College student looking for fitness band or watch… any good recommendations?

I’m a college student looking to get a fitness band or smartwatch. I’m into weight lifting and running, and I’d like to start tracking things like sleep quality, heart rate, etc. I probably won’t use most of the features on something like an Apple Watch, such as apps or music connection. My budget is under $300. I’ve been looking at some Garmin options like the Vivosport 5 and some Fitbit bands. If anyone has any recommendations that fit this, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks!

The Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 fitness band could be a good option, especially if you have a Samsung phone. If your budget allows, a Galaxy Watch 6 or 7 could also work well.

Noel said:
The Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 fitness band could be a good option, especially if you have a Samsung phone. If your budget allows, a Galaxy Watch 6 or 7 could also work well.

I have an iPhone, but I’m not really brand loyal. I’ll look into those, thanks for your help!

For weightlifting, honestly, I can’t think of a smartwatch that works well for that since the wrist tension makes measurements tough.

For running, with your budget, here are some good options:

  • Garmin Forerunner 165
  • Garmin Forerunner 265
  • Garmin Venu 2 Plus (or Venu 3 if you find a good deal!)
  • Garmin Vivoactive 5
  • Fitbit Charge 6 (great for heart rate tracking and sleep analysis)
  • Huawei Watch Fit 3
  • Huawei Watch GT 4
  • Apple Watch SE