I tested the cheapest fitness tracker to see if it could match a top Garmin watch
Good fitness tech shouldn’t be restricted by price. Just like everyone deserves the opportunity to work out, eat healthier and become the best version of themselves, the technology that makes that easier should be available to as many people as possible.
The wearables in our best cheap fitness trackers list are generally very good, able to accurately track the wearer’s heart rate, calories burned, sleep, exercise, and allow the wearer to see text messages and other notifications on their wrist. Most of these trackers start at around $50 / £45 / AU$85, although the best smartwatches from the likes of Garmin and Apple often run very expensive indeed.
While browsing our cheap fitness trackers guide, I had a sudden thought: what if I went cheaper? With some fitness trackers sold in local pound shops (the UK’s equivalent of the US dollar stores and other similar discount outlets) for a pittance, I began wondering if they could hold a candle to the entry-level efforts from the best Fitbit and Huawei that top our fitness device lists.
So, I went ahead and picked one up, analyzing it in the same way I would any other smartwatch – by comparing it to a top performer to test the watch’s performance and check the accuracy of its metrics.
(Image credit: Matt Evans)
Viido fitness tracker: Design and features
The Viido fitness tracker, a Chinese-made product, was bought at Poundland for £13 ($16 in the US, or AU$22.69 in Australia). It’s a simple band tracker with a pebble-style plastic face and a silicone band. When I first ripped the box open, it came with no instructions, and a plug-in charger that looked like it didn’t fit. Looking around online it turns out others who got it did have some basic instructions, and because I’m so used to magnetic chargers it took me a full 10 minutes before I realized you need to pop the plastic pebble out of the silicone case to reveal a charging socket at the bottom of the pebble. Good start.
The watch gives you a purported three days of battery life. The unit is all plastic, with the exception of the watch’s innards, and barely weighs a thing. An LED sensor on the…
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