If there are simply three issues you should know in regards to the new Suunto Race ($450), it’s that the high-definition AMOLED show is just lovely, the worth for the value is outstanding, and ultrarunners needn’t concern as a result of the battery life places the watch in the identical firm as these from Coros.
This watch is a gorgeous piece of {hardware}. Nothing has modified with the Finnish firm’s eager sense of favor and design mixed with high-quality componentry. But it surely’s the aggressive value level for a feature-rich watch that may be a massive leap ahead. The bottom mannequin consists of a number of first-time options like worldwide contact screen-enabled maps, a vibrant display screen, coronary heart charge variability (HRV) monitoring, and Suunto Guides that do every little thing from providing teaching to offering real-time effort monitoring.
However even amongst these optimistic modifications, two staple Suunto drawbacks stay true: The processing pace remains to be lower than different comparable watches from different manufacturers and the mapping out of the field will not be as robust. Additionally, some key options I’ve grown to like from different producers are lacking, together with offline Spotify streaming and photo voltaic charging.
Nonetheless, the overall bundle, together with its worth, warrants the addition of the Suunto Race to our Greatest GPS Working Watches information. Learn on for the main points.
The Suunto Race. All images: iRunFar/Craig Randall
Suunto Race Show
The two.45-ounce (70 grams) Suunto Race is the primary trail-specific watch to make use of an AMOLED show that’s a beneficiant 1.43 inches throughout. We’ve all turn out to be accustomed to high-definition shows — be it on our telephones, laptops, or TVs — however GPS watches for operating have been sluggish to carry this identical brilliance to the wrist. Firms like Garmin have provided these high-definition shows however not of their trail-focused fēnix or Enduro strains. Even the watch that lately preceded the Suunto Race — the Suunto Vertical (Suunto Vertical evaluate) with its $800 price ticket — nonetheless has an analog show.
The distinction between AMOLED and analog is staggering. This show is extremely vivid and straightforward to learn in any climate or mild situation. In my 5 months of testing, I’ve taken it to Hawaii’s seashores, Colorado’s snowy mountains, and every day by the flat mild and early winter darkness. It does take extra battery energy to maintain the show operating, however Suunto has built-in standby and raise-to-wake options to assist preserve energy.
These battery-saving choices are useful on paper, however in observe, they are often problematic. Whereas at relaxation or throughout exercise, the watch will dim the display screen for battery conservation. Sadly, it may well take a number of seconds for it to return again to full brightness — a lot in order that I’ve slapped on the watch in frustration once I merely wish to examine the time or see some information whereas operating.
After all, you will get round this by leaving the watch in full show mode, however as I discussed, it takes a big toll on the battery. In day-to-day life, this implies charging the watch extra usually. In case you are in a race or out on a really future, you’ll wish to be conscious of the show setting and put up with the mildly annoying dimming to maintain the watch from operating out of energy.
Sooner or later, when know-how prices come down and battery effectivity improves, all GPS watches will embody an AMOLED display screen, however for now, Suunto is in a category of its personal by combining this lovely show with the watch’s different options.
A entrance view of the Suunto Race.
Suunto Race Battery Life
Earlier than the Suunto Race, one of many knocks in opposition to Suunto watches was the battery life, particularly for ultrarunning. A lot so, in truth, that many people have taken measures like re-charging a watch throughout actions, comparable to at help stations, as a way to make a watch final the length of an occasion. It was good {that a} Suunto watch was in a position to cost whereas in use, nevertheless it’s 2024 and we’d like a watch that may go for 20, 30, or 40 hours of steady utilization. Out of the field and with full options enabled, together with coronary heart charge monitoring and best-performing GPS monitoring, the Suunto Race can exceed the corporate’s 40-hour battery life declare. I’ve gotten near 45 hours of letting it run on my wrist in a take a look at state of affairs from house.
With a decrease battery efficiency setting in a non-activity mode with fewer GPS pings and coronary heart charge, sleep monitoring, and mapping disabled, the watch will keep powered for as much as 26 days. Examine these stats to the Garmin fēnix 7, which is sort of twice as costly, or any Coros mannequin, a few of that are cheaper, a few of that are extra, and also you gained’t discover a extra aggressive look ahead to the value and have set.
One sneaky distinction between Suunto’s newer watches, beginning with the Suunto 9 Peak Professional that got here out in 2020, and opponents’ merchandise are their quick re-charging occasions. While you plug the Suunto 9 Peak Professional, Vertical, or Race into the wall, it takes solely about 25 minutes for the watch to recharge from lifeless to almost 80%. In lower than an hour the watch will likely be totally charged once more. That is about 45 minutes to a full hour sooner than the competitors. It’s a really spectacular characteristic, and in case you are endeavoring to push the watch past 40 hours in a single push, you may nonetheless recharge the battery throughout an exercise.
The facet view of the Suunto Race.
Suunto Race Options and Performance
When wanting on the Suunto Race, it’s best to ask your self for those who’re a dial or buttons individual. Frankly, after testing almost the entire finest GPS watches for operating during the last 4 years, I’m nonetheless not a dial man. From the Coros Tempo to the Coros Vertix line and now, sadly, with the Suunto Race, I proceed to seek out dial scrolling imperfect and unreliable.
This watch has two buttons on both facet of a scrolling dial, and it’s simply too sloppy for my tastes. It’s tactile and appears nice, however to really use the dial, comparable to on the finish of a run when scrolling to the save possibility, it scrolls too rapidly and desires extra precision than my energy-deprived mind can rapidly muster. Thankfully, it additionally has a contact display screen that, in most circumstances, permits you to keep away from utilizing the dial. The contact display screen itself is a superb improve, notably when utilizing maps.
You get both 16 gigabytes of inner storage for the metal mannequin or 32 gigabytes for the titanium mannequin you could fill with maps from all around the globe. It’s a must to arrange Wi-Fi pairing with your own home router, open the free Suunto app to seek out and obtain the map you need, after which spend about 10 minutes transferring the maps to your watch.
The draw back is that the maps are unnamed and unlabeled, which is a gripe we’ve had with different Suunto watches. The plus facet is that they’re totally touch-screen suitable, so you may merely swipe across the display screen to maneuver in regards to the map, after which, and right here’s the place the dial is a really helpful contact: flip the dial to zoom out and in with complete ease.
The buttons and dial on the Suunto Race.
Suunto Race Coronary heart Fee Monitoring
A number of Suunto watch fashions have include optical coronary heart charge sensors and the one on the Suunto Race is the most effective but. In truth, whereas it’s nonetheless inferior to the information obtained from a coronary heart charge strap, the optical coronary heart charge information is extra dependable, correct, and reliable than some other watch I’ve examined. Although all watch producers tout optical coronary heart charge monitoring accuracy of their advertising, behind closed doorways they may inform you that it’s, notably at excessive cardio outputs, pitiful. That is the least pitiful amongst watches I’ve examined from Coros and Garmin over time, and it has emboldened Suunto to combine HRV measurement into its characteristic set.
HRV has turn out to be a buzzword in teaching circles for its capacity to point your coaching readiness. A number of components have an effect on it past train, however in easy phrases, HRV observes the variations in time between your coronary heart’s beats. It’s crucial to make use of sleep monitoring to get an HRV rating that’s as correct as doable. It has turn out to be an fascinating metric I refer to every morning after sporting the watch at evening. The watch has a “don’t disturb” mode that retains the display screen darkish at evening and pauses alerts.
A take a look at the Suunto Race’s optical coronary heart charge sensor.
Suunto Race Different Options
On the subject of night-time use, one other glorious characteristic of the Suunto Race is the flashlight. Enabling this perform takes over the whole show with an adjustable brightness white glow. That is not like the extra most popular type that Garmin provides, which is a lightweight on the prime of the crown, enabling you to level the sunshine at issues, however I nonetheless very a lot respect this model of a flashlight, notably when sharing a small area with somebody, comparable to a tent.
Suunto has a library of Guides that you just set up on the watch from the app. There are every little thing from Strava Reside Segments to vitamin alerts to cadence and energy measurements, in addition to different teaching parts. The app is far improved from the previous days of “Movescount” — it’s a really clear and easy-to-use addition to the watch. Transferring programs or routes is quick and a breeze.
By way of on-wrist sizing, it’s the identical measurement because the Suunto Vertical however the Suunto Race feels smaller in your wrist. Consequently, it sits someplace between the tiny Suunto 9 Peak Professional and the Suunto Vertical when it comes to on-wrist measurement.
The Suunto Race, as worn on a wrist.
Suunto Race Total Impressions
The Suunto Race, for the cash and have set, is probably the most profitable look ahead to path runners from the model as of now.
The spectacular battery and high-definition show alone make it a steal for the value, however once you add the most effective optical coronary heart charge sensor available on the market and clear aesthetics that put it manner above even the best-looking watches from the competitors, this watch turns into a extremely covetable gadget.
The lagging processing energy is the one actual downside. Suunto nonetheless hasn’t managed to make a GPS watch transfer as fluidly when scrolling options, enabling features, or saving actions as the opposite manufacturers. It is a reasonably small critique once we’re speaking a couple of distinction of milliseconds, nevertheless it’s the one criticism I proceed to have with the model’s merchandise. That doesn’t take away from making the Suunto Race the runner-up for finest total GPS watch in our Greatest GPS Working Watches information.
Name for Feedback
- Are you operating with the Suunto Race? In that case, what are your ideas on its varied specs and efficiency?
- How does the Suunto Race examine to different GPS watches you’ve got used?
