Affordable and effective smart watch recommendations?

[pickledplumbs]

My old Fitbit HR just crashed on me (it's over 5 years old) so I was looking into getting a new smart watch. The Apple watches are insanely expensive, but I would like something than can pair with my iPhone XR that will track my steps/heart rate. I'm a casual gym go-er/power walk taker so I don't need anything super extreme, just something simple that's not $300. Any recommendations/advice is appreciated.

[Evangelion]

I use the Xiaomi Huami AMAZFIT Bip with my iphone 6s plus and i had no problems with!
Amazon link! ([Only registered and activated users can see links])
its under 100$ so yeah, i think its a very good cheap one with all the info you need! (heart rate sensor, triaxial acceleration sensor, geomagnetic sensor, barometric pressure sensor)

:)

[Mama Bear]

I've had a Fitbit Versa since Xmas, and really like it. One of the reasons I chose it was being waterproof, since swimming is a big part of Australian culture, and having a HR monitor. I got it for $200AUD, so it's reasonably priced for what it offers.

[Evangelion]

I've had a Fitbit Versa since Xmas, and really like it. One of the reasons I chose it was being waterproof, since swimming is a big part of Australian culture, and having a HR monitor. I got it for $200AUD, so it's reasonably priced for what it offers.


How many meters can you submerge it?

[Mama Bear]

How many meters can you submerge it?

According to Fitbit, 50m.

[Dasvidaniya]

I had the old Fitbit Charge HR a couple years back and I loved it... except that it kept breaking. Within the 2 year warranty period, I ended up having to get 3 replacements since the band wasn't replaceable and if it broke, you had to get a whole new Fitbit. Awful design choice on their part. However, I then got a Fitbit Alta HR and have been loving it ever since! It's reasonably priced ($130?), comes in a bunch of different colors, has replaceable bands!!, an attractive slim profile, and has persistent HR monitoring.

I also have an Apple Watch (series 1) wore both at the same time for several months just to compare. I find that the HR monitoring & step counting on the Fitbit Alta HR is much more accurate than the Apple Watch. If I want to check my HR real quick, it comes up much faster on the Fitbit than the Apple Watch (where it can take up to 10 seconds to read). The battery life on the Fitbit will last several days to a week, whereas you'd have to charge an Apple Watch every single night. The Fitbit Alta HR is half the price, but doesn't have as many features, obviously... howeverrrr, after having owned an Apple Watch for several years, I can honestly say I don't use ANY of its features anymore save for the actual clock & timer (god forbid I try to use more apps throughout the day and drain the battery faster lol). I'd say if you were looking for a fitness watch, the Apple Watch is definitely not it, and I'd recommend the Fitbit Alta HR if you're already familiar with Fitbit's features & like the way the Alta looks :)

(After posting this, I realized how old this post was lol... but I'm gonna leave it here in case anyone else is ever looking for a recommendation for something similar)

[Kaine]

I also am a Fitbit fan, and I have an Iphone XR and they pair fine.
I think they'd be around 100-200 depending on the model.
Garmens are okay too, but can start getting a little pricey when you want all the added features e.g. GPS.
I also have an Oura ring which is really neat for tracking sleep, with the added benefit of being infra-red (i.e. doesn't emit the green light at night).
I would consider getting an Iphone watch, but the Fitbit's functionality and weekly competitions you can have with friends, make me want to stay loyal to Fitbit!