I've reviewed dozens of running watches, and several of my favorites are now affordable thanks to Cyber Monday. But I'm reevaluating one watch I reviewed, the Amazfit Cheetah Pro, now that it's fallen to $179 (40% off) for Cyber Monday, a much more reasonable price for what it offers.
The Amazfit Cheetah Pro hardware is (mostly) solid: the 1.45-inch AMOLED display, week-long battery life with heavy use, titanium bezel, mic/speaker for Bluetooth calls, dual-band GPS and altimeter for accurate location and elevation, and a lightweight 43g (with strap) frame all make for a compelling package!
The display could be brighter, the speaker louder, and the GPS and HR data slightly more accurate to match Garmin's. But the training software itself is solid: it gave me reliable post-run recovery time estimates and realistic training load numbers after my test workouts. My complaints are much easier to stomach at this price point, and anyone worried about optical HR accuracy can always connect an external HRM.
✅Recommended if: You don't want to pay for a fitness subscription for Zepp Coach AI insights, you need Bluetooth calling and voice commands on a non-smart watch, and you need guidance on what kind of workout to do to improve as a runner.
❌Skip this deal if: You can accept a cheaper-looking Garmin watch with no titanium bezel or downloadable local maps, but which will beat the Cheetah Pro for battery life and GPS accuracy while at least matching it for workout suggestions and training load insights.
I prefer Garmin watches, but only the $599 Forerunner 965 (currently $499 for Cyber Monday) has a titanium bezel and topographic maps, and you'd need a Venu 3 (which doesn't have specialized running tools) for a mic & speaker. So, in theory, the Cheetah Pro was already a bargain at $299 and is now a steal at $179.
If you're more interested in a Garmin Cyber Monday deal on a running watch, the Garmin Forerunner 165 is $199 ($50 off), making it only slightly more expensive than a Cheetah Pro. It has a smaller display, cheaper-looking design, only breadcrumb navigation, and no training load — but makes up for it with daily suggested workouts, recovery time, and better HR/ GPS accuracy. Still, you can see how Amazfit's ultra-discounted Cheetah Pro is a compelling alternative now!
You can also look into a proper smartwatch like the Pixel Watch 3 45mm LTE ($170 off for Cyber Monday), which has much better Bluetooth calling, commands, Cardio Load, and AI smarts for workouts through Fitbit. But most runners would prefer the Cheetah Pro's 7-day battery life to the Watch 3's 2-day battery!
Even though I find the Zepp app and Cheetah Pro software a bit less polished than other brands, and I really wish its display got brighter in direct sunlight, the Amazfit Cheetah Pro is an all-around winner at this Cyber Monday price.
