Xiaomi Smart Band 9 review: Is this the best cheap fitness tracker?

Xiaomi knows a thing or two about budget-friendly fitness trackers, as we can readily attest. We previously reviewed the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 7 and were thoroughly impressed by the sheer amount of value packed into this little watch. Priced at just $49.99, it offered heaps of advanced tracking features, a two-week battery life and a bright, easy-to-read display. We liked it so much that we even included it in our guide to the best fitness trackers. No wonder, then, that when Xiaomi announced the new model, we were eager to test it out.

The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 seems, on first impressions, even better than its predecessor. It boasts up to 21 days of battery life, a brighter 1.62-inch AMOLED display and a more accurate heart rate sensor. Moreover, it features more in-depth sleep tracking features and a whopping 150 sports modes. The cherry on top? It costs only $63.

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 review

Xiaomi Smart Band 9: Design

• Ultra-light and discreet-looking
• Silicone straps may slip off the wrist during sleep
• Can be attached to a running clip (sold separately)

Design-wise, the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 does not stray far from its predecessors. Weighing just half an ounce (15.8 grams) and measuring only 0.85 inches (21.6 millimeters) in width, it is only slightly bigger than its younger siblings. We liked this exceptionally light and compact design. The Smart Band 9 never got in the way of our clothes or exercise equipment, and it felt like a much-needed change after all the bulky smartwatches we tested beforehand.

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Following the tried and tested formula, this Xiaomi model also features straps that can be detached with a quick-release mechanism. This was a big plus point for us. The default silicone straps turned out to be somewhat unreliable in our tests: they felt flimsy and uncomfortable to wear for the most part, and on at least two separate occasions they slipped off our wrist during sleep. We were not fond of the band's dull pinkish color, either, and its silicone coating seemed to easily attract dirt.

Interestingly, the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 can also be inserted into a running clip. This little contraption allows you to attach the watch to your running shoe so you can track a range of performance metrics, from running cadence and stride length to ground contact time ratio — and it costs less than $12. For runners on a tight budget, this is a fabulous solution.

Xiaomi Smart Band 9: Display

• Bright, easy-to-read AMOLED display
• Relatively resilient to scuffs and scratches
• Plenty of watch faces to choose from

The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 has a relatively small 1.62-inch display, but we did not find it particularly difficult to navigate. Given our underwhelming experience with the display on the Smart Band 7, we were pleasantly surprised by how responsive and easy-to-read this one was, even when we tried to operate it with wet hands or under direct sunlight.

We also liked how it looked. The display in the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 is crisp and colorful and can be customized with over 200 different watch faces. And if that is not enough, you can even use photos from your gallery to put on your screen.

The display seemed surprisingly durable, too. The AMOLED glass did not scratch or scuff during our extensive testing, even though we must have accidentally bumped our watch at least a dozen times. It is refreshing to see such resilience in a fitness tracker costing less than $70.

Xiaomi Smart Band 9: Features

• Advanced health-tracking features
• Over 150 sports modes
• No built-in GPS tracking (it runs off the phone signal)

The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 impressed us with its robust health-tracking features. This humble-looking watch can track your steps, heart rate, oxygen saturation, sleep quality, stress levels, menstrual cycle and more, making it a surprisingly comprehensive tool for monitoring your energy levels and post-exercise recovery.

Speaking of exercise, the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 can track over 150 activities, from outdoor hiking and cycling to dance and weightlifting. We would not recommend it for competitive swimming or diving, though — it has only a 5ATM water resistance rating.

On the other hand, the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 does not have any major smartwatch features or built-in navigation tools like GPS. Sure, it can update you on the weather forecast or receive phone notifications, and it can use the phone's mobile signal to track your location, but that is pretty much it. The Smart Band 9 is nothing like the high-end Garmin models, but then its ultra-affordable price fully reflects that.

Xiaomi Smart Band 9: Performance

• Three weeks of battery life
• Patchy app connectivity
• Imprecise heart rate measurements during intense exercise

Performance is where the low price point of this watch shows. True, the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 easily lasts three weeks on a single charge — in fact, we managed to get nearly a month of battery life in our tests — but its app connectivity and tracking precision leave much to be desired.

The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 was slow to set up, and it took us several attempts to pair our watch with the Mi Fitness app. Once we managed to get everything up and running, we kept experiencing some minor yet annoying connectivity issues. On several occasions, the app did not record our workouts or sleep properly, and it often took considerable time to sync our devices.

We were also underwhelmed by the accuracy of the Smart Band 9’s heart rate sensor. During one workout, we wore our watch alongside a Polar H9 chest-strap heart rate monitor, and found significant discrepancies between the readings: during intense exercise, the heart rate values differed by as much as 20 beats per minute. In all fairness, these differences were far less pronounced at rest. Therefore we would not recommend the Xiaomi Smart band 9 for tracking lung-busting activities, but it could still do a relatively good job during sleep and low- to moderate-intensity workouts.

Xiaomi Smart Band 9: User reviews

Amazon's customer reviews gave the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 a 4.3 out of 5 stars rating, with nearly two-thirds of users giving it a full five stars. Positive reviews praised this fitness tracker for its long battery life, ease of use and good value for money. As one user said, "It's just as accurate (if not more so) than the Fitbit and colorful. The settings are easy to get to, and I'm pretty satisfied with the results and tracking for sleep."

Negative reviews often revolved around limited functionality and poor tracking accuracy. As one user commented, "Features for this product are very basic, minimal. There's no GPS use during your workouts, so you can't track where you have been and your pace. This product has a lot of potential if developed properly. Fitness enthusiasts may not like this product as much as Fitbit or Garmin."

Should you buy the Xiaomi Smart Band 9?

✅ Buy it if: You are a fitness beginner in search of an entry-level tracker, or a seasoned gym-goer on a tight budget. The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 offers an ultra-light and compact design, heaps of advanced health-tracking features and an impressively long battery life — all for less than $70.

❌ Don't buy it if: You want a fitness tracker that delivers precise heart rate measurements and GPS readings. Experienced exercisers and outdoor enthusiasts may be disappointed by the limited functionality of the Xiaomi Smart Band 9.

If Xiaomi Smart Band 9 is not for you

If you want good value for money, you can't go wrong with the Fitbit Inspire 3. For less than $100, this colorful fitness tracker offers excellent health tracking features, up to 10 days of battery life and a lightweight design. However, it does not feature GPS.

The Garmin Vivosmart 5 is another great alternative to the Xiaomi Smart Band 9. It is durable, jam-packed with tracking features and comfortable to wear. However, it costs nearly $150.

If you would rather invest in a smartwatch, check out the Amazfit Bip 3 Pro. This well-crafted fitness tracker allows you to control some of the features of your phone from your wrist, and comes with built-in Alexa voice control. At $69.99, it also price-matches the Xiaomi Smart Band 9.

Xiaomi Smart Band 9: How we tested

We spent over two months trying and testing the Xiaomi Smart Band 9, looking at its design, features, battery life, connectivity with third-party devices and ease of use. We wore it during the day, while sleeping and when doing a range of gym-based workouts, from high-intensity circuit classes to weightlifting. Finally, we assessed the accuracy of our Xiaomi Smart Band 9 by comparing its heart rate measurements with the data we obtained using a Polar H9 chest-strap heart rate monitor.