Smart bands continue to gain traction globally as more and more consumers finally start to see the importance of owning one. Whether its solely designated to receive those important notifications by just glancing at it, its convenience is just unmatched to some folks. They are more preferred to relay notifications than having to get your phone wherever it is and go through the whole tedious process of unlocking when in fact the text received or whatever triggered the tone wasn’t worth your attention.
Unlike smartwatches, bands costs less and in some cases, you can go days without having to charge their batteries. I also like their slim portfolio in comparison, you can put on and cover with a sleeved shirt without anyone ever noticing.
There’s just a lot of great points worth noting before you dismiss the kind of value you’ll get with a decent smart band. Back in the day, these devices were used mostly to receive notifications, but they’ve tremendously advanced in technology to include fitness trackers as well as sensors to measure some of your vitals to reveal in case of an underlying condition.
But not every smartwatch that comes out is for everyone; in Kenya for instance, it’ll be a hard choice for someone who barely makes ends meet to buy a smartwatch that costs thousands of Kenyan shillings such as the Apple watch. At the same time, there are some really nice wearables that can be acquired instead, within the bands niche.
The best value for money smartwatches you can buy in Kenya
- Mi Smart Band 4
When Xiaomi unveiled the Mi smart band 4, I was in fact one of the first people to pre-order, I believe I could have been the first person to own in Kenya as the wearable was pretty hard to get at the time. having had a first hand experience, the Mi band 4 is surely the best value your money can buy. The band comes with a 20 days battery, something you’d hardly find on the Chinese clones. Mi band 4 can display notifications, track your movements as well as exercises, and yes swimming as well. It also comes equipped with a heart rate sensor. It should cost around Ksh.3,000
- Huawei Band 4
Having been around for some time now, this smart band is still pretty nice and readily available locally for about Ksh.5,500.  It has a battery that’s touted to go for more than 6 days and comes equipped with some nifty features as well. You’ll have a heart rate sensor that’s now pretty standard but with some additions such as oxygen saturation detection, sleep tracker and of course life assistant to track your exercises.