IMILAB KW66 review: a decent sports watch, under 60$

IMILAB is one of the subsidiaries of Xiaomi and makes products, both under the name of the parental company and under its own brand. We have in our hands the IMILAB KW66, a smartwatch that belongs to the group of budget devices, offering satisfactory quality and some very interesting functions, while providing impeccable battery life. The KW66 smartwatch is sleek no doubt about it. It can be worn by anyone for everyday use – and it’s quite affordable compared to other similari products! So why not give it a try? Read on and find out what we think about it in our IMILAB KW66 review 😉

Technical specifications

• Shape: Round
• Dimension: 45 Χ 45 Χ 10.8 mm
• Weight: 44 g
• Colors: Black, Silver, Pink, Green
• Display: IPS
• Screen Size: 1.28 Inch
• Screen Resolution: 240 x 240 pixels
• Compatible Os: Android & IOS
• Sensors: Gravity sensor, heart rate sensor
• Bluetooth: V5.0
• GPS: No
• NFC: No
• ECG: No
• Multi-sports mode: 13 Sports Modes
• Heart rate monitor: Yes
• Sleep Monitor: Yes
• Blood Pressure monitor: No
• Waterproof: IP68
• Additional Features: Sedentary reminder, Alarm, Barometer, Brightness Adjusting
• Battery Capacity: 340 mAh
• Normal Usage: 15 days
• App: GloryFit
• Strap: TPU

Basic packaging

The retail packaging of the device is quite simple: just a white paper box with only the essentials inside. So don’t expect something special or extravagant – you’re not gonna get it. Inside the main package there are no surprises either, so you will only find the smartwatch, the magnetic cable for charging and a manual with instructions in English/Chinese. As you can see, you also need to add a USB charger from those that are left in a drawer from your older devices. The good thing here is that instructions are in English, German, French, Italian and Spanish so it will be quite easy to set it up with little – or no – fuss at all.

Design and built quality

The chassis of the Imilab KW66 is metallic, and in our review unit, in black colour. It is intended for everyday use but has the hardware and software to be used for sports activities also. You can’t tell though, because some important characteristics are missing. Sport smartwatches and fitness bands have impressive colors and design. KW66 is beautiful but minimal in its design. The idea we guess, was to combine elements from both styles, with a focus on casual style. The bonus is the price. With the money you give for it, the alternatives are just simple fitness bands. KW66 on the other hand, has a nice 3D curve on its screen and a metal frame with a matte finish, to accompany you in the office or in the coffee shop.

KW66 is a very discreet smartwatch. Its volume and weight are just the right ones for any man or woman. Its dimensions are 45 x 12.7 mm with a 22 mm silicone strap and a total weight of about. 54 grams, something that makes it very comfortable to wear – no matter where you are, or what you wear.

The strap is black with a very firm clasp without any movement during sports. The smartwatch is resistant to dust and water as it has IP68 certification. This means that it offers fresh water resistance, for up to 1.5 m depth and half an hour full immersion. If it gets wet in salt water, alcohol, soap, soil or other substances, then it is recommended to immerse it in a bowl of tap water to remove the substances and dry it with a clean, dry cloth. Waterproofing can be affected by prolonged direct sun exposure at high temperatures, so it’s best to be careful when you use it.

It has a button on the right side for on/off with a long press and “Return to Home” when you single press it. Navigation through the menu is done mainly through touch. Its screen is easy to read under almost any type of weather condition. It has 4 brightness levels that perform well in almost all situations, while the touch support is quite accurate, although the glass is not oleophobic. After a while, you need to clean the display with a soft cloth in order to have it look as clean as the first time you got it.

With a long tap on the main screen we can change the watchfaces (note that only are 6 saved in the memory at any given moment), but by going to the smartphone application you can create your own with a personalized image or download another one from the company’s online store (they’re all free, don’t worry). As with all watches in this category, notifications are not interactive. They are a simple update and you should open your mobile phone for further options.

Vibration is very strong and there is no way you can miss any alert.

In terms of connectivity, the Imilab KW66 has Bluetooth 5.0, a heart rate sensor and an accelerometer. Unfortunately there is no GPS, but at this price it is difficult to find something similar – that works OK – in other wearables. For this reason you should take advantage of the smartphone sensor. The software built into the watch is the typical we find in low-end models, with basic graphics features, without a lot of decorative elements. Through the main menu we are able to start monitoring a sport activity or our heart rate, view daily progress and sleep statistics, start a timer, view alerts and access settings.

Talking about notifications, they do not overlap and we can read them individually, even if many messages arrive from the same conversation. If the message is too large, only a part of it can be viewed, and obviously we can not see the photos or hear voice messages etc. It is also possible to control the music on your mobile phone directly from the watch, but I think that’s a feature that most smartwatches share the past couple of years.

Software and battery life

In terms of the smartphone app needed to sync, we are asked to download the GloryFit application from Play Store or App Store. You only need a little time to set up the app correctly and keep it active, in order to ensure seamless mobile and smartwatch communication. Through the app we can define our profile (gender, age, weight, height) in order to make correct measurements. Unfortunately, it is not at the level of applications like those of Xiaomi, Amazfit or Huawei. The good thing about however, is that it has attractive graphics and sufficient usability. The main screen shows us the steps, heart rate and the last sleep session, while we can find sports activities and other settings related to the functionality of the smartwatch.

The setup is simple, as we are able to easily adjust the smartwatch according to our preferences. It was easy to choose from which applications we will receive notifications or not, activate the heart rate monitor 24/7 etc. It was also east to setup various goals, the sedentary reminder for getting up from the chair and more.

The IMILAB KW66 can offer support for up to 13 sport activities:

• outdoor running,
• walking,
• rope skipping,
• tennis,
• baseball,
• cycling,
• badminton,
• table tennis,
• mountaineering,
• basketball,
• soccer,
• American football
• and yoga.

I like outdoor running and it behaves quite well. I have to say that it returned almost the same results as the Xiaomi Mi Band 4 I currently have as main smartband. The sleep measurement is good, but it somehow “adds” the time you are on the bed watching tv, reading a book or browsing GizChina and does not give precision measurements. My advice is to just activate the recording as soon as you lie down for sleep. In the morning it will display the results in the application with nice graphics.

As you can easily understand, the highlight of the Imilab KW66 is its large 340 mAh battery, which guarantees excellent performance. The battery gives power for more that 27 days with light usage, 15-16 days for medium usage (as in my case) and 7 days with heart rate monitor turned on, and multiple notifications. Charging is done with the special cable that has magnetic pins – be careful not to lose the cable, I’m not sure where you will find a new one.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it’s a decent VFM device, with very good pricing for the functions it offers. It is so discreet to wear, (somewhat) waterproof and provides an intense vibration for notifications! In addition it packs a bright screen and offers great battery life. If you’re in the market for something similar, you can find the IMILAB KW66 here:

Buy IMILAB KW66 Smartwatch here