Xiaomi Redmi Watch 5 Active Review: Budget Smartwatch That Actually Delivers

Quick Verdict

The Xiaomi Redmi Watch 5 Active is a budget smartwatch that doesn't feel like one. The 2-inch display is genuinely spacious for this price bracket, the 18-day battery outlasts nearly every competitor, and 140 sports modes cover virtually any workout you can think of. I spent two weeks wearing it daily — to the gym, on walks, even through a rainstorm — and it held up without complaint. At this price point, the compromises are acceptable: no GPS, an LCD instead of AMOLED, and occasionally sluggish touch response. If you want a reliable fitness companion without breaking the bank, this one earns its spot on your wrist. Score: 4.2/5

What Is the Xiaomi Redmi Watch 5 Active?

Let's get the basics out of the way. The Xiaomi Redmi Watch 5 Active is an affordable fitness-focused smartwatch that sits at the entry point of Xiaomi's wearable lineup. It tracks steps, workouts, heart rate, and sleep, pairs with your phone for notifications and Bluetooth calling, and does all of this without needing a charge every few days. The brand behind it is XIAOMI — you probably know them from their phones and home electronics — and they've applied the same value-for-money philosophy here.

The standout spec is that 2-inch square LCD panel, which sounds modest until you realise most budget watches ship with 1.3- to 1.5-inch screens. More display real estate means bigger numbers when you're mid-run and less squinting at notifications. The matte-finish frame gives it a cleaner look than the glossy plastic you'll find on some competitors, too. It's a watch that looks like it costs more than it does — which, in the sub-$60 category, matters more than you'd think.

Key Features

• 2-inch square LCD with 70%+ screen-to-body ratio for a spacious, readable display
• 200+ downloadable watch faces through the Mi Fitness app
• 5ATM waterproof rating (ISO 22810:2010) — safe for swimming and rain exposure
• 470mAh battery delivering up to 18 days in typical usage scenarios
• 140 sports modes with auto-detection for running, walking, and cycling
• Bluetooth calling with dual-mic noise reduction for hands-free calls
• Smart notifications, music control, flashlight, and find-phone functions

Hands-On Review

I unboxed the Redmi Watch 5 Active on a Monday morning — the kind of overcast start that makes you grateful for a distraction-free commute. The strap has a soft-touch silicone feel that didn't catch on my sleeve, which surprised me because cheap watches often have finishing issues there. By day three, I'd stopped noticing the weight on my wrist, which is exactly what you want from something you're supposed to wear 24/7.

Setting it up took about six minutes: download Mi Fitness, enable Bluetooth, scan a QR code on the watch face. Nothing complicated. The first thing I did was browse the watch face store, and that's where I got a pleasant surprise — the selection is genuinely broad. I cycled through a retro digital face, a minimalist analogue design, and a fitness-oriented layout that puts heart-rate and step counts front and centre. The LCD isn't OLED, so blacks don't pop the way they would on a Galaxy Watch, but at this price, that's expected. What matters is that text is legible outdoors, even under direct sunlight.

For workouts, I tested the running auto-detection on a 4-kilometre route around my local park. The watch picked up the activity within seconds of me starting to move, which is a small quality-of-life thing that I didn't know I'd appreciate until I didn't have to fumble with menus mid-stride. Calorie tracking seemed reasonable — not lab-precise, but consistent enough for daily goal-setting. After two weeks, I trust it enough to use the weekly trends in Mi Fitness as a rough benchmark for whether I'm moving enough. The one thing I genuinely missed was GPS: if you want route mapping, you'll need to bring your phone along.

The Bluetooth calling feature is functional rather than transformative. My callers said my voice came through clearly in a quiet room; in a busier coffee shop, the dual-mic noise reduction helped but wasn't perfect. I wouldn't take important business calls from the watch, but for quick "running five minutes late" moments, it works. Battery life, meanwhile, is the real headline. By the end of week two, I was still sitting at 30% — that's with always-on notifications, hourly heart-rate logging, and roughly 45 minutes of workout tracking daily. If you dial back the settings, 18 days is absolutely achievable.

Who Should Buy It?

The Redmi Watch 5 Active is a strong match if you're looking for your first smartwatch and don't want to commit to a $300 device before you know how often you'll actually use fitness features. It's also well-suited for anyone who's frustrated with charging their current watch every two days — the 18-day battery genuinely changes the relationship you have with the device. If you're a runner who needs built-in GPS for route tracking, though, this isn't the right choice. And if you prioritise a vivid AMOLED display above all else, you'll want to look at slightly more expensive options. But for everyone else? The value here is hard to argue with.

Alternatives Worth Considering

If you want built-in GPS and don't mind spending a bit more, the Amazfit GTR 4 offers dual-band GPS, a brighter AMOLED screen, and a similar battery life — though at roughly double the price. For a more direct competitor in the budget space, the realme Watch 3 Pro matches the 5ATM waterproofing and adds AMOLED, but cuts down the battery life to around 10 days. And if brand familiarity matters more than raw specs, the Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 is worth a look, though you'll trade some battery endurance for Samsung's ecosystem polish.

FAQ

Final Verdict

After two weeks with the Xiaomi Redmi Watch 5 Active, I'm confident saying it's one of the best budget smartwatches you can buy right now. The 2-inch display, 140 sports modes, and nearly three-week battery life add up to a device that does the basics well and throws in enough extras to feel generous. It's not without trade-offs — no GPS and an LCD panel are the obvious ones — but neither is a dealbreaker at this price. If you're in the market for an affordable fitness watch that doesn't feel cheap, the Redmi Watch 5 Active should be on your shortlist.