{"id":518518,"date":"2026-03-06T16:53:23","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T16:53:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/518518\/"},"modified":"2026-03-06T16:53:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T16:53:23","slug":"amazfit-active-3-premium-review-i-dont-want-a-400-apple-watch-anymore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/518518\/","title":{"rendered":"Amazfit Active 3 Premium review: I don\u2019t want a $400 Apple Watch anymore"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Amazfit Active 3 Premium is unbelievably good value. This fitness tracker is just $169\/\u00a3169, which is a whopping $230 cheaper than the Apple Watch 11. Is this ridiculous(ly good) price enough to make the Active 3 Premium one of the best fitness trackers<\/a> around?<\/p>\n

Totally. I was a little apprehensive when I first started testing Amazfit gear \u2014 budget wearables get a bad rap in the fitness world \u2014 but the Active 3 Premium holds up just as well as the other Amazfit gear: the Whoop-dupe Helio Strap, Fitbit disruptor Band 7, and Apple Watch SE competitor Bip 6.<\/p>\n

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With a plethora of premium fitness features, including blood oxygen readouts, skin temperature monitoring, a lactate threshold test, vertical oscillation, and so, so many more, the Active 3 Premium is in a league of its own. This price is crazy. Want to find out more? (Why wouldn\u2019t you?) Keep reading this Amazfit Active 3 Premium review.<\/p>\n

Amazfit Active 3 Premium (4GB) at Amazon for $169.99<\/a>Amazfit Active 3 Premium review: Cheat sheetWhat is it? A budget fitness tracker with premium functionalityWhat does it cost? $169<\/a> \/ \u00a3169<\/a>Who is it for? Amazfit told me mostly women due to the small size, but I think it\u2019s for everyone \u2014 beginners and intermediates alikeWhat do we like? Everything: sleep tracking, fitness functions, and in-app analysisWhat are its weaknesses? I\u2019d like a few more (or cuter) strap or color optionsAmazfit Active 3 Premium review: SpecsSwipe to scroll horizontally<\/p>\n

Price<\/p>\n

$169<\/a> \/ \u00a3169<\/a><\/p>\n

Colors<\/p>\n

Black, white, blue<\/p>\n

Size <\/p>\n

1.32-inch screen <\/p>\n

Weight<\/p>\n

54.6g<\/p>\n

Battery life<\/p>\n

Up to 12 days<\/p>\n

Charging time<\/p>\n

Under 2 hours<\/p>\n

Connectivity<\/p>\n

Bluetooth<\/p>\n

Durability<\/p>\n

5 ATM<\/p>\n

Amazfit Active 3 Premium review: Price & availability <\/p>\n

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(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

The Amazfit Active 3 Premium is $169 from Amazon U.S.<\/a> and \u00a3169 from Amazon U.K<\/a>, or \u00a3169 from Amazfit direct<\/a>. This is an incredibly reasonable price for a fitness tracker of this caliber \u2014 the Apple Watch Series 11<\/a> is a mind-boggling $399, the almost four-year-old Garmin Forerunner 55<\/a> is $199, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8<\/a> starts from $349, and even the Apple Watch SE 3<\/a> is $249.<\/p>\n

As with every other Amazfit watch I\u2019ve tested \u2014 this is number four now \u2014 the Active 3 Premium is almost unbelievably good value. For well under $200, you get a bright touchscreen that looks way more pricey than it is, offline maps, in-depth fitness tracking including 200+ activity types, adept sleep tracking, and a huge variety of features in the companion app.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m really not sure why you\u2019d spend $350-$400 on an Apple or Samsung watch when the Active 3 Premium is right there. I know I wouldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Amazfit Active 3 Premium review: Design <\/p>\n

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(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

The Amazfit Active 3 Premium is the first fitness tracker Amazfit has designed specifically with women in mind (yay!). As a result, it\u2019s considerably smaller than other models \u2014 a 1.3-inch screen as opposed to the 1.5-inch display on the Amazfit Active Max<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.<\/p>\n

Weirdly, though, the colorways don\u2019t really reflect the target demographic. The watch is available in black, navy, and white. As a woman who also likes to keep active, I want a fitness tracker that can be worn for work or play. Unfortunately, I don\u2019t think the Active 3 Premium \u2014 in its current state \u2014 necessarily has the aesthetic oomph you might expect from Apple Watches or Garmins.<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

Amazfit could easily rectify this by launching new colorways \u2014 think rose pink, champagne, lilac, pistachio, baby blue, yellow \u2014 so I hope this comes in the future. I received a navy model to test (as you can see from the photos), so when I found out that the Active 3 Premium is actually aimed at women, I was surprised. This definitely looks like a \u201cmanly\u201d watch. Don\u2019t get me wrong, this isn\u2019t inherently a bad thing: women can wear masculine clothes and vice versa, but if this watch is intended to separate itself from the rest of the fitness tracker landscape, it needs a few more colors.<\/p>\n

Garmin\u2019s Lily 2<\/a> has mastered this combination of functionality and style, so I\u2019d like to see more Lily 2-adjacent styles in the Active 3 Premium\u2019s future.<\/p>\n

Style \u2014 or lack thereof \u2014 aside, the Active 3 Premium certainly looks premium. The scratch-resistant glass screen is bright and visible even in sunny weather. The buttons on either side of the face are tactile and responsive.<\/p>\n

Although the women-focused style needs a little finesse, Amazfit has still mastered the premium-appearance-but-no-premium-price-tag vibe.<\/p>\n

Amazfit Active 3 Premium review: Fitness features<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

As the Active 3 Premium is aimed at beginners, I was happy to find that the fitness tracker is incredibly user-friendly and jargon-free. Every feature is explained thoroughly in the Zepp companion app.<\/p>\n

On the watch itself, you can: start a workout, see workout history, BioCharge, stress level, blood oxygen, activity, Zepp coach, and heart rate.<\/p>\n

Non-fitness-but-still-useful features built into the watch are: maps (you can download offline maps, too), sleep, PAI, HRV, and meditation.<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re into orienteering, you can access features like a barometer, sunrise\/sunset times, and a compass. There are literally a hundred workout types \u2014 including chess and driving.<\/p>\n

Hey, my heart rate gets pumping when whoever\u2019s driving the car in front of mine does something stupid. Why not let that count for something? Yes, increase my PAI because someone just cut me off. Sign me up!<\/p>\n

There are even more features in the Zepp app, which is Amazfit\u2019s mobile app, like Fatigue, thorough BioCharge data, and Exertion. I\u2019ll go through those in detail in the \u2018BioCharge\u2019 section below.<\/p>\n

The most detailed activity type present on the Active 3 Premium is running. There are so many running features that I\u2019m not sure where to start. You can track heart rate zones, cadence, stride length, and average contact time. Here\u2019s a screenshot from Zepp so you can see this level of detail for yourself.<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: Future \/ Zepp)<\/p>\n

As you can see from the screenshot, Zepp offers a massive amount of tracking information. You can even do a Lactate Threshold test now, so you can learn your max effort level. If you\u2019re not too sure what this means, it\u2019s basically how long you can run at full pelt for without hurting or fatiguing yourself. I tested this, and here are my results.<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: Future \/ Zepp)<\/p>\n

As I\u2019m a beginner runner, I\u2019m sure my results aren\u2019t as impressive as an intermediate runner\u2019s. Even so, it\u2019s interesting to see the pace at which the lactate in my blood exceeds my clearance level.<\/p>\n

You can also look into features like vertical oscillation and ground contact time, which can help you understand your running form on a deeper level. For example, if your vertical oscillation is over 13, you\u2019re moving forward and back too much. Take a look at my data.<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: Future \/ Zepp)<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not sure what any of this means, don\u2019t worry \u2014 Zepp has you covered. Each metric tells you what you should be aiming for and how to improve in the app itself. I\u2019ve learned that my ground contact time is too high, but my vertical oscillation is optimal, so I know where I need to improve and where I can give myself a pat on the back. Thanks, Zepp!<\/p>\n

Unlike the Helio Strap, the Active 3 Premium doesn\u2019t have an automatic workout detection function. I didn\u2019t miss this feature at all \u2014 I actually find myself getting quite frustrated with the Amazfit Helio Strap\u2019s wonky auto detection, so I\u2019m glad to start workouts manually myself now.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re familiar with Amazfit gear, you might already know about PAI. This is basically a rating, between 0 and 100, that tells you how fit you are. This is calculated using your heart rate zones \u2014 if you spend a lot of time in Anaerobic\/Vo2 max, your PAI will go up, indicating better long-term health, but if you are very sedentary, your number will go down.<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: Future \/ Zepp)<\/p>\n

As with the Amazfit Helio Strap, Band 7, Bip 5, and Bip 6, the Active 3 Premium works out your PAI without you needing to do anything. I found myself getting quite mesmerized by this. I managed to get it up to 142, which is much higher than on previous Amazfit watches. I hope this means Zepp has tuned the PAI, as previously, it was nearly impossible to get high scores. Or I\u2019m just more fit. Who knows!<\/p>\n

Amazfit Active 3 Premium review: Extra features<\/p>\n

Despite primarily being a fitness tracker, the Active 3 Premium has a plethora of non-activity-related features, which I\u2019ll get into now.<\/p>\n

Sleep<\/p>\n

I found the Amazfit Active 3 Premium excellent for sleep tracking. I\u2019ve used three other Amazfit fitness trackers \u2014 Bip 5, Band 7, Helio Strap \u2014 and I find the Active 3 Premium just as good as the Helio Strap.<\/p>\n

The Active 3 Premium remembers all my little wakeups, even the ones I forget, and has great sleep zone tracking. It even tracks hypoapnea and sleeping respiratory rate. Here are some screenshots from the Zepp app so you can see for yourself \u2014 make sure you scroll through them all!<\/p>\n

Image 1 of 3<\/p>\n

\"a(Image credit: Future \/ Zepp)\"a(Image credit: Future \/ Zepp)\"a(Image credit: Future \/ Zepp)<\/p>\n

If you have a bad night\u2019s sleep, the Zepp app tells you how to rectify this with pre-bedtime relaxation and stress-reducing music. I tend to get more stressed when I have a bad night\u2019s sleep, or when I sense I\u2019m going to have a bad night\u2019s sleep, so this little reassurance is a sweet touch.<\/p>\n

The Active 3 Premium is just as accurate as the Helio Strap, so it’s a joint-winner of the \u201cMost Accurate Sleep Tracker I\u2019ve Used\u201d title.<\/p>\n

BioCharge\/Fatigue\/Exertion<\/p>\n

Amazfit\/Zepp has this funky proprietary metric called \u201cBioCharge\u201d. This is basically like a readiness score you\u2019d get on a Fitbit, Oura Ring, Whoop, and everything else on the market.<\/p>\n

BioCharge combines your previous exertion, overall fatigue, HRV, sleep, and workout trends to give you a score out of 100. If you\u2019re at 100, well done, you\u2019re ready to hike Mount Everest, run an Ultra Marathon, or compete in an Iron Man!<\/p>\n

I jest, but I find BioCharge a really digestible way to understand my readiness at a glance. Obviously, if my watch tells me \u201c50\u201d but I feel good, I\u2019m not going to listen to it \u2014 but it can be nice when the watch backs me up after I\u2019ve spent the last week feeling like microwaved cat vomit.<\/p>\n

Here are some examples of my BioCharge. If you look at the second screenshot, you\u2019ll see my average BioCharge for the past five months \u2014 how cool is this!<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: Future \/ Zepp)<\/p>\n

Also in the Zepp app are the kind-of-similar Fatigue and Exertion metrics. I won\u2019t go into too much detail about these as they\u2019re self-explanatory, really.<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: Future \/ Zepp)<\/p>\n

You can see my Fatigue increase as my Exertion increases. It doesn\u2019t take a genius here: if you exert yourself, your tiredness level will go up. If you\u2019re relaxing, your fatigue will go down.<\/p>\n

If you have a uterus, you can also use the skin temperature function to track cycles naturally, and also input your cycle data into the watch manually.<\/p>\n

Amazfit Active 3 Premium review: App<\/p>\n

I really like the Zepp app. The Active 3 Premium is my fourth Amazfit product, and I can\u2019t really see myself using any other brand now. The app is super easy to set up, very self-explanatory, and perfect for beginners or self-professed technophobes. You can see this evidenced in my many, many screenshots above.<\/p>\n

I genuinely have nothing bad to say about the app, other than one tiny thing: I\u2019m not sure if the watch faces are AI-generated images or not. I wish the app would clarify either way because I wouldn\u2019t pick an AI-generated one ever and would be super embarrassed if I were caught out by it. Some of the watch faces look a little\u2026 AI-possible, so I\u2019d appreciate a little flag saying \u201cAI-generated\u201d or \u201chuman-created\u201d.<\/p>\n

Amazfit Active 3 Premium review: Battery life<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

Amazfit says the Active 3 Premium lasts for 12 days on a single charge, but I\u2019m not convinced. I wore mine for 8 days, and it went down to 6%. This was with excessive use, though: activity every day, testing all the features, downloading maps, etc etc. I then recharged, and 48 hours later, it had gone down to 80% again.<\/p>\n

Even so, this is much, much better than the Apple Watch 11\u2019s pathetic 18-hour battery life, so a charge that lasts over less than one day is a winner in my eyes.<\/p>\n

Should you buy the Amazfit Active 3 Premium?<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

Yes, yes you should buy the Amazfit Active 3 Premium. This fitness tracker is ridiculously underpriced. I feel like everyone should buy it before Amazfit realises its typo and hikes the price back up to something like $299. I would happily pay $300 for a watch of this caliber.<\/p>\n

If you want your first fitness tracker, or you want to upgrade from the Amazfit Band 7 or Bip 6, then you should definitely check out the Active 3 Premium. It does everything you\u2019d want it to and more: sleep tracking, activity tracking, and health insights with the depth of the Apple Watch ecosystem.<\/p>\n

Although I wish it came in a few more colors, this is something I can overlook in favor of saving me money and performance. And, heck, does the Active 3 Premium do both of those things. I love this fitness tracker with all my heart.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Amazfit Active 3 Premium: Price Comparison<\/p>\n

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