Fitness Trackers / Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) vs Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022)
Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) vs Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022)
Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022)
Nothing paywalled and the best data export in the category — but the GPS is your phone's.
Wins overall by 0.6 points
Quick Verdict
A 0.6-point gap makes the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) the straightforward choice here. Nothing paywalled and the best data export in the category — but the GPS is your phone's.
The Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) and Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) are both closely matched fitness Tracker models, and the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) is $50 cheaper than the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) ($99.99 vs $149.99). On Display & Usability, the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) leads (6.0 vs 2.0/10) — screen size, brightness and how much you can actually read on the wrist mid-workout.. On App & Data Portability, the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) leads (9.0 vs 6.0/10) — quality of the companion app and whether you can get your own data out in a documented format.. On Value, the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) leads (9.0 vs 6.5/10) — what the first year genuinely costs — purchase price plus any subscription needed for the advertised features.. Overall, the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) scores 6.9/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 6.3/10 for the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025). 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) | Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $99.99 | $149.99 |
| Release Year | 2025 | 2022 |
| GPS | None — no GPS chip. Outdoor workouts borrow the phone's GPS through the Zepp app | Connected GPS — the band has no GPS chip and uses the paired phone's location for outdoor distance and route |
| Display | None — screenless; all data is read in the Zepp app | OLED touchscreen, 66% larger than the vívosmart 4 (Garmin's press release does not state the panel dimensions) |
| Rated Battery Life ( days) | 10✓ | 7 |
| What the Battery Claim Assumes | Amazfit rates 10 days with continuous HR on; Tom's Guide got 12 days in review testing. Recharge takes under 2 hours | 'Up to 7 days' in smartwatch mode. Garmin does not publish a separate figure for all-day Pulse Ox enabled, which is the setting that drains it fastest |
| Subscription Model | None. Every metric the strap produces is free forever — this is the device's entire pitch against WHOOP | None for anything on the device. Garmin Connect is free; the optional Garmin Connect+ tier adds AI summaries but gates nothing the vívosmart 5 measures |
| Annual Subscription Cost ($) | 0 | 0 |
| Water Resistance | Amazfit markets it as sweat- and shower-safe; a formal ATM rating was not stated in the retail listings consulted | 5 ATM — Garmin rates it swim- and shower-proof |
| ECG / AFib & FDA Status | No ECG hardware and no AFib detection | No ECG hardware and no AFib detection on this model — Garmin's ECG app is limited to its Venu/fenix lines |
| SpO2 Sensor | Yes — blood oxygen via the Zepp app | Yes — Pulse Ox, spot-check, all-day or overnight |
| Phone Compatibility | iOS and Android via the Zepp app | iOS and Android via Garmin Connect |
| Charger | Proprietary magnetic charging clip | Proprietary 4-pin Garmin clip charger |
| Data Export | Zepp syncs to Strava, Google Fit and Apple Health; Amazfit does not publish a documented bulk-export format | Garmin Connect exports individual activities as GPX/TCX/CSV, offers a full account data export, and has a documented developer API |
| Warranty | 12 months | 12 months |
| Colors | Black | Black, White, Cool Mint |
Category Scores
Tracking Accuracy
The Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) leads clearly here, 8.0 against 7.0 — a 1.0-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) and Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) are level here, at 9.5/10 each. 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. is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Phone Independence
The Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) leads clearly here, 3.0 against 2.0 — a 1.0-point margin on 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.. If that is what you are buying for, the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) does not close the gap elsewhere.
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 Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Display & Usability
The Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) leads clearly here, 6.0 against 2.0 — a 4.0-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 Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) leads clearly here, 7.0 against 6.5 — a 0.5-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 Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) leads clearly here, 9.0 against 6.0 — a 3.0-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 6.5 — a 2.5-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 Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) if…
- • Value matters most to you — the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) scores 9.0/10 here (what the first year genuinely costs — purchase price plus any subscription needed for the advertised features.).
- • 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.).
- • You want to spend less — it's $50 cheaper.
- • Your main use case is screenless.
Choose the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) if…
- • Display & Usability matters most to you — the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) scores 6.0/10 here (screen size, brightness and how much you can actually read on the wrist mid-workout.).
- • App & Data Portability matters most to you — the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) scores 9.0/10 here (quality of the companion app and whether you can get your own data out in a documented format.).
- • Tracking Accuracy matters most to you — the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) scores 8.0/10 here (how closely steps, heart rate and sleep match reference devices — and how badly the optical sensor falls apart at high intensity.).
- • 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
Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022)
Pros
- +Nothing it measures is paywalled — Body Battery, stress, sleep and Pulse Ox are all free, forever
- +Best data portability in the category: per-activity GPX/TCX/CSV plus a documented API
- +Bands are genuinely user-replaceable and come in two wrist sizes
- +Garmin Connect's training and sleep history is deeper than anything Fitbit gives away free
Cons
- −$149.99 for connected GPS only — the $159.95 Fitbit Charge 6 has a real GPS chip for $10 more
- −Four years old with no successor, and the screen is small and dim next to a $52 Xiaomi band
- −Garmin does not publish what all-day Pulse Ox does to the 7-day battery claim
- −No ECG, no AFib detection, no exercise-equipment heart-rate broadcast
- −Yet another proprietary clip charger
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) or Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) 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 Display & Usability, the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) or the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022)?+
The Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) scores higher on Display & Usability (6.0/10 vs 2.0/10) — screen size, brightness and how much you can actually read on the wrist mid-workout..
Which is better for App & Data Portability, the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) or the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022)?+
The Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) scores higher on App & Data Portability (9.0/10 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 Value, the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) or the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022)?+
The Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) scores higher on Value (9.0/10 vs 6.5/10) — what the first year genuinely costs — purchase price plus any subscription needed for the advertised features..
Which is better for Battery Life, the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) or the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022)?+
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..
Is the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) worth the price difference over the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022)?+
The Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) is the cheaper option at $99.99 versus $149.99. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in Display & Usability.
Which is better suited to my use case?+
The Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) is the better fit if you mainly care about screenless. The Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) is the better fit for everyday-steps.
What's the warranty on the Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) vs the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022)?+
The Amazfit Helio Strap (2025) ships with a 12-month warranty; the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) 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
Amazfit Bip 6 (2025) — $79.99
Premium Option
Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) — $159.95
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.