Xiaomi Mi Band Review
Fitness trackers have been gaining a lot of popularity recently with big brands such as Fitbit and Microsoft dominating the market share. However, these can set you back quite a bit, with a decent band costing around £100 or more. So what would you say if I told you that you could buy one for just £13?
Well, introducing the Xiaomi Mi Band, a fitness tracker which tracks steps, calories burnt and sleeping patterns. The Mi band can only be bought from China or online through the official MI store which is also based in China. However, you can also purchase them through reputable sites such as Amazon and eBay, so getting them is relatively easy. I ordered mine through eBay from China and delivery took around 2 weeks which was not too bad.
The band itself is interchangeable with many different coloured straps. These can range from colours such as pink, blue, black, and white and many others. The band itself is made of premium materials, from the silicon strap to the aluminium military grade sensors. Wearing the band was comfortable but many users had reported rashes from long term use - this did not effect me. The actual sensor can be removed enabling you to swap out the bands. It’s also worth mentioning leather bands are also available to smarten up the look!
So how does this band actually do when tracking steps? A study found the most fitness trackers were around 90% accurate when it came to monitoring your progress. I found the Mi band to be a little generous leading to inaccurate results. Furthermore, this was backed up when my Moto 360 (using the FIT application) tracked around 400-500steps less. Despite this, I found that the sleeping tracking was very accurate. It recorded when I fell asleep and woke up with precise accuracy which was very impressing.
The MI Band is IP67 rated which means it is waterproof. This allowed me to take showers and swim with the band which is very useful. This also means that you can wear the Mi Band 24/7.
Battery life is very good. Xiaomi boast 30 day battery life on the 41 mAh battery. In my testing I was able to surpass this, often reaching up to 41 days which was very impressive! Charging time can take up to two hours and require the USB cable included in the box.
Finally, all the data is sent to your mobile via the Mi Fit application through Bluetooth. The Mi Band has Bluetooth low energy meaning battery life will not be compromised on your smartphone. The application itself is well polished and can be found in the Play Store.
In conclusion, the Xiaomi Mi Band is a great fitness tracker for a ridiculously cheap price. Its a great step into fitness and I would highly recommend one!
Visit the Mi store here: www.mi.com
