Compare Suunto Race 2 vs Suunto Vertical

Heart-rate accuracy was the most debated upgrade: many reviewers called it a major improvement or accurate enough for training, while several still found unreliable readings in hard efforts or certain workouts.

Heart-rate accuracy was the clearest recurring flaw, with multiple reviewers reporting underestimation, failures, or unreliable wrist readings during workouts.

GPS accuracy was generally strong, especially for land workouts, but several reviewers saw small errors, worse open-water results, or a slight step back from past Suunto performance.

GPS accuracy was strongly praised across reviews for hiking, running, city use, and difficult terrain, though some reviewers separated this from weaker open-water results.

One reviewer tied the improved sensors to more meaningful health and training feedback, suggesting better fitness-tracking usefulness than the older model.

Fitness prediction accuracy was mixed, with one reviewer finding race estimates overly ambitious.

Sleep tracking drew split feedback, with some reviewers praising sleep timing or nap detection while others reported missed awakenings, hit-or-miss nights, or overly ambitious deep-sleep estimates.

Sleep tracking drew mixed evidence: some reviewers found it surprisingly accurate, while others questioned awake-time or motion-based accuracy.

Recovery insights were mixed: reviewers liked the training context but criticized confusing TrainingPeaks terms, overly optimistic resources, and presentation that was hard to parse.

Recovery insights were viewed positively, with praise for Suunto’s recovery and fitness feedback plus personalized training guidance.

Workout variety was consistently praised, with reviewers highlighting broad sport-profile coverage and comprehensive tracking for mainstream and niche activities.

Workout variety was a strength, with reviewers highlighting broad sport-mode support and a large set of activity profiles.

Coaching features were seen as helpful for interpreting training and recovery, especially for runners, though the evidence favored practical context over advanced smartwatch coaching.

Coaching features were viewed as useful after updates, especially Suunto Coach and training widgets, though evidence was not as broad as for maps or battery life.

Calorie tracking was criticized in one review for producing numbers that appeared much too high.

Calorie tracking was praised in one review for producing more realistic results than another tested watch.

One review raised broad tracking concerns, saying steps, calories and heart rate needed improvement rather than treating the watch as fully dependable for health metrics.

Everyday heart-rate tracking was described as close enough for general health use, separate from weaker sports HR results.

Stress-related HRV insight was viewed as underexplained, with one reviewer saying the daily average lacks enough context for new users.

Stress and resource tracking received positive long-term feedback when one reviewer said it matched how they felt.

Wellness insights were useful but not universally trusted, with one reviewer valuing HRV and another finding resources too generous.

Wellness insights were supported by positive HRV feedback as a useful health and readiness tool.

Battery life was one of the clearest strengths, with reviewers repeatedly praising endurance, long GPS runtime, and multi-day use.

Battery life was the strongest consensus strength, praised across every review for long use, multi-day trips, and class-leading endurance.

Charging convenience improved substantially, with reviewers praising the redesigned magnetic charger and more secure dock.

Charging convenience was mixed because the magnetic charger was easy to attach, but the proprietary cable frustrated another reviewer.

Charging speed was praised as fast enough for quick top-ups before long GPS days.

Charging speed was mixed: one reviewer reported very fast charging, while another could not get fast or full charging in testing.

Comfort was mostly positive thanks to the thinner case, lighter feel and improved wrist fit, though size and strap choices still mattered.

Comfort was positive, especially band feel, weight, and daily wearability.

Materials quality received positive evidence from the feel of the metal buttons and digital crown.

Materials quality was praised for the shell, construction, and rugged premium feel.

Band quality was mixed: some liked the stock silicone strap, while others disliked the pin fastening, fiddly buckle, or overall band feel.

Band quality had limited but positive evidence from praise for the strap construction and feel.

Water resistance was viewed positively, with one review highlighting serious waterproof credentials.

Water resistance had limited but positive evidence from one review saying it was suitable for ocean or pool use.

Build quality was strongly praised, with reviewers calling the hardware premium, sturdy, and well matched to smooth software.

Build quality was strongly praised, with repeated descriptions of a rugged, premium, sturdy watch.

Durability was praised, with reviewers describing the watch as hard to kill and resistant to visible wear during testing.

Durability was strongly supported by long-term and hands-on evidence, including no durability concerns after heavy use.

Style and design were widely praised, with reviewers calling the Race 2 sleek, gorgeous, modern, robust, and premium-looking.

Style and design were consistently praised, with reviewers liking the rugged, clean, and distinctive look.

Fit was positive in one review because the large watch still did not feel too large on the wrist.

Fit had limited but positive evidence from one reviewer who said it did not feel chunky on the wrist.

Display quality was one of the strongest points, repeatedly described as bright, sharp, readable, stunning, and easy to use during training.

Display quality was mostly positive for readability and screen size, but several reviewers wanted a larger or more modern display.

Brightness received explicit praise, with one reviewer calling the display brightness unusually strong.

Brightness was positive indoors and outdoors for some reviewers, though one reviewer felt visibility did not beat bright-display alternatives.

Outdoor visibility was consistently excellent, with reviewers reporting easy readability in bright sun and direct sunlight.

Outdoor visibility was usually strong in bright sun, but long-term testing noted glare in some cloudy conditions.

Reliability was positive in one review that reported no lag, freezes, unexplained shutdowns, or transfer issues.

Reliability had limited positive evidence from one reviewer who described the watch as dependable.

Value was generally strong but price-sensitive: many reviewers found it competitive or worthwhile, while a few noted the price jump weakened the bargain angle.

Value was mixed: reviewers saw the watch as a worthwhile outdoor investment but repeatedly called out high pricing and competitive alternatives.

Safety features drew a serious concern from one reviewer about exposed public activity start and end positions.

Safety features had limited positive evidence from storm/weather alert usefulness and sunset/weather alerts.

The flashlight mode was strongly praised by one reviewer as unexpectedly handy and bright enough for real use.

Flashlight usefulness was mixed: early reviews criticized activation as cumbersome, while later use found it handy after shortcut changes.

Cross-platform compatibility was supported by positive evidence for importing and sharing workout data through services such as Strava.

Cross-platform planning got positive evidence from the ability to use the Suunto app on tablet or macOS desktop.

Bluetooth connectivity evidence was positive in one review, where phone pairing was described as simple.

Bluetooth connectivity was mixed because sport sensor support exists but the sensor management experience was criticized.

Software smoothness was widely praised as improved, with reviewers noting slicker widgets, smoother scrolling, and little delay.

Software smoothness was mixed to weak: lag was repeated, though one long-term review saw noticeable improvement after updates.

Customization was uneven: reviewers liked some configurable widgets and screens but criticized limited watch-face options, sport-mode setup friction, and direct customization limits.

Customization was praised for watch-face, shortcut, and mode flexibility.

The operating system experience was praised in one review as one of the best fitness-first watch systems.

The operating system experience was considered usable but not especially polished or distinctive.

User interface feedback was split, ranging from easy and sensible on runs to clunky, unintuitive, or difficult to get used to.

The user interface was generally considered easy or intuitive, despite some lag-related caveats.

Wi-Fi connectivity was a recurring map-download annoyance, with reviewers describing slow downloads, cumbersome syncing, or trouble on weak networks.

Wi-Fi map downloads were appreciated when simple, but reviewers also noted desktop-download wishes and slow downloads.

The companion app was mixed but often useful: some praised route playback, readable analysis, streamlining and polish, while others saw mismatched stats or a basic app.

The companion app was a major strength, especially route planning, map downloads, training data, and general usability.

Touchscreen responsiveness was criticized in one review for being too sensitive and prone to accidental inputs.

Touchscreen responsiveness was mixed: usable in adverse conditions, but several reviewers reported laggy touch interactions.

The app ecosystem received positive evidence from SuuntoPlus, with one reviewer saying integrations made the watch feel less insular than rival fitness watches.

The app ecosystem was useful because of partner apps and SuuntoPlus options, but one-app-at-a-time limits reduced flexibility.

Smartwatch features were consistently limited, with reviewers repeatedly noting that the Race 2 is training-first rather than a phone-like smartwatch.

Smartwatch features were a weakness because reviewers found some smart functionality incomplete.

Third-party app support was mixed: SuuntoPlus integrations impressed one reviewer, while another found the two-app limit restrictive.

Third-party app support was praised as practical add-on functionality rather than cosmetic extras.

Mapping and navigation were a major strength once maps were loaded, but reviewers also noted non-routable maps, slow downloads, and missing labels or POIs.

Mapping and navigation were a core strength, praised for offline maps, app route planning, trail use, and real-world navigation.

Menu navigation was mixed: some controls were manageable after learning, while the sports menu and many submenus frustrated reviewers.

Menu navigation was mixed, with one review citing slower movement through menus and another calling navigation back to the watch face fiddly.

Button controls were mostly praised as clicky and usable during activity, though one reviewer had a sticky-button problem.

Button controls were mostly praised for simplicity, glove usability, and feel, though one reviewer wanted a five-button layout.

Smartphone notifications were described as basic because the watch can display them but not respond from the wrist.

Smartphone notifications worked, but the review evidence was qualified by limited emoji support.

Contactless payments were called out as missing, contributing to the watch's limited smartwatch feature set.

Contactless payments were a weakness because reviewers explicitly noted the lack of NFC payments.

Onboard music storage was a repeated shortcoming, with reviewers noting that offline playback is not available despite expectations for a premium sports watch.

Onboard music storage was repeatedly criticized as missing, especially given competitors and the watch’s internal storage.

Watch faces were generally seen as basic or lightly customizable, with limited options compared with Garmin or COROS.

Watch faces were mixed to weak, with reviewers wanting better faces or noting limited complication choices.

ECG was criticized by omission in a smartwatch-feature comparison because reviewers noted the Vertical lacks ECG functionality.

One reviewer criticized the missing resume-later option as a serious weakness for multi-day activities.

Music controls were considered acceptable for basic phone control, but not a deeper music experience.

Pairing reliability was praised for easy external sensor connections and the ability to manage multiple sensors of the same type.

Size options were a caveat because reviewers noted the 49mm case can feel big for smaller wrists.

Step counting was a recurring weak spot in the evidence, with reviewers saying the Race 2 miscalculated steps or produced very low counts.