The Redmi Watch 5 Active gets the basics right: an affordable price, plenty of activity-tracking options, and battery life that makes charging easy to forget. After 12 days of tracking my steps, sleep, and heart rate, it finally warned me that the battery had reached 20%. The compromise? A chunky, unmistakably plastic design.

I’m probably not Xiaomi’s ideal smartwatch customer. I’m not particularly athletic, and I don’t especially enjoy wearing watches or bracelets. In fact, when I’m working, I’d rather have nothing around my wrists.

But that makes me a fairly good test subject for an affordable smartwatch aimed at everyday users. Can the Redmi Watch 5 Active offer enough useful information to make wearing one worthwhile?

First Impressions: There’s Nothing Subtle About This Watch

The first thing you’ll notice about the Redmi Watch 5 Active is its size. The 2-inch LCD display dominates the wrist, and while that’s fantastic for reading information at a glance, it isn’t particularly discreet.

If you prefer delicate, understated accessories, this probably isn’t the smartwatch for you.

The construction is another giveaway that this is a budget-friendly device. Its plastic frame has a matte finish, but the overall appearance doesn’t feel especially premium. That’s not necessarily a criticism of its durability. The watch feels reasonably sturdy, and its 5ATM water-resistance rating is reassuring for everyday exposure to water.

Still, there’s a difference between something being functional and something looking expensive. This watch is firmly in the functional camp.

Then there’s the strap. I’ll freely admit my dislike is largely personal. I’ve never enjoyed having something wrapped around my wrist, particularly when typing or working at a desk. The Redmi Watch 5 Active’s band didn’t change my mind.

Fitness Tracking: More Activities Than I’ll Ever Need

Xiaomi clearly didn’t want the Redmi Watch 5 Active to feel limited when it comes to fitness features.

It supports more than 140 workout modes, covering activities such as walking, running, cycling, rowing, elliptical training, and skipping. It can also automatically recognise certain activities, provided you’ve enabled that function.

For enthusiastic fitness fans, that’s a fairly extensive selection. For someone like me, it’s probably more workout options than I’ll ever use.

My interest was in the everyday measurements:

• Step counting: A useful indication of how much, or how little, you’ve moved throughout the day.
• Sleep tracking: A way to observe your sleeping patterns and identify trends over time.
• Heart rate monitoring: Regular measurements that provide a general picture of your heart rate.
• Blood oxygen monitoring: An additional wellness metric for those interested in tracking their SpO₂ levels.
• Stress monitoring: An estimate of stress levels based on the watch’s available sensor data.

I concentrated on steps, sleep, and heart rate rather than putting the workout modes through their paces.

This is where the Redmi Watch 5 Active makes sense to me. Not everyone wants to train for a marathon or analyse their performance after every exercise session. Sometimes, understanding how active you’ve been during an ordinary working day is enough.

It’s worth remembering that these are consumer wellness measurements, not medical assessments. They’re useful for identifying general patterns, but they shouldn’t replace professional advice or medical-grade monitoring.

Watch Faces and Widgets: Make It Your Own

One of the more enjoyable aspects of the Redmi Watch 5 Active is its customisation.

Xiaomi offers more than 200 watch faces, including customisable options, through the Mi Fitness app. Whether you prefer something colourful, sporty, minimalist, or packed with information, there’s plenty of choice.

The watch’s widgets and on-screen information layouts also make it easier to access the functions that matter to you.

You can prioritise the information you check regularly instead of navigating through features you rarely use.

That flexibility is welcome, especially because different people expect very different things from a smartwatch.

The large display works in its favour here. Even if I’m not a fan of its physical size, I can appreciate having information that’s easy to read.

Battery Life: The Redmi Watch 5 Active’s Biggest Selling Point

Here’s where things get interesting.

Xiaomi advertises up to 18 days of battery life with typical usage and up to 12 days with heavier usage.

My experience was particularly impressive.

After charging the Redmi Watch 5 Active, I wore it for 12 days before receiving its 20% battery notification.

That’s almost two weeks without having to think about a charging cable, and it still had some power remaining.

There’s an important qualification, though.

During those 12 days, I used the watch primarily for basic monitoring, including steps, sleep, and heart rate. I didn’t enable smartphone notifications, and I wasn’t regularly recording workouts or using the Bluetooth calling functionality.

More demanding usage, such as frequent exercise tracking, additional health monitoring, and notifications, could produce very different results.

Nevertheless, battery life is one of the watch’s most convincing strengths. Nobody needs another device demanding daily attention from a charger.

For anyone who wants to keep an eye on their activity without constantly managing another battery, the Redmi Watch 5 Active makes a compelling argument.

Everyday Smartwatch Features Without the Premium Price

Beyond fitness tracking, the Redmi Watch 5 Active offers Bluetooth calling, smartphone notifications, weather information, music controls, and other everyday conveniences.

I deliberately left notifications switched off during my testing, so I can’t comment on how the watch performs as a constant extension of a smartphone.

And that’s an important distinction. My experience reflects its usefulness as a basic activity and wellness tracker, rather than a comprehensive test of every connected feature.

The watch is available for around R850, depending on the retailer and current promotions.

At that price, the plastic construction becomes considerably easier to forgive.

You’re getting a large screen, extensive activity options, customisable interfaces, and particularly appealing battery endurance without spending several thousand rand.

Who Should Buy the Redmi Watch 5 Active?

I think the Redmi Watch 5 Active is particularly well suited to people who are curious about their daily activity but aren’t ready to invest in an expensive fitness wearable.

It’s a sensible starting point for someone who wants to understand their movement, monitor general wellness trends, and perhaps become a little more active.

Younger users and entry-level fitness enthusiasts could also find plenty to appreciate, especially with the extensive workout selection and ability to personalise the display.

Experienced athletes who need advanced training analysis, highly accurate performance data, or specialised sports features may want something more sophisticated.

Likewise, anyone looking for a discreet smartwatch with luxurious materials may find the Redmi Watch 5 Active’s design disappointing.

My Final Verdict

The Redmi Watch 5 Active hasn’t converted me into someone who loves wearing watches, but it has demonstrated that useful fitness tracking doesn’t need to be expensive.

Its biggest strengths are undoubtedly its battery life and affordability. Getting 12 days of basic monitoring before a low-battery warning appeared was impressive, particularly for a device in this price category.

The oversized face, plastic appearance, and wrist strap are my main complaints. Some of those issues come down to personal preference, while others are understandable compromises at this price.

Would I recommend it?

Yes, particularly for someone who wants straightforward activity monitoring without spending a fortune.

You don’t need to be a fitness fanatic to benefit from keeping track of your steps, sleep, and heart rate.

Sometimes, the most useful smartwatch isn’t the one with the most advanced technology. It’s the one that quietly collects the information you care about without demanding too much money, effort, or charging time.

Redmi Watch 5 Active Specifications

Specification	Details
Display	2-inch LCD touchscreen
Resolution	320 × 385 pixels, 250 PPI
Brightness	Up to 500 nits
Dimensions	49.1 × 40.4 × 11.4 mm
Weight	30.6 g (without strap)
Build	Plastic frame with metallic spray coating
Strap	TPU, adjustable from 135–205 mm
Colours	Midnight Black, Matte Silver
Operating system	Xiaomi HyperOS
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.3
Calling	Bluetooth calling with dual-microphone noise reduction and built-in speaker
Fitness tracking	140+ workout modes, including walking, running, cycling, rowing, and skipping
Health monitoring	Heart rate, blood oxygen (SpO₂), sleep, and stress monitoring
Sensors	Optical heart rate and SpO₂ sensor, accelerometer
Watch faces	200+ downloadable watch faces
Battery capacity	470 mAh
Claimed battery life	Up to 18 days typical usage; 12 days heavy usage
Charging	Magnetic charging cable
Water resistance	5ATM
Smart features	Notifications, weather, music controls, alarms, and phone finder
Companion app	Mi Fitness
Compatibility	Android 8.0+ and iOS 12.0+