skin even when I get sweaty. Plus, the watch faces are fun. I chose a silly one with a cartoon banana doing sit-ups because it made me laugh.
However, the Honor app is the weak point. It’s a bit buggy and sometimes refuses to sync data. There was a day when the app told me I had slept for 26 hours, which would be nice but is obviously not true. Also, the notifications support is limited. You can’t reply to messages or answer calls like on more expensive smartwatches. But if you just want basic health tracking without breaking the bank, the Honor Band 7 is a solid pic
The Reality of Budget Trackers
Here’s the thing: no budget fitness tracker is perfect. They all have quirks. Sometimes they count your gesticulations as steps, sometimes they ignore an actual sprint. Many of them rely on your phone’s GPS, so if you leave your phone behind, your outdoor run will look like you teleported. And yes, occasionally the sensors freak out and tell you you’re dead when your heart rate drops to zero because the band slipped on your wrist. That happened to me on a bus ride; I looked down and saw a flatline. For a second I thought I was a ghost.
But these affordable devices have genuinely improved my habits. Seeing my sleep score drop after a late-night movie made me go to bed earlier. Getting a buzz when I’d been sitting for an hour reminded me to stretch. Tracking my heart rate while cycling helped me figure out when I was pushing too hard. And when I forget to charge my band for a couple of days and it finally dies, I actually miss it.
Tips for Choosing Your Tracker
If you’re considering a budget fitness tracker in 2025, think about what matters most to you. Battery life? Display brightness? Specific sports modes? Check if the strap is comfortable—this sounds minor, but if it’s scratchy you’ll end up taking it off. Make sure the app works with your phone and that the notifications you need are supported. Also, look at reviews (and not just mine). Some features like stress tracking and menstrual cycle predictions can be useful, but only if the algorithms are accurate.
Finally, don’t forget that these devices are tools, not miracles. Buying a fitness tracker won’t automatically make you healthier. It will just remind you of the habits you already know you should have. As long as you view it as a companion rather than a coach, you’ll get value from it.
My Ranking
If I had to rank the trackers I tried:
- Realme Band 3 – best display and overall experience
- Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 – incredible battery life and customization
- Honor Band 7 – cheap and cheerful with decent features
- OnePlus Band – could be good with better software
So there you have it—my messy, honest take on the best budget fitness trackers in 2025. I made mistakes, lost devices behind couches, misread metrics, and still came out the other side feeling more informed about my body. If you’re still using your phone to count your steps, trust me: spending a few thousand rupees on a proper tracker will change your routine more than you think. Just remember to charge it once in a while. :)…
