If I would ever leave the Garmin ecosystem, Suunto would be the place to go for me…..but I’m really happy for Suunto that they are back in business. I remember my Vectors, Cores and the X9, one of the first GPS watches out there…big and unwieldy but very cool! Thanks Des, cool clip as always!
I’ve left Garmin and Apple for Suunto and haven’t looked back. Everything to me just makes sense and works super well. To me the design of the interface tries to reduce cognitive load - which is great for when I’m tired and want to get through the activity I’m doing.
I have the Epix Pro. It doesn't track intervals or high heartrate efforts well at all. I don't understand how some of these reviewers get the results they do, but there's probably a lot of factors that influence the HR sensor performance. Anyway, just to say that in my opinion, you need an external sensor no matter which watch you choose.
For whatever it's worth, the Race S has a pretty solid "flashlight" widget; it's one of my two pinned widgets (meaning I just hit one of the buttons and the flashlight screen turns on). It's certainly bright enough for me to find my way around a darkened room or tent - though not much more admittedly.
I have the regular Race S and it's an awesome watch. In terms of HR accuracy it's all over the place (same as the Vectical Solar I had before) but I would never trust a wrist based HR sensor since they mostly suck anyways. Most people by this time have some kind of a hand or chest strap so I don't think its such a big issue.
It seems that Chest Straps for heart rate are still the best, but I still have drops when the battery is low or when the strap needs to be replaced. I have switched to using STRYD footpods and basing my runs by power...a lot more dependable than heart rate. Anyway, great review as always.
Glad I got the Stainless Steel version of the Race S and didn't wait! $100 more only for a couple grams lighter only, not worth it for me :) And the brushed titanium finish on the Race S Ti definitely doesn't look as good as the sand blast finish of the Race Ti.
Race Ti seems like You never notice any scratch. I Got Vertical Solar Titanum, and at good angle there are visible scratches. If only that Race S Titanum got Sapphire glass... I don't trust this gorilla. On my 12 months vertical and scratch-free on screen. On Bezel almost brand-new too.
That's a really nice form factor for a cycling computer. Wish they made a cheaper version without all the backplate sensors that you could just use on an out front mount.
I feel like at this point Suunto should have everything they need from a feedback point of view to knock their next Vertical out of the park. 1. Stop cheaping out on the HR sensor, the fact is if your HR sensor is reporting false metrics then every other metric on the watch is wrong. 2. AMOLED display - say what you want about MIP displays but AMOLED no doubt increased Suuntos market share this year. 3. Tidy up the mobile app in my opinion it could do with a re work. 4. Sapphire display - I feel like at this point it’s almost becoming standard for watches to have this.
Seriously thinking about one of these, but the lack of music storage and inability to connect headphones will likely put me off. Weird they haven't included that with all that storage. Garmin way ahead on that point with apps for Spotify, Deezer and Amazon. Do you think that is something they could/will add via a firmware update at some point?
I am hesitating to switch from Garmin to Suunto but would like more explanation about date screens with heart rate band and so I already have the app on my phone and it looks good. I miss some things like keeping track of your equipment.
I agree that it is a great looking watch and also that it is a shame that the smaller 45mm version does not come with the sapphire glass as I would not even consider buying a sports watch with Gorilla glass lens. I have tried that and it ended with too many scratches for my liking. It would still be very interesting to see/hear how the map and navigation side of this watch works. Being a Garmin 'veteran' I think I am probably spoilt in this department but is the competition beginning to catch up?
With Garmin, can you do a route using heatmap for e.g. cross-country skiing? Or see in the app map view all your own heatmaps (of your activities)? Answer is no. For me those are more important than routable maps. Where do you need that anyway? Are you seriously creating courses with a 1,4 inch display? Just saying that Garmin maps are not a God for everyone.
@ you don’t need to create the course Garmin does that for you on the watch! Input distance Garmin will provide you with 3 routable maps for that distance! Invaluable when you are on holiday and don’t know the area and actually fun any where because you can follow a route that you know will get you back. Nobody is drawing a map on a 1.4 inch display don’t be silly 😂
@@jamesmc0716 So the main point of the routable maps is that the watch would choose the course instead of you? How often do you use that? Is it that all the competitors are "far behind" on maps because they lack this, or could it be that people are not just using this as much as hyped? If i'm on a holiday and dont know where to go, I would rather plan the route myself with heatmaps. To go somewhere that has popular routes. Not where Garmin randomly draws the route. Of course you could do that also with Garmin heatmaps IF you want to go for a run or cycling. But any other sports..?
I love the Suunto Race s and considering buying this model but I have a question, if I set out on a hike somewhere and at age 66 decide that I’ve done enough and want to return to my starting point, is there a facility on this watch to back track and follow my route back to my starting point the was I came? Any advice would be appreciated!😊👍
It was mighty odd that Suunto released new watches like the Vertical, Ocean, and Race, and then undermines all these releases by coming out with an even newer watch with a better sensor. Why???? When Suunto finally comes out with a dependable OHR (relatively speaking) I'll definitely be moving over to Suunto. For now, it's the Garmin Enduro 3 for me.
Does Suunto have any information on whether the watch can also be used for payment? That will be great. I use this on my Apple Watch every day. Garmin has this as well but i Like the Design of Suunto much more. And. The reason for me to change the System from Apple to Suunto is about to have a longer time to use it between charging. Thanks for this Video 👍
nice video. how does it compare to garmin forerunner 965? can get the 965 for just 100€ more. like the navigation that garmin offers but the titanium seems much nicer than this plastic. what do you think?
It would be nice if you could talk with suunto contacts (if you have) about the recent privacy statement update. I hear a lot of suunto owners worried about (forced) update in the privacy policy. Thanks!
Suunto sold and exactly due to moving data to Chinese .. i have bought Vertical made in Finland .. and few weeks ago just they notified me .. do you agree that metrics and location will be shared ... because sportstracker EU DB will be decomm and we are moving to Chinese .. or another thing if you will not agree please delete account .. so Suunto sold account deleted and back to Garmin ..
@@AutoRitYLNX I didn't know that and it's sad that they are a chinese company now. From my european standpoint I have to decide what's more worst for me to store my data in China or the USA 🤷🏼♂️
@@AutoRitYLNXgood to know regarding Garmin. I do find there watches a bit expensive though. I do like the Suunto Race S a lot, but am also worried about the data storage in China. Same goes for Coros if I'm not mistaken. Because of that, I'm also looking into the Polar Vantage M3. European company at the moment, so for me in The Netherlands a good thing.
the question is can we trust the the updated race S optical HR for hrv sleep recovery etc. if that still wrong, its a wait and see for race2.0 release... after talks with suunto im waiting for the 3rd party upload update, for me they need to upload zwift sessions into watch for correct training values
What material the rotating dial is made of? Is it Titanium or plastic - like on the regular Race S? My main caveat with Race S was the tight/sticky _plastic_ dial what I found hard to use related to the _metal_ dial working fluidly on the regular Race watches, especially on the Titanium one.
answering my question: support says the digital crown is made of "hypoallergenic titanium". To get this single info I had to chat and send like 5 emails to them as they were answering everything but the question.
@@DesFit I understand the limitations, but it is probably one of the best sports watches... it is significantly cheaper than the competition in relation to the quality... it is a shame that it is "ignored"
Yup, totally get an audience outside of the U.S. but it’s not my style to publish an incomplete review if I can’t test something properly. That would be a disservice.
It's funny when they advise using an external heart rate monitor for devices with a built-in heart rate monitor. Here I immediately understand that the manufacturer could not make a high-quality heart rate count on the watch. Learn from Apple. This is the only manufacturer whose watches count heart rate perfectly accurately without an external heart rate monitor. Masimo will not let you lie 🤣
Regardless, this still offers some of the best value on the market for $350, even compared to other watches with similar feature sets that * don’t * have a steel bezel
A horrible overpriced watch, it's super laggy and limited for that pricetag. I bought it after watching some UA-camrs videos and I regret that decision so badly. The Amazfit T-Rex 3 it's cheaper and wayyyyy better in my opinion.
@@sebastiento9695 Same marketing bullshit of big brands. I had the Huawei GT Runner for 150€ and it has a better AMOLED screen, way more reactive, a better GPS responsiveness, way more fonctions and options. Unfortunately, we buy the brand names and not the watch quality. As a non biased person I don't care what brand the watch is. I just evaluate the product objectively based on its performance. I even wore the GT Runner and the Race S together for weeks and compared the data to my polar H10 chest strap. And the GT Runner was a way better heart rate monitor based on those stats.
@@sebastiento9695 Why not comparing it with the Amazfit T-Rex 3 instead, which is cheaper and better in all aspects, except the esthetic design. Even the Garmin Venu 2, the Venu 2 plus and the Venu 3 are objectively better watches in most aspects and you can find them heavily discounted during this period. (you can get the Venu 3 for 379€ and it beats the Race S in all aspects). Even the Huawei GT Runner is way better. The Race S barely hold up for 3 days if you exercise on daily basis for 1 hour or 2. Let's not talk about the laggy screen and limited functions. You can't even have the recovery heart rate after workouts and it take a while to connect to GPS. Without to forget to mention the horrible heart rate monitoring. It's often off compared to a polar H10 chest strap. Even the Huawei GT Runner was way more precise, with more functions and options, and a way better reactive screen.
@@sebastiento9695 For me, it remains the same overpriced garbage of big brands. This watch doesn't deserve the 349$ pricetag. Why you don't compare it to the Amazfit T-Rex 3 and the Huawei GT 5. The rotating crown on the Race S is the worse I've ever experienced and I tried so many brands. A watch with this pricetag which super laggy and with a very limited functions. Just last week, the Race S did freeze during my run out of the blue. I've never experienced anything like this with any other brand.
If I would ever leave the Garmin ecosystem, Suunto would be the place to go for me…..but I’m really happy for Suunto that they are back in business. I remember my Vectors, Cores and the X9, one of the first GPS watches out there…big and unwieldy but very cool! Thanks Des, cool clip as always!
I’ve left Garmin and Apple for Suunto and haven’t looked back. Everything to me just makes sense and works super well. To me the design of the interface tries to reduce cognitive load - which is great for when I’m tired and want to get through the activity I’m doing.
Looking forward to your long term review.
I have the Epix Pro. It doesn't track intervals or high heartrate efforts well at all. I don't understand how some of these reviewers get the results they do, but there's probably a lot of factors that influence the HR sensor performance. Anyway, just to say that in my opinion, you need an external sensor no matter which watch you choose.
Appreciate your efforts Sir..and for your long term review..especially for "laggy" problem solved.
👍
Hopefully Suunto can improve HRM through a firmware update. In such a competitive market, it's table stakes to have an accurate HRM.
Looking forwards to the long term review! Sapphire at a good price is such an attractive proposition.
Love this watch! 🔥 Seems like the people want a flashlight, looking forward to the V2!🤞🏽
For whatever it's worth, the Race S has a pretty solid "flashlight" widget; it's one of my two pinned widgets (meaning I just hit one of the buttons and the flashlight screen turns on). It's certainly bright enough for me to find my way around a darkened room or tent - though not much more admittedly.
@ that’s a fair point actually, the screen flashlight feature is actually fantastic. Gets the job done.
I have the regular Race S and it's an awesome watch. In terms of HR accuracy it's all over the place (same as the Vectical Solar I had before) but I would never trust a wrist based HR sensor since they mostly suck anyways. Most people by this time have some kind of a hand or chest strap so I don't think its such a big issue.
It seems that Chest Straps for heart rate are still the best, but I still have drops when the battery is low or when the strap needs to be replaced. I have switched to using STRYD footpods and basing my runs by power...a lot more dependable than heart rate. Anyway, great review as always.
Glad I got the Stainless Steel version of the Race S and didn't wait!
$100 more only for a couple grams lighter only, not worth it for me :)
And the brushed titanium finish on the Race S Ti definitely doesn't look as good as the sand blast finish of the Race Ti.
Race Ti seems like You never notice any scratch. I Got Vertical Solar Titanum, and at good angle there are visible scratches. If only that Race S Titanum got Sapphire glass... I don't trust this gorilla. On my 12 months vertical and scratch-free on screen. On Bezel almost brand-new too.
This design with an MIP display (and an led flashlight) and Suunto has a winner.
U mean a Garmin? 😅
@@Natan9000 Garmin pretty much stopped making MIP screen a part from a few select watches...and they look kinda bad....
@@TheElipsus They still make MIP. And many garmin users still prefer it over AMOLED display any day!
@@TheElipsus The Fenix 8 Solar and the Enduro 3 are MIP watches?
@@Lasombra08 Yes.
That's a really nice form factor for a cycling computer. Wish they made a cheaper version without all the backplate sensors that you could just use on an out front mount.
Would be great if you could compare it with Garmin & Coros
I feel like at this point Suunto should have everything they need from a feedback point of view to knock their next Vertical out of the park.
1. Stop cheaping out on the HR sensor, the fact is if your HR sensor is reporting false metrics then every other metric on the watch is wrong.
2. AMOLED display - say what you want about MIP displays but AMOLED no doubt increased Suuntos market share this year.
3. Tidy up the mobile app in my opinion it could do with a re work.
4. Sapphire display - I feel like at this point it’s almost becoming standard for watches to have this.
desicion is clear..... more battery life, bigger screen size and sapphire glass ...... no doubt about it.
Seriously thinking about one of these, but the lack of music storage and inability to connect headphones will likely put me off. Weird they haven't included that with all that storage. Garmin way ahead on that point with apps for Spotify, Deezer and Amazon. Do you think that is something they could/will add via a firmware update at some point?
Suunto has come alive the last year and a half! What are you sporting on your right wrist? Or is that an embargo device? 😊
Fenix 8 on the right, Ultra 2 black on the left
I am hesitating to switch from Garmin to Suunto but would like more explanation about date screens with heart rate band and so I already have the app on my phone and it looks good. I miss some things like keeping track of your equipment.
I agree that it is a great looking watch and also that it is a shame that the smaller 45mm version does not come with the sapphire glass as I would not even consider buying a sports watch with Gorilla glass lens. I have tried that and it ended with too many scratches for my liking. It would still be very interesting to see/hear how the map and navigation side of this watch works. Being a Garmin 'veteran' I think I am probably spoilt in this department but is the competition beginning to catch up?
Nothing can catch up until the other brands can have full routable maps from the watch.
With Garmin, can you do a route using heatmap for e.g. cross-country skiing? Or see in the app map view all your own heatmaps (of your activities)? Answer is no. For me those are more important than routable maps. Where do you need that anyway? Are you seriously creating courses with a 1,4 inch display? Just saying that Garmin maps are not a God for everyone.
@ you don’t need to create the course Garmin does that for you on the watch!
Input distance Garmin will provide you with 3 routable maps for that distance!
Invaluable when you are on holiday and don’t know the area and actually fun any where because you can follow a route that you know will get you back.
Nobody is drawing a map on a 1.4 inch display don’t be silly 😂
@@jamesmc0716 So the main point of the routable maps is that the watch would choose the course instead of you? How often do you use that? Is it that all the competitors are "far behind" on maps because they lack this, or could it be that people are not just using this as much as hyped?
If i'm on a holiday and dont know where to go, I would rather plan the route myself with heatmaps. To go somewhere that has popular routes. Not where Garmin randomly draws the route. Of course you could do that also with Garmin heatmaps IF you want to go for a run or cycling. But any other sports..?
I love the Suunto Race s and considering buying this model but I have a question, if I set out on a hike somewhere and at age 66 decide that I’ve done enough and want to return to my starting point, is there a facility on this watch to back track and follow my route back to my starting point the was I came? Any advice would be appreciated!😊👍
It was mighty odd that Suunto released new watches like the Vertical, Ocean, and Race, and then undermines all these releases by coming out with an even newer watch with a better sensor. Why???? When Suunto finally comes out with a dependable OHR (relatively speaking) I'll definitely be moving over to Suunto. For now, it's the Garmin Enduro 3 for me.
I think they have missed the opportunity there. Sapphire crystal would have made a big difference here.
Suunto watches look so much more premium than Garmin.
Does Suunto have any information on whether the watch can also be used for payment? That will be great. I use this on my Apple Watch every day. Garmin has this as well but i Like the Design of Suunto much more. And. The reason for me to change the System from Apple to Suunto is about to have a longer time to use it between charging. Thanks for this Video 👍
nice video. how does it compare to garmin forerunner 965? can get the 965 for just 100€ more. like the navigation that garmin offers but the titanium seems much nicer than this plastic. what do you think?
It would be nice if you could talk with suunto contacts (if you have) about the recent privacy statement update. I hear a lot of suunto owners worried about (forced) update in the privacy policy. Thanks!
Suunto sold and exactly due to moving data to Chinese .. i have bought Vertical made in Finland .. and few weeks ago just they notified me .. do you agree that metrics and location will be shared ... because sportstracker EU DB will be decomm and we are moving to Chinese .. or another thing if you will not agree please delete account .. so Suunto sold account deleted and back to Garmin ..
@@AutoRitYLNX I didn't know that and it's sad that they are a chinese company now. From my european standpoint I have to decide what's more worst for me to store my data in China or the USA 🤷🏼♂️
@@Schwermetall as I know Garmin is storing PII data in EU if you are in EU .. and trust me better US as Chinesse ...
@@AutoRitYLNXgood to know regarding Garmin. I do find there watches a bit expensive though.
I do like the Suunto Race S a lot, but am also worried about the data storage in China. Same goes for Coros if I'm not mistaken.
Because of that, I'm also looking into the Polar Vantage M3. European company at the moment, so for me in The Netherlands a good thing.
the question is can we trust the the updated race S optical HR for hrv sleep recovery etc. if that still wrong, its a wait and see for race2.0 release... after talks with suunto im waiting for the 3rd party upload update, for me they need to upload zwift sessions into watch for correct training values
Which one is better? Race S or Pace Pro?!?! 🧐 I am thinking of getting either one of them on Black Friday but still can’t decide.
What material the rotating dial is made of? Is it Titanium or plastic - like on the regular Race S? My main caveat with Race S was the tight/sticky _plastic_ dial what I found hard to use related to the _metal_ dial working fluidly on the regular Race watches, especially on the Titanium one.
answering my question: support says the digital crown is made of "hypoallergenic titanium". To get this single info I had to chat and send like 5 emails to them as they were answering everything but the question.
Fantastic watch. My Race S only lasts two days.
How does it only last 2 days? Mine lasts around ~5 days with 30-45mins exercise everyday, some with GPS. Always On is Off
@@sebastiento9695 I'm not sure TBH. I even have Always on Display off and only do around 3 hours or less a week of exercise.
Video of Suunto Ocean 🙏
For swimming mainly, this one or the Garmin 165? Thz
Any news about vertical 2 release ?
ciao sono andrea ti seguo sempre from Italy, One question, does it have a titanium case or just the crown and back cover?thanks!!
Hey Des, what are your opinions on the Suunto race S vs the Polar Vantage M3
Suunto Race S titanium or Coros Pace Pro? Maps and navigation, battery, Ecosystem and app...
Please compare this with Coros Pace pro nownthey are same price
Is there a future where Suunto will have live tracking like Garmin?
I’ve got the original race. Is it worth the upgrade?
How's the level of accuracy in elevation? I see people test this watches for gps accuracy but don't talk to much about elevation.
Ciao Luca, per chi come me volesse l’OVF, consigli la x-pro 3 o la x100VI?
no music 🤔
Huawei GT 5 review?
I can’t fully review Huawei devices since I live in the U.S. and some features aren’t available here
@@DesFit I understand the limitations, but it is probably one of the best sports watches... it is significantly cheaper than the competition in relation to the quality... it is a shame that it is "ignored"
Not ignored at all…I actually attempted to test the GT Runner but wasn’t able to test many of the features
@@DesFit "Ignored" was about difficulties since I know huavei is limited in America, but you also have an audience outside of America 😀
Yup, totally get an audience outside of the U.S. but it’s not my style to publish an incomplete review if I can’t test something properly. That would be a disservice.
Sold it last week, china data exchange is a no-go!
buongiorno a me questo orologio non azzera i passi giornalmente....è normale?
dont turn off
@@7773337 l'ho restituito e comprato un fenix 8 da 43 mm
It's funny when they advise using an external heart rate monitor for devices with a built-in heart rate monitor. Here I immediately understand that the manufacturer could not make a high-quality heart rate count on the watch. Learn from Apple. This is the only manufacturer whose watches count heart rate perfectly accurately without an external heart rate monitor. Masimo will not let you lie 🤣
mannn its sad to say.. but in a world where Garmin exists, why go for suunto ???
Cause Garmin is shit? Worst app and shit software. Lots of fake metrics for blind fools.
Cheaper and better materials more stylish looking? Yes I can sacrifice aome features for some aestethic.
That's an expensive bezel. The body is still plastic.
Regardless, this still offers some of the best value on the market for $350, even compared to other watches with similar feature sets that * don’t * have a steel bezel
@DesFit I know, I got the steel one myself. Crazy that a metal ring is considered a premium feature these days 😳
A horrible overpriced watch, it's super laggy and limited for that pricetag. I bought it after watching some UA-camrs videos and I regret that decision so badly. The Amazfit T-Rex 3 it's cheaper and wayyyyy better in my opinion.
If you think the Race S is a "horrible overpriced" watch i wonder what you think of the Apple Watch, Garmin, Coros or Polar 😅.
@@sebastiento9695 Apple watch is a smartwatch and you cannot compare Suunti which has 0.5% marketshare with 23% ..lol c'mon
@@sebastiento9695 Same marketing bullshit of big brands. I had the Huawei GT Runner for 150€ and it has a better AMOLED screen, way more reactive, a better GPS responsiveness, way more fonctions and options. Unfortunately, we buy the brand names and not the watch quality. As a non biased person I don't care what brand the watch is. I just evaluate the product objectively based on its performance. I even wore the GT Runner and the Race S together for weeks and compared the data to my polar H10 chest strap. And the GT Runner was a way better heart rate monitor based on those stats.
@@sebastiento9695 Why not comparing it with the Amazfit T-Rex 3 instead, which is cheaper and better in all aspects, except the esthetic design. Even the Garmin Venu 2, the Venu 2 plus and the Venu 3 are objectively better watches in most aspects and you can find them heavily discounted during this period. (you can get the Venu 3 for 379€ and it beats the Race S in all aspects). Even the Huawei GT Runner is way better. The Race S barely hold up for 3 days if you exercise on daily basis for 1 hour or 2. Let's not talk about the laggy screen and limited functions. You can't even have the recovery heart rate after workouts and it take a while to connect to GPS. Without to forget to mention the horrible heart rate monitoring. It's often off compared to a polar H10 chest strap. Even the Huawei GT Runner was way more precise, with more functions and options, and a way better reactive screen.
@@sebastiento9695 For me, it remains the same overpriced garbage of big brands. This watch doesn't deserve the 349$ pricetag. Why you don't compare it to the Amazfit T-Rex 3 and the Huawei GT 5. The rotating crown on the Race S is the worse I've ever experienced and I tried so many brands. A watch with this pricetag which super laggy and with a very limited functions. Just last week, the Race S did freeze during my run out of the blue. I've never experienced anything like this with any other brand.