I spent a week with the Amazfit Active Max — 5 things that make it my favorite cheap smartwatch of 2026

Close-up of the Amazfit Active Max smartwatch on a user's wrist

(Image credit: Dan Bracaglia/Tom's Guide)

I’m reviewing the new Amazfit Active Max smartwatch, which debuted a few weeks ago at CES 2026. This wallet-friendly model is designed with runners in mind and meant to compete against Garmin’s Forerunner lineup.

I’ve spent a week with the Amazfit Active Max, and for $169, I’m thoroughly impressed. Amazfit has carved out a niche in the budget-minded wearables space with well-reviewed models, including the Amazfit Helio Ring and Amazfit Active 2, my favorite cheap smartwatch of 2025.

Will the Amazfit Active Max be my favorite affordable model of 2026? There’s certainly a strong chance. With that in mind, here are the five most important things you should know about the Amazfit Active Max.

The price

CLose-up of the Apple Watch SE 3 and Amazfit Active Max smartwatches after a 7,500-step walk test comparison — (Image credit: Dan Bracaglia/Tom's Guide)

While not quite as wallet-friendly as the $99 Amazfit Active 2, the Active Max is right around the same price as Garmin's most entry-level running watch, the Forerunner 55.

However, when it comes to features and onboard tech, the Active Max blows the Forerunner 55, which is five years old, out of the water. Things like support for offline maps and music, a bright AMOLED touchscreen, and a better battery all make the Max a more appealing choice than its Garmin counterpart.

$169 also gets you support for over 170 workout modes, detailed sleep and recovery insights, health-monitoring tools, and a small selection of smart features.

The display quality

Believe it or not, the AMOLED touchscreen on the Active Max tops out at a whopping 3,000 nits of brightness, the same max output as the Apple Watch Ultra 3, Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, and Google Pixel Watch 4.

It's also a full 1,000 nits brighter than the latest Apple Watch Series 11. All of this adds up to a highly legible and well-saturated viewing experience, even in direct sunlight.

Legit fitness and health-tracking

The Amazfit Active Max offers all the basic fitness and health tracking tech you'd expect from a legit smartwatch in 2026, including a heart rate sensor, body temperature sensor, altimeter for elevation tracking, GPS, accelerometer, and gyroscope.

I tested the fitness tracking performance against the Apple Watch SE 3, and even though Apple's entry-level smartwatch came out on top, the Active Max proved more than reliable enough across all of the metrics recorded, including distance, pace, step count, and heart rate.

Seriously long-lasting battery

The Amazfit Active Max is rated to last for up to 25 days per charge with normal use or 13 days with heavy use. When using GPS to track an outdoor workout or adventure, you can expect about 64 hours of battery life.

My experience with Active Max so far mirrors those claims. I'm just beyond a week of wearing it with plenty of battery to spare (~85%).

Loads of tools for runners and hikers

Close-up of the Amazfit Active Max maps feature — (Image credit: Amazfit)

As expected, the Active Max has loads of features aimed at runners, including customizable training plans to help you prep for a 3K, 5K, 10K, half, or full marathon. There are also advanced running form metrics, including insights into your ground contact time, vertical oscillation, and stride length.

Additionally, you'll find some high-end tools aimed at outdoor adventurers, most notably, support for offline navigational maps with turn-by-turn directions and topographic details. Better yet, for my winter sports enthusiasts, the Active Max also supports a wide selection of ski resort maps, all for free.

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Dan Bracaglia is the Tom’s Guide editorial lead for all things smartwatches, fitness trackers and outdoor gear. With 15 years of experience as a consumer technology journalist testing everything from Oura Rings to instant cameras, Dan is deeply passionate about helping readers save money and make informed purchasing decisions. In the past year alone, Dan has assessed major product releases from the likes of Apple, Garmin, Google, Samsung, Polar and many others.

An avid outdoor adventurer, Dan is based in the U.S. Pacific Northwest where he takes advantage of the beautiful surroundings every chance he gets. A lover of kayaking, hiking, swimming, biking, snowboarding and exploring, he also makes every effort to combine his day job with his passions. When not assessing the sleep tracking and heart rate accuracy of the latest tach gadgets, you can find him photographing Seattle’s vibrant underground music community.

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