Actuation is one of the possible applications for Nitinol wires. This paper will give a review of the techniques used to characterize the behavior of wires in actuation conditions. SAES Smartflex has been used as a reference wire for these tests. Thermal hysteresis gives an indication of elongation profile vs. temperature at a given load, which of paramount importance to state the compatibility of the wire the final device thermal requirements. The study of the single actuation cycle can be used to agree with the wire user the best electrical feeding conditions, in order to cope with power limitations, time constraints, and durability, at the given load. Fatigue tests can be performed by repeating a single Joule effect cycle, choosing the most suitable condition (limited time vs. limited stroke) in order to better represent the application.