I have to admit, the first thing that struck me about the Amazfit Balance 3 was its weight and build quality. This doesn’t feel like a lightweight gadget that happens to tell the time. It feels like a proper piece of equipment. It looks high quality, feels high quality in your hand and, from what I experienced using it, performs like a smartwatch that has been designed with serious fitness users in mind. (Disclaimer: I am NOT a serious fitness user!)
My son and I both tested the Amazfit Balance 3, although I will qualify this review by saying that I certainly didn’t put every single one of its features through their paces. There is an enormous amount packed into this watch, from more than 180 sports modes and detailed recovery tracking through to offline maps, dual-band GPS, sleep monitoring, training plans and HYROX-specific features (my daughter – a new HYROX convert – was very jealous of my opportunity to test this watch!) So this is very much a review of my experience with the watch, rather than a claim that I personally tested every function it offers.
Beautifully presented
Amazfit Balance 3 design and build: a premium first impression
The Balance 3 is a large men’s watch. The case measures approximately 51.4mm across and is 14.6mm thick including the heart-rate sensor. Depending on the version, it weighs 55g or 62g without the strap – and you notice that size!
For me, the watch was a little too large for my wrist to comfortably undertake really thorough long-term testing. So I recruited my son as my second tester, which actually worked out rather well because the Balance 3 is clearly designed with larger wrists and serious sports use in mind. The supplied strap accommodates wrists from around 140–210mm.
Fits my son’s wrist beautifully. Easy set up instructions.
What I really liked was that the weight didn’t make it feel cumbersome or cheap. Quite the opposite. It contributed to that impression of quality. There is something satisfying about picking up a watch and immediately thinking, “Yep, this is a substantial piece of kit.”
The construction is designed for durability, too. According to Amazfit, the titanium version uses Grade 5 titanium for the frame and case, while the stainless-steel model uses stainless steel for the frame and parts. The display is protected by sapphire glass, and the watch has a 10 ATM water-resistance rating as well as military-grade resistance testing. That is some pretty serious construction, and gives the Balance 3 a reassuringly robust feel.
What I didn’t like having to do upon unboxing, was putting the straps on the watch. It was fiddly and frustrating, so I got my son to do it for me. I would have expected a watch of this quality to come fully assembled. What was good, was that it came with a small charging dock and assumed that you would have hundreds of USB C cables laying around your home to use. Their assumption was correct – I do have many cables – so I was pleased to not have to add to that collection.
Some assembly required | Amazfit, Assemble! | Success!
Amazfit Balance 3 AMOLED display: bright, crisp and durable
The 1.5-inch AMOLED display is bright, crisp and easy to read, and according to the specs has a 480 x 480 resolution and up to 3,000 nits peak brightness. The sapphire glass is another feature that makes the watch feel more premium than many everyday smartwatches. I particularly liked the fact that the screen doesn’t feel like something you need to baby. A smartwatch is worn on your wrist, after all. It is going to encounter doorframes, kitchen benches, gym equipment, bags and all the other hazards of ordinary life. Having sapphire glass and a military-grade construction (yikes! impressive!) gives some reassurance that it is designed for that reality.
Crystal clear display, bright colours.
Amazfit Balance 3 battery life: up to 21 days
One of the specifications that really caught my attention was the up to 21 days of typical battery life – that’s a big number for a smartwatch. Of course, “up to” is important. Amazfit’s own figures indicate up to 21 days under typical use, up to 10 days with heavier use, around seven days with the always-on display enabled, and up to 41 hours when using the more demanding high-accuracy GPS mode. Nevertheless, the potential to go for weeks rather than constantly thinking about charging is appealing. For someone who wants a watch primarily for everyday wear, activity tracking, sleep monitoring and occasional workouts – me, I am that someone – that kind of battery life could make a substantial difference to how convenient the watch is to live with.
Fitness tracking: more than 180 sports modes
This is where the Balance 3 gets seriously interesting. It supports more than 180 sports modes, with features covering everything from running and cycling to strength training and other activities. It can also recognise a range of strength and sports movements automatically. There is support for things such as VO₂ max, running power, lactate threshold, ground contact time, virtual pacing and training plans.
Choose your workout | Sadly you can’t choose your weather
And then there is HYROX. Amazfit has built dedicated HYROX functionality into the Balance 3, including race-mode strategy tools, virtual pacing, training plans and post-race analysis. Recent software updates have also expanded the HYROX analysis capabilities.
I didn’t test the watch as a HYROX competitor, so I can’t comment meaningfully on how useful those functions are during an actual race. But the depth of the training ecosystem is impressive.
This isn’t simply a watch that records that you went for a run. It is trying to turn the information it collects into something you can actually use to understand training load, recovery and performance.
Health and recovery tracking
The Balance 3 also puts considerable emphasis on health and recovery information.
Its BioTracker 6.0 sensor system supports continuous monitoring of things such as heart rate, while the watch also tracks HRV, blood oxygen, stress, breathing and sleep-related information. The RestoreIQ sleep system is designed to provide information about sleep stages, sleep quality, breathing patterns and naps.
The One-Tap Measuring function is a nice idea, too. Amazfit says it can simultaneously check heart rate, stress, blood oxygen and breathing rate in approximately 45 seconds. Pretty handy really.
One important qualification here: this is not a medical device. These measurements are useful as wellness and fitness information, but they shouldn’t be interpreted as medical diagnosis or as a substitute for properly certified medical equipment. That distinction is worth remembering with any smartwatch making health-related measurements.
GPS, offline maps and navigation
Another area where the Balance 3 seems to go well beyond the average smartwatch is navigation.
According to Amazfit it uses dual-band positioning with six satellite systems, and can store maps and provide turn-by-turn navigation directly from the watch. Amazfit says the watch can operate without your phone for navigation, with offline maps, automatic rerouting and 64GB of onboard storage. For runners, cyclists, hikers and anyone who spends time outdoors, this could be one of the most useful features.
While I did test it on my walking route, I didn’t undertake a serious enough navigation test to make sweeping claims about its accuracy, but the hardware and feature set are certainly impressive. It’s also worth noting that Amazfit has continued adding and refining navigation functions through software updates, including map controls and route-related improvements.
The built-in LED flashlight is surprisingly useful
This sounds like a small thing until you imagine actually using it. It was an awesome functionality that I truly appreciated. The Balance 3 has a built-in LED flashlight with white and red illumination, including Boost and SOS functions. For early morning or evening walks, finding something in the dark, searching for your car in a dimly lit carpark, or simply avoiding having to reach for your phone, it’s the sort of feature that became unexpectedly useful. It’s a good example of how this watch isn’t solely focused on workouts. There are quite a few practical everyday features tucked into it.
Red light and white light flashlight | Super bright flashlight!
Zepp app, training data and fitness integrations
The watch itself is only half the story. The Zepp app is where much of the collected information is organised, with training, recovery and health data presented together. Amazfit’s Balance 3 ecosystem includes tools such as Weekly Focus, Training Balance and its broader HybridCharge system, which combines training load, recovery and daily demands.
It also supports integration with a number of fitness platforms, including Strava, TrainingPeaks, Runna, Apple Health, and Google Fit, although you will need to check availability as it can vary according to device and region. I didn’t explore every aspect of the Zepp ecosystem, so I wouldn’t pretend to have formed a definitive opinion on all of its analytics. But there is clearly a lot here for someone who genuinely wants to use their fitness data rather than simply collect it.
You don’t need to see my data – but have a look at how its displayed in the app!
Size and fit: an important consideration before buying
For me, the size is the biggest consideration.
I liked the substantial feel of the Balance 3, but it is undeniably a large watch. On my wrist, it felt too big for me to properly assess it over an extended period.
That isn’t necessarily a criticism. I imagine if I tested the women’s version I would be in smart watch heaven. However, for my son, the larger size was much more appropriate. But if you have a smaller wrist or prefer a discreet, lightweight smartwatch, I’d recommend checking the dimensions carefully before buying.
My takeaway: this is a serious-looking sports smartwatch, not a tiny piece of jewellery.
Amazfit Balance 3 review: overall impressions
I was genuinely impressed by the Amazfit Balance 3.
The thing that stayed with me most was that it felt like a truly quality product. The weight, materials, screen and overall construction give it a premium feel, while the enormous range of fitness, health, navigation and everyday functions make it much more than a conventional smartwatch.
As I said earlier, I didn’t test every feature, and I think that’s important to acknowledge because there is an almost overwhelming amount of functionality here. But what I did experience was impressive.
My son and I both particularly liked the combination of the large, bright display, robust construction, extensive fitness tracking, long potential battery life and practical features such as GPS navigation and the built-in flashlight. And recruiting my son to test it turned out to be useful as it confirmed my suspicion that this is a watch that will suit a larger wrist better than mine.
If you’re looking for a serious fitness-focused smartwatch with a premium feel, extensive training features and exceptionally long claimed battery life, the Amazfit Balance 3 certainly deserves consideration.
For me, the only real question mark was the size. Everything else left me with the impression that Amazfit has built a watch intended to be worn hard, trained with and relied upon rather than simply admired on a wrist.
With thanks to Amazfit for the opportunity to experience this beautiful piece of workmanship! Get yours from Amazon for A$519 (a bargain really given the capabilities and quality).
