Compare Suunto Race S vs Garmin Forerunner 170

Heart-rate accuracy is the most divided attribute: several reviewers found the updated sensor solid or precise, while others reported poor readings and recommended an external strap.

Steady running and treadmill readings usually tracked closely to chest straps. Rapid intervals, strength work, steep climbs, and some trail sessions exposed lag from the older sensor.

GPS accuracy received the strongest overall praise, with many reviewers calling tracks precise, strong, pristine, or among the best they had tested.

Most testers found all-systems GPS impressively close to multi-band reference watches on roads and open routes. Dense canopy, steep terrain, and technical trails produced drift or corner cutting for at least one long-term tester.

General fitness tracking was praised for workout capture in one review, but another scientific test found the accuracy only middling versus better devices.

Overall workout tracking impressed testers, with strong agreement between the watch and trusted comparison devices in controlled runs.

Sleep tracking drew mostly negative or cautious evidence, with reviewers reporting underreported sleep, inaccurate stages, or a lack of confidence in the data.

Sleep tracking produced conflicting results: one tester found it close to trusted wearables, while another found REM and deep-sleep estimates inaccurate.

Recovery insights are useful when presented clearly, especially HRV and Progress-style metrics, but some reviewers found the packaging weak or the conclusions discouraging.

Training Readiness, Training Status, HRV, load, and recovery guidance are the watch’s most consistently praised upgrades. They make the 170 useful well beyond beginner-level run tracking.

Coaching features are capable but uneven, with praise for structured workouts and training planning but criticism for missing Garmin-style suggested workouts and weaker presentation.

Garmin Coach, Training Status, adaptive plans, and Quick Workouts give beginners and regular runners unusually strong guidance. Quick Workout targets can be aggressive and its duration options may feel restrictive.

Workout variety is a clear strength, with reviewers praising the broad sport-mode support for running, cycling, swimming, triathlon, MTB, and many other activities.

More than 80 sport profiles make the watch versatile for running, cycling, gym work, swimming, and outdoor activities. The main gap is a dedicated triathlon or multisport mode.

Blood oxygen tracking was only clearly evaluated in one review, and that reviewer called the nighttime SpO2 results poor.

Pulse Ox is considered a meaningful upgrade over the previous entry-level generation and adds depth to overnight health monitoring.

Wellness insights were polarizing; one reviewer liked the quieter data approach, while another thought Suunto’s resource-style metric lagged Garmin-like alternatives.

Body Battery, HRV, sleep guidance, Health Status, and lifestyle logging create a broad wellness package that supports recovery as well as training.

Comfort is generally strong, with reviewers praising all-day wear, unobtrusive feel, and smaller case comfort, though some disliked bulk at night.

The compact 41 g design is widely praised for all-day, sleep, and long-run comfort. One reviewer warned that the plastic rear casing may irritate sensitive skin during prolonged wear.

Materials quality is highly regarded, especially the premium wrist feel, titanium option, and quality materials.

The fiber-reinforced plastic keeps weight down but does not feel luxurious, and the glass is below sapphire or premium Gorilla Glass standards.

Band quality is mixed-positive, with comfort and secure designs praised but some straps criticized for tacky branding, stickiness, or glow-at-night drawbacks.

The silicone strap is soft, stretchy, and easy to replace, while the 170’s metal clasp feels nicer than the cheaper model’s plastic hardware.

Durability is mostly positive, with strong scratch/impact evidence in one test, although Gorilla Glass and reduced water rating were noted as downgrades from larger models.

Despite its low weight and plastic build, the watch is considered sturdy enough for regular training and daily wear.

Fit is praised for smaller wrists and secure sport use, especially where reviewers noted stable wear during activities.

The 43 mm case fit testers securely and should suit many wrists, although the single-size design may not be ideal for everyone.

Size options are useful but not universally ideal; some reviewers liked the midsize case, while one found it still suited to thicker wrists.

The compact single case works well for many smaller wrists, but buyers who need multiple case sizes have no alternative.

Style and design are among the strongest attributes, with reviewers repeatedly calling the Race S sleek, attractive, premium, or one of the best-looking sports watches.

Reviewers like the compact proportions, colorful two-tone options, and modern AMOLED look. The plastic construction keeps it sporty rather than luxurious.

Build quality is a strength, with reviewers praising the watch and strap construction, premium feel, and high-quality form factor.

The lightweight plastic case feels sturdy and better finished than older entry models. It avoids feeling cheap, even if it lacks premium materials.

Battery life is strong overall for an AMOLED sports watch, but reviews vary from excellent to shorter-than-claimed depending on always-on display and navigation use.

Battery opinions depend heavily on settings: raise-to-wake users often approach a week, while always-on users commonly report about three to four days. It trails the cheaper Forerunner 70 and several rivals.

Charging speed is consistently praised, with several reviewers reporting fast full charges or quick top-ups.

Charging is quick, reaching a full charge in roughly 65 minutes and providing a substantial top-up in about 20 minutes.

Display quality is a consistent strength, with repeated praise for the sharp AMOLED panel, color, clarity, and readability.

The 1.2-inch AMOLED is colorful, sharp, and easy to read while moving. It is not as fluid or premium as flagship smartwatch displays, but testers still rate it highly.

Brightness is consistently praised, with reviewers describing the screen as bright, vibrant, and easy to view in demanding conditions.

The AMOLED is consistently described as bright enough for everyday and outdoor use, though it is not Garmin’s brightest panel.

Outdoor visibility is strong; reviewers reported readability in midday sun, normal sunlight, forest shade, and other outdoor conditions.

The AMOLED remains clear outdoors and is easy to glance at during runs, even though brighter flagship panels exist.

Reliability is mostly positive for workout operation and GPS logging, but one scientific review and one software-focused review noted broader metric concerns.

Road-running performance is dependable enough for several reviewers to use it as a primary training watch. Reliability becomes more mixed in dense forest, steep terrain, and technical hiking.

Value for money is the clearest consensus strength, with nearly every reviewer framing the Race S as aggressively priced for its mapping, GPS, AMOLED, and training feature set.

The base 170 offers a strong blend of training analysis, accuracy, and smart features. Value is less convincing beside the cheaper Forerunner 70, Coros Pace 4, discounted Forerunner 165, or the expensive Music upgrade.

Contactless payments were clearly treated as missing in one review, making this a low-scoring feature for users who expect payments on-wrist.

Garmin Pay is a useful convenience and a key reason to choose the 170 over the 70. Its value depends on bank support and whether buyers can justify the price premium.

Onboard music storage is a notable weakness, with multiple reviewers calling out the absence of music downloads or internal playback.

The Music model supports useful phone-free playback and major streaming services. Reviewers like the feature but criticize the extra cost and unchanged storage capacity.

Button controls are mixed, with several reviewers finding the digital crown fiddly, delayed, awkward, or unpredictable despite useful physical input.

Five physical buttons are a major usability strength, especially during runs, with gloves, or when sweaty hands make touch controls awkward.

Mapping and navigation are standout strengths, with repeated praise for offline maps, route planning, responsiveness, and trail usefulness, despite setup and routability limits.

Breadcrumb routes are usable for familiar roads, but the absence of offline or topographic maps is a major limitation for trails, hiking, and exploration.

Menu navigation takes practice; reviewers liked short paths after learning the logic but criticized confusing menus and less-smooth swiping.

The refreshed Garmin interface makes menus smoother and faster to move through than on earlier entry-level models.

Third-party app support is useful but not fully baked in, with praise for the app store offset by criticism that some tools should be native.

Connect IQ supports major services such as Spotify and YouTube Music plus a wide range of community apps and widgets.

Music controls worked adequately for phone playback, but reviewers consistently treated them as basic controls rather than a full music solution.

On-wrist music control is convenient during runs and contributes to the Music model’s beginner-friendly appeal.

The app ecosystem was praised for useful SuuntoPlus tools, though one review said Suunto still lags Garmin on ecosystem depth.

Garmin’s training ecosystem is repeatedly praised as polished and deep, with strong analysis, coaching, and device integration.

Call handling is limited to alerts and message/call visibility, with one reviewer wishing reply functionality were available.

The watch cannot take calls from the wrist because it lacks a microphone and speaker, limiting its appeal as a full smartwatch.

The operating system experience is mixed-positive: reviewers saw a basic, sports-first platform that improved in responsiveness but is not a rich smartwatch OS.

Garmin’s newer OS looks more polished, feels more modern, and aligns the watch with higher-end Forerunners.

Touchscreen responsiveness is mostly positive after improvements, though moisture sensitivity and a less-slick feel kept scores from being perfect.

The touchscreen is responsive without feeling overly sensitive, while physical buttons remain available for workouts.

Software smoothness improved across reviews, with several reviewers calling the UI faster or fluid, though a few still saw polish issues or minor lag.

The refreshed software is faster, more polished, and easier to adjust before a run, with useful hidden settings and widgets.

Wi-Fi connectivity was evaluated mainly through map downloads, which work but were criticized for slow transfer behavior.

Wi-Fi is useful for downloading music on the Music model. The standard model lacks it, but reviewers found Bluetooth phone syncing adequate for normal use.

The user interface ranged from confusing at first to quick and easy once learned, with touch and app-driven navigation often helping.

The updated UI is polished and easier to use, with quick access to settings and rich data. New Garmin users may still find the menu depth intimidating.

The companion app was broadly praised for route planning, maps, layout, reliability, and modern design.

Garmin Connect remains free, easy to use, and effective for reviewing workouts and daily activity.

Customization is useful for routes, sport modes, complications, and modes, though it is not presented as a deep smartwatch-level customization system.

Data layouts, swappable bands, report themes, and vibration patterns give the watch a pleasing level of personalization.

Watch faces are improved and customizable, but one reviewer found accidental customization in the shower slightly annoying.

Report themes add playful personalization, but the default progress-bar watch face can feel frustrating because its goals rarely align.

Smartwatch features are intentionally limited: some reviewers liked the cleaner sports-watch focus, while others wanted a fuller smartwatch experience.

The 170 offers payments, notifications, optional music, and apps, but it remains a training watch first and lacks the breadth of Apple or Samsung smartwatches.

Smartphone notifications generally worked, though reviewers framed them as basic and often noted limited interaction beyond reading alerts.

Notifications are useful for daily wear, but one tester found the buzzing overly reactive during workouts.

Flashlight usefulness is limited because it is screen-based, though one reviewer still found it functional for basic low-light tasks.

A built-in flashlight is missing. Reviewers did not expect it at this tier, but several still considered its absence disappointing.

Safety features received limited but positive evidence, especially Find Back/navigation support that added peace of mind.

LiveTrack and location-sharing tools are valuable at this price, though live tracking still depends on carrying a connected phone.

Bluetooth connectivity is mostly discussed through sensor support, where reviewers criticized Suunto’s one-sensor limitations and weak pairing model.

Pairing reliability had one clearly positive review, with setup and app pairing described as simple and straightforward.

There is no onboard voice assistant because the watch lacks a microphone and speaker.

Temperature-related capability is valued for cycle tracking, but reviewers also note that Garmin reserves some skin-temperature features for more expensive models.

Calorie estimates stayed within about ten percent of a chest-strap comparison, which reviewers considered reasonably useful.

A scientific review treated the broader health measurements as weak, especially because heart-rate and sleep-related results were not strong.

Step counting was mixed: one review found totals similar to comparison devices, while another found counts far enough off to be noticeable.

Charging convenience is more mixed because reviewers liked quick charging but disliked the proprietary pad, alignment, or travel requirement.

ECG is not available on the Forerunner 170, and reviewers note that buyers must move to a pricier Garmin to get it.

Wrist-based running power and dynamics bring advanced training metrics to a relatively affordable watch and are strongly praised.

Water resistance received limited opinionated evidence; one reviewer judged 50 meters acceptable for most but a downgrade for deeper use.