The 5 Best Fitness Trackers For $50 or Less

Getting a good night's sleep is essential to good health. And while there are plenty of fitness trackers out there that will monitor your sleep quality and patterns, few do it as inexpensively as the coming Fitbug Orb. It's a tiny clippable tracker that counts steps, distance traveled, and calories burned. And if you're willing to wear it to bed, it'll keep track of how soundly you sleep, too.

The Fitbug Orb Activity Tracker and the accompanying Fitbug app are compatible with most current Apple iOS and Google Android devices. The Orb is currently available in three different colors: hot pink, black, and white. You can get your choice on Amazon.com for just $50.

Swimming is an incredible way to stay in shape — it's a low-impact, full-body workout that burns a ton of calories. The only problem is that most fitness trackers can't follow you into the pool. But the coming Misfit Flash can — it's designed not only to count steps, distance, and calories burned, but its waterproof design can help you track your time swimming, too. It tracks plenty of other sports as well, including cycling, tennis, and basketball.

The Misfit Flash and accompanying Misfit app are compatible with both Apple iOS and Google Android devices, though you can just tap its face to get a visual approximation of how close you currently are to your daily goals. It's manufactured in six eye-catching colors, including frost, onyx, fuchsia, zest (neon green), wave (blue), and reef (teal). The Flash is slated for release on Oct. 15; you can preorder yours on Amazon.com for $50.

Having trouble staying motivated? You may find it's easier to stick to a new fitness regimen if you turn your effort into a game. That's the idea behind the Striiv Play Wireless Smart Pedometer. It lets you compete against friends to see who takes more steps, climbs more stairs, burns more calories, or has more minutes of activity. There are even iPhone games you can play that are powered by your own activity.

The Striiv Play Wireless Smart Pedometer is compatible with the most recent Apple iOS devices (iPhone 4S or later, iPod touch 5th generation, new iPad and iPad mini). It's available in only one finish, with a black polycarbonate face on a nickel-plated clip. You can get your Striiv Play on Amazon.com for a new, lower price of only $40.

The small, clippable Fitbit Zip keeps tabs on your steps taken, distance traveled, and calories burned. It's a good start, but what makes any Fitbit product stand out are the extra tools offered behind the scenes. Fitbit products easily interface with fitness apps you may already be using (e.g., Myfitnesspal, Loseit) and offer fun award-style badges to celebrate your hard work. There's even a food plan tool on the Fitbit website that helps you monitor and modify your calorie consumption to kick your overall health into high gear. There's a lot to like about the Fitbit ecosystem, and the Zip buys you in for a fraction of the cost of a $129 Fitbit Force.

The Fitbit Zip wireless activity tracker is compatible with most Apple iOS, Google Android, and Windows Phone devices. It's available in your choice of five colors: white, black, blue, magenta, and lime. You can get your Fitbit Zip on Amazon.com for $55.

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