Fitness Trackers / Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) vs Google Fitbit Air (2026)
Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) vs Google Fitbit Air (2026)
Amazfit Helio Strap (2025)
A WHOOP-shaped band with no membership — the subscription trap's cheapest antidote.
Wins overall by 0.1 points
Quick Verdict
The Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) wins by 0.1 points, which is not enough to settle it. The $99 screenless Fitbit — great value, but no phone means no route and no screen. Pick on the specs that matter to you, not the overall score.
The Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) and Google Fitbit Air (2026) are both closely matched fitness Tracker models, and they're priced almost identically ($99.99 vs $99.99). On Subscription Freedom, the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) leads (9.5 vs 6.5/10) — the category's trap dimension: how much of what you paid for keeps working without a membership. A 10 means nothing is paywalled; a 1 means the hardware is unusable the moment you stop paying.. On Battery Life, the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) leads (8.5 vs 6.5/10) — real endurance once continuous heart rate, SpO2 and the always-on display are enabled, not just the headline figure.. On App & Data Portability, the Google Fitbit Air (2026) leads (8.0 vs 6.0/10) — quality of the companion app and whether you can get your own data out in a documented format.. Overall, the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) scores 6.3/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 6.2/10 for the Google Fitbit Air (2026), though the gap is close enough that your specific use case should decide it. Below, we break down the full spec sheet, category-by-category scores, and exactly who should buy which one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) | Google Fitbit Air (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $99.99 | $99.99 |
| Release Year | 2025 | 2026 |
| GPS | None — no GPS chip. Outdoor workouts borrow the phone's GPS through the Zepp app | None — no GPS chip. Distance, pace and route come from the paired phone, so no phone means no route |
| Display | None — screenless; all data is read in the Zepp app | None — screenless; there is no way to read a metric off the band itself |
| Rated Battery Life ( days) | 10✓ | 7 |
| What the Battery Claim Assumes | Amazfit rates 10 days with continuous HR on; Tom's Guide got 12 days in review testing. Recharge takes under 2 hours | Google claims 'up to one week'. Continuous HR and SpO2 are on by default; there is no always-on display to switch off. Full charge ~90 minutes; a 5-minute top-up gives one day |
| Subscription Model | None. Every metric the strap produces is free forever — this is the device's entire pitch against WHOOP | Optional but the AI half is gated — Google Health Coach (adaptive plans, AI sleep-trend analysis) needs Google Health Premium. Heart rate, sleep stages, recovery guidance and women's health tracking are free. 3-month trial in the box |
| Annual Subscription Cost ($) | 0✓ | 99.99 |
| Water Resistance | Amazfit markets it as sweat- and shower-safe; a formal ATM rating was not stated in the retail listings consulted | Not published in Google's launch materials — the bands are described only as 'sweatproof, wetproof silicone' |
| ECG / AFib & FDA Status | No ECG hardware and no AFib detection | AFib alerts from the PPG sensor. No ECG electrodes, so no on-demand ECG at any price |
| SpO2 Sensor | Yes — blood oxygen via the Zepp app | Yes — dedicated red and infrared SpO2 sensors |
| Phone Compatibility | iOS and Android via the Zepp app | iOS and Android |
| Charger | Proprietary magnetic charging clip | Proprietary magnetic contact charger — lose it and only Google sells the replacement |
| Data Export | Zepp syncs to Strava, Google Fit and Apple Health; Amazfit does not publish a documented bulk-export format | Google Takeout export of the Google Health/Fitbit archive (JSON and CSV bundles) |
| Warranty | 12 months | 12 months |
| Colors | Black | Obsidian, Fog, Lavender, Berry |
Category Scores
Tracking Accuracy
The Google Fitbit Air (2026) leads clearly here, 7.5 against 7.0 — a 0.5-point margin on how closely steps, heart rate and sleep match reference devices — and how badly the optical sensor falls apart at high intensity.. If that is what you are buying for, the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Subscription Freedom
The Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) leads clearly here, 9.5 against 6.5 — a 3.0-point margin on the category's trap dimension: how much of what you paid for keeps working without a membership. A 10 means nothing is paywalled; a 1 means the hardware is unusable the moment you stop paying.. If that is what you are buying for, the Google Fitbit Air (2026) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Phone Independence
The Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) and Google Fitbit Air (2026) are level here, at 2.0/10 each. how much the device can do with the phone left at home — a real GPS chip and on-wrist readouts score high, connected-GPS screenless bands score low. is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Battery Life
The Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) leads clearly here, 8.5 against 6.5 — a 2.0-point margin on real endurance once continuous heart rate, SpO2 and the always-on display are enabled, not just the headline figure.. If that is what you are buying for, the Google Fitbit Air (2026) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Display & Usability
The Google Fitbit Air (2026) leads clearly here, 3.0 against 2.0 — a 1.0-point margin on screen size, brightness and how much you can actually read on the wrist mid-workout.. If that is what you are buying for, the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Health Features
The Google Fitbit Air (2026) leads clearly here, 7.5 against 6.5 — a 1.0-point margin on depth of the health sensor suite and how much of it is FDA-cleared and enabled in the US.. If that is what you are buying for, the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) does not close the gap elsewhere.
App & Data Portability
The Google Fitbit Air (2026) leads clearly here, 8.0 against 6.0 — a 2.0-point margin on quality of the companion app and whether you can get your own data out in a documented format.. If that is what you are buying for, the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Value
The Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) leads clearly here, 9.0 against 8.5 — a 0.5-point margin on what the first year genuinely costs — purchase price plus any subscription needed for the advertised features.. If that is what you are buying for, the Google Fitbit Air (2026) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) if…
- • Subscription Freedom matters most to you — the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) scores 9.5/10 here (the category's trap dimension: how much of what you paid for keeps working without a membership. A 10 means nothing is paywalled; a 1 means the hardware is unusable the moment you stop paying.).
- • Battery Life matters most to you — the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) scores 8.5/10 here (real endurance once continuous heart rate, SpO2 and the always-on display are enabled, not just the headline figure.).
- • Your main use case is no-subscription.
Choose the Google Fitbit Air (2026) if…
- • App & Data Portability matters most to you — the Google Fitbit Air (2026) scores 8.0/10 here (quality of the companion app and whether you can get your own data out in a documented format.).
- • Display & Usability matters most to you — the Google Fitbit Air (2026) scores 3.0/10 here (screen size, brightness and how much you can actually read on the wrist mid-workout.).
- • Health Features matters most to you — the Google Fitbit Air (2026) scores 7.5/10 here (depth of the health sensor suite and how much of it is FDA-cleared and enabled in the US.).
- • Your main use case is everyday-steps.
Pros & Cons
Amazfit Helio Strap (2025)
Pros
- +$99.99 once versus $239/year — the same screenless recovery concept without the rental model
- +Beat its own 10-day rating in independent testing, hitting 12 days
- +Zepp pushes workouts to Strava, Google Fit and Apple Health without a paid tier
- +Comfortable enough to sleep in, which is where a screenless band earns its keep
Cons
- −Automatic workout detection is unreliable — reviewers found it missed yoga entirely and invented short bike rides
- −No GPS chip and no screen: without the phone you have no pace, distance or route
- −Recovery modelling is less mature than WHOOP's, and the Zepp app is busier and less polished
- −Amazfit does not publish a documented bulk data export or a water-resistance rating
- −Proprietary magnetic charging clip with no standard alternative
Google Fitbit Air (2026)
Pros
- +$99.99 buys the whole feature set — unlike Whoop there is no membership standing between you and the hardware
- +Tom's Guide measured a full 7 days with 15% left after a dozen workouts
- +Heart rate held up against Garmin's entry-level watch in independent side-by-side testing
- +5-minute charge for a day of use removes the usual 'flat band, lost night of sleep data' problem
Cons
- −No GPS chip and no screen: leave your phone behind on a run and you get no route, no pace and nothing to glance at
- −Google Health Coach — the AI coaching the launch was built around — costs $9.99/month or $99.99/year after the 3-month trial
- −Replacement bands start at $34.99 from Google and no third-party straps have appeared yet
- −Auto-detection needs 15+ minutes of activity, and only 41 exercise modes are supported
- −Google does not publish a water-resistance rating for the device in its launch materials
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) or Google Fitbit Air (2026) better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) comes out ahead overall. See the full breakdown in the scores section above — the right pick still depends on which categories matter most for your use case.
Which is better for Subscription Freedom, the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) or the Google Fitbit Air (2026)?+
The Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) scores higher on Subscription Freedom (9.5/10 vs 6.5/10) — the category's trap dimension: how much of what you paid for keeps working without a membership. A 10 means nothing is paywalled; a 1 means the hardware is unusable the moment you stop paying..
Which is better for Battery Life, the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) or the Google Fitbit Air (2026)?+
The Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) scores higher on Battery Life (8.5/10 vs 6.5/10) — real endurance once continuous heart rate, SpO2 and the always-on display are enabled, not just the headline figure..
Which is better for App & Data Portability, the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) or the Google Fitbit Air (2026)?+
The Google Fitbit Air (2026) scores higher on App & Data Portability (8.0/10 vs 6.0/10) — quality of the companion app and whether you can get your own data out in a documented format..
Which is better for Display & Usability, the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) or the Google Fitbit Air (2026)?+
The Google Fitbit Air (2026) scores higher on Display & Usability (3.0/10 vs 2.0/10) — screen size, brightness and how much you can actually read on the wrist mid-workout..
Is the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) worth the price difference over the Google Fitbit Air (2026)?+
They're priced the same ($99.99), so the decision comes down to which specific features and scores matter more to you rather than budget.
Which is better suited to my use case?+
The Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) is the better fit if you mainly care about no-subscription. The Google Fitbit Air (2026) is the better fit for everyday-steps.
What's the warranty on the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) vs the Google Fitbit Air (2026)?+
The Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) ships with a 12-month warranty; the Google Fitbit Air (2026) ships with a 12-month warranty. Always confirm current terms on the manufacturer's site before buying.
Should I wait for the next model instead of buying either of these?+
If either model is more than two years old, a successor may be close — check the "Latest Model" link on each product page. Otherwise, both are current, well-supported options and there's no strong reason to wait.
Cheaper Option
Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022) — $99.95
Premium Option
Polar Loop (2025) — $199.99
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.