Much of the popularity of the best fitness trackers is due to their affordability. While you can pick up an Apple Watch for hundreds of dollars, savvy shoppers can also get great fitness trackers for under a hundred, like the Fitbit Inspire 2 or the Huawei Band 7.
As technology has evolved, many of the main features of fitness trackers have become more popular. AMOLED displays, heart rate tracking, and automatic activity detection are now features that can be found on affordable devices, not just big, expensive smartwatches.
Two of the current leaders of the best cheap fitness trackers are the aforementioned Fitbit Inspire 2 and Huawei Band 7, but it can be difficult to decide between the two. Here is our comparison of the two.
Fitbit Inspire 2 vs. Huawei Band 7: Design
- Band 7 has a bigger, more vibrant screen
- Both are very comfortable
- Inspire 2 is less intrusive
Fitness trackers tend to fall into two main categories: the “band” style design and the larger smartwatch style for larger screens.
The Huawei Band 7 and Fitbit Inspire 2 fall into the former category, with small, thin devices that offer clip-on straps that users can easily swap. The Band 7 has a bigger screen and a thinner band, giving it more of a watch-lite aesthetic. The Inspire 2 comes in black (but with alternate color bands) while the Band 7 comes in green, red, black, and pink with matching bands.
Both are comfortable and the similar form factor means there’s really nothing to choose between them in this respect. The big difference, however, is apparent once you turn them on.
The Inspire 2 has an OLED display with black and white support, and it’s easy to read in direct sunlight. On the other hand, the Band 7 has an AMOLED display with color support. This makes its customizable dials easier on the eye, and it’s bright enough to read in all conditions.
In this respect, it is the Band 7 which imposes itself thanks to its color screen. It also offers a physical side button as opposed to the touch side of the Inspire 2. This makes it a little easier to use (until you get used to the Inspire 2), but there’s always the option moving parts may break. the future.
Fitbit Inspire 2 vs. Huawei Band 7: Tracking
- Both are solid sleep and workout trackers
- No GPS or built-in music storage
- Band 7 has blood oxygen tracking
Whichever device you choose between the Band 7 and the Inspire 2, you’ll get very solid sleep tracking.
The Band 7 has an excellent heart rate sensor, while still monitoring Sp02 (blood oxygen level). This is something the Inspire 2 doesn’t have at all, and even much more expensive options tend to require you to trigger it manually.
There are plenty of workout options built into both, with the basics covered in running, weightlifting, cycling and more, while waterproofing allows for swimming in pools or open water.
When it comes to sleep tracking, both do a good job of identifying when you sleep and what stage of sleep you’re in. Both also offer excellent battery life, meaning you won’t need to charge daily to ensure tracking day or night. Since both are so small too, they are comfortable to wear in bed.
Unfortunately, neither has a GPS. This means that while both have accurate step tracking, you won’t be able to map your run or bike without carrying a phone with you. It’s a shame, but it helps keep the price down. There’s also no built-in storage for saving music to listen to while working out.
All data from each tracker is written to a companion app, and the Fitbit and Huawei options work the same; there’s a dashboard for your health data, with in-depth activity tracking and reward systems to encourage healthy movement.
Fitbit Inspire 2 vs. Huawei Band 7: Features
- Fitbit Premium outsmarts Huawei Health
- The Huawei app is free
- Nor allow you to answer calls/notifications
While we’ve touched on the differences, the biggest gap between the Huawei Band 7 and the Fitbit Inspire 2 is how they handle your fitness journey.
The Fitbit app offers guided workouts like yoga, plus challenges and adventures that let you challenge your friends to hit real trails. Fitbit Premium extends that for $9.99, while you can get a one-year subscription included with the Inspire 2.
That’s a lot, as it lets users check out features like additional workouts, dietary advice, and more in-depth sleep analysis. It’ll also provide you with a daily readiness score, which takes into account things like how long you’ve slept and when you’ve been training recently, to help recommend your activity level for the day. This helps you recover and get the most out of your workouts, while ensuring you don’t hurt yourself.
On the other hand, Huawei’s app does not offer a premium subscription, but it contains a series of training programs to prepare for specific sporting events. For example, there are beginner plans for running, advanced options for marathons, and everything in between. It’s nice that it doesn’t cost anything, but Fitbit Premium is a bit more comprehensive.
Elsewhere, there are more similarities due to both being grafted onto existing mobile OS platforms – each app can send data to third-party options, but you can’t install Strava on each .
Notifications are also a one-way affair, with the Band 7 and Inspire 2 being able to read them, but not offering the option to respond. Answering calls is also picked up on your phone.
Finally, battery life is high on both counts, with the Inspire 2 hitting 10 days in testing and the Band 7 hitting an incredible 14 days.
Fitbit Inspire 2 vs Huawei Band 7: Value for money
- Both prices similar
- Fitbit has premium features locked behind a paywall after the first year
- Huawei not available in the US
For value it’s hard to look past the Huawei Band 7, at under $60 / £50 / AU$128 it packs a lot of what users love about the Fitbit Inspire 2 at a price point. similar ($90 in the US, £80 in the UK and AU$110 in Australia, although they are frequently offered), while adding Sp02 monitoring and a color display.
That said, the Inspire 2 is a great fitness tracker that has a lot to offer, especially when paired with the Fitbit Premium subscription. Although Premium is free the first year with an Inspire 2, future subscriptions are paid annually, hiding some of the tracker’s best features. While the Inspire 2 is a great budget tracker, the Band 7 just tops it in terms of value for money.
However, the Band 7 is not yet available in the US due to the ongoing dispute between Huawei and the US government. With that in mind, if you’re in the US looking for a tracker, the Inspire 2 might be your best bet.