I compared this Amazfit with my $1,300 Garmin for outdoor tracking, and it was surprisingly close

4 days ago 7
amazfit-trex-ultra26.jpg

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

  • The Amazfit T-Rex Ultra 2 is disposable present for $550.
  • The ticker sports a green/white LED flashlight, a ample 1.5-inch AMOLED display, a talker and mic for telephone and adjunct support, and much than 50 hours of GPS tracking artillery life
  • There is nary enactment for subscription euphony services, determination are constricted 3rd enactment apps, and the ticker mightiness beryllium excessively ample for some.

Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source on Google.


Amazfit has been jumping disconnected the ramp with its affordable smartwatches, and the latest exemplary is big, bold, capable, and cleanable for outdoor wintertime adventures. I've taken the Amazfit T-Rex Ultra 2 moving successful the rain, alpine skiing successful the mountains of Washington, rowing connected the Hydrow instrumentality successful my garage, and surviving with it arsenic my superior sports ticker for the past month.

Also: I tested the champion sports watches successful 2026: Here are the latest and top watches, nary substance your budget

The T-Rex Ultra 2 launches with a diagnostic that has go a staple for me: a dedicated LED flashlight. The flashlight connected the Ultra 2 supports achromatic oregon greenish airy alternatively than the much emblematic red-light option. The greenish airy supports viewing the show portion wearing night-vision goggles, thing I was incapable to trial successful my relation arsenic a civilian engineer.

Best smartwatch deals of the week

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and whitethorn beryllium unrelated to this article.

The sapphire solid display, people 5 titanium bezel/buttons/back panel, and 10 ATM h2o absorption marque this a rugged ticker built for the outdoors. It was beneath freezing erstwhile I took the ticker up to Crystal Mountain, and the artillery barroom hardly moved during the much than 2 hours of downhill skiing. 

Also: After years of use, here's wherefore I inactive deterioration my Apple Watch Ultra 2 proudly

I wore a Garmin Fenix 8 Pro connected my different wrist and was pleasantly amazed by the precocious metrics that the Amazfit T-Rex Ultra 2 captured. These metrics included maximum velocity achieved, maximum downhill space and gradient, elevation changes, and overmuch more.

The large  show  is casual  to spot    and the tracking is accurate
Matthew Miller/ZDNET

The big, agleam 1.5-inch show made it casual to presumption the offline skis edifice representation and different preloaded maps connected the ample ticker face. The assistance and tally times were accurate, and aft completing a tally and getting connected a lift, the summary results of my erstwhile tally sounded retired loudly from the integrated speaker. This diagnostic was a bully interaction arsenic it gave maine information to bushed those results connected the adjacent run.

Once you person  a LED flashlight, you can't spell  backmost  to not having 1  connected  your wrist
Matthew Miller/ZDNET

In summation to the LED flashlight, the caller T-Rex Ultra 2 is disposable successful 2 sizes, meaning everyone tin bask the watch, nary substance their wrist size. The instrumentality has an integrated talker and microphone for hands-free calling and Zepp Flow control, and supports free, downloadable maps for navigation, including skis edifice maps.

Also: This $170 Android smartwatch lasted maine weeks earlier needing to complaint - and it's not a Garmin

The ticker is casual to navigate, with 4 ample carnal buttons and a responsive touchscreen. You tin besides usage Zepp Flow offline dependable power functionality to unfastened apps, power modes, commencement a workout, and more. The Zepp Coach diagnostic is besides an fantabulous mode to acceptable up a personalized moving oregon cardio plan.

The ticker  is precise  good   made, big, and built to last
Matthew Miller/ZDNET

The T-Rex Ultra 2 is simply a ample 51mm ticker and not the astir comfy ticker to slumber with. Thankfully, the Amazfit Helio Strap is a fantastic, affordable wearable that fits seamlessly connected your wrist oregon limb to way each your slumber metrics and past syncs to the Zepp ecosystem. I wore the Helio Strap to way slumber and the Ultra 2 for regular tracking and workouts.

The Zepp app is packed with features and the ticker  is fantastic for alpine skiing
Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Garmin launched its nutrition and nutrient logging diagnostic astatine CES 2026, and it is included with a Connect Plus subscription. Thankfully, I discovered that Amazfit has a akin nutrient logging diagnostic embedded successful the Zepp smartphone app disposable for free. Food tin beryllium logged with a photograph of the repast oregon barroom code, substance oregon dependable entry, and a enactment of your favorites. The results from each instrumentality are astir the same, and portion I struggled to log each meal, the diagnostic showed maine trends and a emblematic regular calorie count.

ZDNET's buying advice

There is simply a batch to similar astir the Amazfit T-Rex Ultra 2 arsenic agelong arsenic you bask wearing large watches. The ticker is reasonably priced, has a artillery that seems to past forever, functions good for taking calls connected your wrist, provides large offline maps for outdoor adventures, and accurately tracks your GPS determination and bosom rate. The dual-color LED flashlight is the icing connected the cake, making this 1 of my favourite watches for outdoor workouts.

Read Entire Article