Active Max: Very comfortable, lightweight sports watch
With its lightweight, rounded, modern shape and design, the Amazfit Active Max is aimed at users who are also looking for a sports watch for everyday use. The case combines an aluminium alloy frame with a polymer case and weighs 39.5 grams without the strap, measuring 48.5 x 48.5 x 12.2 millimetres. In the test, the watch nestled very comfortably on the wrist, the two lateral, slightly protruding push buttons are not noticeable. The perforated strap is soft and airy. However, the two securing straps do not hold as securely as on the T-Rex model and sometimes slipped on the strap. You should take a look at them from time to time while surfing. The 1.5-inch AMOLED display with 480 x 480 pixels achieves a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, although this brightness is not supported if the battery level is below 30 per cent. Even in the Caribbean sun, the watch was easy to read at all times. The colours are vibrant and the display is razor sharp. The watch is water-resistant up to 50 metres, the T-Rex 3 up to 100 metres. The built-in 658 mAh battery should last up to 25 days with typical use and up to 13 days with intensive use. In continuous GPS mode, the battery lasts up to 64 hours. In sports tracking (windsurfing), the watch impressed us with a similar range of functions as the T-Rex fully convinced. The watch looks much more elegant, even more comfortable and more "suitable for everyday use".
Outdoor orientation of the T-Rex 3
The T-Rex 3 (here in the detailed test) has a more robust construction with a stainless steel frame and weighs significantly more at 68.3 grams. The housing has military certification and achieves a water resistance of 10 ATM with diving certification for free diving up to 45 metres. The 700 mAh battery provides up to 27 days of battery life in typical use and up to 42 hours in GPS mode.
Sports functions and training support
The Active Max also offers over 170 sports modes and automatically recognises 25 strength training exercises. We chose the sport of sailing for testing, which is symbolised by a windsurfer on the watch and in the app. At the end of the training session, a summary of the training data comes from the loudspeaker. In the app you will find a clear overview of your speed, the route and a recording of the track on map material. In addition, the watch/app is packed with health functions that allow you to plan your training and diet from the moment you get up until you go to bed and in between, so extensive that it goes beyond the limits here.
Navigation functions and maps
The Active Max allows terrain and ski maps to be downloaded directly to the watch for offline navigation. Less exciting for windsurfing, but well suited for mountain biking, for example - tested by us with the T-Rex 3. The downloaded offline map must match the actual location in order to be displayed. A route file (e.g. GPX track) must be imported for navigation; spontaneous point selection on the offline map (as with special bike GPS computers) is not possible. Five satellite systems are used to determine the location.
Health monitoring and smart features
The Active Max offers optional 24-hour monitoring of heart rate, blood oxygen saturation and stress levels. Sleep monitoring records sleep stages including REM phase, naps over 20 minutes and breathing quality during sleep. The model uses RestoreIQ for detailed sleep analyses and supports Zepp Flow, an AI assistant based on OpenAI GPT-4o technology that enables full voice control. The function currently supports English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and Portuguese. A microphone and loudspeaker are built in for this function.
Connectivity and operation
The Active Max works with Bluetooth BLE 5.3 and connects to heart rate belts, power meters, cadence meters, bike speedometers and thermometers. In terms of fitness apps, the model synchronises with Strava, adidas Running, TrainingPeaks, komoot, Relive, Google Fit and Apple Health.
Technical specifications:
Amazfit Active Max:
- Weight: 39.5 grams without bracelet
- Dimensions: 48.5 x 48.5 x 12.2 millimetres
- Display: 1.5-inch AMOLED, 480 x 480 pixels, 323 PPI
- Peak brightness: 3,000 nits
- Battery: 658 mAh, typical runtime: 25 days
- GPS mode: 64 hours
- Water resistance: 5 ATM
- Bluetooth: BLE 5.3
Amazfit T-Rex 3:
- Weight: 68.3 grams without strap
- Dimensions: 48.5 x 48.5 x 13.75 millimetres
- Display: 1.5-inch AMOLED, 480 x 480 pixels, 322 PPI
- Battery: 700 mAh, typical runtime: 27 days
- Water resistance: 10 ATM
- Bluetooth: 5.2, BLE, WiFi 2.4 GHz
Stephan Gölnitz
Deputy Editor in Chief surf
