Buying guide: Best budget wearables 2015

Bargain wearables for audio, fitness and, er,

posture

2015 is the year of the wearable. But with smartwatches from £200 and up and Apple Watch likely to be more than that, keeping abreast of this trend could get expensive. Well, that's fashion for you.

But fret not, as a new wave of wearables is crashing over the horizon, and they're more affordable than ever. From smartwatches that are half the price of rivals to fitness trackers that cost less than a round of drinks, these are easy on the wallet, yet still stylish and fairly bristling with smart skills. Buying them all won't make you the Six Million Dollar Man; it'll be more like the £530.90 man. Which is much cheaper to rebuild.

Netatmo June

Smart bracelets are ten a penny, but this one could save your life. It keeps tabs on how long you've been out in the sun and tells you when to hide in the shade. Fire up the app and you'll get advice on the optimum SPF to use given the UV levels, and when to don a hat and sunnies. If only it could do your back as well. It's designed like a precious jewel and comes in three colours: platinum, gold and gunmetal. At £72, it's an absolute steal.

Misfit Flash

Not only does the Flash pack the same fitness tracking and sleep monitoring skills of the more expensive Shine, it's just been loaded up with a ton of new talents. It can control your Nest thermostat, so it will detect when you wake up and adjust the temperature accordingly. It will sync with your Spotify playlist and with your Logitech sound system, so you can hit play from your wrist. More partnerships are on the way – Misfit wants to work with IFTTT (If This Then That) which would swell its arsenal by more than 160 products and services. The best £35 you can spend.

Withings Activité Pop

Smartwatches cost a bomb, right? Not if you get the Pop. It retains the classy minimalist styling of its suaver brother – the Activité – but is a full £200 cheaper at £119.95. The only difference is it's made of less fancy materials (PVD) and has a rubber band instead of leather. But it has an elegance all its own. Features-wise, there's nothing to choose between them: it tracks your steps and calories, and detects when you're swimming or running; it monitors your sleep; and the silent alarm buzzes you awake without disturbing your partner. Is it stretching a point to call this a smartwatch? Yes, yes it is. Just go with us.

Lumo Lift

The Lumo Lift is a posture coach – attach it to your person, and it buzzes when it detects you're slouching. It's nice and discreet, clinging to you with its magnetic clasp, and doesn't involve strapping anything around your waist. It's also a fitness tracker, counting your calories, steps and distance, and unlike most wearables, it lasts five days on a single charge. Better posture helps avoid aches and pains, and gives you a stronger, more confident look. That's got to be worth £80, right? Luckily you can find out here: the answer is a resounding "maybe".

Sennheiser OCX 685i

The last thing you want during a run is for your headphones to fall out. These clip over your ears, so even if they somehow come out of your lug holes – which is highly unlikely – they will stay put. The result? Uninterrupted music and a better workout for £45. They're sweat and water resistant, so can handle any conditions, and thanks to the mic on the cord, they double as a handsfree kit, so you can take business calls on your power walk. Buy! Sell! Etc. They sound great too thanks to their high-output drivers. Why pay more?

Budget fitness wearables plus a blingin' message

alerter

Fitbit Zip

Tracking your fitness doesn't have to mean wearing a wristband. The Zip clips to your pocket, belt or bra, which is handy if you don't want yet another thing clogging up your wrist. It tracks your steps, distance and calories burned, and suggests ways you can move more during the day. Just tap the screen to see how you're doing. Using the app you can log your food, track your health trends and see the leaderboard of you and your friends. You can also send your friends messages (just keep them polite). And all for £50 - less than the price of a pair of trainers.

Jawbone Up Move

The Up Move is a versatile little doohicky – you can clip it to your person or wear it around your wrist. Despite the wallet-friendly price of £39.99, it does a lot, including activity tracking – steps, calories, distance etc – and sleep tracking (with suggestions to help you sleep better). It's also a smart coach, giving you advice on simple changes that mean you move more and live healthier. It even claims to read your moods, and gees you up when it feels like you need it. The LED display tells you the time as well as your stats, and it's splash-proof. Reviewed by our Australian counterparts here.

Cuff

This smart jewellery fits in all manner of different pieces, so you can wear it as a bracelet, brooch, necklace, and more. It vibrates to let you know someone's calling, and buzzes quicker if you leave your phone behind. It's also loaded up with fitness skills, including step counting, and calories burned versus how many you've taken in using the food logging system. And it keeps you safe – press it, and it'll send an alert to friends and family along with your location, and audio of what's happening at the scene. At $29 (about £19) you can't afford to not have it.

Razer Nabu X

£45 is amazing value for a fitness band, especially one with this many abilities. The red, green and blue LEDs are customisable, so you'll know straight away what's happening – choose for them to flash green for an incoming call, say, or blue for a text. You can even choose how intensely it vibrates. Double tap it and the LEDs show how close you are to your daily goal. Unlike most of its kind, the battery lasts between five and seven days before needing a recharge. And it's water-resistant up to 1m. One of the most bespoke bands around, it's reviewed here.

Samsung heart rate monitor

The Samsung Galaxy S5's heart rate monitor is rubbish. This is a much better bet and it's only £65. It straps to your chest and straightaway shows your heart rate. The strap is adjustable, so will fit everyone from barrel-chested Blutos to Olive Oils. You will need a Samsung Galaxy S handset and the S Health app to read your stats. The big advantage? You can work out without wearing a bulky gadget on your wrist. It's wipe-clean too. Handy if a sadistic driver ploughs through a puddle next to you.

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