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The Amazfit Active Max is a fitness watch designed to pack a heap of flagship features into a much lower price point than the big-name competition. Priced at £169.90 / $169.99, it offers offline maps, an impressive AMOLED display, and a suite of training insights that are starting to narrow the gap between budget trackers and top-tier sports watches.
While it still lacks the polished design and features of a Garmin or an Apple Watch, the Active Max is a solid value option for beginner to intermediate runners who want top end features and looks without the price tag.
Design & Key Stats
- Price: £169.90 / $169.99
- Display: 1.5in AMOLED (3,000 nits)
- Storage: 4GB (Music & Offline Maps)
- Battery Life (Watch): Up to 25 days
- Battery Life (GPS): Approx. 10–12 hours runtime
- Features include: Offline Maps, Zepp Pay, Mic & Speaker, AI Voice Tool
- Sensors: Heart rate, SpO2, Stress, Skin Temperature
Amazfit Active Max Review
The Run Test: Likes
The standout feature for us is the sheer value. Getting full-colour offline mapping on a watch at this price is a big selling point. The maps are clear and vibrant on the large 1.5-inch screen, and while the interface for loading routes isn’t quite as slick as Garmin Connect, it works surprisingly well once you’re on the move.
Despite the lack of dual-band GPS, the accuracy in our testing was impressive. It matched our Garmin Fenix 8 Pro and Forerunner 970 closely for overall distance, even outperforming the Garmin in tricky spots like running under flyovers.
The battery life is another major win. Even with the screen set to full brightness and the always-on display active, we got 16 days of use. An overnight burn of just 1–2% is about as low as it gets in the industry. We also liked the Zepp Coach features, which are starting to feel much more like the sophisticated daily suggested workouts you find on pricier rivals.
The Run Test: Dislikes
The software remains Amazfit’s Achilles’ heel. The Zepp App feels cluttered and busy, often resembling an online shop more than a focused fitness tool. This carries over to the watch interface; while the screen is snappy, finding specific settings mid-run can be cumbersome, and we often found ourselves pressing the wrong buttons.
Speaking of buttons, there are only two physical controls, making you heavily reliant on the touchscreen. This becomes a problem as soon as you start dripping sweat post-run, as the screen becomes difficult to operate.
Accuracy was also mixed on the biometric side. While GPS distance was good, real-time pacing often lagged about 10 seconds behind our Garmins. Heart rate tracking was susceptible to rogue spikes during interval sessions and often read higher averages than a chest strap. Finally, the lack of an automatic screen lock meant several of our runs were accidentally ended early by a jacket sleeve brushing the sensitive screen.
Verdict And Alternatives
The Amazfit Active Max is an impressive watch for the price. It’s one of the best value options we’ve tested, blending a premium AMOLED display with high-end features like offline maps and AI tools. It isn’t as polished as a Garmin or a Coros, but for a beginner or a budget-conscious runner, it provides more features than they will likely ever need.
If you can live with a slightly cluttered app and want the best-looking screen for under £170, this is a great option.
Alternatives to consider:
Amazfit T-Rex 3: If you want to stay in the Amazfit family but need dual-band GPS and a more rugged, “memorable” design, this is worth the extra spend.
Garmin Forerunner 165: More expensive and lacks color maps, but offers a much slicker software experience and more reliable ecosystem.
Coros Pace 4: Offers a more “pure” sports watch experience with great training analysis and an AMOLED screen, though it lacks full maps.