Suunto Race 2 sports watch review: A great alternative to Garmin Forerunner 970
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Suunto may have been trailing behind Garmin and Coros for years, but this once-forgotten brand is rapidly surging in popularity — and for a very good reason. In the last two years, it has released some of its best sports watches to date, including the Suunto Run, an entry-level pick for casual runners, and the more premium Suunto Race, which is a budget-friendly alternative to the Garmin Forerunner 965 and a personal favorite of one of our experienced reviewers. Suunto is now making even bigger waves — the brand has just released the Suunto Race 2, and by the looks of it, it is their best sports watch yet.
Specs-wise, the Suunto Race 2 beats its predecessor on all accounts: it has a faster processor, a larger and brighter display (1.43 inch vs 1.5 inch), more accurate heart rate sensors, a slimmer and lighter design (83 g vs 76 g), longer battery life (16 days vs 18 days) and more robust tracking features. However, it is also more expensive. The original Suunto Race costs $399, the price of the Suunto Race 2, on the other hand, is set at $499 for the stainless steel or $599 for the titanium model.
While not too budget-friendly, the Suunto Race 2 could still be one of the best-value fitness trackers out there. This sports watch is a close match for the Garmin Forerunner 970, and in certain aspects — the battery life, for example — it even outperforms it. However, it is cheaper by around $250. But can the Suunto Race 2 match its performance?
Suunto Race 2 sports watch review
Suunto Race 2 review: Design
- Durable stainless steel or titanium finish
- Removable silicone straps in four different colors
- Large and chunky, but comfortable to wear
Key specs
Display: 1.5-inch AMOLED – 466 x 466
Always-On: Yes
Dimensions (in): 1.93 x 1.93 x 0.49
Dimensions (mm): 49 x 49 x 12.5
Colors: Coral orange, wave blue, all black, feather grey, titanium black, titanium trail
Finish: stainless steel or titanium
Battery life: 18 days in smartwatch mode, 55 hours in GPS mode
GPS: Yes
Compass: Yes
Altimeter: Yes
Water resistance: 10ATM
NFC payments: N/A
Compatibility: iOS 16 and above, Android 8.0 and above
Storage: 32 GB internal storage
The Suunto Race 2 sports watch is available in either stainless steel or titanium, and both of these options come with their own set of silicone straps. The stainless steel version can be purchased with either a black, grey, blue or coral orange strap. In the version with a titanium finish, the strap is either black or ‘trail’ (brown). Right off the bat, the Suunto Race 2 earns a big plus point for having so many customizable options.
Our testing unit came in a stainless steel finish and with a coral orange strap. Our first impression? We were almost taken aback by how gorgeous it looked. The Suunto Race 2 is exceptionally sleek and elegant, almost ‘feminine’, and inconspicuous enough to go with a wide range of outfits. It felt very light and comfortable to wear, too. We have tried and tested enough outdoor sports watches to know that such a beautifully crafted design is a rarity among models with similar specifications. Therefore, if you are tired of the chunky monstrosities that weigh down your wrist, the Suunto Race 2 should definitely land on your radar.
The Suunto Race 2 not only looks great, but it is also well-made. This stainless steel watch is tough enough to sustain dust, falls and temperatures as low as -5℉ and as high as 130℉ (-20 to 55℃). It also has some serious waterproof credentials. The Suunto Race 2 is rated 10ATM, meaning that it can withstand a water pressure of up to 100 meters. For contrast, the much pricier Garmin Forerunner 970 is rated just 5ATM (up to 50 meters). What does that mean in practice? This sports watch can be safely used by swimmers and triathletes, for example, but it is not waterproof enough for deep-sea diving or high-impact water sports.
We can vouch for its durability. We tested this sports watch for nearly two months in different scenarios and conditions, and it has not sustained any scratches or wear-and-tear damage throughout that time. Admittedly, we did not expose our Suunto Race 2 to any extreme environmental conditions (an undeniable perk of living in England). Still, we have put it through enough high-intensity workouts to know that an occasional bump, fall or smack from a barbell is unlikely to faze it.
Suunto Race 2 review: Display
- Bright and colorful 1.5-inch AMOLED display
- Scratch-resistant sapphire glass
- Not-so-intuitive user interface
Bright, easy to read and with good visibility in direct sunshine, the 1.5-inch AMOLED display is one of the biggest advantages of the Suunto Race 2. It is relatively durable, too — the screen is covered with a layer of scratch- and shatter-resistant sapphire glass. Not to mention, it simply looks good. Suunto offers several watch faces to choose from, and while they may not be as unique or customizable as the ones we have seen in Apple or Samsung Galaxy watches, for example, we still liked them a lot. They were elegant, easy to understand and did not suffer from the clutter of too many data points.
Still, we have some small complaints here. Starting with the touchscreen, it felt just a bit too responsive for our liking. It seems like almost anything could set it off, and we have seen on multiple occasions how our long-sleeved clothing or droplets of rainwater would accidentally mess with the watch interface. Secondly, the staining. As with most glass-reinforced displays, the screen on your Suunto Race 2 is bound to collect fingerprints and sweat stains. It is not a deal-breaker, sure, but something to take into account if you like to keep your watch faces pristinely clear.
Lastly, the user interface. We just could not get used to it. That is not to say that the Suunto Race 2 is difficult to navigate — the touchscreen is used alongside a rotating bezel and a set of buttons located on the right side of the watch, making it quick and easy to toggle between features. The problem seems to be in the not-so-user-friendly layout of features. If you want to pick a sports activity, for example, you often end up scrolling for a few minutes just to get to where you want to be. It would make a huge difference to the user experience if sports activities were grouped by type and accessed differently.
Suunto Race 2 review: Features
- Over 115 sports modes
- Dual-band GPS and offline maps
- Limited smartwatch capabilities
The Suunto Race 2 is a sports watch through and through. It tracks over 115 activities, including the more mainstream options like cycling and swimming, and some more niche sports, such as horseback riding, wheelchair and parkour. Interestingly, this watch even tracks mermaiding (yes, you read that right), and that surely is not something we have seen in a fitness tracker before.
Still, the Suunto Race 2 is primarily a running and hiking watch. Unlike most fitness trackers, it breaks down these two activities into more specific disciplines: running, trail running (mountain and standard), vertical running, track running, walking, hiking, trekking, nordic walking and mountaineering. The differences here may be small to some, but significant to professional runners and individuals who want to track their training sessions in more detail.
In addition, the Suunto Race 2 is equipped with some handy navigation tools. This sports watch features a dual-band GPS, compass and altimeter, and it comes with an offline map functionality. You can either create mapped activities or download ready-made maps straight to your watch from the Suunto app.
Speaking of the Suunto app, this is where you can access your fitness data. We liked this platform — every tracked workout is analyzed in sufficient detail, with a wide range of sport-specific stats and presented in an easy-to-understand format. In that sense, the Suunto app is a close match for the Polar app, a platform well-regarded for its detailed analysis of exercise performance. Unlike the Polar app, however, the Suunto app also throws in snippets of personalized fitness coaching. As a result, it is more suitable for beginners or those unsure how to progress their training.
That is pretty much it when it comes to features. The Suunto Race 2 does not have any advanced smartwatch capabilities or mini-apps that would increase its overall functionality in day-to-day situations. For example, it will not store music, pay for your groceries or allow you to customize or install additional apps. If you are looking for a smartwatch in the full sense of the word, you may be better off investing in one of the best Garmin watches.
Suunto Race 2 review: Performance
- Long battery life
- Reliable navigation tools
- Heart rate tracking can be imprecise at times
According to the brand, the Suunto Race offers up to 18 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, and up to 55 hours in GPS mode — and that sounds about right. Our testing unit would typically last two weeks on a single charge. Slightly shorter than advertised, yes, but then we tracked at least four hour-long exercise sessions a week and frequently used a GPS mode. Overall, we had no complaints.
The app connectivity or processing speed also did not cause any issues. The Suunto Race 2 has never lagged, frozen or shut down for no apparent reason, and we have never experienced any delays or disruptions in data transfer between the watch and the Suunto app. If there is anything to pick on, we would say that some of the software updates can take longer than expected. While it can be mildly annoying (some of the watch features can be disabled during the installation), it did not really have that much of an impact on our overall user experience.
What had an impact on our user experience, however, was the tracking accuracy. On one side, the Suunto Race 2 does a great job with its GPS navigation. This sports watch utilizes five satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BEIDOU), which is what many of the top-shelf Garmin and Coros watches do, and it shows. While the navigation is not 100% accurate (as it never really is in fitness trackers in general), our testing unit proved to be quite reliable for calculating our distance and elevation gain. The Suunto Race 2 also did a relatively good job of assessing sleep quality and measuring ambient temperature.
On the other hand, the step count, calories burned and heart rate tracking could use some improvement. When we compared the data obtained with our Suunto Race 2 to information collected by our Oura Ring 4 and the highly accurate Whoop MG fitness tracker, this sports watch appeared to frequently miscalculate our step count, sometimes by as much as 1,000 steps, and its calorie count seemed way higher than it should be.
Its heart rate sensor did not impress us, either. During one workout, we simultaneously wore the Suunto Race 2 and the more reliable Polar H9 chest-strap heart rate monitor, then compared the data recorded by both these devices. While the heart rate remained relatively accurate at rest and during moderate-intensity activities, the measurements got more flaky and chaotic above 140 bpm (beats per minute). While we have observed this trend in many fitness wearables, we would expect just a bit more precision for a watch in this price range.
Suunto Race 2 sports watch review: User reviews
At the time of writing this review, Amazon‘s customers gave the Suunto Race 2 a near-perfect score of 4.9 out of 5 stars, while Suunto‘s reviews placed it at a slightly lower 4.2-star rating. This sports watch earned a lot of praise for its easy-to-read display, sleek design and comprehensive workout tracking features, with some users noting that it was a significant upgrade from the previous Race model. Mixed opinions and negative remarks, on the other hand, often revolved around the heart rate accuracy of the Suunto Race 2.
One buyer commented, “Another wonderful watch from Suunto. It has a beautiful screen with crisp, sharp edges and bright colors, which make it easy to read. Also, the Suunto phone software is easy to use. As a Garmin escapee, eight years in the Garmin camp, I find the Suunto ecosystem refreshingly simple compared to the growing complexity that seems to be engulfing Garmin these days.”
However, they also noted, “The HR monitor works great for running, but when I’m on the skierg, rowing machine, doing wallballs, etc., the HR monitor is inaccurate. I put on my wife’s Garmin on my opposite wrist and it worked perfectly, but my Race 2 was saying HR was 140 when I knew I was in the 170s on the Garmin. […] Also, I don’t like wearing a watch when I sleep and I wish the Suunto app would allow you to manually add sleep data. 4 stars till I can figure out this HR monitor issue.”
Should you buy the Suunto Race 2?
✅ Buy it if: You are looking for a sleek and durable sports watch with long battery life, or a more budget-friendly alternative to the Garmin Forerunner 970. The Suunto Race 2 does a great job as a fitness tracking tool, especially when it comes to endurance-based workouts like trail running or indoor rowing. It is also more affordable than many other sports watches with similar specifications.
❌ Don’t buy it if: You want advanced outdoor-oriented or smartwatch features, such as solar charging or contactless payments. The Suunto Race 2 is a great fitness tracker, but it lacks the functionality to be anything other than that.
If the Suunto Race 2 isn’t for you
If you are looking for something slightly more affordable than the Suunto Race 2, we would recommend the Coros Pace Pro. This running watch offers 20 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, reliable GPS and superb workout tracking features, all at $150 less. However, you will have to compromise on the build quality here.
Looking for something even cheaper? Check out the Garmin Forerunner 165. It is a perfect entry-level running watch and one of the very few wearables we gave a full five stars, and yet it costs only $199. That said, the Forerunner 165 is nowhere near as durable or feature-packed as the Suunto Race 2.
If you are not concerned about the budget, the Garmin Forerunner 970 seems like an obvious alternative here. While it costs a whopping $749, its excellent tracking accuracy and robust outdoor-oriented features easily make it one of the best running watches or triathlon watches on the market right now.
How we tested the Suunto Race 2
We spent nearly two months trying and testing the Suunto Race 2 sports watch, looking at its design, features, day-to-day tracking performance, battery life, ease of use and connectivity with third-party devices. We wore it during the day, while sleeping and when doing a range of workouts, from stretching and casual strolls to high-intensity indoor rowing and weightlifting in the gym.
Finally, we assessed the accuracy of our Suunto Race 2. We compared its heart rate measurements with the data we obtained using a Polar H9 chest-strap heart rate monitor, then checked how well its GPS systems tracked a walking route in our local area.
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