If you would like to live a healthier and more active life, a fitness bracelet is a handy coach on your wrist. You soon think of an expensive Fitbit wearable, but it can be much more affordable. Xiaomi’s Mi Smart Band 5 offers many of the same functions, but for a few bucks.
Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5
price € 45, –
Colors Black
Platform Android, iOS
Screen 1.1 inch amoled (126×29)
Format 4.7 x 1.8 x 1.2 cm
Weight 12 grams
Sensors Heart rate monitor, accelerometer, pedometer, calorie counter, sleep monitor, barometer
Connectivity Bluetooth, GPS
Other waterproof, interchangeable straps
Website www.mi.com/en
8 Score 80 
- Pros
- price
- Extensive measurements
- Nice screen
- Negatives
- No GPS and NFC
- Sensors less accurate
- App sometimes a bit unclear
Anyone who has studied wearables before will probably have already come across the Mi Band. The fitness bracelets are quite popular, because they offer many of the functions that more expensive sports bands from Fitbit, Samsung and Garmin also have on board. Think heart rate measurement, sleep analysis, notification synchronization, activity logging, and so on. In addition, the Mi Bands have a long battery life and a touch-sensitive color screen. The Mi Band has a price tag of around 45 euros at reliable web shops, but bargain hunters can get the band for around thirty euros at Chinese web shops. That is a considerable price difference compared to the other brands, which offer their sports bracelets for around 150 euros.
In the meantime, we have arrived at the fifth generation of the Mi Smart Band and Xiaomi has not been idle during that time. Compared to the fourth generation of the band, the screen in particular is a lot nicer and there is a charger that clicks magnetically. You no longer have to click the tracker out of the band to then place it in the charger. A big step forward! There is also a barometer available, so that the band can tell you something about your environment. Furthermore, the differences compared to its predecessor are small.
Color screen
The device is oval-shaped and quite compact, the color screen also looks nice. Competitors like Fitbit are pissed off with it, the Charge 4 is a relatively large rectangular block without a color screen. Xiaomi can, however, use some interface designers, because the manufacturer tries to show a lot of information on the screen, so that the screen is not easy to read for everyone. For example, the start screen is divided into three subsections: the number of steps and a progress diagram of the day, the time with date, day and battery percentage, and the third section shows the last measured heart rate and a diagram of the zone in which that heart rate is located. Did you think this was a long, laborious sentence to read? Then check how much information that is for a 1.1 inch screen.
The touchscreen responds accurately and the button below the screen always takes you a step back in the menu, making operation easy. You can request a lot of information, such as current weather information, heart rate information, your stress level, goal progress, notifications, and so on. You can also start breathing exercises from your wrist.
Mi Fit App
For further operation and insight into the collected data, you can go to the Mi Fit app. Here you will find clear tips, handy charts and more. In that regard, Xiaomi has made significant steps with the app. Sometimes it takes a while to search and you will find a spelling error here and there.
It is useful, for example, to see how your heart rate is during activities and at rest, details about sports performance and sleep measurement. It is more vague when you see the graphs about the stress level or PAI (a kind of general health score). Xiaomi is a bit vague about how these scores are built and what they entail. Nevertheless, you will receive practical health tips.
Mi Smart Band 5 in practice
The wearable is comfortable, thanks to the subtle size and the rubber band did not cause friction or skin irritation during the test period, which some other rubber bands (such as the Fitbit Charge) do with me. It has happened to me more often that the strap comes loose, because it is fixed with a pin. It will not prevent it from falling off your wrist, but it is certainly inconvenient. Because the strap is waterproof, you don’t have to worry about rain or a shower. In fact, you can just swim with it and this is also neatly recorded.
The Mi Smart Band 5 does not have a GPS chip, but you can record your route via the GPS of your smartphone. The disadvantage is that you have to carry your smartphone with you during your route. There are also no options to operate your music or to pay mobile.
The strap of the Mi Smart Band 5 can sometimes come loose.
Sensors
The battery life of the Mi Smart Band 5 depends on the functions you use. By default, much is off, such as active heart rate measurement. This allows you to achieve a battery life of up to ten days. But you want that heart rate measurement as regularly as possible. Which lowers the battery life to about five days. That is about the same with other activity trackers.
Even if you have the heart rate measurement set to active, your heart rate is continuously measured and you get a reasonable impression of your heart rate progression during exercise and rest, for example. However, you will notice that, for example, a Fitbit measures the heart rate more regularly and accurately. Sometimes I also noticed peculiar peaks and dips in the measurement. The same goes for the pedometer, which is slightly less accurate.
Conclusion: buy Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5?
The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 is a very accessible sports bracelet, which is hardly inferior to the more expensive alternatives from Garmin, Fitbit or Samsung. The band gives a good impression of your performance, sleep and other health data and also offers useful tips to improve performance or to get some rest. The only difference compared to the more expensive alternatives is that the sensors measure slightly less accurately.
.