Amazfit makes some of my favorite wallet-friendly alternatives to popular Garmin smartwatch models. Take the new Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro; it offers many of the same high-end design elements, features, and training tools as Garmin's top running watch, the Forerunner 970, for way less money.
I brought the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro on a trip to Hawaii's Big Island, where I spent a week testing its performance while running, snorkeling, swimming, and hiking. Here are the five most important things you should know about the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro.
1. It's significantly cheaper than the Forerunner 970
Priced at $450 via Amazfit directly, the Cheetah 2 Pro is a full $300 cheaper than the Garmin Forerunner 970. It's also less than half the cost of the Garmin Fenix 8, the brand's top multisport watch, which starts at $1,000.
Even if you step down to Garmin's mid-level running watch, the Forerunner 570, the Cheetah 2 Pro is still $100 more affordable.
2. The design feels premium
The Cheetah 2 Pro is one of Amazfit's more attractive watches, with a two-tone black-and-silver design that pairs a titanium chassis with a plastic housing. The result is a reasonably lightweight 46.5 g wearable that should hold up to the daily wear and tear. By comparison, the Forerunner 970 is 56 g.
Similar to other recent Amazfit models, this one features a faux tachometer along the outer edge of the screen, a subtle yet appreciated nod to the mechanical watches of yore.
The screen is sapphire crystal, which is more resilient to scratches and chips than reinforced glass. Two buttons, with ample gnarling for grip and plenty of tactile response, adorn either side of the case. These can be used for navigation, or you can use the reasonably responsive touchscreen, which maxes out at a brightness of 3,000 nits, making it easily visible in direct sunlight. It also supports always-on mode.
The Cheetah 2 Pro only comes in 48mm, which is larger than I prefer. It's also fairly thick at 15.6mm compared to 12.9mm for the Garmin Forerunner 970.
3. Loads of running tools
The Cheetah 2 Pro is a technology-packed smartwatch designed specifically with hardcore runners in mind. Still, the wearable supports over 170 workout modes.
It also features dual-band GPS tracking, an onboard alimeter for precise elevation data, and the brand's latest health sensor array with 24/7 heart rate tracking and blood oxygen readings. Amazfit's latest additionally plays nicely with popular third-party fitness tracking apps like Strava.
In terms of metrics for runners, the Cheetah 2 Pro provides insights into more than pace, heart rate, and speed; it also measures your vertical oscillation, ground contact time, V02 max, training load, training effect, and power. It can additionally generate custom-tailored training plans — support I look forward to testing — and track running performance over extended periods.
That said, training and recovery insights aren't quite as comprehensive as those found on the best Garmin watches, though the Cheetah 2 Pro comes pretty darn close. It also generates fairly detailed daily sleep reports.
Like the Forerunner 970 and Fenix 8, the Cheetah 2 Pro supports downloading route maps for offline navigation with turn-by-turn directions and automatic rerouting.
That said, in my experience, Amazfit's take on offline maps is far less intuitive/a lot more clunky than Garmin's. However, there's a chance that Amazfit has tweaked the maps experience for the better with this latest premium release (stay tuned for my full review).
4. The right amount of 'smarts'
To store all those offline maps, along with no shortage of playlists and podcasts for offline listening, the Cheetah 2 Pro offers 32GB of onboard storage. It also had NFC for tap-to-pay, an onboard speaker and microphone for taking Bluetooth calls from the wrist, mirrored smartphone notifications for both Android and iOS devices, and a handy voice memo app.
Compared to the best full-featured smartwatches in 2026, like the Apple Watch Series 11 and Google Pixel Watch 4, these smart features may not seem like much; however, they are a near-match with the smart features found in the Garmin Forerunner 970.
5. The included strap is a disappointment
When I first unboxed the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro, I was instantly enamored with the included silicone strap. Giving off the vibes of a classic 1960s skin dive watch strap, my infatuation was sadly short-lived.
For starters, the strap came with one mis-sized spring bar (which should've been a sign of things to come), causing frustration when I initially attempted to affix it to the watch. Fortunately, my favorite cheapo Timex dumb watch makes use of the same-sized spring bars as the Cheetah 2 Pro, so I was able to borrow one for the duration of my trip.
Unfortunately, after swapping the Amazfit strap back and forth between the Cheetah 2 Pro and my Timex a handful of times, a tear began to develop in the silicone around one of the spring bars, effectively rendering the strap useless.
As a result, I had to swap in my Timex strap on the Cheetah 2 Pro for the last few days, resulting in it sitting somewhat awkwardly on my wrist (see image above). Of course, a crappy strap shouldn't make or break a smartwatch, given most folks swap out the standard-issued one sooner or later, but the tear is disappointing nonetheless.
That aside, after one week with the Cheetah 2 Pro, I'm pretty impressed. The question is, can it truly compete tit-for-tat with Garmin's top running watch, the Forerunner 970, when it comes to accuracy, durability, and reliability... all for $300 less?
I'll attempt to answer that question in my forthcoming Cheetah 2 Pro review. Stay tuned!
