Amazfit’s PowerBuds Pro goes big on heart rate and posture tracking
Zepp Health (formerly known as Huami) has released the PowerBuds Pro – and its updated earbuds are big on smarts.
Taking on the Apple AirPods Pro, these connected earbuds are more reminiscent of the dearly-departed Bragi Dash, with heaps of smart features that go way further than Apple’s ubiquitous earphones.
The features list starts with built-in PPG heart rate monitoring from the ear, designed to track exertion from workouts and exercise. While it might sounds crazy, the ear is a great place to track heart rate thanks to thin skin and a relatively steady position, so for runners and HIITers, this could be just the ticket.
And runners are extremely well catered for. The Amazfit PowerBuds Pro will automatically detect running exercise, and start tracking it within the Zepp Health app. That app is also compatible with Strava, and you get an excellent running tracking experience.
Away from sport, there are several nifty health features that catch the eye.
The first is posture detection, and the PowerBuds Pro will remind you to keep your neck and head mobile when listening to music at your desk. It does this by tracking the angle of the cervical spine, and will play a gentle tune to remind you to move and stretch.
And it will also keep tabs on your audio levels, and you can opt to have the PowerBuds Pro monitor decibel levels in real time and keep things under WHO recommended levels.
And finally, like the AirPods Pro there’s active noise cancellation. However, Amazfit has added specific profiles that imply a more focussed approach to filtering out background noise.
Indoor mode is designed to filter out keyboard tapping and aircon, while travel mode blocks out engine noise but lets through announcements. Workout mode is designed to help you hear oncoming traffic but cuts out wind noise. How effective these modes are will be the subject of our incoming review.
The Amazfit PowerBuds Pro certainly offer a serious bunch of features, and the smartest in-ear wearable since the decline of the hearables movement back in 2018-19. And perhaps it’s the price that will get people most excited: at $149.99 they’re seriously competitive.
Stay tuned for our full review.
