If you want better customization options
Choose Suunto Vertical 2. It scores 4.8 vs 2.9 for customization options, with a 4.2 overall score.
Suunto Race 2 Review
Bottom Line
Choose the Suunto Race 2 if you want a training-first AMOLED watch with long battery life, bright maps and stronger HR than older Suuntos. Skip it if you need rich smartwatch apps, onboard music, payments or the most consistent GPS/HR accuracy.
Best for
Best for runners, trail users and endurance athletes who want a bright AMOLED training watch with long battery life, offline maps and strong sport-tracking basics without a phone-like smartwatch experience.
Not for
Not for users who prioritize onboard music, payments, advanced smartwatch apps, a smaller case, or fully polished health and recovery metrics over battery life and training tools.
Verdict
The Suunto Race 2 comes through in the reviews as a training-first endurance watch with standout display quality, outdoor readability, battery life, and improved heart-rate hardware. Reviewers repeatedly liked the brighter AMOLED screen, stronger build, long GPS endurance, better charger, and capable maps once they were loaded. The tradeoff is that the Race 2 still behaves more like a focused sports watch than a full smartwatch: payments, onboard music, rich notifications, and deep app customization are limited. Accuracy is also not unanimous; heart rate is much better than older Suuntos, but several reviewers still saw outliers, and GPS drew both praise and nitpicks.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
52 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.020 (38%)
-
Positive 3.5-4.415 (29%)
-
Neutral 2.5-3.49 (17%)
-
Negative 1.5-2.48 (15%)
Pros highlights
-
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.
-
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.
-
Battery life was one of the clearest strengths, with reviewers repeatedly praising endurance, long GPS runtime, and multi-day use.
-
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.
-
Display quality was one of the strongest points, repeatedly described as bright, sharp, readable, stunning, and easy to use during training.
-
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.
Cons highlights
-
Smartwatch features were consistently limited, with reviewers repeatedly noting that the Race 2 is training-first rather than a phone-like smartwatch.
-
Recovery insights were mixed: reviewers liked the training context but criticized confusing TrainingPeaks terms, overly optimistic resources, and presentation that was hard to parse.
-
User interface feedback was split, ranging from easy and sensible on runs to clunky, unintuitive, or difficult to get used to.
-
Wi-Fi connectivity was a recurring map-download annoyance, with reviewers describing slow downloads, cumbersome syncing, or trouble on weak networks.
-
Customization was uneven: reviewers liked some configurable widgets and screens but criticized limited watch-face options, sport-mode setup friction, and direct customization limits.
-
Onboard music storage was a repeated shortcoming, with reviewers noting that offline playback is not available despite expectations for a premium sports watch.
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other Smartwatches, this product is above average in charging convenience, flashlight usefulness, operating system experience, near average in GPS accuracy, heart rate accuracy, below average in safety features, health tracking accuracy, step counting accuracy.
Comparison summary
52 compared features-
Above average 0.4+ pts higher22 (42%)
-
Same as average within 0.3 pts12 (23%)
-
Below average 0.4+ pts lower18 (35%)
Largest category differences
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| safety features | 1.5 | 3.9 | -2.4 |
| health tracking accuracy | 2.0 | 3.9 | -1.9 |
| step counting accuracy | 2.0 | 3.8 | -1.8 |
| smartwatch features | 2.2 | 3.6 | -1.3 |
| touchscreen responsiveness | 2.5 | 4.0 | -1.5 |
| charging convenience | 4.6 | 3.3 | +1.3 |
| flashlight usefulness | 5.0 | 3.7 | +1.3 |
| customization options | 2.9 | 4.1 | -1.2 |
Consider This Instead
If you want better health tracking accuracy
Choose Suunto Run. It scores 4.6 vs 2.0 for health tracking accuracy, with a 4.0 overall score.
If you want better touchscreen responsiveness
Choose Garmin Forerunner 165. It scores 4.6 vs 2.5 for touchscreen responsiveness, with a 4.3 overall score.
If you want better value for money
Choose Suunto Race S. It scores 4.8 vs 4.2 for value for money, with a 3.9 overall score.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
- More expensive: price The reviewer noted the Race 2 is still cheaper than the Garmin Forerunner 970.
- Similar: overall performance and value The reviewer framed the Race 2 as a close match for the Garmin Forerunner 970 at a lower price.
- Similar: GPS accuracy The reviewer found the Race 2 GPS track matched the Apple Watch Ultra almost perfectly.
- Worse: display and mapping feel The reviewer said the Race 2 feels more modern and map-friendly than a MIP watch such as the COROS APEX 4.
FAQ
Is the Suunto Race 2 good for serious running and endurance training?
Yes. Reviewers consistently framed it as a training-first watch with strong battery life, useful maps, broad sport modes and improved heart-rate tracking for runners and endurance athletes.
How good is the battery life?
Battery life is one of the strongest points. Reviewers praised multi-day smartwatch use and long GPS runtime, with several calling the endurance excellent for an AMOLED sports watch.
Is the heart-rate sensor accurate?
It is clearly improved over older Suunto watches, and many reviewers found it reliable enough for regular training. However, several still reported inaccurate readings during hard efforts, early-run lock-on, or certain gym workouts.
Are the maps and navigation useful?
Yes, reviewers liked the offline maps and trail navigation once maps were loaded. The main caveats were slow map downloads, missing labels or POIs in some feedback, and no on-watch rerouting.
Does it work well as a smartwatch?
Only in a basic way. Reviewers repeatedly noted limited smartwatch features, including basic notifications and no onboard music or contactless payments.
Who is most likely to be disappointed by it?
People wanting a smaller watch, rich smartwatch apps, built-in music, payments, or the most consistent health and sleep tracking may find the Race 2 too focused on sport-watch essentials.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
Video Reviews
YouTube - The Run Testers
- Review score
- 4.0
YouTube - DesFit
- Review score
- 4.4
YouTube - Chase the Summit
- Review score
- 4.1
Article Reviews
techradar.com
- Review score
- 4.4
androidcentral.com
- Review score
- 4.3
livescience.com
- Review score
- 3.7
Top Smartwatches to Consider
Best for long battery life, accurate GPS and useful offline maps at a strong price. Skip it if you need payments, richer apps, a built-in LED flashlight or polished smartwatch...
Pros: mapping and navigation, value for money
Cons: smartwatch features, contactless payments
Best for accurate run tracking, deep Garmin coaching and phone-free Spotify in a light package. Skip it if you need full maps, triathlon mode, Apple Music support or the strongest...
Pros: value for money, GPS accuracy
Cons: mapping and navigation, third-party app support
Good if you want premium running features, long battery life, and maps for under $200. Skip it if you need flawless heart-rate data, multiband GPS, LTE, or richer app support.
Pros: value for money, battery life
Cons: heart rate accuracy, third-party app support
Best for accurate running metrics, excellent coaching tools, a bright AMOLED display, and dependable battery life. Skip it if you need offline maps, music storage, contactless payments, multi-band GPS, or...
Pros: battery life, value for money
Cons: mapping and navigation, smartwatch features