Best budget fitness tracker?

[Eaudeunaturale]

I’m looking for a fitness tracker but on the lower end of price scale, I start a new job soon where I can’t have my phone on my person (which is usually how I track steps/distance etc)
I’m not worried about any sleep analysis/waterproof features.
The DC had the letscom trackers but they seemed to be quite unreliable (hundreds of steps difference for the same walk)
Any recommendations greatly received

Anyone?

We have bought & tried cheap trackers - cannot recommend. Fail as soon as get wet. App part ok, at least. What about a 2nd hand fitbit?

Someone mentioned a Fitbit charge today which I have been looking at.
I think I could splash out a little bit for one of those

I've had three Fitbits now. They have all broken not long out of the warranty period

I now have one of these:

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.androidauthority.com/xiaomi-mi-band-4-review-1005722/amp/

Prefer it to the Fitbit and it's much cheaper!! £24 on Amazon at the moment. Really good, battery lasts for ages, more functions than I bother to use. Wouldn't go back to a Fitbit now!

That’s interesting @RubySlippers77 convenient that it happens just out of warranty probably to get you to buy another!
Do you feel the Xiaomi is reliable for steps?

IMHO none of them are reliable for steps, that is the last thing I would rely on any of them for. You can test yours once you get it, just walk 100 steps (you count them) & see what your device measures you did. Do this 5 times and see if there's any consistency, especially if you vary your pace or the terrain.

I think activity monitors are reliable for calorie expenditure & heart rate & a few other things, like counting your active hours/day. There are lots of ways to enhance the functionality.

Mine is pretty good at defining my exercise spells, and it's ok at defining my sleep periods (does get some of those wrong).

@RubySlippers77 I'm intrigued ... just how did your Fitbits break?

I have been using a Charge2 for about 18 months now. My friend sold it to me after she used it for a few yrs without problems. I've broken 2 straps, that's true, but I am quite rough & tumble person. Replacement bands are pretty cheap.

Could you try an expensive one second hand or even new on eBay? People often sell for low prices.

I've found the Xiaomi and the Fitbit pretty accurate for steps except when I was pushing a buggy! They had a look at the subject on How to Lose Weight Well, if you're interested (summed up here: www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/reviews/how-to-lose-weight-well.htm).

@lljkk I had two Flexes and the battery stopped working both times - literally wouldn't even hold a charge for a day. I contacted Fitbit but they said there was nothing they could do (this is going back about 4 years, might have changed). The Charge 2 ended up with a cracked screen, no idea how but water got in and again, that was it. I loved the functionality of the Fitbits but at the moment they are just too expensive for me to replace every couple of years!

Thanks for the feedback everyone.
I don’t mind if it’s not 100% accurate just almost spot on, the letscom my dc had that were recommended by lots on MN ended up being a total waste of money as they were so inaccurate (literally hundreds of steps out).

I like the reminder to move on the Fitbit and Xiaomi bands so will likely go with one of them (I’m currently looking for a 2nd hand Fitbit on eBay)