Suunto Race S Initial Review - Smaller, Faster, Better... Cheaper!

[@mateuszwardzynski]

Just a comment to increase the reach....cuz i really like suunto. i want to make suunto great again. i dont want you to stop reviewing suunto...

[@rudydegreef6152]

I'm glad they keep it simple and don't go after everyone with 100 different models and features. I don't need a microphone and speaker or a dive option and so on. You make nice review. Thank you

[@fabricioluna2621]

Great review as usual. Suunto 9 baro titanium user... Still going strong with it. Happy birthday.... 40's are the new 20's....cheers from México.

[@AndrewAllgaier]

BATTERY: I got the Race S about 3 weeks ago and was honestly a little disappointed with the battery... getting 3 days at most with out of the box settings. BUT, I'm very happy to report that after running through a few charging cycles the batter is performing MUCH better. AOD turned on, 45-60 min GPS activity most days and I'm now getting 5 days, which is more what Suunto is advertising. No idea why the battery had to sort itself out. Also worth nothing that battery life during GPS activities is awesome. Love Coros but don't love MIP screen. I also love my Apple Watch Ultra but hate the battery life. The Suunto Race S seems to find a perfect balance with the AMOLED screen and decent battery life.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Thanks for sharing!

[@christopherennen458]

Had my Race S for almost 2 weeks and working great so far! Great review!

[@rpgeraltofrivia4626]

Hows the battery?

[@christopherennen458]

@@rpgeraltofrivia4626 The daily battery is ok. Not sure it would live up to the advertised. I’ve been topping off the charge every few days. It does charge fast. The GPS estimated battery seems accurate.

[@MathisPct]

Hows the HR sensor ? Do you encounter any problems ?

[@christopherennen458]

@@MathisPct HR sensor seems in line with expectations. I did one run using Wahoo arm strap paired to phone. Compared using the DC Rainmaker analyzer and the HR was virtually identical.

[@mart2.n]

Can you use navigation without a phone?

[@joisaiplu]

Just update your race and it will be as fast as the s for the Ui ;) the Ui was rebuild from scratch in the last update and so all models benefits of the new performance, as far as I know there is nothing like new cpu in the watch only Ohr was changed

[@JasonRaneses]

It’s a banger at CTS. No need to apologize for the video length, it’s just about right on most or your content.

[@dreamer_510]

@ChaseTheSummit I'm pretty sure this watch is going to be a best seller. I do have a Vertical and I'm seriously considering the Race S for my ultras. It would be very interesting is you can review the battery life disabling bluetooth or notifications (the same you did with the FR965 when talking about using for a 100 Miller). This watch has a lot of potential and nobody has done this yet . Thanks for the fantastic review

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I’ve got another 100 miler next week. It might just be on my wrist! Stay tuned!

[@dreamer_510]

​@@ChaseTheSummitfantastic!!! Can't wait to see that report 😊

[@vayde]

@chasethesummit did you wear it for the 100 miler?

[@tommyrunner]

@@ChaseTheSummit would be perfect to get to know what is a limit for this watch in ultras // I am waiting for my parcel - Suunto Race S (orange)

[@ActiveIdeas]

Yess Dave! 🔥 As always, a fantastic video.. I’m looking forward to seeing how other brands respond 🙈 It’s definitely a good time to be a sports watch fan 🫢

[@kogeisan]

Thx for this review. The Race S is excellent (coming from a wrist baro HR)... the form factor/size regarding all the functions. Clearly a success!

[@LorBais]

Great review! I'm sure I'll buy the Garmin965 or, alternatively, the Suunto RaceS! With Garmin you can navigate turn by turn directly from the watch, while Suunto Race S, at the moment, no...Garmin has NFC, Suunto no...🤔🤔🤔

[@igortadic6662]

Great video my friend, do you have plan to test Suunto Ocean

[@pg5470]

Great review! What would you chose - Garmin FR964 or Suunto Race/Race S? Watch mainly for hiking, running and biking ;)

[@truesf345]

The fact it’s better, smaller and cheaper is setting a standard, this watch puts other companies on notice .

[@taylorgiles4844]

galaxy watch ultra just dropped we need you thoughts!!!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Coming very soon!

[@marschelvincentius1177]

Nice review. Any thoughts about the HR Accuracy during weight training?

[@MrYoHeli]

I’ve got mine on 05.07, great watch!

[@ahmedelshahawi]

Would you choose sunnto race s or the apex 2 pro if you don’t care about the screen difference

[@PlayBetterGO]

loving the new Suunto watch!

[@GarminPro]

I have a pace 3 but this watch is the best looking to me on the market.

Suunto is back in the game! I would add the NFC payments as well. Also - why does the screen keep turning off when you look at it? It is throughout the whole video...

[@ChaseTheSummit]

NFC would be nice! Yes, this is an AMOLED display and not an MIP display like older watches. Because of that the display does time out and turn off to preserve battery. There is an "always on" mode but even in that mode the display will dim down to a very low level. AMOLED is super bright and vibrant but cannot stay on like an MIP display without burning through battery or damaging the screen.

@@ChaseTheSummit can you set the time out? I don't see anything similar on my Apple watch with amoled displey.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I don't think there's a time-out setting

[@JamesSmith-or2ut]

We need an app that works with all the data of garmin watches aswell as suunto or coros watches. So we can stay in one app ecosystem...

[@HNedel]

For that all manufacturers need to come together and agree on a common standard bluetooth interface. Like what smart home did with Matter. Very unlikely to happen, but you never know

[@petersteinlechner8493]

I use Strava for that

[@jeff_aurand]

There's an ios app called Rungap that can move data automatically between ecosystems. I have no connection to them. And there are probably other services that can do this. You do have to be OK with a third party app potentially accessing the data as it's in transit.

[@hugoliria]

It's called Strava

[@oliveraretz3504]

I was looking at that as well , but only found strava - would you know any other free or paid solution? Would training peaks be an option?

[@dimitris7505]

How about that new Coros Pace Pro in comparison? Waiting for the review.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

👀

[@1234Lino1234]

thanks for your nice sportwatch review. btw where is this place, just mansion after mansion :D

[@priscillawalker677]

Fantastic video - does the S have the torch function as well? Very tempted by this - love the pink option!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

It uses the screen as a torch which can be mapped to one of the buttons as a shortcut. It works but it's not like a dedicated flashlight like on Garmin.

[@PTLAPTA]

Pretty crazy that it's made here in Finland 😳

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Very cool! Glad to see them bring it back in-house!

[@anthonytorgerson4175]

Great review. Can you pair stryd and core sensors to it? Can you use more than one of the suunto plus options?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yup, Suunto natively supports Stryd and Core can be added with a Suunto Plus app.

[@LicardoFPV]

Hi, good video as always! What tool do you use to compare that heart rate data?

[@aitoribargurenlarrarte2032]

Would you recommend race (379€ with discount) over a race S (349€)? Nice content! Thanks!

[@ak_777-d5k]

Race S is better, updated HR sensor (Chest band is already best for HR accuracy) but overall Race S is better technology over all from my research.

[@akremamara8349]

I've been using a Huawei GT Runner for a year and a half, so I decided to change and give Suunto Race S a try. If we compare the two watches screen capabilities and functionalities, the GT Runner is way better. The screen is bigger, brighter and more reactive. Except the mapping capability, The GT can do everything the Race S does and can also call from it and store music on it. To be honest, I'm a bit disappointed. The Huawei watches are way better than these running watches from Garmin, Coros and Suunto.

[@sebastiento9695]

You're probably more into the 'smart watch' features than the 'sport watch' features. A pretty watch vs. a fitness watch. The Huawei watch doesn't have the best GPS, nor record TSB, CTL, or Heart Rate Variability.

[@ΔΗΜΗΤΡΗΣΑΝΔΡΙΚΟΥΛΑΣ]

Great review, thanks. Is it in your intentions to review Suunto ocean?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Thanks! Unlikely to review the ocean since it’s mainly a dive/marine watch and I am a land based creature lol

[@neon_ballroom]

Happy belated birthday Dave!! As always, great video! Anyway does the race s has AOD during workout mode? Thanks! 👍🏼

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Thanks! Yes it does have an Always On mode. However even in AOD it will dim down to a very low level.

[@joelpepin3392]

Nice review

[@altronauta]

Great as usual😎 How about Running Power?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yup, supports running power from the wrist and it also supports Stryd sensors natively.

[@altronauta]

@@ChaseTheSummit reliable? (asking 4 a friend with a pacer pro 🤓)

[@ChaseTheSummit]

@@altronauta Seems very reliable so far!

[@altronauta]

​@@ChaseTheSummitthx🙏

[@amirrahman6468]

some people love mip screen, some people love amoled screen, it depends on your needs, if you focus on ultra battery life and always do outdoor long activities such as mountaineering, hiking, or any adventure that require long battery life, mip screen would be your best choice, if you are athlete that focus on track running, road running, gym rat, training hybrid sports, cyclist that coming back home at few hours, amoled screen would be your great choice (adventure person takes the MIP screen) (healthy lifestyle takes amoled screen) this is my own opinion, if you guys have your own thoughts feel free to share in the comment, THANKS!!

[@johanrr4]

I hope they make an updated version of the regular race. It seems amazing but the no Sapphire and the battery life is a deal breaker for me.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

They recently released a firmware update to the original Race that improves the lag but unfortunately I don't think anything can be done about the HR sensor.

[@AndrewAllgaier]

Got the Race S about 2 weeks ago and love it so far. Battery though… I’m getting 3 days max for regular use. How are you getting 7 days??

[@ChaseTheSummit]

@@AndrewAllgaier do you have always on display turned on?

[@AndrewAllgaier]

Thanks for the reply. Yes. Suunto says 5 days with AOD turned on but I get 3 tops. I’m still testing a bunch of settings to figure out how to get closer to the 5…. Turned off notifications, haptics, etc. Solid battery performance during runs though, so that’s good. Great videos, keep it up. I love testing new watches too, and spend more than I should on them 😂

[@AndrewAllgaier]

Ok so here’s a setting that I am unable to find… perhaps it’s not available? HR readings, particularly during sleep. I think this is what’s is hogging battery. It’s always checking vs Coros where you can change it from always to every 10 min (talking about everyday use, not during activities).

[@jeffreytillack4709]

Great video Dave. Got ahold of the UTMB edition and done a few runs. The oHR has been pretty spot on against my Apple Ultra so no complaints. It’s an impressive build quality.

[@constantinvijoli]

Suunto Race S titanium or Coros Pace Pro? Maps and navigation, battery, Ecosystem and app...

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I've got a whole video planned on the topic. Stay tuned!

[@yayTerenceyay]

Do you plan on reviewing the CMF watch pro 2? I’ve seen mixed reviews but only trust your vids

[@ChaseTheSummit]

It's not really something I'm interested in but I'll dig a little deeper.

[@aegis__]

Hi dude❤. I Love your videos. Like for U. 955 vs suunto race. Wich one?😊

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Tough call, the 955 has more features and more advanced navigation. The Race S has an AMOLED display which you may prefer along with better build quality.

[@aegis__]

@@ChaseTheSummit gps accuracy is the same?

[@hadl3133]

Wondering if you've played w their integration with the Hammerhead cycling computer.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Not yet

[@hadl3133]

@@ChaseTheSummit having an integrated solution would be great between their watch, app and bike computer. thanks for the review!

[@KwyjiboVanDeKamp]

I think this pricing is pretty aggressive and the competition now needs to rethink their pricings. In the end we customers are profiting from it!

[@lingjunrao6174]

Any opinions on this one vs the 9pp? Currently on sale for $249

[@Mdogbrown]

Have you updated the regular suunto race? I heard latest update fixes lag. Is that true?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

@@Mdogbrown haven’t noticed but I’ll take another look!

[@maewni13]

Between Garmin 265 and Suunto Race S which one the best

[@ChaseTheSummit]

"Best" is subjective. The Suunto Race S has a better build quality and it has offline mapping. The Garmin is plastic but also slightly lighter and provides more useful wellness data in my opinion with Body Battery, and Training Readiness.

[@MarcoCipriani-j8i]

HI the race tells me the gradient of the climb if I do repeated runs?

[@vikeshnarielwala6732]

Yes looks like a good watch. Can you recommend a fitness watch around 400$ max. I run and workout each thrice a week and once a month go hiking. Need something for a long time with good app support. Not so much inclined towards having music as i generally dont listen to music. Your suggestion will be highly appreciated. Thanks!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Sounds like this Suunto would be a good fit for you!

[@vikeshnarielwala6732]

But how is the app support the metrics about running in Sunnto. Is it of the level of Garmin or Coros?

[@pcmania1238]

Between this and forerunner 265

[@sebastiento9695]

So torn between the Race and Race S, I'd ideally prefer the Race (especially in titanium) for the bigger screen and better battery, but my wrists are pretty thin at 15.5cm :( would it look too big?

[@Jeronimoooo]

Yes with the size of your wrist i would recommend getting the girl version of this watch

[@sebastiento9695]

@@Jeronimoooo what do you mean by girl version lol men can have thin wrists too, just like women can have thick wrists

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I’d go Race S. Not only is the form factor smaller but it’s got a better HR sensor and it’s more responsive.

[@sebastiento9695]

@@ChaseTheSummit really appreciate your expert feedback 😊 I ordered the Race S today 🙌 can't wait!

[@DirtCheapFU]

OMG They copied the Ultra 2. Just kidding. I love Suunto. That Race S looks really sleek. Suunto is a very practical and fun for what they do, and to have while deployed. Not a fan of their watch bands though. They always seem to dry out or dry rot due to sweat, muddy and dry climates.

[@colonelbean]

I’m torn between this and the Garmin 965. I’m a big Strava user and would like to be able to use maps to follow a route on foot or bike. I’m not interested in music, NFC, or phone notifications. Can anyone recommend from experience?

[@markhofman3088]

How much more battery do the maps drain while navigating during an activity?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

In high accuracy mode you’ll lose about 10 hours so more like 20 instead of 30.

[@TimoSea97]

Does someone know where I can find a list of the possible sport modes? I would like to know if golf and sailing are one of them..

[@wojtekkos341]

Nice watch but... I'm still stick with Garmin 🤷

[@yonan3232]

the only thing keeping me is NFC payment, really

[@NiktoPH]

Hello and thx

[@luisrazormax2861]

Suunto race s for 5 years from 2024, will it still have updates from suunto..like future proof?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Hard to tell the future. I would assume it will continue to be supported but unknown if they'll add more features.

[@luisrazormax2861]

@@ChaseTheSummit i choose the latest version for better investment

[@betopicotto]

Can you turn off wrist gesture to wake the screen and just turn it on with "touch to wake"?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yup

[@betopicotto]

@@ChaseTheSummit Thanks!

[@mantiscity]

Does the app need to stay open in the background like Garmin? Is there any watch that does not need to have the app open for iPhone?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

That's an iPhone thing and not specific go Garmin. So yes.

[@juliensommacal4521]

Salut, si tu avais le choix entre une Suunto Race et une Suunto Race S, tu choisirais laquelle ? Merci

[@stephanemorin9254]

Prend la race s car la.mesure hr est meilleur

[@davidwolf6927]

thank you for this nice review: one question: I do not plan to wear this watch during the night - does it still provide me with heart rate variance and stress level values? ty

[@ChaseTheSummit]

If you're not sleeping with it you won't get nightly HRV data and the Body Resource function won't provide any meaningful information. You'll still get stress and HR values though.

[@davidwolf6927]

@@ChaseTheSummit thank you!

[@levolvik5231]

Why is the Suunto 9 peak pro the same price, given the race s seems to be much better?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Good question, I’d rather have the Race S 😂

[@levolvik5231]

Just bought the race s after your review 😂 was eyeballing the peak pro before but the race s seems to be superior in most areas

[@enezikhalid502]

do you think this would work okay for a 16cm wrist?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

@@enezikhalid502 that’s about the size of mine. So yeah!

[@MrHuyspeter]

Is this suunto having a live track feature?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

No live track yet

[@MrHuyspeter]

@@ChaseTheSummit Not yet meaning it's on the horizon?

[@joyaclub]

Any word of this Race S coming in a titanium finish?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

No word but it seems unlikely as they are trying to keep the price down. I would guess a titanium version would be $100 more.

[@joyaclub]

@@ChaseTheSummit Looks like there might be one after all. :)

[@senjo24553]

Hi can i connect that in my Bike computer to see my heart rate on the screen?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yes

[@_J.F_]

What does "45 mm form factor mean?" I am guessing from the context that it just a strange way of saying size, or is it maybe because there is an agreed industry standard for sports watch sizes?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Right, it's the diameter of the watch. The standard "mid range" sport watch form factor is typically between 45 and 47mm.

[@_J.F_]

@@ChaseTheSummit Thanks. I thought it was the size you were talking about but you never know when the industry might actually come up with a form factor as they seem to like to streamline everything. It wouldn't really make much sense with watch sizes though as it does with e.g. SIM cards and memory cards etc. that need to fit into a particular universal slot.

[@sebastiento9695]

​@@_J.F_how would you personally measure a watch size?

[@_J.F_]

@@sebastiento9695 In millimetres as the watch industry tends to do. My question was regarding the term "form factor" though, which I think is misleading as there, to my knowledge, is no official form factor in the watch industry.

[@sebastiento9695]

@@_J.F_ aah i guess so, it'd only be a standard for modern watches with screens, anything under 44mm would inherit a small screen which can make things harder to read, so naturally modern smartwatches would carry a larger case size than conventional watches. For ex: on my 16mm wrist a smart watch with a case size of 49mm would look ridiculous on me, way too big and bulky

[@DeneF]

They all look like they should be called the Suunto Big Bezel to me. Great video. Many thanks.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

This one isn't so bad!

[@luisrazormax2861]

Garmin 255 or suunto race s?usage for the next 3 yeara

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I'd probably lean towards the Race S if you're not already invested in the Garmin ecosystem.

[@luisrazormax2861]

@ChaseTheSummit just bought suunto race s here in Malaysia..happy for my choice. i will test Garmin watch in the future, but right now, suunto race s seems more appealing. Thanks for your opinion

[@ΜιχάληςΠαπαδάκης-ψ8ν]

can i put a garmin heart rate monitor on the watch ?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yes

[@kokonstant]

Would you say it's more a competitor to the forerunner 265 or 965? Just trying to compare pears with pears here.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

It's more of a 965 competitor but the 965 still has some advantages like better mapping and music support. The Suunto S has advantages in build quality and probably slightly better GPS accuracy by a slim margin.

[@JozefKVLK]

Are any other watchfaces to download?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

You can browse additional watfaces in the Suunto app.

[@JozefKVLK]

@@ChaseTheSummit Does it detect naps?

[@caiobarreto1589]

Not made in china 🙌🏻

[@davidramirez.2269]

New to this brand but I’m a Wildland firefighter can you pull latitude and longitude off this watch ? I did not watch the video so bear with me

[@leodoingthings1706]

Great update, wont be buying suunto tillthey add music, offline payments n solar in one pack. Solar is optional for such watch. But for these prices with internal memory they could really do that. Not a fan of taking my phone in a run.

[@roelvaneyken211]

So sad the Finns sold Suunto to the Chinese....

[@Soldatinoable]

Cool review