“Which way to the next campsite? I think we need to paddle back!” I could just hear my companion over a roaring headwind cutting across the picturesque whitecaps on Rose Lake in the Boundary Waters.

I fully understood his frustration and doubt. The first five campsites we passed were all occupied and we were scraping the bottom of the proverbial barrel. What’s more, an overcast sky and a few twisty portages made cardinal directions less intuitive.

But I smiled, looked down at my watch, and tapped the compass. We were indeed heading west. I tapped again, 2 more hours until sunset. One final tap — thunderstorms weren’t going to roll in until well after dark. If only it had a button to activate a tailwind, the Amazfit T-Rex 3 would have been perfect for the situation. Alas, we paddled on, in the correct direction, and made camp before dark.

I received an early sample of the T-Rex 3, Amazfit’s most robust, adventure- and fitness-capable watch to date. It proved a great fit for both the testing conditions (my annual BWCAW excursion) and the tester — I’m a relative novice in the smartwatch space. Two weeks of testing proved the Amazfit T-Rex 3 has more than enough to justify its comparably low price.

In short: More than 170 different sports and activities, 100m water resistance, AI fitness coaching, and customizable privacy features highlight some of what the T-Rex 3 can do. While its capabilities will take many months or even years to fully explore, its $279 price makes it a great first smartwatch for those just entering the market. It is not a replacement for a cutting-edge smartwatch or the power users that need everything on their wrists. But for outdoor adventurers and fitness buffs looking for a comprehensive set of tools, it’s a sound, approachable investment.

Looking for more? Check out GearJunkie’s roundup of Best Fitness Watches.

Amazfit T-Rex 3 Review

Candidly, this was my first foray into the modern world of smartwatches. I’ve used some fitness-tracking wearables that offered a few extras, like music and message notifications, but none that come anywhere near the capacity of the T-Rex 3.

So when I first unboxed it, I found the task of properly testing it a bit daunting. Happily, Amazfit priced the T-Rex 3 to engage newbies like me and built it out so that we can go from beginner to advanced over the lifetime of the watch.

As for the construction, the T-Rex 3 has a big 1.5-inch AMOLED display behind tough Gorilla Glass, and encased in a stainless steel bezel. It has a silicon strap and weighs 69 g (just under 2.5 ounces).

Setup

There’s not a ton of work to do when you first unbox the T-Rex 3, but it’s a bit more involved than a standard timepiece. In addition to some extra links and hardware, your watch comes with a magnetic charging platform — do not lose this. I mention this because it’s about the size of a quarter and black. I’ll say it again: Be mindful with the charger!

You’ll also need to download the companion Zepp app. This will be your control center and help keep your watch updated with the latest firmware. Getting started is simple and will pay dividends if you take the time to run through it once.

In addition to updating the watch, you can add some biometric data (weight, body measurements) and set some preferences right off the bat (watch face preference, control center applications, etc.).

One final important note on setup is privacy. Amazfit touts the customizable privacy options for storing — or not storing — your data. Users can choose from permanent cloud storage of GPS data, temporary cloud storage, no cloud upload, or even disabling GPS permissions entirely. And the T-Rex 3 offers multiple data backup options.

Standout Features: What Can It Do?

As noted, I’ve had about 2 weeks to use this watch. And I’m still discovering what it can do. But Amazfit highlights a number of the T-Rex 3 features that set it apart from other fitness-focused smartwatches.

First and foremost is the battery life. In “typical use,” the T-Rex 3 offers more than 3 weeks of battery life (27 days). Under heavy use, it’s nearly 2 weeks (13 days). For outdoorsy folks — and for many movement-tracked fitness applications — the T-Rex 3 has a maximum GPS battery life of up to 180 hours (more than a week).

Complimenting the watch’s longevity is its versatility. The T-Rex 3 can track a total of 177 different activities and exercises. I won’t list them all out, but suffice it to say it includes all the biggies — running, cycling, climbing, strength training, pool and open water swimming — and also a host of more niche pursuits, like jumping rope, archery, spearfishing, hula hooping, and even tug-of-war. Admittedly, some of these head-scratchers (driving and chess, for example), but odds are, if you like doing it, the T-Rex 3 can measure it.

Rounding out the marquee features is the companion Zepp app. Specifically, this is where users can receive AI-based coaching, training plans, and a variety of personalized health and wellness assessments. Many of these features are free, and some come with subscription options.

I tested out the AI training component and devised a 4-day-per-week training regimen that incorporates free weights, bodyweight exercises, and some medicine ball and battle rope training. The AI coach gave me sets, reps, and rest info, along with notes on when to increase intensity and by how much. At first glance, the coaching looks sound.

Amazfit T-Rex 3: Outdoor Tested

The Boundary Waters trip offered ideal testing conditions for the T-Rex 3’s durability and adventure-focused utilities. Its compass came in handy numerous times, though it required recalibration if the watch was left idle for a few minutes. This is a simple and quick process: just roll an animated ball along the outside of the watch face.

I also set my location the last time I had cell service, so I had a week’s worth of weather forecasts at the ready, even without cell reception. The watch also has maps capability, which uses six satellite systems. I was able to geolocate while in the Boundary Waters, however, I did not download maps for the area ahead of time, and thus did not use it for trip navigation.

I’ll update the review once I’ve been able to try out this feature. Amazfit claims the T-Rex 3 will show contour maps, ski resort maps, route files, and turn-by-turn navigation.

I also swam for about an hour, but came nowhere close to the watch’s 10 ATM depth rating. The T-Rex 3 handled it like a champ. I also made use of a few handy extras, like the white and red flashlight feature and the hiking tracker, which helped me calculate my progress along a 600-rod portage.

Drawbacks

Overall, I really like this watch. But everything comes with compromise. This watch doesn’t take or make calls like an Apple watch. It has speech-to-text functionality, but only for Android phones (I am an iPhone user). And honestly, I have yet to determine how to load music onto this watch. It’s a peripheral feature that I wouldn’t use often, but it can load playlists; it’s just not intuitive to figure out how.

Final Thoughts: Should You Buy?

There is a lot more to unpack with the Amazfit T-Rex 3. Part of that owes to my limited testing window ahead of the launch. But it’s also a reflection of all this smartwatch has to offer. I plan to try it out for the AI-constructed workout plan, cardio workout over the winter, and to route some fall bikepacking adventures.

Even then, there will be much packed into the T-Rex 3 I won’t have touched. Given its $279 price — well into the low end of multifunction smartwatches — it looks and feels like a tremendous value, with plenty of utility and longevity to accommodate years of adventure and personal wellness.