The Redmi Watch 5 is the brand new child on the block, and I spent about ten days placing it by its paces. It is acquired an enormous, vibrant AMOLED show that is exhausting to overlook and battery life that feels prefer it might final ceaselessly. However let’s be trustworthy – a very powerful factor for runners is the way it tracks your runs. Let’s put it to the take a look at in opposition to the Garmin Forerunner 955.
Monitoring satellites that personal it
First, I will go into the nuts and bolts of GPS efficiency. The Garmin Forerunner 955, a complicated sports activities watch, makes use of dual-band satellite tv for pc connectivity, which is actually the gold customary. The Redmi Watch 5, however, sticks to single-band satellite tv for pc connectivity—however helps a number of satellite tv for pc programs (GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, Baidu and QZSS).
Now, in concept, dual-band GPs needs to be higher than single-band, particularly in tough areas akin to busy metropolis streets with tall buildings or unhealthy climate situations. However the Redmi simply hasn’t stored up – it is carefully matched to the Garmin.
I examined each watches on two runs by central London: a 10km route surrounded by skyscrapers and a shorter, 7.5km run in heavy rain and wind. For a very long time, Redmi’s monitoring was solely 70 meters away from Garmin. It’s nothing. For context, weaving by crowds and weaving by visitors may cause small deviations for any GPS watch.
At rain 7.5K, the hole widens to 150 meters, which can appear giant however remains to be affordable. Climate can mess with GPS alerts, and for a watch at this worth level that makes it near a premium Garmin? That is spectacular. For those who’re nervous about Redmi taking too lengthy to lock satellites – it will not. It linked simply as quick because the Garmin each time. And I tracked it on 5 totally different runs – simply to verify.
Coronary heart fee accuracy relies on match
To this point so good. However what about coronary heart fee monitoring?
Nicely, it was a blended bag at first. The Redmi’s silicone strap simply did not match snugly on my wrist, which led to an odd spike in coronary heart fee at the beginning of runs. I’ve a reasonably skinny wrist, so this can be a “me” concern, but it surely’s value contemplating. And keep in mind, the watch has a big show that may rotate throughout a run.
Swapping out the default band for a stiffer, laced strap made all of the distinction. As soon as I had the match, the center fee knowledge was spot on. On my 7.5K run, each watches reported a median coronary heart fee of 144 bpm. The utmost coronary heart fee was additionally near the identical at 156 bpm on the Redmi and 155 bpm on the Garmin. For reference, I connected the Garmin to the Scoche Rhythm Band for much more correct knowledge than coronary heart fee.
For the earlier 10K, the typical was useless even at 140 bpm, though most coronary heart charges assorted. The Redmi clocked 169 bpm, however after I ignored the preliminary spike, it was at 156 bpm, only one beat from the Garmin.
For those who’re severe about coronary heart fee monitoring and have wristbands, a greater strap could also be essential. The defaults simply do not reduce it sufficient for correct outcomes. No less than, not for me. So I like to recommend experimenting in case you have any issues.
Superior efficiency measurement is what you get on Redmi
The Redmi Watch 5 may not have all of the loopy deep stats you may get with a Garmin, but it surely nonetheless packs loads of helpful knowledge for many runners. Keep in mind – it is a $100 watch!
Together with routines like distance, coronary heart fee, and cadence, you additionally get VO2 max, coaching load, restoration insights, and a vitality rating. Principally, it provides you a stable overview of how your coaching goes and whether or not you are pushing too exhausting or simply positive.
Now, in the event you’re into all of the finer particulars, the Garmin Forerunner 955 undoubtedly makes it a notch. It throws in additional issues and they’re above the road. For those who’re the kind who likes to research each little element, Garmin has much more to dig into.
That stated, the Redmi nonetheless provides you greater than sufficient to trace your runs and keep on high of your health. It is simple, straightforward to make use of, and would not overload you with an excessive amount of knowledge. For most individuals, that is all you actually need.
Take a look at the Redmi 5 worth and availability on Xiaomi’s web site.
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