Live Science Verdict
The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 easily support out among other affordable fitness trackers . This neat slight watch is comfortable to wear down , pleasant to calculate at and imposingly long-wearing — but more importantly , it has surprisingly robust tracking feature film . However , its heart rate measurements need more precision to satisfy the needs of veteran exercisers .
Plenty of fitness - trailing feature
Up to three weeks of electric battery life
The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 is exceptionally light and unobtrusive.
Feather - light and discreet - look
Ultra - affordable
Imprecise heart rate measurements
We are not fans of the default silicone band: It was too flimsy and basic-looking.
No GPS track
Flimsy silicone strap
Patchy app connectivity
The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 features a crisp, colorful display.
Why you could commit unrecorded ScienceOur expert reviewer spend hour examination and comparing products and services so you could choose the just ace for you . Find out more about how we examine .
Xiaomi knows a thing or two about budget - friendly fitness trackers , as we can promptly testify . We previously review theXiaomi Mi Smart Band 7and were thoroughly impressed by the sheer amount of time value packed into this footling watch . price at just $ 49.99 , it offered heaps of advanced tracking features , a two - week bombardment life and a promising , easy - to - read display . We liked it so much that we even included it in our guide to thebest physical fitness tracker . No wonder , then , that when Xiaomi announced the fresh model , we were eager to quiz it out .
The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 seems , on first impressions , even better than its forerunner . It boasts up to 21 days of battery life , a brighter 1.62 - inch AMOLED display and a more precise affectionateness rate detector . Moreover , it feature more in - depth sopor tracking features and a whopping 150 sports modes . The cherry on top ? It cost only $ 63 .
The Xiaomi Band 9 tracks a wide range of health stats.
Xiaomi Smart Band 9 review
Xiaomi Smart Band 9: Design
Display : 1.62 in , AMOLED
Always - On : Yes
Dimensions ( in ): 1.8 x 0.85 x 0.43 ( HxWxD )
The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 does a good job as a recovery tracker.
Dimensions ( mm ): 46.5 x 21.6 x 10.9 ( HxWxD )
Weight : 0.56 oz ( 15.8 g )
Colors : Arctic blue , Glacier silver , Midnight Joseph Black , Mystic rose
All of your stats can be viewed in the Mi Fitness app.
Finish : Aluminum
GPS : No
Compass : No
The humble-looking Xiaomi Smart Band 9 boasts excellent battery life.
Altimeter : No
Water underground : 5ATM ( up to a astuteness of 50 meter )
NFC requital : No
We found the heart rate measurements to be imprecise during intense exercise.
Compatibility : Android 6.0 or iOS 12.0 and above
Design - wise , the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 does not stray far from its predecessor . consider just half an ounce ( 15.8 grams ) and measure only 0.85 in ( 21.6 millimeters ) in width , it is only somewhat bigger than its young siblings . We like this exceptionally light and heavyset design . The Smart Band 9 never get in the way of our clothes or practice equipment , and it felt like a much - postulate alteration after all the bulky smartwatches we test beforehand .
Interestingly , the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 can also be enclose into arunning cartridge holder . This little appliance appropriate you to attach the scout to your running horseshoe so you may track a range of performance metrics , from running cadence and stride length to ground contact time ratio — and it costs less than $ 12 . For runners on a tight budget , this is a fabulous answer .
The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 makes up for a great entry-level fitness tracker.
Xiaomi Smart Band 9: Display
The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 has a comparatively modest 1.62 - in display , but we did not retrieve it particularly difficult to navigate . give our underwhelming experience with the display on theSmart Band 7 , we were cheerily surprised by how responsive and easy - to - read this one was , even when we tried to operate it with wet hands or under direct sunshine .
We also liked how it bet . The display in the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 is nipping and colored and can be tailor-make with over 200 different watch face . And if that is not enough , you could even use photos from your verandah to put on your screen .
The display seemed surprisingly durable , too . The AMOLED shabu did not rub or scuff during our extensive testing , even though we must have accidentally dislodge our watch at least a XII times . It is refreshing to see such resilience in a seaworthiness tracker be less than $ 70 .
We tested this Xiaomi watch for two months.
Xiaomi Smart Band 9: Features
The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 impressed us with its robust wellness - trailing features . This humble - see ticker can track your steps , heart pace , O chroma , slumber caliber , stress levels , menstrual cycle and more , making it a surprisingly comprehensive prick for supervise your push level and post - exercise recovery .
speak of exercise , the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 can track over 150 activities , from outdoor tramp and cycling to trip the light fantastic toe and weightlifting . We would not urge it for competitive swim or dive , though — it has only a 5ATM water immunity rating .
On the other hand , the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 does not have any major smartwatch feature film or built - in navigation tools like GPS . Sure , it can update you on the weather condition forecast or receive earphone notice , and it can use the earpiece ’s mobile signal to track your location , but that is pretty much it . The Smart Band 9 is nothing like the mellow - oddment Garmin models , but then its ultra - low-cost price to the full reflects that .
Xiaomi Smart Band 9: Performance
operation is where the low monetary value level of this watch shows . True , the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 easily hold up three weeks on a undivided charge — in fact , we carry off to get almost a calendar month of shelling sprightliness in our tests — but its app connectivity and trailing preciseness leave much to be desired .
The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 was slow to set up , and it took us several attempts to pair our watch with the Mi Fitness app . Once we cope to get everything up and running , we kept have some minor yet galling connectivity issue . On several occasions , the app did not enter our workouts or sleep properly , and it often took considerable time to synchronise our devices .
We were also underwhelmed by the truth of the Smart Band 9 ’s heart charge per unit detector . During one workout , we wore our vigil alongside aPolar H9chest - strap tenderness rate proctor , and set up meaning discrepancies between the readings : during intense exercise , the heart charge per unit values differed by as much as 20 beats per minute . In all blondness , these differences were far less judge at respite . Therefore we would not recommend the Xiaomi Smart band 9 for tracking lung - busting activities , but it could still do a relatively good problem during sleep and low- to temperate - intensity workouts .
Xiaomi Smart Band 9: User reviews
Amazon ’s customer review article gave the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 a 4.3 out of 5 stars rating , with near two - thirds of users throw it a full five star topology . confident reviews praise this fitness tracker for its long battery lifetime , ease of function and just value for money . As one drug user said , " It ’s just as precise ( if not more so ) than the Fitbit and coloured . The scene are easy to get to , and I ’m fairly satisfied with the results and tracking for sleep . "
damaging recap often revolved around limited functionality and poor tracking accuracy . As one exploiter commented , " Features for this product are very canonic , minimum . There ’s no GPS purpose during your physical exercise , so you ca n’t track where you have been and your rate . This product has a fate of potential difference if developed in good order . seaworthiness enthusiasts may not like this Cartesian product as much as Fitbit or Garmin . "
Should you buy the Xiaomi Smart Band 9?
✅ purchase it if : You are a fitness beginner in hunting of an entree - level tracker , or a veteran gym - departer on a smashed budget . The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 offers an ultra - idle and compact figure , heaps of sophisticated health - tracking features and an impressively long barrage fire aliveness — all for less than $ 70 .
❌ Do n’t bribe it if : You want a fitness tracker that delivers precise nub rate measurements and GPS readings . experience exercisers and outside fancier may be let down by the limited functionality of the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 .
If Xiaomi Smart Band 9 is not for you
If you need adept value for money , you ca n’t go wrong with theFitbit Inspire 3 . For less than $ 100 , this colorful fittingness tracker offers excellent health tracking features , up to 10 day of barrage life and a lightweight design . However , it does not have GPS .
TheGarmin Vivosmart 5is another nifty choice to the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 . It is durable , jam - packed with tracking characteristic and easy to wear . However , it be nearly $ 150 .
If you would rather indue in a smartwatch , check out theAmazfit Bip 3 Pro . This well - craft fittingness tracker allows you to control some of the features of your sound from your wrist , and get with built - in Alexa voice control . At $ 69.99 , it also price - matches the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 .
Xiaomi Smart Band 9: How we tested
We spent over two months trying and testing the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 , looking at its excogitation , features , assault and battery life story , connectivity with third - party equipment and ease of use . We wore it during the day , while sleeping and when doing a mountain chain of gymnasium - based workouts , from eminent - intensity level circuit classes to weightlifting . ultimately , we assess the accuracy of our Xiaomi Smart Band 9 by compare its affection rate mensuration with the data we obtain using aPolar H9chest - strap heart pace monitor .
