Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra Review: Trail Runner's Sleeper Hit

What it is

The Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra is a trail-focused running watch launched in 2026 at £599.90, sitting squarely in the premium multisport segment. It targets serious trail and road runners who want accurate GPS, reliable heart rate tracking, and serious battery life without paying Garmin or Apple Watch Ultra money. The catch: it arrived just four weeks after the Cheetah 2 Pro at £150 less, with spec sheets that look almost identical at first glance. Whether that £150 premium over the Pro is justified is the central question here.

Key Specs

• GPS chipset: Dual-frequency GNSS
• Battery life: 55 hours projected in GPS mode
• Sensors: Wrist optical PPG for heart rate and HRV, SpO2 (blood oxygen via optical), SmO2 (muscle oxygen saturation), barometric altimeter
• Display: Not fully specified in available sources, but consistent with the Cheetah line's AMOLED setup
• Water resistance: Trail-rated, consistent with sport watch standards
• Weight: Lightweight trail-oriented build, specific grams not confirmed in sources

Performance in the Real World

This is where the Cheetah 2 Ultra earns its keep. GPS accuracy on a standardised 10-mile test came in at 81%, which is a meaningful step up from the Cheetah 2 Pro's 73%. Across trail-specific testing, the overall GPS score reached 85%, which is solid for a watch in this price bracket. The Garmin Forerunner 970 at the same £599.90 still edges it on GPS accuracy, so if pinpoint satellite positioning is your absolute priority, that matters. For the vast majority of trail and road runners, though, 81-85% accuracy is entirely usable in the real world.

Heart rate accuracy is genuinely impressive. In six structured sessions, five returned an Excellent rating. In a HYROX simulation run at 33°C, the wrist optical sensor matched reference devices including the Whoop MG, Garmin HRM-600 chest strap, and Polar Verity Sense with near-zero bias. That is a hard test: hot conditions, mixed-modal efforts, and three different reference devices all telling the same story. In a separate road bike sprint test, the Cheetah 2 Ultra returned limits of agreement of just plus or minus 3 bpm. A third HYROX-style test produced another clean result. Three tests, three consistent outcomes. That is not luck.

The SmO2 sensor (muscle oxygen saturation) is a differentiator worth mentioning. It is not common at this price point, and for runners who want to understand their aerobic capacity and recovery at a more granular level during efforts, it adds genuine value beyond standard SpO2 blood oxygen readings.

The barometric altimeter handles elevation data independently of GPS, which matters on trails where satellite-derived elevation is notoriously unreliable. Altitude is calculated from air pressure changes, giving you more consistent climb and descent data than GPS elevation alone.

The 55-hour GPS battery projection is strong. Most rivals at this price offer between 30 and 50 hours in GPS mode, so the Cheetah 2 Ultra sits comfortably at the top end. For ultramarathon runners or multi-day trail events, that headroom is meaningful.

The Zepp app ecosystem is functional but remains a weak point relative to Garmin Connect or Polar Flow. Training load analysis, recovery metrics, and third-party integrations are improving but still trail the established players. If you live inside Strava or TrainingPeaks, compatibility is fine. If you want deep Garmin-style ecosystem tools, you will feel the gap.

Who It's For / Who Should Skip It

Buy the Cheetah 2 Ultra if you are a trail runner or road runner who prioritises heart rate accuracy and battery life, runs in hot or demanding conditions, and wants SmO2 data without spending above £600. It is also a strong pick if you are coming from a mid-range watch and want a meaningful spec upgrade without committing to the Garmin ecosystem long-term.

Skip it if you already own the Cheetah 2 Pro and are wondering whether to upgrade: based on available evidence, the overlap between the two models is large enough that most Pro owners will not feel a dramatic difference in day-to-day use. The £150 premium buys real improvements, but they are incremental rather than transformative. Also skip it if you need best-in-class GPS accuracy above all else: the Forerunner 970 at the same price point still wins that specific comparison. And if you are deeply invested in Garmin Connect, training plans, or advanced recovery analytics, the Zepp ecosystem will frustrate you.

Verdict

The Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra is the best wrist HR accuracy result I have seen from an Amazfit device, backed by consistent multi-test data across very different workout conditions. GPS at 81-85% is competitive but not class-leading at this price. At £599.90, it is a serious trail watch that punches above its brand reputation, and runners who sleep on it because of the badge are making a mistake.