Haylou SOLAR Lite – At €20 it's a must-have... other than MI BAND 8
The Haylou Solar Lite smartwatch is the entry-level model of the Asian brand, an offshoot of Xiaomi, and among the cheapest devices I have tested so far it was the most elegant but above all functional. Typical functions of these devices but with an edge: the reliability of the monitored data which overshadows products of the caliber of Xiaomi SmartBand 8. Let's find out together in this complete review, where I'll tell you about performance, design and of course the price.
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HAYLOU Solar Lite Smart Watch 100+ Workout Modes Smartwatch Blood Oxygen Monitor Heart Rate Sleep Stress Test Sports Watch
20,64€ available
unboxing
The unboxing experience of the Haylou Solar Lite smartwatch does not contain who knows what wonders but already from the sales package, well cared for and made of cardboard, where we find the watch inside protected by a foam cutout which guarantees its safety during the transport. Together with the smartwatch we find a charging cable designed specifically for the model in question and a user manual in Chinese and English.
DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION QUALITY AND COMFORT
Haylou Solar Lite on an aesthetic level refers to its older brother Solar Plus RT3 which in turn is inspired by the GTR series of Amazfit, another company that gravitates around the Xiaomi brand. Elegant and contemporary design that perfectly blends style and functionality thanks to a circular case that contains a beautiful 1,38-inch color IPS display for a clear display of the contents on the screen, despite the reduced resolution of 240 x 240 pixels, embellished with a bezel made of metal. The blacks aren't deep, more like a darker gray and the whites are a bit bluish but overall it's not a bad display and its readability is guaranteed even in direct sunlight. In this regard, we do not have an automatic lighting adjustment sensor but we should select it manually, even if at 50% it is possible to cover almost all situations. To wake up the display you can rely on the classic wrist gesture, which proved to be reactive and precise at the same time.
The dimensions (46 x 46 x 9,9 mm and a weight of 45,5 grams including strap) strike a perfect balance between comfort and ease of use, ensuring that information and notifications are easily accessible at a glance without tiring the wrist, so much so that we can wear it comfortably even while we sleep. The bezel surrounding the screen is slim, maximizing the screen-to-body ratio despite its affordable price while also offering display protection by means of scratch-resistant tempered glass. This ensures that the dial remains intact and free of unsightly marks, even with regular use.
On the right side we find the single button that allows you to turn the watch on/off, activate/deactivate the display and go back from the menu we are in. Its position is strategic for easy access without compromising the general aesthetics. Naturally the screen is touch sensitive allowing for smooth and intuitive navigation through the watch interface with a simple swipe or tap.
After wearing the watch for almost 30 days, I was definitely satisfied with the comfort offered, finding it an ideal companion to accompany my days in a smart way. This is also due to the strap, equipped with a quick hook with a 22 mm pitch, made of skin-friendly material. The strap has a metal clasp and a wide slot where you can insert the excess part of the strap, avoiding the "flag" effect and getting stuck with your clothes. Even during intense activities in which sweating becomes significant, I have never noticed any redness of the skin or discomfort of any kind.
On the back of the Haylou Solar Lite, the one in direct contact with the wrist, there are dedicated sensors for monitoring the heart rate (green light) and those for monitoring the SpO2 value (red light). Furthermore, the sensors also allow sleep monitoring and stress analysis. Finally we find the magnetic pogo pins for charging the device using the supplied proprietary cable. Finally, the smartwatch is available in two colors: black with black strap or silver case and white strap.
HARDWARE AND AUTONOMY
In terms of hardware content of the Haylou Solar Lite, we find a 240 mAh battery as well as a low-power Bluetooth 5.3 module model GOODIX GR5525 and Puya NOR flash sensors. Technicalities aside, I can say that the combination of hardware with software allows for stable and reliable operation. The manufacturer states that the Solar Lite should reach up to 20 days if used in basic mode (without HR), while in normal use it should reach up to 10 days, very optimistic values although it still managed to reach 6/7 days without limitations of use. It typically takes 2 hours to fully charge the smartwatch.
Bluetooth 5.3 is also too technological considering the little information to be exchanged between the smartwatch and the smartphone, but it guarantees connection stability and wide coverage that goes beyond 10 meters. The heart rate and SpO2 sensors are to be praised as, despite the economical nature of the product, they manage to guarantee a certain reliability of the monitored parameter. A precision that I also found in the sleep monitor, capable of dividing the data into light sleep, deep sleep, REM phase and whether we got up, but also in the control of daily stress. By analyzing subtle changes in your heart rate, the smartwatch provides detailed information about your stress levels and suggests breathing exercises or relaxation techniques to help you manage stress effectively.
Let's be clear, we are not talking about a medical device nor even a sportwatch devoted to specific metrics, but Haylou Solar Lite manages to break even with more expensive devices such as the aforementioned Mi Band 8 from Xiaomi which costs at least 3 times as much. The SpO2 levels compared with a pulse oximeter are comparable and although the Haylou watch is not able to immediately measure the fluctuations in the heart rate or the SpO2 value, I am satisfied with the "clinical" picture that the smartwatch returns overall.
It is worth mentioning that the device has an IP68 protection rating. This means that dust won't get into the case and you should be able to wear the smartwatch while showering or going on small dives, as well as resisting sweat and rain. Despite this certification, swimming and any type of water sport are absent among the monitored sports.
USER INTERFACE, SOFTWARE AND COMPANION APP
The user interface of the Haylou Solar Lite smartwatch is designed to be intuitive and easy to use, providing a smooth experience for navigating through its various functions and features. The smartwatch uses a combination of touch controls and gesture-based interactions and in particular:
- By swiping up from the bottom of the screen you can access the shortcuts feature. This allows you to quickly access frequently used features and settings. The right-click menu includes options like heart rate monitoring, sleep monitoring, fitness monitoring, weather, music control, and stress.
- Swiping from left to right opens the main menu of the Haylou Solar Lite smartwatch. The main menu is a central hub where you can find various features and settings. It includes options such as heart rate monitoring, sleep monitoring, fitness monitoring, weather information, music control, notifications, stopwatch, timer, settings and more.
- Swiping from right to left on the Haylou Solar Lite smartwatch opens the notifications panel. This panel displays incoming notifications from your connected smartphone, including text messages, calls, social media updates, and more.
- When you swipe down from the top of the screen, you can access the quick settings menu. This menu provides convenient access to frequently used settings and functions. Some common options found in the quick settings menu include wrist raise, phone search, adjusting screen brightness, do not disturb mode, flashlight, and additional settings.
Finally, it is possible to change watchface directly by pressing and holding on the display, from the home screen (similarly to other smartwatches). If you want to choose between multiple watchfaces you have to go through the Haylou Fun companion app available for Android and iOS, which offers over 100 watch face options, all free of charge. All the data relating to physical fitness and sleep are collected here as well as the training history, with the possibility of starting some directly from the application, in order to use the phone's GPS signal, as the smartwatch does not have it, in order to have the route layout. The good thing is that the app is accessed via Login, so even if we change smartphones, we will not lose the data collected by the Haylou wearable.
NEITHER SMARTWATCH NOR SPORTWATCH
Haylou Solar Lite offers comprehensive activity monitoring. The built-in accelerometer allows precise tracking of daily steps, distance traveled and calories burned. This data can be invaluable in tracking your fitness progress and setting goals for staying active and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In terms of accuracy, the Solar Lite smartwatch provides reasonably accurate readings for heart rate and sleep monitoring. However, it is important to note that it may not be as accurate as medical-grade devices. An all-female feature is the women's health monitoring function with accurate control of menstrual cycles: the smartwatch will provide valuable information on fertility and ovulation.
There is no shortage of reminders to be sedentary, to drink water or to take medicine, while on a sporting level the smartwatch has over 100 sports activities available, which allow you to optimize your workouts based on your favorite activities. Whether you are running, cycling, hiking or playing other sports, Haylou Solar Lite can accurately monitor your performance and provide detailed information such as pace, duration and distance travelled. But be careful, because the dedicated metrics are exclusive to certain sports, the most common ones, while for the others we will have basic data and therefore selecting one or the other activity will only serve to keep track of which sport we have practiced.
Even for notifications we don't have great potential, as we can't view photos, nor emojis nor listen to audio notes, as there is no speaker and microphone (although at the moment I haven't found this function even on 700 euro smartwatches). We can customize the reception of notifications from the app, selecting which apps on the smartphone to receive them from. Naturally we cannot respond to these but only read them or delete them from memory, without any synchronization between watch and phone. We can also receive notifications for incoming calls with caller ID and possibly reject the call or mute the notification, which occurs via vibration on the wrist, adjustable from the watch settings.
HAYLOU Solar Lite Smart Watch 100+ Workout Modes Smartwatch Blood Oxygen Monitor Heart Rate Sleep Stress Test Sports Watch
20,64€ available
CONCLUSIONS AND PRICE
The Haylou Solar Lite is competitively priced making it an accessible option for those looking for a feature-rich smartwatch, an unbeatable combination of affordability and quality. Compared to more expensive smartwatches on the market, Solar Lite stands out as a budget-friendly alternative that doesn't compromise performance, offering excellent build quality, reliable sensors, an intuitive interface, fitness tracking, health monitoring, notifications and more .
The Haylou Solar Lite smartwatch is an extraordinary but above all convenient product, considering a price of around 22 euros (at the current exchange rate), being able to purchase it from the official website using the exclusive code EMANUELEIAFULLA20 or on the brand's shop on AliExpress. So, if you're on a budget, but still want to use a smartwatch, you can't go wrong with the Haylou Solar Lite.
