REVIEW | Huawei Watch Fit: An affordable digital fitness coach on your wrist

Being stuck indoors for over six months during a pandemic can definitely make anyone more conscious about their health. I have been since the March and streaming fitness videos online isn’t super effective due to unreliable WiFi providers in the Philippines. While it’s easy to make our own workout routines, it’s still more encouraging when we have someone (or at least something) to track our fitness journey and record our progress to inspire us to push further – just like what the Huawei Watch Fit is currently doing for me.

We’ve reviewed fitness bands and smartwatches before so you might be wondering what sets this apart from previous ones we’ve tried. To give you an idea about how it works and the many features that it has, here’s an overview:

DESIGN AND DISPLAY

The Huawei Watch Fit is quite simple – only one button at the side, a smooth plain wrist strap, and a rectangular screen that isn’t too eye-catching. It has a 1.64-inch AMOLED screen and 2.5D curved glass on the surface which looks quite premium and sturdy. The bezels are also thin, emphasizing the crisp 280×456 resolution, so you won’t really notice them there. At the right side, you’ll find an elongated flat button which directs you to the other options in the watch. Beneath it, you’ll find the watch sensors which lights up in green whenever it’s detecting the surface.

As a fitness watch, the Huawei Watch Fit is also design to be 5ATM water resistant, so you won’t need to worry about sweat or rain on the surface. Both the watch chassis and strap are easy to clean and they aren’t dust magnets – which is definitely a plus.

The one that we’re reviewing is in Mint Green color but it also comes in Graphite Black, Cantaloupe Orange, and even Sakura Pink in select countries. However, the straps cannot be changed so users will have to get used to the color. As a millennial who loves to mix-and-match OOTDs, I wish Huawei could come up with interchangeable straps next time so users can choose a color and design depending on their look for the day, regardless if they need to workout or not.

There are a lot of watch faces to choose from, perhaps to compensate for its inability to have interchangeable strap. The brightness can also be adjusted depending on the user’s liking. I didn’t encounter problems with brightness; however, there are times when the screen doesn’t automatically turn on when I put it face up.

FEATURES

Dubbed as an “animated fitness coach”, the Huawei Watch Fit has 69 workout modes which include fun calorie-burning activities like street dance to extreme sports like BMX and parachuting. As a person who does not have a permanent workout routine, it’s amazing to see a unique mix in this smartwatch. Huawei Watch Fit was able to take movements of activities like Darts, HIIT, Ballet, Laser Tag, and even Stair Climbing into consideration. With limited workout equipment at home, records in this watch make it more fulfilling to just climb up and down the stairs.

On top of that, there are also 12 animated fitness courses for those like me who do not have the patience for YouTube videos to load. The Huawei Watch Fit shows animations on how specific exercises are done so we can check our form – with or without WiFi connection. These can be done in 20 minutes or less and we can also check our recovery time through the watch.

The Huawei Watch Fit is more than just a fitness watch, though. What I find super helpful in this small device on a day-to-day basis are its Heart Rate Monitor and Blood Oxygen Level (SpO2) Monitor. I’ve read about how such features were able to help people who have or are recovering from COVID-19. With simple monitors like these, people can somehow look after their health without needing multiple devices.

Since I started using the Huawei Watch Fit, I’ve also become more invested on how I can fix my sleep pattern. Thanks to its Sleep Monitor which comes with helpful tips through the Health app,I’m able to improve my sleep hours. I don’t wake up in the middle of the night that much anymore, too.

Another favorite would be the Stress Monitor and Breathing Exercises feature. These work hand-in-hand (at least when I use the watch). Unlike previous smartwatches that I’ve used that also measure the level of stress, the Huawei Watch Fit gives me an instant overview of how long I’ve been in a “stressed” state, what hours of the day I’m in a well-rested state, and remind me when I need to take it easy. The built-in breathing exercises feature helps keep my mind off things for a few minutes as well.

Not to mention the shortcuts that are really helpful for content creators and people on their gadgets 24/7: It also has music control, camera shutter control, flashlight, stopwatch, timer, alarm, Find My Phone, weather, and mobile notifications for SMS, calls, and social media.

It’s a bang for your buck especially if you’re someone who needs multiple workout features, accessible health monitor, and mobile shortcuts on your wrist most of the time.

BATTERY LIFE

For people who are always on the go, the Huawei Watch Fit is a good time-saving companion. It can keep up with our schedule for around 7 days (heavy usage) to 10 days (typical usage). In case you forget to charge it, a quick 5 to 10-minute charge is enough for it to stay awake for almost an entire day, too!

CONNECTIVITY

Users need to connect the Huawei Watch Fit to their phone via Bluetooth for real-time Health app records. The app will require permissions for the features to be fully functional. Connecting it is very easy, I didn’t experience any problem even when I tested it on a non-Huawei smartphone.

OVERALL

At the price of only Php 4,990, the Huawei Watch Fit is definitely something worth considering both for people who constantly workout and those who want to push themselves to start working out. Other than the absence of interchangeable watch straps and minimal sensor issues, I don’t have any problem with this device. Probably my favorite at the moment and I stand by my recommendations.

Need more details? Full specifications can be also viewed here.


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