Amazfit T-Rex Pro Review: Take on the Elements (or Your Commute) in Style

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The Lowdown

The biggest reason to consider the Amazfit T-Rex Pro is that it’s basically the closest thing to a smartwatch that could survive a minor apocalypse. The battery life is tremendous — up to 18 days of battery life and 40 hours of continuous GPS use. It’s also rated for up to 70c/158f heat exposure, -40c/-104f cold exposure, 96 hours of salt exposure, as well as shock resistance.

Overall
4

Pros

  • Comprehensive feature set
  • Improved band design
  • SpO2 and heart rate sensor worked well
  • Long battery life
  • Affordable price

Cons

  • Chunky
  • Watch bands are proprietary
  • Zepp app is hamstrung by iOS notification limits

Amazfit is a company that offers smartwatches for just about everyone’s needs. If you want something fashion-forward, they have you covered. Slimmer and band-like? They’ve got that too. And if you’re looking for a smartwatch that could survive almost anything, they offer the Amazfit T-Rex Pro!

Amazfit T-Rex Pro

Functionally, the T-Rex Pro is very similar to Amazfit’s other offerings. You use the Zepp app to connect to your phone, and the same functionality applies, so you have connection options to Google Fit or Apple Health, and you can receive limited notifications from your smartphone. You can check out Judie’s very detailed Zepp E smartwatch review for a more in-depth analysis of the Zepp app.

Amazfit T-Rex Pro

Pro on top, original on the bottom

We happened to have an original T-Rex smartwatch here, so we were able to compare the original to the new Pro iteration in detail.

In just about every way, the Amazfit T-Rex Pro is an improvement, starting most notably with the wristband. The original T-Rex had a very rubbery and honestly slightly cheap-feeling band that attracted lint and dust and wasn’t terribly breathable. The Pro has a stiffer, less sticky feeling band that feels more breathable, more flexible, and more comfortable to wear for long periods of time; it also offers an attractive two-tone style that’s black with a light gray overlay.

Unfortunately, the one carryover from the original is the proprietary band system. You can’t just pop on any old watch band; these are secured through small screws with a cutout area at the connection. There’s no way to retrofit any other watch bands without the creation of a special adapter. It’s minor but an annoyance, especially since it means there’s no way to alter the watch from the very athletic look; you can’t swap to a link band or a smoother rubber for work.

Amazfit T-Rex Pro

The Pro is about the same size as the original, but it’s designed in a way that makes it look sleeker. The dial is similar, but instead of black matching the case, it’s a dark gray. This creates an optical illusion that makes the case feel significantly less chunky.

Amazfit T-Rex Pro

Amazefit T-Rex Pro on top with Amazfit T-Rex on the bottom

I stacked them on top of one another and was shocked to discover they are nearly the same size because the Pro looks much more compact. The heart rate array is also a little different as well, and we’ll cover that more specifically below.

Amazfit T-Rex Pro

Amazfit includes an incredibly detailed list of workout options. Just about every outdoor and indoor cardio option is listed, from biking to running to swimming, skiing, boxing, dancing, and more. The only downside is that it can be overwhelming to find the right workout quickly, and the general fitness ones are a little confusing to navigate.

There’s “strength training,” “indoor fitness,” and “free training.” Strength training and indoor fitness give you the option to use sets, while free training is just a timer and the heart rate monitor. I had a hard time figuring out which to use before determining I wanted “free training” for a workout with my trainer since she was tracking the sets, and I just wanted a record of my heart rate. But I will compliment their attempt to make the design more readable by color-coding the different workout choices, and you can edit and re-order the list, so your most-used ones are closer to the top.

Amazfit T-Rex Pro

I found the heart rate monitor to be extremely accurate. It was usually within 1-2 beats per minute of my Apple Watch. Amazfit says it is designed for 24-hour heart rate monitoring and can also monitor heart rate variability to get a better handle on your stress levels.

The Amazfit T-Rex Pro can also measure your blood-oxygen saturation (SpO2). This was slightly finicky as it made me sit perfectly still for the measurement; Amazfit says this can be helpful at higher altitudes, but you just have to note you have to stop and take it; you can’t measure it on the go. Mine came back at 99%, and since I feel fine, I have to assume that’s accurate. Obviously, this isn’t in place of a true medical assessment if you’re feeling ill, but it can give you a quick glimpse, at least.

Amazfit T-Rex Pro

The biggest reason to consider the Amazfit T-Rex Pro is that it’s basically the closest thing to a smartwatch that could survive a minor apocalypse. The battery life is tremendous — up to 18 days of battery life and 40 hours of continuous GPS use. It’s also rated for up to 70c/158f heat exposure, -40c/-40f cold exposure, 96 hours of salt exposure, as well as shock resistance.

So you could marathon your way through the desert onto a snowy mountaintop, then down into the ocean, and the watch would still be chugging along happily. Note that we here at Gear Diary are not suggesting you take on this task, but if you do, please send us a postcard.

The Amazfit T-Rex Pro and the Zepp app work together to track your workouts and fitness over time, so if your main focus is a watch that will give you an impressive amount of fitness data and can survive camping, hiking, triathlons, or just navigating the urban jungle…the Amazfit T-Rex Pro will be your faithful companion every step of the way!

The Amazfit T-Rex Pro sells for $179.99; it is available directly from the manufacturer and other retailers, including Amazon.

Source: Manufacturer provided review sample

What I Liked: Comprehensive feature set; Improved band design; SpO2 and heart rate sensor worked well; Long battery life; Affordable price

What Needs Improvement: Chunky; Watch bands are proprietary; Zepp app is hamstrung by iOS notification limits

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About the Author

Zek
Zek has been a gadget fiend for a long time, going back to their first PDA (a Palm M100). They quickly went from researching what PDA to buy to following tech news closely and keeping up with the latest and greatest stuff. They love writing about ebooks because they combine their two favorite activities; reading anything and everything, and talking about fun new tech toys. What could be better?

1 Comment on "Amazfit T-Rex Pro Review: Take on the Elements (or Your Commute) in Style"

  1. I am tough on my watches so this one is for me

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