Fitness Band Or Smartwatch? Here Is Your Guide To The Budget Wearables Puzzle

On one side are those who feel fitness bands are getting obsolete with smartwatches getting more affordable. On the other are those who find smartwatches just too bulky and intrusive.

Representational image of a smartwatch (left) and a fitness band | Photos: Getty/Realme

By Akriti Rana and Nimish Dubey

They were once considered to be the preserve of the geeks and the tech devotees, but the past few years have seen wearable devices go mainstream. A lot of this has to do with the fact that wearables have become much more affordable — you can get a good fitness band for about Rs 2,000 and a smartwatch for about Rs 3,000, and can even get options at lower prices if you are ready to put up with some feature compromises. But with this affordability has come a new quandary for consumers on a relatively tight budget (about Rs 5,000) — whether to opt for a fitness band or a smartwatch? 

In the past, this was never an issue because smartwatches were way more expensive than fitness bands. So anyone wanting to dip their toes in wearable waters inevitably went for a swim with a fitness band. However, this has changed with watches becoming much more affordable. Whereas five years ago, a smartwatch generally cost at least twice as much as a fitness band, the difference now is much smaller. When Xiaomi recently released its Redmi Smart Band Pro, a band that it called a "sports watch," thanks to a slightly larger than usual display (in fitness band terms), it sparked off the same smartwatch vs fitness band debate one more time. 

On one side are those who feel that fitness bands are getting obsolete with smartwatches getting more affordable. On the other are those who find smartwatches just too bulky and intrusive. So if you are in the market for a wearable device and your budget is roughly in the range of Rs 5,000 , which form factor should you go for: a watch or a band?

Let us try to figure that out for you. 

How Much Space Can You Spare On Your Wrist?

This is of the utmost importance. If you want something that is relatively unobtrusive, then the smartwatch is out of contention. Even fitness bands with relatively large displays (like the Redmi Smart Band Pro and the Huawei Band 6) take up far lesser space on your wrist and do not attract much attention. If however, you want your wearable to turn heads, a fitness band will simply not do. You need a smartwatch with that big display and the option to switch between dozens of watchfaces to change the look and feel of your device. 

What Matters More — Fitness Or Smarts? 

While form is an important factor, function is equally important in this choice. Smartwatches are a great option for those who want more than just fitness, health and activity data on their wrists. Most smartwatches allow you to even control your phone's camera from them and also access music and podcasts easily and some even come with apps of their own. Fitness bands, as their names indicate, are designed mainly for health and activity tracking, and while some come with additional features and app support, their design (small displays) generally restricts their utility in this regard. What's more, smartwatches are also able to pair better with headphones and TWS, an area where fitness trackers are a little hit and miss. 

Do You Want Some Freedom From Your Phone?

Both smartwatches and fitness bands are smart devices that pair with your smartphone, and measure and deliver a lot of information to the user. You can get information on steps walked, heart rate, sleeping patterns, stress, updates on weather and news, as well as notifications from your social networks on your fitness band or smartwatch. The big question here is: just how much of this do you want to see on the device itself? 

If you are content with just the odd line or two, or just want a ping to let you know that someone is calling or has texted and are okay with pulling out your connected smartphone to see information in detail, a fitness band is enough for you. However if you are the type that wants to keep their smartphones in their pockets and want to read more on their wearable device, then the bigger display of the smartwatch is obviously a better option. You simply can see more on your wrist, giving you some freedom from your phone. 

A Matter Of Being Rough And Tough

Fitness bands might be on the smaller side, but they are generally far more resilient to falls and bumps. That big display on a smartwatch does make it vulnerable to rough treatment. Both bands and watches come with dust and water resistance these days, but its smaller form factor does make the band more likely to survive rough treatment. 

Lasting The Distance

That smaller form factor of the fitness band also generally makes it a better option in terms of battery life. Most budget fitness bands can get you through a couple of weeks on a single charge. Smartwatches have started getting better in this department but if you really turn on all their features, you would be lucky to get more than a week from a single charge. As most smartwatches and fitness bands come with their own special chargers, battery life is a key factor — good battery life could save you from the need to carry an extra charger on a long-ish trip but if charging is not an issue, a smartwatch can fit into your lifestyle seamlessly. 

So Which One Gets Your Wrist?

In some ways, the difference between a budget smartwatch and a fitness band today is the difference between a smartphone and a tablet. One is way more unobtrusive while the other gives you more display real estate and functions. Which one works better for you depends on your needs. Someone concerned mainly about fitness and having a phone with them all the time would be just fine with a fitness band, but those wanting something closer to a computer on their wrist and some temporary freedom from their phones should go for a smartwatch. 

That said, whichever one you choose, your wrist is going to be abuzz with wearable excitement.