AmazFit wasn’t on my fitness tracker radar a year ago. The company has always come up in adverts on social media, but I’ve never given it much thought. It struck me as another budget lineup that you see on Amazon, but probably isn’t worth your investment.Â
Man! I couldn’t have been more wrong. Not only are they making higher end products like the new AmazFit Balance 2, they probably have a fitness tracker that meets you for whatever your needs. In this Level Up, we’ll be taking a look our favorite devices and how they can even work together.
Level Up is where we explore the gear that actually makes a difference, whether that’s in how you live, work, or unwind. Each edition brings together standout products, whether tied by brand or by theme, that turn the everyday into something a little more exceptional.
AmazFit Balance 2 Watch
You can check out my full review to get the full breakdown on the Balance 2. Some of the highlights to take into account are Sapphire Crystal lens, up to 21 days of battery life, and large 1.5-inch touchscreen. It’s a total package that can easily compete with the likes of Garmin and Polar for only $300.
I’ve found the Balance 2 to be extremely accurate in tracking both activities and sleep metrics. This all gets rolled into a daily score called BioCharge scaled from a value of one to one hundred. As you get more recovery from things like a good night’s rest, the closer you get to 100 to start the day. Each activity or high stress levels deplete this battery through the day.
Powered by Zepp OS and the new Zepp Flow AI features, and you get a full-featured smartwatch with fitness focus. Honestly, if you’ve ever used Wear OS, it’s immediately similar to navigate and use. Add in that you get universal 22mm quick release lugs for almost any watch band on the planet, and you have a stylish option to quickly swap bads for different events.
AmazFit Helio Strap
I reviewed the Helio Strap as well, and it’s essentially a screenless option for watch wearers. Falling somewhere in the vain of the original Fitbit, you get all the biometric tracking like heart rate, pace, and steps on a small plastic device wrapped in a nylon strap mechanism. It makes for a very distraction-free option that can also be worn on the biceps with a new larger band option.
Again, it’s all funneled through the Zepp companion app and even was the launch device for the company’s new BioCharge metric mentioned above. Since the entire Helio Strap is buttonless, the AmazFit device automatically triggers tracking when it recognizes things like elevated heart rate. It was a little too sensitive at launch, but the Zepp team has done a great job to sort this out with software updates.
The real kicker of the Helio Strap is that it’s only going to cost you $100. The added value of this device with the Zepp app is well worth that investment.
AmazFit Helio Ring
The final entry in the most recent AmazFit lineup is the Helio Ring. The easiest way to put this one in perspective is all the things the Strap does but on your finger. The stainless steel Helio is flanked by optical sensors on the interior, constantly scanning for your physiology metrics.
I’ve found it to be just as accurate as the other two offerings, and slides right into the Devices menu of the Zepp app next to the Helio Strap and Balance 2. The Helio Ring is essentially the final option of a wide variety here of three fantastic trackers to make sure every step, workout, nap, and meal are documented.
At $200, the AmazFit Helio Ring might be hard to swallow for those used to wearing a watch, but if you don’t like something on your wrist, this is a great way to add this capability to your wellness arsenal.
Zepp App
In closing, we need to take a look at the software workhorse powering all these devices. The companion Zepp app might be the star of the show, to be honest. It’s obviously heavily inspired by the Garmin app, and that’s a good thing. You get quick and easy to read tiles on the homepage breaking down all your biometric readings and activities.
You can even replace popular apps like MyFitnessPal with the Zepp nutritional tracking. Powered by some of the same OpenAI LLM as the fitness aspect, the company has built a robust food tracking section into the app. This allows for input via voice, text, or photo to log your calories and food metrics.
And best of all? You can sync all three of these devices to the app simultaneously. This makes for a unique product and device lineup that can truly hit any variable in preference or environment you throw at the app, but still silos that information into a single screen.
Not of fan of sleeping with a pretty large watch? Throw on the Helio Ring. Want to capture your day to day in a single device? The Balance 2 nails it. Need a discrete strap to go on your wrist or bicep with zero distractions? Grab the Helio Strap instead. Or just throw all three on and let the BioCharge feature figure it out on the fly.
Whatever your usage case or preference method of tracking, AmazFit has you covered with the Balance 2, Helio Strap, and Helio Ring.
