Xiaomi Smart Band 11 Active Review: Cheap, Light and Long-Lasting

Xiaomi Smart Band 11 Active positioned as the inexpensive member of its wearable family. You get continuous heart-rate monitoring, optional all-day SpO₂ monitoring, sleep and stress tracking, 50 workout modes, music controls, notifications, weather information and 5ATM water resistance.

There are only three listed sensor components: PPG sensor, accelerometer and ERM vibration motor. That's noticeably more basic than the regular Smart Band 10, which includes an accelerometer, gyroscope, electronic compass, ambient-light sensor and its optical heart-rate/SpO₂ sensor.

The health functions are wellness features rather than medical tools. Xiaomi specifically states that SpO₂ and related monitoring should not be used for diagnosis or treatment decisions.

Several Mi Band community members see the Active line as Xiaomi's stripped-down budget range, with some recommending the standard Smart Band 10 instead. Other comments specifically question whether the Active offers enough improvement over older models to justify upgrading.

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The Xiaomi Smart Band 11 Active is built around a very simple idea: give buyers the fitness-tracking essentials for as little money as possible. On that front, Xiaomi largely succeeds. The band weighs just 18g without its strap, carries 5ATM water resistance and tracks heart rate, blood oxygen, sleep, stress and 50 different workout types.

Battery life is one of its biggest advantages. Xiaomi advertises up to 21 days, although that figure applies to fairly light use. Its own normal-use estimate is a much more believable eight days, and an early hands-on reviewer reported getting around a week with the health-tracking functions enabled. That's still excellent endurance for something designed to be worn around the clock.

The compromise is immediately obvious when you look at the display. Instead of AMOLED, Xiaomi uses a 1.47-inch TFT panel with a modest 172 × 320 resolution. The 60Hz refresh rate keeps navigation feeling surprisingly smooth, but there's no always-on display, and the screen simply doesn't look as modern as the AMOLED panels now appearing on similarly priced fitness trackers. There are no physical buttons either, and touch controls can become less dependable with wet or sweaty hands.

There is also no built-in GPS or NFC. Casual walkers may not care, but runners wanting route tracking will need to carry a phone. More importantly, the Smart Band 11 Active changes surprisingly little from the Smart Band 9 Active, which already offered essentially the same display resolution, 300mAh battery, PPG sensor, 50 exercise modes and 5ATM rating.

That makes pricing critical. The regular Xiaomi Smart Band 10 has a far superior 1.72-inch AMOLED screen, more sensors, always-on display support and 159 sports modes. The Samsung Galaxy Fit3 similarly provides a 1.6-inch AMOLED display and over 100 exercise modes, while Huawei's Band 11 moves up to a sharper 1.62-inch AMOLED panel.

The Smart Band 11 Active therefore makes the most sense when it's significantly cheaper than those alternatives. For a first wearable, it is light, long-lasting and capable enough. For existing Mi Band owners or anyone willing to spend a little more, the regular Smart Band lineup offers a much more meaningful experience.