It's that time of the year again when we all realize we could lose a little bit of weight. Lucky for us, wearable technology is going to help us do just that. In 2015 we're seeing the smartwatch continue to become a popular tech accessory, while many are still in the search for just a simple fitness tracker at the most affordable price. We're already reading about how the Apple Watch will be the tech that will change your life in 2015. In this guide we're going to show you the best fitness watch you can buy today for less than $50 bucks.



Don't let this happen to you again this year.

Why is a Fitness Tracker Useful?

There's a bunch of reasons why you should order one of these today. First and foremost, let me ask you this - how are you tracking your workout today? Chances are you aren't, but if you are - you're already using some sort of technology for it. You should consider using technology to help you workout, start tracking how much exercise you're getting today and set some goals. They are even making fitness trackers for pets now, so what are you waiting for?

Data doesn't lie! Fitness trackers keep track of your activity automatically for you.

Helps you set goals and follow through.

Keeps you motivated - map your progress visually. If you're a visual learner then seeing the data will motivate you!

Workout Reminders. Time to get moving based on levels of activity.

Challenge yourself or your friends by setting stretch goals.



Fitness Trackers can communicate with smart scales to track your daily weight and progress

Get Started with a Fitness Band that's Simple and Cheap

You might be thinking is now the right time to buy a fitness band vs smartwatch? . Maybe you aren't used to wearing something on your wrist. Or you don't want to go out and invest hundreds on a smartwatch that you might wear once per week. Everyone is saying 2015 is the year of wearable tech, and that the Apple Watch is going to be a massive success. Starting price for the Apple Watch will be $350, so why not test the waters and go with something cost effective first?

Jawbone UP Move - $49.99



The UP Move can be interchanged as either a clip on or worn on the wrist

Features:

- Tracks steps, exercise, overall calories burned, hours slept

- Tracks your sleep habits and quality of sleep if worn at night

- Track your food, drink, calories, nutrients using the Jawbone App

- Compatible with iOS and Android

- 14 LED lights on the front that flash and light up to show your achievement towards your daily step goal, current time, charge status.

Pros:

- Easy to use, small and compact

- 6 Month Battery life - coin cell battery

- App is one of the best fitness tracking apps available. Excellent daily info and great coaching tool.

Cons:

- No Vibrate - no alarm or silent reminders

- Splash resistant but NOT waterproof

- It only comes only with the clip, so you have to spend another $15 if you want the wrist-band holder.

Fitbit Zip - $49.99

This fitness band has an LCD screen and that is what sets it apart from the rest, providing a display that shows the time as well as your other vitals. However, the FitBit Zip is not quite as versatile as the JawBone UP. It is a clip-on that can be worn anywhere on your body, but there is no wrist-band option. It also only tracks steps, which means things like cycling can't be counted an it does not track your sleep either. If you're looking for something more advanced that also has an LCD you should be looking at the new Fitbit Surge



Features:

- Built in LCD screen.

- Counts steps, miles walked, calories burned.

- Runs on a watch battery; no charging.

- Wireless syncing to Fitbit Web account.

Pros:

- Tiny - almost the size of a quarter.

- Battery life - 6 months with regular use. Replaceable coin cell battery

Cons:

- Splash resistant but NOT waterproof

- No altimeter (stair climbing) information.

- Does not monitor sleep.

Misfit Flash - $49.99



First off, you get both the clip and wrist band for the $49, so technically if you’re after a wrist tracker this unit is $15 less than the Up Move. Secondly, this unit is waterproof to an astounding 30 meters, and I’ve personally taken mine swimming with no issues whatsoever. Beyond that you get 6 colors (instead of the 5 offered on the Jawbone or 3 offered by Fitbit), and an ecosystem that also has their Beddit sleep system if you want a way to track sleep without your band. And unlike the Jawbone or Fitbit, where you must manually record non-step activities, the Flash actually encourages you to wear the device for these functions. You simply tell it what activity you’re doing in the app first, place the device into activity mode, and wear it per their suggested body location. I’ve had really good luck recording my stationary cycle with the clip on my shoe and feel fairly confident in the data/points rewarded for that activity.

Features:

- Tracks walking, running, swimming, cycling, soccer, tennis, basketball and more.

- Measures daily activity and sleep, and syncs with your smartphone to

show steps, distance traveled, and calories burned

- Halo of 12 LED lights show you how active you've been throughout the

day

Pros:

- Waterproof to 30 meters

- Sporty design; comes in a variety of 6 different colors and very comfortable to wear

- Also works as a watch

- Never requires charging; replaceable battery lasts up to 6 months with coin cell battery

Cons:

- Plastic design feels a little cheap

- LED lights shows daily progress but doesn't show step count.

- No vibrate, no silent alarm

Xiaomi Mi Band - $20-30

You probably have never heard of this fitness band and that's because you won't find it for sale unless you're in China. It's very well priced but hard to find - though you will find it on Amazon for roughly $30. It has received great reviews for the price, making the Mi Band a very good deal since it has the same features as the Fitbit Zip, Misfit Flash and Jawbone for much less.



Features:

- Measures your steps

- Tracks your sleep

- Very simple and lightweight

Pros:

- Cheapest Fitness Tracker for your money!

- Water resistant

- 30 day battery life

- Vibrate - silent alarm

Cons:

- Only compatible with Android phones. No word on iOS compatibility.

- The lights that show progress only light up with a certain gesture of the wrist, which can be hard to turn on