Forget the subscription: this fitness band has everything I need to track my progress

Amazfit, makers of such smartwatches as the Bip 5 and the new Balance 2, just released its new Helio Strap, a fitness tracker that has all the core functions of a smartwatch, but in an ultra-minimal form: no watch face, no decorative elements (and no subscription). 

The strap is about as simple as you can get — just a solid black band with the tracking component below it. Unlike other popular straps like the Whoop 4.0 (or new 5.0), there’s no buckle, making the whole thing incredibly light at just 20 grams without the strap. 

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This results in a device that’s not only affordable at $99, but also extremely battery efficient — lasting over 10 days on one charge for normal use and up to 25 days in battery saver mode. 

I’ve been wearing the Helio strap for the past few weeks now, and one of the main reasons why it works so well is because the app that Amazfit’s smartwatches work with — Zepp, for Android and iOS — is good enough to carry, providing all the useful health and fitness metrics you could want, including workout tracking, heart health, and sleep stats. 

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The lack of a watchface also eliminates the inherent distraction of looking at it in the middle of a workout — something I find myself constantly doing any time I wear a smartwatch. By relegating everything to the app, you can put your phone away and not worry about checking it until afterwards.

The app also has its share of unique metrics intended to provide deeper insights into health behavior. For example, the BioCharge feature generates a number for you in the morning (a score out of 100) that tells you what kind of shape you’re in for the coming day, with the score changing as you progress through the day. 

This number is generated from the quality of sleep you got, what kind of day you had yesterday, your resting heart rate, your activity level, and your stress. For example, if you had a stressful day previously and didn’t sleep well, your BioCharge will start out low, putting you at 60 at the start of the day. A great night of rest, however, and you might start the day out at 100.

The app mentions that it needs at least seven days of data to project an accurate assessment, and I found this to be more or less accurate, not just with BioCharge but also with sleep data and PAI, Zepp’s other proprietary health score. 

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PAI, or “personal activity indicator,” awards you points every day based on your cardiorespiratory measurements. The intent is to get a weekly score of 100 or greater. This can be hard to do, as the better shape you’re in, the fewer points your workouts generate, pushing you to work harder. 

The algorithm here is successful not in that it gives you absolutely perfect data, but because it’s so good at pushing you with just the right amount of what’s realistically achievable. If you’re someone who just needs a nudge to keep your fitness in check, this metric alone is a good way to keep tabs on your activity level for the week.  

The app also gives you the option to track what you eat by snapping photos of your food and letting the AI break down caloric values based on the photo. My first thought when hearing this was, ok, a photo of an apple it can do, but what about something more complicated?

So, I put it to the test. I made a big salad with a handful of ingredients, and snapped a photo. After a few seconds, the AI broke down the contents of the salad with surprising accuracy, even spotting the few pickled jalapenos that were thoroughly mixed in. 

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Personally, I don’t need to track my food this way since I’m already aware of my current macros, but if this is something you’re looking for, I found it to be very easy and surprisingly accurate. 

Even if it’s not to the letter (it can identify food very well, but it can’t always accurately determine volume or portions) the ball park number can be incredibly helpful, showing you if there’s an imbalance in your fat, protein, or carb macros. 

Other features in the app include a plethora of sleep insight stats, including sleep apnea risk, stress, skin temperature, exertion load, steps, weight, and BMI, and support for dozens of training modes.

I’m talking a lot about the app here because ultimately, that’s what matters most to the Helio strap, as a window into fitness tracking through Zepp. Of course, you don’t have to use the strap as a standalone device; in fact, Amazfit’s current marketing positions it as a complementary component to the Balance 2, its latest smartwatch. 

Since both devices access the same app, swapping between them ideally provides a seamless tracking experience, allowing one to pick up where the other one left off. (Plus, if you can’t sleep with a watch on, the Helio strap is a legit alternative.)

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Lastly, I’ll mention that the Helio strap works just fine without a subscription, but if you want deeper insights and access to more personalized metrics, you can subscribe to Zepp’s Aura Premium. 

This part of the app resembles the VIP lounge, with weekly reports, monthly health analyses, sleep assessments, and a host of audio and guided mediation features. 

As for things Amazfit could improve, one of the most obvious is the strap’s physical form, which, to be expected, is pretty basic. My continual wear after a few weeks resulted in some slight fraying of the fabric band around the velcro end, and I’d imagine after a certain amount of sweaty workouts, you’ll want to replace it anyway.

ZDNET’s buying advice

If you’re interested in fitness tracking but want something minimal or only want to wear a device during workouts, the Amazfit Helio Strap is a solid option. At $99, it comes with the full suite of features in the Zepp app, which is the real secret sauce here.

I actually like the look of the ultra-minimal black strap, and it couldn’t be more distraction-free. If you want a smartwatch, but also like the idea of the strap for certain activities, you can get both the Balance 2 and Helio strap in a bundle deal for $379.