Amazfit Powerbuds Pro
What’s the story?
On paper, the Powerbuds Pro offer the most serious fitness skills of all the in-ears on test here. Built-in motion and heart-rate sensors serve up workout tracking with speed, distance, calories burned and BPM insights for walking, running and cycling, all beamed to the partner Zepp app.
Battery life is competitive, with up to 30hrs’ total playback – 9hrs in the buds without ANC and a 21hr boost from the stashable charging case. Four ANC modes, adjustable EQ with 10 presets, in-ear detection and sweat-resistance complete a compelling feature set.
Are they any good?
These Powerbuds don’t have the most sporty fit, and they’re no match for pricier alternatives on sound or build quality. But if you’re looking for Airpods style on a tighter budget, the overall package of features and performance makes these worth a look – and they’re the kind of earphones that’ll switch happily between workouts and general use.
Sound performance isn’t amazing but still punches above the price: there’s plenty of gym-taming loudness, just without the depth and richness of pricier buds, while the ANC does a reasonable if not remarkable job.
Fitness-wise, however, few of the extra features perform perfectly. The controls are largely based on pinches and swipes on the stems, which can be tricky when you’re grinding your gears in full flow. The design is also heavier than some, and that creates more ‘ear tug’ on the move than pricier competitors. And while it looks like an exciting USP for workouts, the heart-rate sensor isn’t very reliable; neither is the automatic run tracking; and the distance tracking was regularly wrong in our tests. The Zepp app is hit-and-miss too, though it’s handy to be able to sync data with the likes of Runkeeper.
Beyond the fitness tracking, automatic connection is good and connectivity on the whole is reliable – and that 9hr non-anc battery life puts these ahead of everything but the JBLS opposite for the best endurance on test.
£120 / stuff.tv/amazfitpro
Key specs
● 9hrs + 21hrs case ● Bluetooth 5.0 ● ANC ● IP55 ● USB-C charging
● 2x 6.7g, 42g case