ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Suunto Race 2 is out there with a chrome steel body for $499, or a titanium body for $599.
- The Race 2 gives lengthy battery life, intensive customization, personalised teaching, and dependable accuracy.
- There isn’t any help for subscription music or fee techniques and the app retailer is proscribed primarily to sports activities apps.
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I went a few years with out testing Suunto merchandise, however final yr’s Suunto Race grabbed my consideration and impressed me with its mixture of worth and efficiency (in most areas). I am happy to say the corporate’s newest providing, the Suunto Race 2 has improved within the main space of my concern: coronary heart charge accuracy, whereas including just a few different parts to make it top-of-the-line sports activities watches out there right this moment.
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The subsequent-generation optical coronary heart charge sensor on the again of the Suunto Race 2 offers rather more correct coronary heart charge readings, approaching different watches I in contrast it to. GPS accuracy stays spot-on, and the battery within the Race 2 has been elevated by 5 hours to a complete of 55 hours in efficiency mode with dual-band GNSS.
The brand new Race 2 has a barely bigger 1.5-inch AMOLED show, in comparison with 1.43 inches on the Race. It is also brighter, with a peak brightness of 2000 nits — straightforward to see in all lighting situations. Even with that bigger show and longer battery life, the Suunto Race 2 is 0.8 mm thinner and a bit extra snug on the wrist. In order for you the lightest doable watch, the titanium mannequin weighs simply 65 grams, however will value a further $100.
You possibly can solely pin a single widget to a swipe left from the watch face motion, however you’ll be able to add a number of widgets out there whenever you swipe up or spin the digital crown. The highest and backside buttons may also be custom-made with common actions; I’ve mine set to the alarm clock and flashlight utilities, respectively. Merely press and maintain to provoke these actions.
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One motive I like utilizing the Suunto flagship watches is their customizable help that jogs my memory of Android phones. There are greater than 115 sports activities modes on the Race 2 and with each you’ll be able to arrange information screens optimized to your coaching. Suunto has an enormous SuuntoPlus Retailer with watch faces, apps, and providers that considerably prolong the performance of the watch.
The Engo 2 AR sports glasses work very properly with the Suunto Race 2 and having key metrics in entrance of you retains you centered on the street forward whereas reaching your finest instances. I plan to quickly check out the snorkeling metrics of the Suunto Race 2 in Hawaii now that these metrics sync to the video output from the Insta360 X5 camera.
The smartphone software has additionally been significantly improved, with an superior new dashboard show on the House tab that offers you the power to customise the widgets whenever you launch the app. Suunto now has my favourite consumer interface on the smartphone and I plan to proceed testing it with extra working, climbing, biking, and extra.
Just like Polar, Coros, and Garmin, Suunto has a training operate known as Suunto Coach that gives you with completely different exercise plans. I like to recommend beginning with just a few primary working or health plans after which step by means of the personalization choices to create a custom-made one.
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These choices embody setting what number of hours you wish to practice in every week, which days you wish to relaxation, which sports activities you wish to concentrate on, and any days you wish to embody power coaching. I used to be thrilled with the method and the ensuing coaching plan that was arrange for me by Suunto Coach, as this function is likely one of the finest elements of the watch.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
Suunto impressed me with the Race sports activities watch in 2024 and improved a key factor with the Race 2 whereas enhancing the expertise with a bigger, brighter show and elevated battery life.
In case you’re on the lookout for a sports activities watch that is closely centered on efficiency metrics and customized coach plans then the Suunto Race 2 is certainly a watch price consideration. It’s priced under Garmin and Polar watches with related performance, however is clearly centered on well being and wellness greater than smartwatch features.
