The Amazfit Band 5 activity tracker is jam-packed with popular features typically found in more expensive fitness bands.
Because Huami, the company behind Amazfit’s wearable line, also produces Xiaomi’s fitness trackers, it resembles another inexpensive activity tracker quite a bit. The Mi Band 5 is a part of that.
To learn more, we have been tracking our daily activities with the Amazfit Band 5 while also speaking with Alexa, including our sleep, exercise, and swimming. Our full assessment is provided below.
Table of Contents
Pros And Cons Of Amazfit Band 5
Pros
- Lightweight, comfortable design
- Actionable sleep tracking
- Health monitoring features
- Amazon Alexa
- High-quality display
- Feature-packed
Cons
- The display is hard to see in sunlight
- No GPS
- Unoriginal design
- Handling multiple notifications
- Heart rate accuracy
Design & Build Of Amazfit Band 5
Most of the design and construction of the Amazfit Band 5 have already been seen if you’ve read our review of the Xiaomi Mi Band 5. It is not surprising that the two devices are virtually identical since they were most likely put together on the same assembly line.
A 1.1-inch AMOLED display and a button are housed inside the polycarbonate body’s vertical, rectangular shape. The chassis is smooth and free of switches or ports because this is the only control available besides the touchscreen itself.
It is simple to remove, clean, and replace the TPU strap by slipping the Amazfit body into the rubber strip’s middle loop. The Xiaomi Mi band 5 straps are surprisingly compatible with this device, which adds to the similarities.
The strap is fastened by slipping it through a hoop at one end and inserting the rubber clip into one of the holes on the other length. Because of the 162-235mm range, it will be a little loose on smaller wrists unless you’re willing to drill a few holes yourself. Additionally, the Amazfit Band 5 doesn’t have the security of a double loop like the Samsung Galaxy Fit, so catching it on something could cause it to fly off your wrist quickly.
When you turn the device over, you can see a panel with several sensors as well as the twin charging plates for the included proprietary magnetic charger.
It is a small, light tracker that fits comfortably on the wrist, making it sometimes simple to forget that you are wearing it. Furthermore, you won’t need to remove it very often to recharge the power banks because of the 125mAh lithium-ion polymer battery. I was able to use it for 12 days on a single charge, and if you disable some of the settings, you can almost double the battery life.
Fitness Tracking And Features Of Amazfit Band 5
The Amazfit Band 5 offers a number of metrics you can review after finishing an activity in one of its 11 different sports modes, despite the difficult-to-read display. In addition to tracking your BPM throughout your workout, the continuous heart rate sensor also shows you how much time you spend in each heart rate zone, from relaxed to intense to anaerobic, and how many minutes you spend in each zone.
These metrics appeared to be a simplified version of Fitbit’s Activity Zone Minutes, which made their debut on the Fitbit Charge 4. Based on your age and resting heart rate, Charge 4 can determine your target heart rate zones for you. It can also monitor your progress toward the target of 150 minutes per week in that zone.
I had to bring my phone with me in order to map out my outdoor activities because the Amazfit Band 5 lacks a built-in GPS. I liked being able to see my biking trail in the Zepp app alongside the rest of my metrics, though. Even my speeding up through straightaways and slowing down to take in some ocean views were displayed.
However, the Amazfit Band 5 works just fine for step counting, tracking calories burned, and heart rate monitoring. Of course, someone interested in a variety of outdoor activities might be better off with one of the best sports watches with GPS (and in some cases, onboard music storage).
Health Tracking Of Amazfit Band 5
The Amazfit Band 5 offers a variety of options for health monitoring. The standard heart rate sensor allows for immediate readings or continuous monitoring all day and night. When compared to our experiences with the Samsung Galaxy Fit, we found the readings to be reasonably accurate and significantly more stable.
The addition of a blood oxygen measurement is impressive, and Apple touts it as the new Apple Watch 6’s standout feature. Naturally, as with anything similar, you should only use it as a general guide.
I can only take Amazfit’s word for it that my levels were consistently high throughout the time I used the band because I didn’t have access to a lab or blood tests. However, it’s still beneficial to have a second metric under observation, particularly given the connection between low blood oxygen and respiratory problems, which is regrettably something to watch out for as long as Covid-19 is still a reality.
Included in the package is sleep monitoring, which includes an analysis of your light and deep sleep as well as a breakdown of the hours you spent in bed. Again, this is only a general idea of your sleeping habits; according to my reports, I hardly ever fell asleep deeply during the first few weeks of wearing the band.
I did find it very useful to track the times I went to bed and got up again, which usually proved quite accurate. This might have something to do with how I sleep, as I’m sure my sleep must get deep at some point.
Even though afternoon naps are now recorded, I wasn’t entirely aware of this because I don’t often take them. Having said that, it does inspire me to try testing the idea, you know, for science.
There are a few extra features as well that either measure your stress levels or motivate you to practice focused, meditative breathing for a few minutes. Both are welcome additions that can assist you in taking brief breaks throughout the day to rest.
Naturally, since this is a fitness tracker, you’ll also find a variety of trackers for activities like running, cycling (indoors or outdoors), using a treadmill or elliptical machine, doing yoga, and swimming. Although we were unable to test this because the pandemic had closed our local swimming pool, the latter is made possible by the 5ATM resistance.
The Amazfit Band 5 doesn’t automatically detect exercises, so you must manually begin the workout mode. However, there is a setting that makes the band alert you if it detects increased exertion. At this price, it is to be expected that there will be no onboard GPS tracking, but the band can use your phone’s GPS to record the data for you.
You can review your performance on a daily, weekly, monthly, or annual basis with the Zepp app, which keeps track of all of your progress. The PAI system gives you points for a variety of actions, and if you complete the quite thorough breakdown of your body size, it can closely track your advancements over time and gain the boost of accomplishing the goals it sets.
Blood Oxygen Readings
A popular medical tool today is blood oxygen (SpO2) monitoring. Blood oxygen concentrations that are below normal (95 percent or lower) may indicate underlying health problems. In comparison to a pulse or blood pressure reading, an SpO2 reading is also less subject to human error.
A blood oxygen level of 95%–100% is regarded as normal for someone with no breathing issues. The Amazfit Band 5 reported that my SpO2 levels were 97% or 98% on a number of occasions when I self-administered readings. The Apple Watch 6 also indicated that I had 100% blood oxygen. My understanding of pulse oximetry leads me to believe that the Apple Watch’s readings are more accurate, but the difference isn’t significant.
Notifications And Alexa
I had low expectations because I previously had trouble using the notification options on an Amazfit watch. But the notification system on the Band 5 pleasantly surprised me. I had the option to choose which notifications from my phone should be sent to my wrist and whether or not I wanted to see their contents first. If someone called me while I was working out, I could even turn them down.
As we’ve seen with the Wyze Band and Fitbit Versa 2, there’s something There is something James Bond-like about whispering Alexa commands into your wrist. You can use the best Alexa skills, like getting the weather or adjusting the settings of your compatible smart lights, with the Amazfit Band 5.
Alexa is not a fitness coach, despite the fact that the Amazfit Band 5 is a fitness band. As an alternative, you can anticipate assistance from Amazon’s voice assistant in your regular activities. If you’d prefer, you can completely turn off Alexa.
Battery Life Of Amazfit Band 5
The good news is that you won’t need to charge the Amazfit Band 5 every few days due to its battery life. The claimed durations are 15 days for regular use, 25 days for power-saving mode, and a whopping 90 days for standby.
Our experience indicates that it can go that long without a charge, but it really depends on the features you have activated and regularly use.
You could easily use it for a week with notifications turned on, continuous monitoring, the sleep assistant, the screen set to medium brightness, and some tracked running and swimming sessions. You will notice a more pronounced battery loss as soon as the screen brightness is increased or features like stress tracking are enabled.
You’ll need to turn off features like the sleep assistant, continuous heart rate monitoring, and maximum brightness display in order to get closer to double-digit days of battery life.
It’s a fitness tracker that generally delivers on its solid battery life promises and can last you a few weeks if you give up some features.
Price & Availability
The Amazfit Band 5 is currently not available for purchase directly from the Amazfit website, but it is sold in the Amazfit store on Amazon. It costs $49.99 in the US or £44.90 in the UK.
On October 25, the Amazfit Band 5 will go on sale, and after that, it might be available from other retailers.
See our list of the top fitness trackers for alternatives.
Our Verdict
I kept hoping the Amazfit Band 5 would be able to do more than is reasonable for a product at this price, which is a testament to its capabilities. Although it is not attempting to be the Apple Watch, it is not.
The Amazfit Band 5 is a competent little fitness tracker that is significantly less expensive than a comparable Fitbit. At this price point, it truly stands out thanks to some distinctive features like support for Alexa and an SPO2 sensor.
The Amazfit Band 5 should be on your shortlist if you’re in the market for an affordable fitness tracker right now.
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