Amazfit has released a different kind of screen-free wearable, the Amazfit Helio Strap Pro.
It was announced a couple of weeks ago, and is now available to order.
On its own the Helio Strap Pro is a familiar kind of wearable. It has no display, for low-distration tracking, but also pairs with a secondary sensor in what Amazfit calls a “multi-position movement system.”
The primary wearable is ideally strapped to the upper arm, rather than the usual wrist position, while the second is worn around the waist.
This allows the system to separate general body movements from those made by the limbs. It may not be massively useful for the most traditional role for fitness trackers, running, but could be an excellent tech tangent for activities that aren’t primarily measured through pace and distance.
Amazfit says the Helio Strap Pro is primarily for “hybrid” and Hyrox athletes — and the company entered a partnership with Hyrox in 2024.
The use of separate sensor housing allows the Helio Strap Pro to disambiguate between the different disciplines involved in Hyrox, including SkiErg, rowing, sled push and others. And Amazfit claims you’ll be able to see how you did in each, in the Zepp app, following a tracked session.
Upwards of 60 tracking modes are available, including running as well as more indoors-based pursuits such as HIIT, although presumably you’ll need to start a session in the Zepp app to avoid auto-recognition attempting to work out the style of exercise involved.
However, to get the most of the system it will need to be paired with either an Amazfit Balance 3 or Balance Ultra watch, because these have the necessary Hyrox Race/Simulation modes. That may not be the case forever, though. “At launch, one of these watches is required to use the full system,” says Amazfit — that first clause being the crucial part.
As in the base (non Pro) Helio Strap, the promise of no ongoing monthly subscription is one of the key draws here, where Whoop plans start at $25 a month.
The kit costs $199.99, which includes both the Helio Core Motion HR — worn on the arm — and the Helio Core Motion Waist. You get both wrist and arm bands for the Core Motion HR, as while you’re recommended to wear it on the upper arm, it will work worn as a traditional wrist wearable too.
Amazfit rates the Core Motion HR’s battery life at up to 11 days, while the waist-worn unit lasts up to 40 days between charges. The units have 5ATM water resistance.
“Helio Strap Pro introduces an innovative new approach to hybrid training by connecting upper-arm heart-rate data with waist-based motion sensing and smartwatch performance data,” says Scott Shepley, Amazfit head of marketing.
“It represents the next step in our Hybrid Training System, giving athletes a more complete understanding of how effort, movement and performance change across a demanding workout.”
The Amazfit Helio Strap Pro is available to order now.