Suunto Race S review: a worthy competitor to rival Garmin

Suunto Race S review: One-minute review

The Suunto Race S is a cracking smartwatch that is a credible alternative to any of the dedicated running watches that Garmin produces. With tracking capabilities like on-board GPS and heart rate monitoring, the smartwatch provides all that is needed for accurate measurements.

The AMOLED display looks great thanks to its high-definition resolution. Navigation using the touchscreen is easy and natural, although the device is a little bit let down by the underperforming crown button. Overall build quality is very good, though, with robust components that will stand the test of time. The watch itself is most definitely on the larger side so it won't suit everyone but if you have a wrist that can accommodate it, then it'll certainly look the part.

In addition to its features for athletes, the Race S also offers smartwatch functionality like notifications and music control. It has a long battery life, which can last around 10 days in smartwatch mode and up to 30-35 hours in training mode.

While the Suunto Race S offers a great set of features for athletes, it lacks some of the features found in other smartwatches. If you're more into performance tracking, then the Race S is up there with the best.

Suunto Race S review: Specifications

Suunto Race S review: Price and availability

The Suunto Race S 45mm model costs $349 / £325 / AU$599. There are an abundance of strap options, including Black, Powder Grey, and Powder Pink. For the test, I have the gorgeous orange strap, which has a graduated color from orange to purple. All strap options cost the same. 

The watch is available in the US, UK, and AUS. If you'd like the slightly larger 49mm model, then that goes by the name 'Suunto Race' and attracts a slightly higher price, especially if you opt for the titanium strap. It is not only larger but also has a longer battery life.

Suunto Race S review: Design

• Great-looking watch
• Abundant strap options
• Solid build quality

The Suunto Race S is a great-looking watch, especially with the Powder Orange strap that I tested. With seven different strap colors available, there are no shortage of ways to customise the watch. We'll come back to the strap in a minute but let's focus first on the watch itself.

The first thing I was struck by was how chunky this watch is. The 45mm diameter provides a fantastic display size with enough real-estate to display all your vital metrics. Unfortunately, the thickness of the watch is nearly 12mm, which makes the whole thing sit very proudly indeed. The overall dimensions make it very similar to the Garmin Forerunner 265, which is similarly bulky. At this size, and with a weight of 60g, this is a watch for thick wrists that can accommodate it; otherwise, it'll just look plain odd.

The stainless steel case looks great with the simple color palette, causing the watch display to take centre stage. It houses an AMOLED display with a 466 x 466 pixel resolution. As a result, all of the on-screen graphics look super sharp with no sign of any pixelation. Unfortunately, Suunto has left a tiny gap between the glass and the case that catches dirt, and because it's so thin is difficult to remove.

The build quality of both the watch and the strap are second to none. I used it while performing various types of exercise, including contact sports, and never managed to damage it. In fact, I was never concerned about doing so, such was the quality of the components.

The three buttons are all located to the right-hand side of the watch and are small enough to not rub against your hand. The top button launches you into activity mode by taking you straight to a list of exercise types, while the bottom button takes you back to a menu.

Between the two standard buttons is a crown, which is very similar to what is now seen on other smartwatches, including the Apple Watch. A crown-style button is great to have but I don't think Suunto has nailed the engineering of it. I found it tricky to rotate predictably and, because it sits lower than the watch face, it's actually quite difficult to use with one finger. I actually ended up ditching it in favour of swiping.

As with all smartwatches, the sensor is on the back. It's a little prouder than I would have liked, but it does enable a range of tracking types as well as training functionality.

The strap not only looks great but is extremely comfortable. Most importantly, it wipes clean, an essential for athletes who sweat a lot. The catch is unique in its design but it provides the necessary security to keep the watch safely on your wrist.

All in, I've really enjoyed wearing the watch. It's comfortable, makes a statement, and functions incredibly well. At this price, the design competes with even the best that Garmin has produced. If they can improve the crown and the overall thickness, then this would be the running watch to beat.

• Design score: 4/5

Suunto Race S review: features

• Numerous features designed for runners
• Extensive tracking capabilities
• Lacks some key smartwatch features

Suunto Race S boasts a range of training features and support for all types of exercise including heart rate zones, power zones, and pace alerts. 

If you love to be prepared ahead of time, then you can plan your route before you even leave the house. It shows you where you're located and gives you updates on what you're about to encounter. In that regard, you'll always feel prepared. You'll have no worries about getting lost thanks to support for all types of sections.

Features include heart rate sensing, an altimeter, and a gyroscope. These accurately track your movements and provide feedback on how you're getting on. Whatever exercise you're doing, the watch can capture your data accurately every time. I had no problems with any GPS signal dropouts, even when sweaty or wet. In general, I was very impressed with the speed of readouts and the accuracy of them.

Sleep tracking monitors your sleep quality while also feeding back if your sleep patterns might be affecting your performance. Personally, I wasn't overly keen on using the watch as a sleep tracker, as it was just uncomfortably big to wear at nightime. 

The watch has a wide range of features, with a particular focus on athletes and those keen on staying fit. It also offers features that will appeal to those who just want it to integrate with their smartphone. For example, you can control music playback from the watch, helping you stay focused on your exercise.

Additionally, the watch receives notifications for calls and messages, so you don't have to keep checking your phone. For the price, I would have liked functionality to allow for replying to text messages but, then again, this is primarily a running watch. The watch is compatible with both Android and Apple phones, although I only tested it with an iPhone.

In conclusion, the Suunto Race S is a smartwatch that is focused primarily on athletes. All of the tracking abilities provide the necessary data for mid-exercise updates and post-exercise reports.

• Features score: 4/5

Suunto Race S review: performance

• Fast and responsive
• Accurate GPS
• Amazing battery life

The Suunto Race S is a strong all-round performer, especially for athletes like runners, swimmers, and cyclists. Getting the watch set up took no time at all, with charging to full taking no more than one hour. Downloading the Suunto app and pairing the watch was equally straight-forward. I was up and running, pardon the pun, in no time at all.

Then it was time to get exercising. The first thing I did was jump on my bicycle to test the GPS and tracking functionality. Once I was outside, the watch picked up GPS quickly and easily. I had initially tried to launch it while inside but it failed to connect, a common problem with all GPS enabled devices.

Once on my bike, the Suunto Race S coped admirably, tracking my route perfectly along with accurate distances and measurements. All of the data is displayed on the large 45mm display but there are also additional screens that provide further more in-depth information.

The Suunto app provides even more data for you to drill down into how you are performing. The app is really well designed with a good layout that is easily navigated. I especially love the maps of routes travelled and graphs providing health data. It also provides some reporting so you can improve on your performances each time.

I've already discussed the sketchy performance of the crown button in the design section but in general, interaction with the watch was very positive. The touchscreen responsiveness is good and I had little problem moving around the menus. The swipe gesture was able to handle moving up and down long lists without any fuss. The responsiveness was even fine while sweating or when I had just gotten out of the swimming pool.

The battery life delivers great performance too. Having worn the watch for a couple of months, I was able to test it for long periods with both light use and heavy use. Just using the device as a watch and a few other features, including checking messages, I was able to get about two or even three weeks out of the battery.

Tracking exercise with GPS enabled had an expected effect on battery life. When I used it for daily cycling commutes, playing football, and running, I found that the battery would last around five to seven days. The battery life was so impressive that each time I actually had to think about where I had left the charger because it had been so long.

• Performance score: 4/5

Should I buy the Suunto Race S?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Suunto Race S review: also consider

Suunto Race S review: how I tested

I've been proudly wearing the Suunto Race S for two months and have tried to put it through as many types of exercise as I can, including running, playing football, swimming, and table tennis. It's incredible how many different types of activities it supports, so I thought it only right to try as many as I could! 

To test it's waterproof rating, I took it while swimming and managed to get it down around 3 m. It's nowhere near the advertised 50 m but I figured my test would be sufficient for most users.

I also paired it with the Suunto app to get a fuller picture of what the watch is capable of. The pairing process was simple and straightforward, and I loved the app.