Are you in the market for the perfect smartwatch without breaking the bank, but still want value? Well, Haylou has come up and said, “Hey, we got you.” This is the Haylou Watch 4, a smartwatch from Haylou that costs just under $30 but still provides excellent value for your money. I’ve been using this watch for a while now and I’m loving it.

In this review, we will examine whether the Haylou Watch 4 is the best budget smartwatch available.

What’s in the Box

The Haylou Watch 4’s box has a premium feel. Inside, you get the smartwatch, charging cable, and user manual.

Design

The design of the Haylou Watch 4 is quite impressive — a simple yet high-quality build that exudes a premium look. Naturally, I’m a big fan of the Haylou Watch 4’s design, as it fits perfectly well, whether you’re wearing it casually or going out in style.

The band of the watch still feels premium, despite being made of pure plastic. Except for the additional bands available on AliExpress, the band of the Haylou Watch 4 still feels plastic enough and comes with traditional watch straps.

The display, on the other hand, is excellent. I’m in love with how compact and good it looks. I’m not a big fan of bulky displays or designs, like the Apple Watch Ultra, but Haylou’s design is much more compact for its price.

The notch of the watch is also very good, as it’s smooth, and the grip is nice. I like how it’s used to grab, and it rotates quite easily. The optical sensor, on the other hand, resembles a regular optical sensor found on smartwatches, so there is not much difference.

In a nutshell, the Haylou Watch 4 presents itself as a premium design, and it’s one of the simplest currently available.

Fit and Comfort

The fit of the smartwatch was one of the best I’ve tested so far. Although the bands of the Haylou Watch 4 appear to be plastic, they proved surprisingly comfortable.

While testing, the Haylou Watch 4 proved to be very comfortable to use — actually one of the best watches I’ve tested so far. I never had instances where the watch caused irritation or strain on my arm. You could go Hours with the Haylou Watch 4 and not notice that you have this watch on your hands. Trust me, while using the Series 5 from Apple, this was something that gave me issues, although I did not experience any strain or irritation from the bands on the Haylou Watch 4.

The weight, on the other hand, was impressive. This watch weighs under 45g, and trust me, you won’t even notice it on your hands. The weight is so seamless and quite nice — perfect for gym buddies, runners, or even athletes.

While testing, even with a tight grip, the watch did not seem to cause much discomfort. It’s quite remarkable how you can wear this smartwatch for a long period of time — perfect for daily commutes for users who wear their smartwatches all day.

And while sleeping, the watch held up well. Although I always seemed to loosen up the band/straps a little before sleeping, it still served perfectly.

In a nutshell, the Haylou Watch 4 is a great buy for users who work out, sleep with their smartwatches to track their sleep records, or use it for official purposes, in terms of comfort and fitness.

Major Functions

Activity: This smartwatch has the ability to track all your daily activities, including the steps you take, calories burned, and exercise. While testing, I could not help but notice how accurate this feature was. To put it in context, this watch still maintains a 7-day record for the number of steps taken.

Sleep: The Haylou Watch 4 also has the ability to track your sleeping schedule. It shows you an accurate chart of your sleeping schedule and also provides nap data.

Heart Rate Monitor: The Haylou Watch 4 also features an in-built heart rate monitor, a standard feature on most smartwatches today, and it’s quite accurate. I can easily read my heart rate, and as of the time of writing this review, it was reading about 74 bpm. Additionally, it also provides guidance on whether you should take a rest when your heart rate is high.

Phone Calls: The Haylou Watch 4 features a dial pad for making phone calls and allows you to import select contacts directly to the watch.

Exercise: The Haylou Watch 4 offers the option to set an exercise goal, which is particularly helpful for workouts. It also features a section to keep exercise records, allowing you to track your exercise cycle.

SpO2 Tracking: The watch features SpO2 tracking, a measurement of blood oxygen saturation.

Stress Level Measurement: The watch also measures your stress level, and while testing, this seemed to be pretty accurate. At the time of writing this review, I was relatively calm, and it recorded my stress level as normal.

Weather: Syncs and displays your mobile phone’s weather data.

Messages: The Haylou smartwatch displays your notifications as messages — specifically, all notifications from messaging apps, not the actual messaging app. For example, you receive notifications from Gmail, WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Instagram as messages.

Shutter: Functions as a remote camera shutter and works well.

In-Built Music Player: This feature allows you to pause and play music on your phone without needing to touch your mobile device.

Relaxation: This feature helps you focus on specific things, such as your breath, to aid in sleep or relaxation.

AI Voice: This activates Siri on iPhones and also turns on Google Voice Assist on Android phones, and it works quite well.

Timer: The Haylou Watch 4 features a timer option, which is quite effective.

Alarm: The Haylou Watch 4 features an alarm, which works effectively.

Stopwatch: The Haylou Watch 4 features a stopwatch that can also be split into laps.

Cycle Tracking: The Haylou Watch 4 features a cycle tracking option for women, which can be set up through the Haylou app to help track your menstrual cycle.

World Clock: The Watch 4 features a world clock, but it must also be set up in the Haylou Fun app.

Flashlight: This watch features a flashlight that, when activated, aids in emergency situations.

Find Phone: The Watch 4 can be used to play your phone’s ringtone when it’s lost, and this feature is particularly practical for users who tend to misplace their phones frequently.

Calendar: This watch features an in-built calendar option, but it requires your phone to be connected in order to use it.

Calculator: The Watch 4 features a calculator app that resembles the iPhone’s calculator.

Games: The Watch 4 also comes with games installed, which was quite baffling.

Battery

The battery of the Haylou Watch 4 is also awesome. While testing, I couldn’t help but notice how strong the battery of the Watch 4 was. I could go a whole day with one charge and also take it to the next day, which is quite reliable.

The batteries of smartwatches tend not to impress me much after using the Series 5, as I had to charge it frequently. To be honest, if you are a smartwatch user, you can tell that having to remember to charge your smartwatch is a hassle.

However, the Watch 4 was able to stand the test of time, thanks to its 380mAh battery. Another thing that was impressive, particularly regarding the battery, is how quickly it charges. A 10-minute charge on the Haylou can provide a full day’s use, and I was quite surprised by this. This works well for individuals with 9–5 jobs, making it the perfect budget watch for long battery life.

User Interface

The Haylou Watch 4’s user interface is also very simple and minimalist. It’s not complicated at all and very user-friendly. You can easily access any function on the watch via the notch and scroll through it, and the interface is quite responsive.

While testing, I noticed that the watch had 7 designs in its face gallery — that’s the front look of the watch. I was particularly interested in the matte black design. It’s simple and can easily blend with any outfit, looking quite classic.

Although the section where the watch functions are located looks quite generic, or rather, it appears quite cheap, for the price, it’s reasonable.

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Spec sheet

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Heart monitoring: This watch has built-in heart monitoring sensors, standard for almost every smartwatch made today

Active GPS routing: this smartwatch has an active GPS tracking system for easy location routing

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1.93-inch large display: the watch 4 comes equipped with a large 1.93-inch display for better watch functionalities

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AI voice assistant: This helps to activate both Siri and Google Voice Assistant on iPhones and also Android devices

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Bluetooth calling: you can take pick calls on your mobile device from the Haylou Watch 4 and also make calls to select contacts after importing them on the Haylou Watch 4

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150+ workout modes: the haylou watch 4 comes with 150+ workout modes to record your workout routine, perfect for gym buddies, cyclists, and runners

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IP68 water and dust resistance: the Haylou Watch 4 comes equipped with an IP68 resistance rating for both dust and water, protecting it from water splashes, rain, or sweat

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Bluetooth, Connectivity, and App Functions

The Bluetooth connection of the Watch 4 is very seamless and easy. Once connected, you will have to connect and enable most features of this watch from the Haylou Fun app. Although I was unable to determine the exact Bluetooth version this watch runs on, the connection was seamless.

The range, on the other hand, is very strong and reliable. This watch was always connected to my mobile automatically in close proximity, and you won’t even notice it — you will just see a notification on your mobile phone.

On the other hand, the app functions quite well, and I love it. The app is very responsive, and also connecting or activating the watch functions was easy.

Workout and Run Testing

The Haylou Watch 4 is the ideal budget smartwatch for users who frequently work out, run, or cycle. While testing, I couldn’t help but notice how accurately the steps on the watch were recorded. Although I don’t tend to work out frequently, the Haylou Watch 4 was still able to track the small workouts I performed around the house.

However, when it comes to jogging and running, the Haylou Watch 4 proved to be quite nice. I tend to go for early morning runs, and this watch has been a great companion. The bands were quite comfortable to wear, and unlike the Series 5, which caused my hands to go white after prolonged use, the Haylou Watch 4 performed remarkably.

And let’s not forget its 150+ workout modes, which give it a significant leap among its competitors

In a nutshell, the Haylou Watch 4 is a very companionable smartwatch for workouts and running.

Calls and Messaging

When it comes to making calls on the Haylou Watch 4, I won’t say it’s perfect, but it’s okay. The Haylou Watch 4 can be used to make or receive calls using its built-in speakers and microphones, and I did not encounter any situations where the other person on the end could not hear me, so it actually does the job.

The messaging, on the other hand, was quite disappointing. You can’t install messaging apps like WhatsApp on this device, and you also can’t reply. Instead, messages will be displayed as notifications.

Pros

• The price-to-value ratio is insane — under $30, and you’re still getting features like calls, SpO2, a heart rate monitor, and even games.

• Design looks way more premium than the price tag — compact, simple, classy, not that bulky “Ultra-style” nonsense.
• Super lightweight (under 45g) — you barely feel it on your wrist, perfect for workouts, runs, or even sleeping.
• Comfortable straps — yeah, they’re plastic, but surprisingly comfy. No irritation, no strain, even after all-day or overnight wear.
• Battery life is strong — lasts a full day (sometimes two) and charges crazy fast. 10 minutes = almost a whole day.
• Accurate fitness tracking — steps, sleep, heart rate, SpO2, stress level. Feels reliable and consistent.
• Packed with features you wouldn’t expect at this price — cycle tracking, world clock, weather, music control, AI voice assistant, even a flashlight and calculator.
• Calls actually work decently — speaker and mic aren’t premium, but people on the other end can hear you fine.
• The app connection is seamless — the Haylou Fun app is smooth, easy to use, and keeps things organized.

Cons

• Strap feels a bit too plasticky — yeah, it’s comfy, but you can tell it’s cheap unless you swap it for a better band.
• Watch faces are limited — only about 7, and most look basic. It would’ve been nice to have more variety.
• UI can feel a little cheap — functional, but not the cleanest. Reminds you it’s still a budget watch.
• Messaging is a letdown — you can only view notifications, with no replying or full WhatsApp or SMS support.
• No clear Bluetooth version listed — connection is smooth, but Haylou didn’t even bother to state which version it is.
• Calls are “okay,” not great — don’t expect Apple Watch clarity, it just gets the job done.
• Plastic build overall — looks premium from a distance, but once you touch it, you know it’s not high-end.

Price

The Haylouwatch 4 goes for $25-$30 on AliExpress and Amazon, which is an excellent buy for its price, considering its functionalities.

Should you buy the haylou watch 4?

If you are in the market for a budget-friendly smartwatch, the Haylou Watch 4 is the perfect choice. For under $30, you get a perfect blend of style, functionality, and amazing sports functions for users who are athletes.

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