I wore the two best Amazfit smartwatches for a month – Is the flagship worth $230 more?

After a month of rigorous testing, the Amazfit Balance 3 proves itself a strong challenger to its pricier sibling, the Cheetah 2 Ultra. With a $230 price gap, the Balance 3 offers outstanding value. It brings superior toughness and a feature list that matches premium sports watches. This comparison asks if the flagship’s extra cost makes sense for your fitness and lifestyle.

Key takeaways

• The Amazfit Balance 3 costs $370, offering significantly better value than the $600 Cheetah 2 Ultra.
• The Balance 3 has superior 10 ATM water resistance and military-grade durability certification.
• It provides longer 41-hour battery life in GPS mode, while the Cheetah 2 Ultra lasts longer in daily smartwatch mode.
• The Balance 3 supports a wider range of activities, including comprehensive water sports tracking.
• Both watches share key features like a vibrant AMOLED display and a dedicated LED flashlight.

Price and Core Value Proposition

The Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra costs $600, while the Amazfit Balance 3 is priced at $370. This $230 difference is substantial. At $370, the Balance 3 presents a fantastic option that beats many offerings from Garmin, Suunto, and Polar. Comparing its specs to other sports watches makes the higher price of rivals hard to justify.

Priced at just $370, the Balance 3 makes few compromises. It has a stainless steel body, sapphire glass, ample 64GB storage, a vibrant large AMOLED display, and long battery life. This watch delivers compelling value with specifications that challenge costlier models. Its 10 ATM water resistance beats the Cheetah 2 Ultra’s 5 ATM rating. It also passed MIL-STD-810G certification for durability.

Durability and Activity Focus

The Amazfit Balance 3 shows greater durability with its 10 ATM water resistance, compared to the Cheetah 2 Ultra’s 5 ATM. This makes the Balance 3 fit for activities down to 100 meters. It also passed a series of tests for MIL-STD-810G certification. You can trust it to handle tough settings and the elements you train in.

Specialized Activity Support

For water sports like swimming, kayaking, and snorkeling, the Balance 3 has specific workout settings. It includes options for water type and navigation, which makes tracking thorough. Conversely, the Cheetah 2 Ultra focuses mainly on optimizing the runner’s experience. A variant, the Balance Ultra, matches the Cheetah 2 Ultra closely but puts more emphasis on Hyrox and hybrid training.

Design and Key Features

Both the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra and Amazfit Balance 3 have a vibrant 1.5-inch AMOLED display with a 480×480 pixel resolution. A major shared feature is a dedicated LED flashlight. It can shine in white or red, with configurable safety light options for outdoor use.

Case Design and Build

Their designs differ, though. The Balance 3 uses a unique case design around the watch face with large openings. This marks a change from the sleeker profile of the original Amazfit Balance. For weight, the Cheetah 2 Ultra is lighter at 52g without its strap. The Balance 3, with its stainless steel body, weighs 62g.

Battery Life and Performance

Testing both watches across a month of heavy real-world use showed clear battery differences. Activities included running, biking, hiking, rowing, golfing, and swimming. The Amazfit Balance 3 lasts longer in GPS mode, offering 41 hours versus the Cheetah 2 Ultra’s 33 hours.

This situation flips in standard smartwatch mode, however. The flagship Cheetah 2 Ultra provides a longer battery life of 30 days. Under the same conditions, the Balance 3 lasts for 21 days.