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Discovering the correct GPS watch is value some research time as a result of it’s a excessive ticket piece of substances and also you need it meet your wants! Let’s have a look at Suunto vs Polar health watches to see how they stack up.
A number of key variations in Suunto vs Polar:
- Suunto feels prefer it needs to be the for rugged gritty particular person. Google integrations make it extra Android like.
- Polar is targeted on enhancing the main points of your coaching – most correct HR, GPS.
In case you’re trying to buy your first GPS look ahead to operating, take a look at my submit on GPS watch errors to not make, so that you don’t find yourself getting greater than what you want and spending extra money than vital.
This side-by-side comparability ought to show you how to higher perceive the totally different options and slender down your decisions.
Polar VS Suunto For Working
Let’s have a look at watches from low finish to excessive finish by each manufacturers. You’ll be have the ability to see how they match up and what would possibly greatest meet your operating wants.
Funds Working Watches
I wrestle a bit to place these in the identical class as a result of it appears like Suunto has fairly a bit extra included. The Polar Pacer is actually designed to be that scaled again entry stage watch.
Polar Pacer vs Suunto Race S
- Polar Pacer max battery life 35 hours, Suunto Race S GPS battery life as much as 30 hours
- Suunto contains Altimeter and maps
- Polar has 3 satellite tv for pc choices, Suunto has 5
- Polar weights 40g and Suunto heavier at 60g
- Each watches can be utilized for swimming
- Each provide HR monitoring and sleep monitoring
- Each monitor Distance, Energy Burned, Exercise, Sleep, Coronary heart Fee, Steps, Exercise Velocity, Time
Polar Pacer ($199)
That is now what’s thought of an entry stage operating watch and it has EVERYTHING together with good watch options. No have to overspend to only get the fundamental information you must run.
- Not Touchscreen
- 6 days Smartwatch mode
- 155 hours coaching mode
- No wrist mapping however you may observe a route and use back-to-start
- Accessible in 3 colours
For $100 extra you will get the Polar Pacer Professional. Examine our full evaluation of the Polar Pacer Professional right here >>
See my full evaluation of the Polar Pacer Professional (the upgraded entry stage) >>
Suunto Race S ($350)
Having eliminated many earlier fashions at a finances pleasant value that is now their entry stage watch and it contains EVERYTHING you may presumably want, particularly as a path runner. We all know it’s nonetheless the next worth level however it appears that evidently Suunto is actually phasing out their older fashions, even on web sites like REI and Amazon.
Options embrace fundamental capabilities + altitude measurement, route navigation and monitor again, interval exercise planner, operating cadence, and activity-based restoration time. I say throughout my testing, I discovered the HR monitor to be very unreliable.
- Touchscreen
- 13 days Smartwatch mode
- 30 hours Efficiency mode, 120 hours Tour mode
- Wrist mapping
- Accessible in 7 (!!) colours
Midrange Working Watches
Polar Vantage M3 vs Suunto Race
The variations begin to develop into extra obvious right here.
- Suunto Race max GPS battery life 30 hours, Polar M3 GPS battery life 30 hours
- Suunto Race is barely heavier at 83 grams to 53 grams Polar
- Suunto offers a superior map expertise
- Each watches can be utilized for swimming and a mess of different sports activities
- Each monitor Distance, Energy Burned, Exercise, Sleep, Coronary heart Fee, Steps, Exercise Velocity, Time
Polar Vantage M3 ($399)
Polar designed this look ahead to multi-sport athletes who love diving into information and are searching for instruments to assist them enhance their efficiency. Principally in case you are an athlete that loves having all of the bells and whistles at your fingertips, this watch can be an excellent match!
This watch will monitor operating, swimming, and biking and inform you your floor contact time steadiness, stride size, and extra.
- Touchscreen
- 7 days Smartwatch mode
- 30 hours Efficiency coaching mode
- No wrist mapping however you may observe a route and use back-to-start
- Accessible in 2 colours
See our full evaluation of the Polar Vantage M3 right here >>
Suunto Race ($399)
The Suunto Race is full of options designed for athletes who need to dive into the main points—suppose superior metrics, restoration insights, and even race preparation instruments.
For seasoned runners who love having a wealth of information at their fingertips (and who prioritize map and navigation options), this watch might be good for you.
- Touchscreen
- 30 hours Smartwach mode
- 50 hours Efficiency mode, 200 hours Tour mode
- Wrist mapping with full colour maps
- Accessible in 3 colours
Try our full evaluation of the Suunto Race right here >>
Excessive Finish Working Watches
You’ll discover with each excessive finish GPS watches that the value is dependent upon all of the options you need included. The extra involved you might be about sturdiness, altitude or climate extremes, the upper the value.
Polar Vantage V3 vs Suunto 9 Peak
- Suunto GPS battery life as much as 40 hours, Polar as much as 43 Hours in GPS mode
- Suunto is heavier at 84 grams to Polar 57 grams
- Suunto maps are nonetheless superior
- Polar has higher wrist primarily based HR monitoring
- Each watches can be utilized for swimming and a mess of different sports activities
- Each monitor Distance, Energy Burned, Exercise, Sleep, Coronary heart Fee, Steps, Exercise Velocity, Time
Polar Vantage V3 ($599)
As famous above that is the watch that I personally am operating in every day and loving wholeheartedly. I beforehand beloved the Vantage V, nevertheless it’s been improved upon with the screens and information that’s available.
- Touchscreen
- 10 days Smartwach mode
- 43 hours Efficiency coaching mode
- Wrist mapping with full colour maps
- Accessible in 4 colours
Suunto 9 Peak ($350)
The Suunto 9 is designed for endurance athletes who desire a lengthy battery life for day lengthy actions.
The Suunto 9 Baro features a barometer to supply extra correct altitude data and ascent/descent values. If storms are frequent the place you run, then the watch will provide you with a warning of unhealthy climate with a storm warning alarm.
- Not Touchscreen
- 21 days Smartwach mode
- 40 hours GPS mode
- Wrist mapping with full colour maps
- Accessible in 2 colours
Suunto vs Polar Function Comparability
Even essentially the most fundamental of GPS watches in the present day embrace the identical options corresponding to coronary heart charge monitor, tempo, distance, calorie monitoring, and lap perform.
The place the 2 manufacturers differ is within the {hardware}, coaching instruments, alerts, and extra information recording options.
Show and Monitoring – Tie
Each Polar and Suunto watches show customizable real-time information, corresponding to tempo, time, distance run, energy burned, and coronary heart charge, plus extra in the event you need. Each manufacturers even have wonderful satellite tv for pc tie ins, so they need to be equally correct on roads and trails.
Abstract data like common tempo, stride rely, and elevation acquire are all additionally out there real-time by the push of a button.
The largest distinction between the 2 manufacturers on this enviornment is available in show customization.
- Each Suunto and Polar mean you can make adjustments through their app to screens after which sync to the watch. No on the fly adjustments to show.
- Each watches have colour show.
- Suunto watches seem to have extra watch face designs that you could obtain. (particularly the Suunto 7OS)
Suunto has been making a giant deal of those SuuntoPlus screens out there on some modes, however minus the security/climate display screen they appear pretty much like information on many different watches.
Battery Life – Suunto
The Suunto 9 makes use of three totally different battery modes with built-in intelligence methods that estimate the remaining battery time left on a selected mode. If the watch notices that you just’re operating low on battery, it can recommend that you just swap to a unique mode.
In steady coaching mode, the Vantage V2 lasts 40 to 100 hours, relying on the settings, the place its Suunto competitor the 9 says it could possibly go 24 to 170 hours in several GPS mode.
- Carrying with HR on on a regular basis will imply you must cost watch slightly extra.
- Nonetheless as soon as every week charging might be the norm.
- Polar has an excellent quick cost.
Mapping and Navigation – Suunto
For these operating new routes or who generally tend to get circled throughout a run, the navigational options on Suunto and Polar watches will be sure to keep on target and return residence safely. (not out there on all fashions)
For backcountry people (whether or not operating, snowboarding, or mountaineering), Suunto is well-known for its altimeter and barometric capabilities that make off-trail navigation simpler and safer. Severe backcountry wanderers can even respect the barometric options out there from each manufacturers.
- Polar and Suunto maps provides you with a line to observe and inform you when to show
- For each you’ll plan your route after which load it to the watch
- Garmin can obtain a full topo map giving particulars concerning the space
How Correct is Suunto wrist HR?
Sadly this was the most important downfall of Suunto for me. In testing a number of totally different watches I couldn’t ever get a superb studying. To verify this wasn’t simply me, my husband examined it as effectively and we’d discover it exhibiting 165 whereas operating simply downhill.
On the flips aspect, Polar Vantage V and V2 completely crush on this division.
They’ve been essentially the most correct wrist primarily based readings, I’ve discovered since TomTom got here out a few years in the past.
Vital to know that the V and V2 have the next finish know-how than the decrease fashions, which provides to their accuracy.
Information Administration and Apps – Winner Suunto
In the summertime of 2020, Suunto transitioned from Movescount to the Suunto app. The app is appropriate with the vast majority of the brand new Suunto merchandise, with restricted capabilities for decrease finish or older fashions.
All watches may have the flexibility to synchronize and analyze coaching information, add images, movies, and descriptions out of your exercise, social sharing, ship notifications out of your cellphone to your watch, GPS optimization, and sync to sports activities providers and different companions built-in to Suunto app.
Polar makes use of a program known as Polar Movement, which is pretty straight ahead. Charts to simply see sleep information, exercises, steps and coaching standing. You may also preserve extra notes on every session for the way it felt.
You may also add a photograph, then it can over lay your exercise stats to submit to social.
- Once more Garmin beats each on this space I believe. I do know this isn’t about Garmin, however you have been questioning.
- Coros actually comes out on prime with the flexibility to create energy exercises from a library of actions with demos.
In search of extra evaluations to search out one of the best issues for you run?
Checkout our full web page of my should have operating gear evaluations and guides to save lots of you time looking out and cash! I share what’s labored for me and fellow runners, together with what wasn’t definitely worth the price ticket.
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