You’re all set to go for a run around the neighbourhood. The only thing you’re missing is a smartwatch.
How would you know the distance you’ve covered? How can you tell that you’ve burned enough calories or will you need to run a little more (despite your heart telling you to slow down)? How are you…
Alright, enough with the questions.
You need an answer.
It’s the Huawei Band 6, that’s what you’re looking for.
But why the Huawei Band 6 and not the Honor Band 6?
Well, the two may share the same model name (Band 6), but the differences between them are almost identical, save for the number of sports modes.
- The Honor Band 6 comes with 10 professional sports modes, including walking, cycling, swimming, rowing machine, and elliptical trainer.
- The Huawei Band 6 comes with 96 professional sports modes, including running, swimming, elliptical, and treadmill (among others).
I don’t know about you, but I like to have the option of additional sports modes in case I might want to use them.
When I tested it out, I was determined to get one myself. The Huawei Band 6 is a nifty and affordable fitness tracker and it is so light I could barely feel it on my wrist. Heck, sometimes I forget that I’m wearing it!
Honestly, I thought it is a pretty good option. You get great battery life, personalisation and customisation, and a bright and cheerful display in a fitness tracker, all for less than RM 400!
A Hybrid Smartwatch
The Huawei Band 6 appeals to those who don’t need nor want a full-fledged smartwatch. It is a hybrid smartwatch since it does a good job of telling the time, setting up alarms, and showing you the dates and days.
But a large portion of its features skews towards the fitness side. It can track all the basics, such as:
- Step count
- Heart rate via TruSeen Heart Rate Monitoring
- Calorie count
- Activity duration
- Sleep quality via TruSleep 2.0
- Stress rate
- All-day SpO2 monitoring
Remember when I highlighted the 96 workout modes? Well, I haven’t had the chance to try out all 96 yet but the one that I’ve used very often was the swimming mode.
The swimming mode is easy to use. Simply select the mode and it will start tracking your laps in the pool. Press the button on the side once to ‘pause’, or press it and hold to finish (end or stop).
Battery Power
I’ve been using the Huawei Band 6 for more than a year now and I can truly vouch for the battery. I don’t have to charge the fitness tracker as often. The battery on the Huawei Band 6 can last up to two weeks on a single charge!
Weightlessness
Weighing in at just 18g without the straps, I can barely feel the fitness tracker around my wrist (if you wore it too tightly, that’s a different story). Sometimes, I forget I even have it on until I flex my wrist. When I take it off before a shower, I’d feel the phantom pressure of the strap on my skin.
Interchangeable Strap Options
For most fitness tracker enthusiasts, this could be a tricky situation. Some reviews report that the straps are not interchangeable, while others say that it is.
If you’re the type to collect strap colours and patterns for various occasions, you might want to be sure about this before you make a purchase.
UPDATE: I’ve done the homework for you guys and I found out that you CAN change the straps on the Huawei Band 6. Watch the video below to find out how.
Personalised Watch Faces
Many of these fitness trackers come with features that are often limited, such as notifications, on-device weather, Bluetooth connectivity, and smartphone music controls.
Another thing I liked about the Huawei Band 6 (which is similar to the Honor Band 6) is its ability to personalise and customise the watch face.
You get to choose from a list of free watch faces. If you don’t mind spending a few ringgit, you could go for the fancier ones.
Or, if you’re anything like me and want to customise the watch face by adding a picture of your favourite family photo or your recent vacation to Bali, you can add and save it as a new face.
You can do all of these on the Huawei Health app.
In conclusion…
In the end, it all comes down to what you want.
If you’re willing to pay more, there are always options for you. Garmin is one of the better brands for telling the time, capturing your runs, and other fitness tracking options.
The Huawei Band 6 does a lot for me for less than RM 400. I’m sure it will do the same for you once you know what you want it to do.
