Amazfit T-Rex 3 Review: A Rugged, Feature-Packed Upgrade for Outdoor Enthusiasts

I was excited to be offered the Amazfit T-Rex 3 to test and review; I have been an Amazfit fan for years. The GTR 2 was my “sleek, dress up,” and first Amazfit watch, and the original T-Rex has been my daily wear for the last several years. It didn’t take long for me to realize that the first-gen model T-Rex to the new T-Rex 3 was a massive upgrade. It offers 170+ sports modes, up to three weeks of battery life, dual-band GPS, upgraded health monitoring, and many other amazing features.

I started in on every millennial’s favorite part of getting a new toy, the unboxing. The Amazfit T-Rex 3’s packaging was fairly simple, with a picture of the watch face on the front, a profile picture on one side, and a brief Zepp app feature list on the other. While the graphics and box design didn’t inspire any particular feelings one way or another, aside from me just appreciating simple things, there was an immediate sense of quality.

Unlike most product packaging currently around, or at least what I’m used to dealing with, I opened up and removed every internal box, insert, and compartment without a single rip or tear. That doesn’t really mean one thing or another as far as the actual watch, but it did essentially show me that they care for detail, however small.

Once you get everything out and on the table, it is obvious that the Amazfit T-Rex 3 is a low-frill, all-business watch. Again, simplicity is the theme. The only contents are the watch, aftermarket band adapters, a fastener removal tool, a magnetic charging puck that accepts a USB-C cable, product leaflets, and an insert booklet.

I immediately noticed the lack of a charging cable for the magnetic charging puck. Once I confirmed that there wasn’t one in the packaging, I dove into the product booklet and quickly found an explanation: Amazfit is on a mission to lower waste and unnecessary material use while still offering an affordable, quality product. I can get behind that; less waste is great!

Fortunately, if you don’t happen to have a spare charging cable lying around, you can reach out to the company and request a charging cable free of charge.

Initially, this irked me (before I found out you could request a free one) until I remembered that USB-C cables now charge almost every electronic device. With a wife and three kids’ worth of electronics that need to be charged constantly, I’m in no short supply of cords. But with the watch unboxed, coming with almost a full charge (for up to 27 days of battery life), you could get that free cable sent to you or pick up one locally before you ever needed to recharge.

I downloaded the updates for the Zepp app, put my first-gen T-Rex next to my mechanical dress watches, and started my journey with the Amazfit T-Rex 3.

The original Amazfit T-Rex next to the Amazfit T-Rex 3

After the initial, brief language and setup options, I began digging through what I can call a plethora of features on the scroll list, from a metronome to use when playing music with my kids, an onscreen measuring tape, to monitoring settings for every sport imaginable.

Amazfit and Zepp covered any need I might have had. In the Zepp app, you can add or remove apps and features to customize and reflect your needs without excessive scrolling. Coming from the now obviously aged first-gen T-Rex, this made transitioning to the modern era of digital watches much more forgiving.

The drop-down quick button menu was mercifully more my speed in terms of modern technology. Some of the pictures can be a bit confusing if you don’t read the user guide fully, like me, but after a quick run-through of them, they become pretty straightforward. This was my go-to menu for the first day or so, wearing the watch and just getting a feel for its basic functions and comfort.

Just off this menu and its mini settings menu, you get enough features for it to be useful to any outdoorsman.

Once I programmed my shortcut buttons, which was fairly simple, the main systems menu became only for when I wanted to track hyper-specific activities, like my average paddle rate while kayaking.

Once I had loaded my information into the app, edited my settings menu to a more controlled chaos, downloaded my GPS maps, programmed my shortcut buttons, and just generally played around with my new toy, I put the shiny new advanced T-Rex 3 through its first test: tracking me through a good night’s sleep.

All jokes aside, it only makes sense for a watch designed to monitor a myriad of physical activities and track you through whatever flavor of wilderness you choose to throw at it to be able to monitor your health and sleeping patterns. With my first gen already performing well at this, I was slightly worried Amazfit might try to fix something that wasn’t broken. Thankfully, they largely left it the same, with the addition of respiratory and blood oxygen monitoring.

I would have loved to have given the Amazfit T-Rex 3 a complete run-through on every activity, but there was just too much. I decided to pick some of the more common outdoor activities for which the monitoring would be similar. I also set my quick select buttons to barometric pressure, compass, and local weather.

I started by downloading my local maps and hiking at the state park. I figured being on the edge of West Texas hill country, it would be a good test of GPS tracking through the draws, gullies, low trees, cacti, and lots and lots of chest-high brush and itchy grass. To add another level to that, I walked some very narrow trails that oftentimes were difficult to navigate. During the entire first half of my hike, I checked my vitals on the Amazfit T-Rex 3 and played with the compass, which I really had no use for other than just verifying against the local landmarks.

At the halfway mark, I realized I had spent my entire hike playing with things I more or less knew worked well and had completely forgotten to turn on the hike monitoring or the GPS tracking with the maps. WHOOPS! So, while taking a quick break, I tried to get the GPS to track my last few miles.

Unfortunately, the learning curve was steep, and I needed to read the instructions again. The heart rate monitor, blood oxygen level monitor, step counter, and compass worked flawlessly; even the barometer jumped a little as some cloud coverage rolled in as I finished. Sadly, due to user error, my GPS tracking was a bust that day.

The function that really shined through on my hike, though, was the one-touch monitoring. Sitting still for sixty seconds while the watch reads its sensor readings is perfect for catching a quick breather before continuing. Out of everything, one-touch monitoring has become my favorite function. If nothing else, it’s a great excuse to take a break.

After reading the instructions, downloading the proper files, and learning how to use the app, I was ready for my next kayaking adventure with the Amazfit T-Rex 3.

After getting on the water and making sure my GPS was working and that I had the kayak activity monitoring pulled up, away we went. This go-round, I focused more on exercising once I got out of the channel and into the open lake.

I got about halfway through the waterway course I was taking and decided to stop and take my vitals with the one-touch app. This is where I found one of the few detriments. To look at any other app, you must close out of the GPS and fully reboot it. If using the GPS through one of the exercise apps, when backing out to check any other app, like the compass, you must remember to resume the activity once you’ve pulled your app back up.

The Amazfit T-Rex3 performed well on this kayaking trip. Even without my phone nearby, my GPS map had me within +/—10 feet of every landmark I cruised by on the lake. After some quick mental math, the distance and average speed were accurate as best I could tell.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t test the waterproof rating as much as I would have liked for two reasons. First, in my hometown lake, there isn’t a section deeper than 25 feet. Secondly, I received this watch after the weather shifted to too cold to swim. Instead of freezing in the water to test the water resistance of the Amazfit T-Rex3, I consciously decided to let it get as soaked as possible while paddling, letting my arm drag down in the water every time I took a rest. In the end, to absolutely no surprise, the watch didn’t even register it had gotten wet.

Normally, that would have been the end of my testing, but thanks to a little serendipity, I got to verify the GPS tracking and speed as I drove home with my kayaking app still running. I can say that the Amazfit T-Rex3 is accurate to a degree that anyone in the average realm of athleticism wouldn’t notice any discrepancies.

Like many tech items today (especially ones we are fond of), The Amazfit T-Rex 3 is hard to criticize for any specific issue.

I did have a slight issue with the battery draining insanely fast, within about 3 days instead of 5-7 when I had every feature actively running. I wanted to be able to send emojis and text like other, more urban, smart watches, with random odds and ends, to make the operating system more user-friendly.

These issues and more were fixed via software updates within the first month and a half since its release.

One main issue I noticed they had not fixed yet, and one of this watch’s big selling points, is the ability to turn off the GPS for privacy. Unfortunately, you must run your phone’s GPS to launch the Zepp app. While not a major issue, this did cause a slight pause in me as someone who values his privacy.

I did have a few issues with the watch’s physical aspects, but those are more personal than practical. I like that the watch face is large and bulky, but the band is mounted at steep angles relative to the watch body to accommodate the average-sized person. The watchband was slightly improved from the first generation, but it still gets some moisture buildup due to being made of silicone.

My biggest gripe, which has been present for four years, is that the setup does not allow you to wear the watch face on the inside of your wrist. This is a small feature for a niche group of customers, so I can’t rightly call it a real issue, but it’s something to keep in mind.

I have been impressed with the Amazfit T-Rex3, which I have worn as my everyday watch for the last few months. From shooting sports, kayaking, yard work, and hiking, it has held up to everything I have thrown at it while being updated and improving.

My only real issues are either addressed in the leaflets (i.e., the missing charging cable) or minor physical issues arising from being a large human with uncommon wearing preferences.

I can honestly say that for the Amazfit T-Rex 3’s almost $300 price tag, you would be very hard-pressed to find a better quality or featured watch. If you have a more outdoorsy partner or family member, this watch would be a perfect addition to their everyday use. Even if you just have an affinity for the rugged outdoor look, this watch is a great addition to your collection at a wallet-friendly price point.

The Amazfit T-Rex 3 retails for $279.99; it is available directly from the manufacturer and other retailers, including Amazon.

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample

What I Like: Rugged design built to withstand outdoor adventures; Offers 170+ sports modes for versatile activity tracking; Long-lasting battery life, up to 27 days with basic use; Advanced health monitoring, including heart rate, blood oxygen, and respiratory tracking; Accurate dual-band GPS for outdoor navigation; One-touch monitoring for quick health insights; Customizable features and app integration via the Zepp app; Excellent waterproof performance for water-based activities; Competitive price for the range of features

What Needs Improvement: Lacks a USB-C charging cable in the box (though one can be requested for free); Steep learning curve for GPS and advanced features; Battery life drains faster when all features are actively used; Requires phone GPS to launch some app features, which may concern privacy-conscious users; Silicone watchband can cause moisture buildup; No option to wear the watch face on the inside of the wrist; Limited functionality for messaging and emojis compared to other smartwatches