In a market saturated with smartwatches vying for your wrist, Suunto doubles down on its athletic heritage with a device that promises uncompromising performance. The new Suunto Race aims to blend rugged durability with a stunning AMOLED display, challenging established players on both features and endurance. It’s a compelling proposition for serious athletes who demand more than just step tracking from their wrist-worn companion.

Suunto Race Watch Review – Get out and get some Suunshine

Suunto has long been a trusted name among adventurers and endurance athletes, known for building robust, no-nonsense GPS watches. With the Suunto Race, the company makes a significant leap forward, embracing the brilliant, high-resolution AMOLED screen technology that has become the new standard. This isn’t just a cosmetic upgrade; it’s a fundamental shift that enhances usability across the board, from glancing at stats mid-run to navigating with offline maps on a new trail. The question is, has Suunto managed to integrate this power-hungry tech without sacrificing its legendary battery life?

Design and a Brilliant Display

The first thing you’ll notice about the Suunto Race is its screen. The 1.43-inch AMOLED display is simply gorgeous—bright, crisp, and incredibly responsive. Colors pop, text is razor-sharp, and visibility in direct sunlight is excellent. It’s a transformative experience compared to the transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) displays of Suunto’s past. Complementing the touchscreen is a new digital crown, which provides a satisfyingly tactile way to scroll through menus and data screens, especially with gloves on or wet hands.

Build quality is classic Suunto: exceptional. Available in either stainless steel or a lighter titanium bezel, both versions come with a sapphire crystal glass, a feature typically reserved for more expensive flagship models. The watch feels substantial and durable without being excessively bulky, striking a fine balance for both rugged trail use and daily wear.

Performance for the Serious Athlete

At its core, the Suunto Race is a performance tool. It delivers on this promise with impressive dual-band GPS tracking that provides fast, reliable satellite locks and pinpoint accuracy, even in challenging environments like dense forests or urban canyons. Battery life is the other headline feature. Despite the vibrant AMOLED screen, Suunto claims up to 40 hours of continuous dual-band GPS tracking, and in real-world use, it comfortably lasts over a week with daily workouts and smart notifications enabled. This is a remarkable achievement that puts it in direct competition with the best in the business.

The watch is packed with advanced training metrics, including Heart Rate Variability (HRV) for tracking recovery, training load, and race-day predictions. The free, downloadable offline maps are a huge plus, rendering beautifully on the AMOLED display and making on-trail navigation intuitive and effective.

Features and Value Proposition

Where the Suunto Race makes a calculated compromise is in its “smart” features. You won’t find on-device music storage, contactless payments, or a third-party app store here. This is a deliberate choice to focus on being an elite sports watch rather than a wrist-based smartphone. For the target user, this is likely a welcome trade-off, especially given the aggressive price point.

The value proposition is arguably the Race’s strongest asset. It offers a premium build, a top-tier display, and elite-level GPS and battery performance for significantly less than comparable models from competitors like Garmin. For athletes who prioritize training data and build quality over lifestyle conveniences, the Suunto Race presents an almost unbeatable package.

The Verdict

The Suunto Race is a powerful statement. It’s an unapologetically focused sports watch for dedicated athletes, runners, cyclists, and triathletes who need a reliable tool that excels at the fundamentals. By combining a stunning AMOLED display and a premium build with class-leading battery life and a competitive price, Suunto has crafted one of the most compelling performance watches on the market. If you can live without smartwatch extras like music and NFC payments, the Suunto Race is an exceptional training partner that delivers where it truly counts.

Where to Buy:

Check it out on Amazon