Wow, The Suunto Race, In-Depth Review!!!

Here's my Suunto Race review. This is an Endurance performance focused GPS watch with over +95 different sports modes, a bright AMOLED touch screen display, and and a massive battery life all at a very reasonable $450 dollars.
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[@mlegrand]

Here's the best place to buy: amzn.to/3ylPSeY

[@n3krotzar]

I have Suunto race since October 2023. After half a year of using it for running swimming trail running cycling triathlon strength training I agree that pool swimming needs some improvements. Regarding the heart rate inconsistencies you and also many other reviewers mentioned. For me wrist HR has worked flawlessly so much so that although i'm not a reviewer i decided to do some testing against my polar Vantage V paired with a h10 chest strap. Suunto was spot on in all trail runs and pool swimming hr measuring. Maybe because my skin is definitely darker than yours, who knows. I don't know. For me its the best sports watch that i ever had whether it was Timex, Garmin, Polar, Huawei etc

[@mlegrand]

That is awesome news! So glad you've had good luck with the heart rate data. I've tried a few things to get it to be more consistent but haven't had good luck with it yet. Still, it's a fantastic watch. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@joaopaulomatos4270]

as a long Suunto user, they really nailed on with the Race. I bought one in January this year and I don't have any issues, including the HR. Maybe it is my skin, use position or I really not caring this much, because I am not that serious in my training. As a matter of fact not that different from my previous Spartan Trainer, which btw still works flawless after six years. Excellent review, as always, Matt.

[@mlegrand]

Thank you! Glad you’re enjoying the Race. It’s such a great option.

[@jokaman03]

Great review as always! The intro is top tier

[@mlegrand]

Thank you very much for the kind words. I enjoy making that part of these.

[@YoeriNijs]

Really great video, Matt! I enjoyed watching it, beautiful shots! Hopefully Suunto is adding drill mode soon. Totally agree with you that it should be there.

[@mlegrand]

Thank you! I think Suunto is focussed on running but us swimmers wouldn't mind a few little things to make tracking workouts a bit more accurate. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@YoeriNijs]

@@mlegrand Thanks! Do you have any experience with open water swimming accuracy? According to DCR it is quite bad, but I consider the Race as triathlon watch only if the accuracy is acceptable...

[@mlegrand]

@@YoeriNijs - I haven't tested that yet and I sent this watch back to Suunto. I will probably do a 'Best Open Water' watch video again at some point with all the watches that I have here but generally Garmins do well.

[@livelifewildher]

Thank you for a great review. I have been using the Suunto Baro 9 for several years and it's been a great watch but I am ready to upgrade. I have been considering the Sunnto Race as the price is fantastic and I like the Suunto app. Seems the Race might be my next purchase.

[@mlegrand]

It's pretty awesome. The heart rate wasn't perfect for me so if you're doing a workout that is heart rate critical, I'd suggest a heart rate strap. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@ryanmullins5085]

Have been using the Race about a month now but was still looking forward to your review. Agreed on the charger being less than ideal. Fortunately battery life is long enough that it’s not a huge deal. If I needed to charge every day I’m sure I would hate it OHR is definitely weak, but I knew that going in from all the other reviews. Fortunately I’m perfectly fine wearing my H10

[@mlegrand]

Yeah, the H10 is such a nice HRM. Super accurate. I'm glad you've had good luck with the Suunto Race. So far, I've been very very impressed. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@bonn1771]

Solid intro Great review Matt.... Wish they have swim drill. Ant+ and better hr monitor. But good for price point Happy training.

[@mlegrand]

Thanks buddy! Hope training is going well for you this season also!

[@mplatinum]

Great review, and super beautiful macro shots⌚️🔍🔎📸

[@mlegrand]

Thank you! I really enjoy that part of making these videos! Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@mplatinum]

Thank you for fast answer, Matt !!!superb work , such quality of macro pictures works like magic, I watched like a documentary movie about sport watches :))

[@TheManWithTwoWatches]

AMOLED or MIP screen, the important choice for a watch… Thanks for the detailed review 😎

[@mlegrand]

Thanks! Hope all is well!

[@fitgearhunter]

Love this and so glad you are trying your first Suunto! Isn't it a freaking crazy unbelievable build quality and overall experience for the cost?! I was just blown away by it. The OHR was unfortunately just too terrible to not be a dealbreaker, but still I have thought about that watch ever since I tested it because it probably is my favorite design. Thank you so much for the video that was awesome!

[@mlegrand]

Totally agree! Thank you!

[@fabii85]

How is the OHR in "rest time" compared with other brands?

[@fabii85]

How is the OHR in "rest time" compared with other brands?

[@iim_human]

I think Garmin has gotten everyone so used to cheaper plastic hardware even when paying several hundred dollars, that $550 for titanium seems unbelievable! I was shocked when I got the Venu 3s for $430 and it was mostly plastic with a “stainless steel bezel” seems more like aluminum, but it’s such a small portion of the watch that it doesn’t even matter. I was SHOCKED 😮. It just didn’t feel premium at all. I ultimately ended up going with a more affordable option, not because of the affordability but because of the software, the Forerunner 165. However for the $249 price point, it’s more reasonable to have a plastic body on that one vs a $400+ device. With Garmin I feel like you pay for the name and software….not really the hardware for most of their watches.

[@mlegrand]

@@iim_human - I actually just reviewed the FR 166 here on this channel. Great device for the price.

[@struanmills5710]

Thanks Matt. Yet another great review. You always put a lot of thought into your content and love the NW mountain views. In your opinion would the Race be good for hiking as well as trail running? i.e. is the navigation good enough. And is the race better than the Coros Apex 2 Pro in this regards? Or is there a better watch at this price point that hikers and trail runners should consider?

[@mlegrand]

I think the Suunto Race would be an excellent option. I'd probably also be looking at some sort of sale Fenix or Epix watch from Garmin. amzn.to/3RgZRbT

[@ActiveIdeas]

When are you running a bootcamp for how to shoot intros and sexy AF b-roll? Cause I'll sign up 🤣Great review Matt!

[@mlegrand]

Ha!!! In person over beers!

[@ActiveIdeas]

@@mlegrand that’s more like it! 🍻 The dream is to do a 200 miler over your way ✈️ 🏃🏽‍♂️ so hopefully soon!

[@ChristianSlagter]

@mlegrand thank you for the review, always love your visuals. I'm looking for a smartwatch to track my soccer games, cycling, little bit of hiking and overall health. I'm debating between the Suunto Race and the Garmin Epix Gen 2 Sapphire, any advice?

[@mlegrand]

I'd say if you need the HR to be more accurate, I'd go for the Epix Gen 2. I've seen it on sale recently: amzn.to/44IPIdI Overall, they are both great.

[@salvadorreyeszuniga6112]

Amazing visuals! Thank you for the review. Do you know if it can broadcast heart rate to external devices? This is a very useful feature I use with my Garmin watch in very long rides when a heart rate strap becomes uncomfortable.

[@mlegrand]

No broadcast heart rate that I’m aware of. It’s possible that I missed it but I am also not sure I’d want the more questionable wrist data personally.

[@teeramate]

Good Vid Matt !! you're john harris of gadget review 👍🏻👍🏻. I like both Race & Vertical ,but I won't buy util it's come out with better HR version ( maybe next one ) Have you hear anything about garmin instinct 3 ? ?

[@mlegrand]

I have heard zero details about the Instinct 3. Seems like it's got to be on the way right? I really loved the Instinct 2X so I'm excited for the 3 whenever it comes out. 🤞🏻 Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@jonathantimm4645]

I just bought one of these used for $200. I am currently trying it out. This might get me to sell my Epix Pro (which I love). I really like the look of the Race and so far it does what I need it to do.

[@mlegrand]

Wow, the Epix Pro is pretty amazing. I think I’d miss the built in flashlight 🔦 but $200 is an amazing deal. Nice find!!!

[@jonathantimm4645]

@@mlegrand I love the Epix Pro too. The flashlight constantly comes in handy. The one on the Race is pretty good too but not the same thing. It reminds me of the one on the Apple Watch Ultra. It is going to be difficult to commit to just one watch.

[@JasonRaneses]

Nice review. What watch is your daily driver at this point? IIRC you were rotating between the AWU 1/2 and Garmin Epix or otherwise before.

[@mlegrand]

It's hard for me to really call any watch a daily driver because I'm always testing multiple watches. I always wear two watches. Right now I have on the Garmin FR 165 and a COROS Pace 3 because those are upcoming videos. But I also really like the Garmin Enduro 2 because it has a flashlight. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@KonstantinosDouros]

I think it's one of the few watches that can compete with Garmin. Would you choose it at its titanium case over an Epix Gen 2 if they both costed 550? I just have some doubts because of its laggy menu as it is presented. And the lack of Spotify and paying with the watch is also important to me. But it looks better! And has sapphire and titanium. Tough choice ! Thanks for the beautifully directed video! Aren't you thinking of presenting us some videos of your training or races ? It would be fun!

[@mlegrand]

I should make some more training and racing videos. That would be run. I think I'd pick the Epix over this strictly because I like the way Garmin does it's swimming stuff. Music and paying aren't as important to me but we're all different. $550 for the Epix Gen 2 is a pretty good deal. 👌🏻

[@NoahArmstrong-nm8wz]

Hey, do you know if you can have a white background for the data screen when in an activity? (Like garmin and coros)

[@mlegrand]

Not that I know of.

[@chrisgore77]

I was really considering purchasing this watch. Suunto seems like a decent company with a lot of history. I just couldn’t get over the lag with the UI that reviewers were talking about. Were they able to fix that?

[@mlegrand]

Once the watch is awake, I don't experience a lot of lag. I'm guessing the watch cycles down to conserve battery life and that can result in a huge amount of lag when the watch has to cycle back up and become responsive. Garmin watches can some times have the same issue. I haven't followed it closely enough to know if Suunto issues a software correction for the issue. 🤷🏻‍♂️ Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@jeffrunner2701]

Matt, do you think the Coros heart rate monitor that wears on the arm would be as accurate as a chest strap?

[@mlegrand]

Those arm monitors are excellent. Technically the HR chest strap should still be more accurate as long as it's getting a decent connection. It's picking up on the electrical firing within the heart. But chest straps can have issues if the skin drys out under the strap. Optical HRMs tend to have issues with the bony wrist area because of the bounce and movement. Moving it up the arm tends to improve quality a lot. Hope all is well with you Jeff!

[@radoslavstoev4550]

This watch would be an absolute banger if it had better heart rate monitor. I have the Pace 3 and would love to have something a little bit more premium looking, but I can't justify buying something that is less accurate for almost double the price.

[@mlegrand]

I would say that this watch's GPS is more accurate and the HR is less. That Pace 3 is a fantastic option. Such a good value. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@anthonyrampino7734]

Great video! All I currently have is an Apple Watch 6 and I’ve been looking at Suunto, coros vertix 2s and the polar grid x2 pro looks nice. How do you think they compare and how user friendly they are with their ecosystem?

[@mlegrand]

Well, the Apple Watch Series 6 was a good watch. I think there are things you will miss about it. But any of these watches are going to be a huge battery life improvement. I haven't tested the Polar Grit X2 Pro yet but right now I might lean towards the Suunto. It's a great device. Ecosystem is solid. There are probably other watches that are better for swimming but it's all the little stuff I talk about in this video towards the end. Best of luck and don't hesitate to reach out if you have any more questions. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@anthonyrampino7734]

@@mlegrand thanks, I appreciate it! I do have another question. Which one does a better job with the maps and navigation? I hear that Garmin is the best but I’ve also heard Garmin is more complicated to use. But I also like the watch to have a sapphire lens for durability.

[@mlegrand]

@@anthonyrampino7734 - Garmin does make a watch with a sapphire lens display for durability. It's just expensive. Here's one that is on sale currently: amzn.to/44IPIdI (still expensive even with it being $200 off 🤦‍♂)

[@anthonyrampino7734]

@@mlegrand between Suunto, Polar and Coros which one do you think is best at maps and navigation and ease of use? And thanks for the Garmin link.

[@mlegrand]

@@anthonyrampino7734 - ​​⁠ - Tricky to say but I had good results with this Suunto. The trails I run here in the PNW were all on here. 👍

[@MorrisGruiters]

Can you give any advice on the charging of the Race? I so often place the watch on the charger and it indicates it is charging only to find out in the morning that nothing happened. I t happens to me more often that it didn''t charge than it actually charged. Any tips or better chargers available that you know of?

[@mlegrand]

Oh yeah, I’ve also had issues with this charger. I think I mentioned it in this video. It’s an odd issues and I haven’t seen any better third party options yet. Although, seems like that would be a killer product. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@MorrisGruiters]

@@mlegrand Well, I just found the KWMobile charger on Amazon and it's much better than the original. It has a stronger magnet which makes sure the watch clicks more securely in position and remains there. The cable is also longer. Can definitely recommend for it's price less than 20 EUR/USD.

[@worldsmart02]

How is this compared to Garmin Epix Pro . Is screen size different

[@mlegrand]

Yes, this has a slightly different size than the Epix Pro. The Epix Pro comes in three sizes and this is just the one size (1.43 inch screen)

[@KoosDijkstra-cg6iy]

Hello, can you tell me how I can connect Suunto Race to the Zycle Z-Bike 2.0

[@mlegrand]

I’m not familiar with the Zcycle Z-bike 2.0.

[@farulkalra]

what would you prefer? Garmin Forerunner 265 or Suunto Race? i have a forerunner 265 , is suunto race better?

[@mlegrand]

It really depends on what you like to do. If you’re into swimming the 265 is significantly better in my opinion. GPS accuracy is similar between the two and the HR is obviously better on the 265. But the Suunto is made with excellent materials. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@filalves]

@mlegrand Hi Between Suunto Race and Coros Apex 2 pro, what is your opinion?

[@mlegrand]

Suunto Race in my opinion. I’ve really been enjoying this one. Oh, you might want an affordable HR monitor to go along with it. 😬

[@filalves]

My problem is the Watch use 😅 I will get back to running but, i am a fitness and group Trainer. I do a LOT of indoor cardio, and indoor cycling. So, paired with my polar h10, i want a device for hrv, training load, etc. my fear is coros “raw” data and running focused usage. And my other fear is Suunto bad hr acc, since to get a good hrv result, the ohr must be accurate

[@RumbleBack-iz3tl]

The Suunto and the materials are really great. Garmin looks like very cheap in comparison to the Suunto race or vertical

[@mlegrand]

Yeah, and the slight design of the high-end materials is fantastic. Great device. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@robertomarin8260]

Es excelente

[@mlegrand]

Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@msakarito]

Between Race and garmin 265 which one u recommend

[@mlegrand]

Well everyone has different needs and priorities. The Race is probably more durable due to the materials. The 265 has a bit more features, more accurate HR and better swim support. Hard to suggest one without knowing a lot more about you.

[@LaurentSoh]

Is Suunto App & Store unique? like does Garmin do the same?

[@mlegrand]

Sorry, can I get a little more clarification on what you’re asking?

[@LaurentSoh]

@@mlegrand i have recently purchased this watch. and is excited with the Suunto app store whereby there are programme for us to run test. such as anaerobic threshold test.

[@tadejdanev5030]

does SUUNTO have anything online like GARMIN CONNECT'?

[@mlegrand]

As far as I know, there is no web interface for the Suunto mobile app. I like their mobile app but it'd be nice to see some sort of desktop app here as well. I also found it easy to export data and use third party desktop or web applications. Good question Tadej. Thanks for posting this.

[@RumbleBack-iz3tl]

There is no deal in that price range at all. The Suunto race is sooo great

[@mlegrand]

The Amazfit Falcon is $500, so right in between the two prices of the Suunto Race. But I much prefer the features of the Race personally.

[@boykannor]

hey bro is the watch suunto compatible pairing with ios devices thanks

[@mlegrand]

I used an iPhone to pair with this Sunnto Race watch and didn't have any issues with the pairing process. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@boykannor]

@@mlegrand even if im using iphone 15 pro max does it work on it the suunto vertical cause i really want that watch because of the style and uniqueness please give me your honest opinion on it when it comes to pairing with ios thanks bro!

[@mlegrand]

@@boykannor - The bluetooth should be the same on the Suunto Race as the Suunto Vertical but the watch communicates with the iPhone for syncing data, seeing that data on the smart phone and sending notifications over to the watch. These bluetooth connections can get disconnected from time to time but otherwise it should work.

[@boykannor]

@@mlegrand thank you so much for the quick and honest response to my messages.. honestly, im saving my money for that watch thats why im seeking information before buying so it would not be a waste money for me. thank u again and will ask again for some information and hope to hear from u on my queries thanks again

[@zoltanl8056]

650-800+ $ watches arent the best comparison as alternative for a 450$ watch...why not just say that for 450$ no Garmins are giving offline maps, now, that would be a fair statement and comparison!

[@mlegrand]

Good call Zoltan! Overall, I'm super impressed with the price point of this Suunto Race. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@tonyg7143]

As a competitive swimmer my view of Sunnto watches (following Ambit Days) are awful, for swimmers it rarely recognises strokes correctly, no drill functions (as you mentioned) buggy length counts, don't move your arm in rest periods or else it will count as a length.

[@mlegrand]

Yeah, it’s not a watch I’d recommend for swimmers. 😬 I still think Garmin makes the best lap swimming watches. Even the more affordable Garmins.

[@mikestewart5387]

vs the 965. Thoughts?

[@mlegrand]

I guess it depends on what you like to do. I'd say the 965 is great for swimming but the Suunto Race is a bit more durable.

[@vcc1314]

Its heart rate sensor is inaccurate compared with Garmin.

[@mlegrand]

That’s what I’ve noticed during my testing. You can see it in some of the charts in this video. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@ngocduy2179]

Still looks laggy on the UI 😢

[@mlegrand]

I have a theory that some of these companies slow down the clock speed of the CPU to reduce battery life usage when it’s not actively being used and then speed it back up when the user starts making their first interactions with the watch. Making that first interaction super super laggy. But it’s just a theory.

[@carloscssr]

Garmin is Garmin. No other beats them 💪💪💪

[@mlegrand]

They have some very strong offerings but it’s great to see some great competitive options out here.

[@MrHenkfromHolland]

Fool 😅

[@mauricior8550]

There is one issue : The "made in china" .

[@mlegrand]

Very good point. It’s getting harder and harder to find made in America. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍