One of the elements that makes running – and, by many measures, hiking – such an appealing pursuit is its low barrier to entry. You can spend a lot of money on the latest carbon-plated shoes, poles and running vests, but in principle, neither activity requires much equipment to get started. As you begin to take running or hiking more seriously, however, you often reach a point where you ask yourself: should I buy a GPS watch? Often seen as a more ‘cost-effective’ brand, some of Amazfit’s cheaper smartwatches can be purchased for just over £100. Even one of their flagship models – and the watch I’ve been using for the last few months, the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra – comes in at just shy of £600 which is significantly less than some competitors’ top-of-the-range options.

In the box, you get the choice of a silicone or nylon strap, which were easy to take on and off to switch between for comfort. No screwdriver needed here. The fit doesn’t feel intrusive, bulky or heavy yet the watch feels sturdy and durable, giving you the confidence that it can withstand anything you throw at it.

Out of the box and onto the trail is where you can really see performance and value for money. From the moment you switch it on, the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra looks to provide you with some structure to your running, with the benefits of an in-built training app where you can set your goals and see health biomarkers to track of things like daily steps, heart rate and sleep. After downloading the Zepp app, which signs you up to most of the corresponding partner apps (from Strava to WhatsApp) the watch was ready to go. Overall, set up was quick.

The map screen in light mode. Credit: Stew Hume

The map functionality is one of the watch’s highlights. Although the Ultra doesn’t play ball with common route-mapping apps when it comes to transferring routes to your device, it’s simple enough to upload a GPX file to the Zepp app and have full turn-by-turn navigation on the hill. The Zepp app also has its own route-builder which was easy to use for mapping out my day before heading out the door.

The map screen was super clear and legible while in the mountains, although I did have to cancel the automatic dark mode (set as a default to save battery) as I prefer the screen to be a bit brighter. The watch also gives alerts when you’re approaching an incline or decline to give you an idea of what is ahead. You do quickly get used to the vibrations, bleeps and trills, and I ended up finding them comforting rather than annoying.

The Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra map screen in dark mode. Credit: Stew Hume

While in an activity, you can interact with the watch via the touchscreen or buttons. You double-tap the watch to unlock the touchscreen which can take a bit of time when moving at pace but this safety feature can be disabled. For me, having used my Garmin fenix 5 for many years, the Cheetah’s touchscreen quickly became an almost-essential luxury when looking for alternative routes on the hill.

On a nine-hour hike using full navigation, I was still left with 64% battery life. The watch has been able to tackle most of my all-day ultras and long-day excursions with no worries. The clue is in the name: this is a watch designed for endurance runners and you can see Amazfit’s efforts translate into popular trail running culture – I write this as I watch Ben Dhiman crossing the UTMB finish line in the fastest time recorded in race history wearing the very same Cheetah 2 Ultra on his wrist.

If you are newer to running, the Cheetah 2 Ultra is a great companion as you start building a training plan, and the accompanying Zepp Coach app is an AI-driven coaching platform that can create a plan for you and start filling out your calendar to help you reach your goal. There are also numerous pre-built training sessions, making it quick to jump into an interval session with the app’s workout builder for more customisation.

The watch and the app are both simple with bright colours, if a bit childlike in aesthetic. For those who have experience with GPS watches, the lack of customisation may be a bit frustrating, especially when it comes to activity choice. Rather than choosing your preferred sports, the watch is already pre-loaded with a list of activities. It wasn’t immediately obvious how to add new ones, and there were a few times when I’d accidentally clicked skiing when I just wanted to go for a run.

I also found that some of the watch faces for the main display occasionally tried to provide too much data. The watch still needs to function as a watch, and some of the display formats were so clogged up with logos and data sets that they became almost unreadable. Saying that, the pre-set screens are very readable in motion outdoors and even include noteworthy elements, such as a traffic-light system that shows your heart rate around the circumference of the watch. It was also easily paired with a third-party heart-rate monitor.

The Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra elevation display. Credit: Stew Hume

There are some oversights when it comes to running – for example, the split button doesn’t reset the watch timer but merely logs that as a split. Live segments for Strava are not visible when you’re out for a run either, so if you’re looking to tackle any CRs, then unfortunately you’re going to have to do it the old-fashioned way. There is also an option to upload music to the watch, but unlike some of its competitors, it is not compatible with Spotify.

Although I mainly tested the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra when hiking and running, the watch did a great job during open water and pool swimming. I was worried the watch’s built-in speaker wouldn’t be up to the task, but it can eject any water taken on with an alarm that sonically blasts liquid from the device.

A last nifty function that I ended up using more than expected was the watch’s torch. I never really used it while out on a run, but it was great when taking the dog out for his evening excursions. There’s also a great sleep function that dims the screen in the evening, so you won’t be blinded when checking the watch throughout the night.

The Cheetah 2 Ultra is certainly an option that many should consider. For those looking to take a step up into their running adventures, this will be a great guide into more structured training. Its overall worthiness is surely reflected in the fact that Amazfit is becoming a top choice among professionals as well.

How I tested

I tested the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra trail running watch over two months on long trail runs, hikes and swims in various conditions in the Peak District, Lake District and Snowdonia / Eryri. Routes tested for both hiking and running have topped out at over 20 miles.