AMAZFIT Helio Strap Fitness Tracker Wristband, 24/7 Activity & Sleep Tracker with Heart Rate, 10 Days Battery, 27 Sports Modes, Strength Training, Hyrox Race, Subscription Free for Android & iPhone

I have recently bought into the Amazfit/Zepp system having been a Fitbit user for many years, and I have to say currently I am impressed.General wear : I couple this Helio band with a T-Rex 3 watch, depending on the activity I am doing. The Band is great for just day to day wear when you want something vaguely unobtrusive and don't need the screen or notifications continually buzzing. I am a bit of a watch lover, so being able to wear it as well as a normally watch is a huge bonus ( and it doesn't look like i am being weird and wearing 2 watches ). It is really light, but I would say that having reasonable sized wrists the band could be a bit longer as there isn't much overlap ( see picture, apologies for the quality ), but it still fits, does up and is really comfy.Performance : I ran this alongside my Fitbit for a week, so that I could judge what the differences were likely to be. First thing that struck me was how close the data was to each other, but I was super impressed with the extra info that this provides over and above the Fitbit. The Sleep data is comprehensive and covers all the relevant things you might need to know, steps seems to be pretty good, although is much better at filtering out the "white noise" that can be detected as steps by some other devices, heart rate is pretty much exactly right, blood oxygen readings are a bit more random, but I would expect that really and is only a guide ( having recently had Pneumonia this has been quite an important reading for me ).But the thing I am currently most impressed with is the general workout tracking. Both this and the T-Rex have similar set ups, and picking the right workout is key to getting the right information. There are a huge amount to choose from, and I would highly recommend choosing. The Auto function for me is too random, and picks up things that aren't workouts, so I have both devices set to manual selection rather than auto detect. Once selected the system runs throughout and records everything you would need to know accurately and comprehensively.The recovery info is great, and gives a real insight to how hard or not you are training.The battery life has surprised me. a week of full use dropped the battery to 65%. I guess that a large chunk of the life comes form the fact you aren't running a screen or GPS form the devices ( only through the app, which does work nicely ), but even with tracking on it doesn't seem to use a massive amount of battery compared to other devices.Overall then, subtle looks, loads of features and a seemingly supernatural battery life, for no subscription charges. Whats not to like ?The best part for me though is that all of this info comes at a low up front cost and zero monthly subscription.

In the odd toolbox I keep for work and baking, the Helio Strap has somehow settled between the stethoscope and the rolling pin. It is tiny, screen-less and feather-light, yet it quietly records my heart rate, oxygen levels, stress and sleep every minute of the day, then tips the lot into the Zepp app.The battery survives for about ten days, so I can stagger through a full week of night shifts without hunting for a plug, which still feels a bit like wizardry. Strength workouts are logged automatically, complete with sets and rest periods, and HYROX mode even spotted my burpees. It did, however, label the morning school run a “mini-workout”, the cheek.With twenty-seven sport profiles and VO2 max readings, there is more data than I will ever need, although I would welcome changeable straps and an auto-detect feature that is a touch less excitable.Build quality seems robust, it laughs off Glasgow drizzle and sits securely on my rather small five-foot-one-inch wrist. Given that there is no subscription fee and the metrics are this detailed, the Helio offers outstanding value.

The Helio Strap has been living on my wrist for the past fortnight, and the change from a bulky smartwatch feels a bit like swapping hiking boots for slippers. It is feather-light, yet somehow still hides Amazfit’s BioTracker gubbins, round-the-clock heart-rate and SpO₂ sensors, and that slightly smug BioCharge score that tells me to calm down once the dog and I have charged up the hill. Amazfit reckons the battery will last ten days, and so far the figure is spot on, the charging cable already sulking at the back of a drawer.Strength and HYROX modes are where the strap really earns its keep. It clocked every kettlebell clean, spotted my rest breaks, and fired the lot into Strava through the Zepp app quicker than my lad sprints towards a pick-and-mix. Between the 27 sport profiles I have logged rides, runs, and even a half-hearted attempt at yoga that moved about as fast as a game of chess. Finding the right profile in the menu needs an extra tap or two, but you get the hang of it. Auto-detect is still too keen though, treating a midnight fridge visit as a fat-burning epic, so a firmware tweak would be welcome.Worn all day, the strap fades into the background, letting me train without a glowing panel nagging for attention, and there is no subscription nonsense lurking in the small print. For no-fuss accuracy and everyday comfort, it punches well above the flashy bands I tried out during a whistle-stop weekend in Glasgow.

Downgraded from 5 to 3. And again to 1. I’m stopping wearing it. Every time I go on a stationary bike the heart rate measurement drops massively after exactly 10 minutes. A software fault maybe. Not getting any support on this. I’ve sent several messages with no reply.Sleep tracking is fine. The calorie counter and steps seem fairly accurate (apart from the above issue). The food tracking is fun and I was impressed with how you can photograph your food and the AI works out the contents. I stopped using that though. It’s a lot of work keeping that going. Overall a good band. I think it will get even better.