Best Suunto smartwatch: which model is right for you?

Suunto Race 2 is the best Suunto smartwatch for most active everyday wearers: it balances serious training, offline maps and a wearable 65 g case. Choose Vertical 2 for long mountain days, Run 2 for lighter run-first training, Nautic S for diving, or Core 2 when you only need straightforward outdoor timekeeping.

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This page compares the current Suunto choices by the activity that matters most when your phone is away.

• Suunto watches at a glance
• Best for multi-day expeditions - Suunto Vertical 2
• Best for everyday training - Suunto Race 2
• Best for marathon training - Suunto Run 2
• Best for scuba and freediving - Suunto Nautic S
• Best for outdoor basics - Suunto Core 2
• Which Suunto should you choose?
• Frequently asked questions

Suunto watches at a glance

Race 2 has the broadest balance for everyday training, while each alternative earns its place by handling a more specific job better.

The deciding factor is the activity you need the watch to handle when your phone is away.

Best for multi-day expeditions - Suunto Vertical 2

The Suunto Vertical 2 is worth choosing over the Race 2 when long GPS sessions and navigation beyond phone signal are regular parts of your plans.

Its GPS battery lasts up to 65h, and the watch carries offline maps with 32 GB of map storage. L1 and L5 GNSS support is useful when a route passes close to cliffs, trees or buildings, where maintaining a clean position can be harder. The 1.5-inch AMOLED display gives maps and training fields plenty of room at a glance.

Training Zone with AI Coach and more than 115 sport modes mean it is still a serious training watch rather than a navigation tool with exercise added on. It also has 100 m water resistance and a daily battery life of up to 20 days. The trade-off is simple: if your longest outings comfortably fit within the Race 2’s endurance, Vertical 2 is more watch than most people need.

• Choose it if: your weekends involve long routes, remote terrain or repeated days away from easy charging.
• Look elsewhere if: comfort for sleep, commuting and shorter training sessions matters more than maximum endurance.
• Price: Suunto Vertical 2 was £529 at the time of writing.

Fit can be changed without replacing the watch. It takes 22mm quick-release straps, and Suunto Vertical 2 straps are available in silicone, nylon, leather, milanese and metal. Silicone suits wet training, while nylon can reduce the stiff, bulky feel that some expedition watches develop during ordinary daily wear.

Best for everyday training - Suunto Race 2

The Suunto Race 2 is the strongest all-round choice because it combines proper navigation and coaching with a case that remains practical for regular wear.

The case measures 49 x 49 x 12.5 mm and weighs 65 g. That is still a substantial watch, especially on a small wrist, but the relatively shallow case helps under a sleeve and the weight is reasonable for a sapphire-covered training watch. Its 1.5-inch AMOLED display reaches 2,000 nits, making workout fields easier to read in bright daylight.

You get up to 55h of GPS tracking, offline maps and Suunto Coach. This is the useful middle ground: enough navigation and endurance for serious training and long events, without buying primarily around expedition battery life. Water resistance is 100 m, and the glass fibre reinforced polyamide case keeps the construction focused on sport rather than jewellery-like weight.

• Choose it if: you train across several sports and want maps, coaching and sensible everyday comfort.
• Look elsewhere if: your wrist is small, you sleep in your watch every night or your training is almost entirely road running.
• Price: Suunto Race 2 was £429 at the time of writing.

Race 2 also has the broadest useful strap choice here. Its 22mm quick-release fitting accepts silicone, nylon, leather, milanese, metal and titanium options. That means you can use a soft strap for sleep, silicone for training and a lighter titanium option for smarter wear; see the available Suunto Race 2 straps.

Best for marathon training - Suunto Run 2

The Suunto Run 2 is the better fit when lightness and run-first training matter more than maximum GPS endurance.

It weighs 35 g and measures 46 x 46 x 11.7mm, so it puts noticeably less watch on your wrist than the Race 2. That matters during faster sessions, under winter sleeves and overnight if you use recovery data. Its 1.32in AMOLED display still reaches 2,000 NITS, keeping pace and interval information readable outside.

GPS battery life reaches up to 24h, which is the key boundary to check. It is ample for routine training and many race days, but Vertical 2 and Race 2 leave more margin for very long events or navigation-heavy weekends. Dual-band L1 and L5 positioning, offline maps and EnergySense make it a focused sports watch rather than a stripped-back activity tracker.

• Choose it if: you primarily run on roads, train for a marathon or want the easiest sports watch here to sleep in.
• Look elsewhere if: extended navigation and the longest possible GPS recording matter more than low wrist weight.
• Price: Suunto Run 2 was £264.99 at the time of writing.

Suunto Run 2 straps include silicone, nylon, leather, milanese and metal choices. A soft nylon option makes sense for all-day use, while silicone is easier to rinse after warm runs.

Best for scuba and freediving - Suunto Nautic S

The Suunto Nautic S is the right choice when diving is the reason for buying the watch, rather than an occasional extra.

Its 80m dive capability is the crucial distinction. Water resistance on a sports watch does not make that watch a dedicated dive computer; Nautic S is built around dive modes, including scuba and freediving use. It also has offline maps and built-in GPS for activities above the surface.

The case measures 49.9 x 49.9 x 13.3 mm and weighs 81 g. You will feel that size more than the Run 2 during everyday wear, but the larger construction makes sense when the screen must be checked around dive equipment. Sapphire crystal protects the display, while the glass fibre reinforced polyamide case has 100 m water resistance.

• Choose it if: scuba, freediving or technical diving is central to how you will use the watch.
• Look elsewhere if: running metrics, everyday comfort or expedition GPS duration is the real priority.
• Price: Suunto Nautic S was £479 at the time of writing.

Nautic S uses 22mm quick-release straps. Silicone is the practical choice around water, while nylon, leather, milanese and metal are also available for wearing the watch away from a dive; browse Suunto Nautic S straps by material.

Best for outdoor basics - Suunto Core 2

The Suunto Core 2 suits walkers and outdoor workers who want dependable ABC navigation and timekeeping without GPS training features or app-led coaching.

There is no built-in GPS, so it is not an alternative to Race 2 or Vertical 2 for recording routes on a map. Instead, it keeps the focus on off-grid outdoor basics. A replaceable CR3032 coin cell battery provides up to 15 months of use, avoiding the charging routine of a rechargeable sports watch.

Its 10 ATM water resistance and Corning Gorilla Glass suit practical outdoor wear. The appeal is restraint: if you do not need pace analysis, offline mapping or structured training, paying for those features would not improve your time outside.

• Choose it if: you want outdoor timekeeping and ABC functions with very infrequent battery changes.
• Look elsewhere if: you need GPS tracks, route maps, training guidance or detailed workout records.
• Price: Suunto Core 2 was £155 at the time of writing.

The watch uses 22mm quick-release straps, with silicone, nylon, leather, milanese and metal available. That standard fitting makes it easy to move from a washable outdoor strap to something smarter; the compatible shelf is Suunto Core 2 straps.

Which Suunto should you choose?

Choose by the hardest phone-free activity the watch must handle, then use case size, weight and strap comfort to separate the remaining options.

• If you mix training with daily wear: choose Race 2. Its offline maps, coaching and up to 55h GPS battery cover the widest range of ordinary training weeks.
• If you regularly navigate for long days: choose Vertical 2. Its up to 65h GPS battery and 32 GB of offline map storage justify stepping above Race 2.
• If you mainly run: choose Run 2. The 35 g case is the clearest comfort advantage, particularly for speed sessions, sleep and smaller wrists.
• If you scuba or freedive: choose Nautic S. Its 80m dive capability is more important than the general water-resistance rating of a sports watch.
• If you do not need GPS: choose Core 2. The coin cell and up to 15 months of battery life are more useful than training features you would leave unused.

Race 2 remains the sensible starting point for most active wearers. Move away from it only when expedition endurance, low running weight, dedicated diving or deliberately simple outdoor use matters more than all-round balance.

Frequently asked questions

Does Suunto work with iPhone and Android phones?

Yes. All five watches pair with the Suunto app over Bluetooth on compatible iPhone and Android phones, while their core sport, outdoor or dive functions remain on the watch when your phone is not beside you.

Can I use a chest strap with these Suunto watches?

Yes, if you choose Vertical 2, Race 2, Run 2 or Nautic S. A compatible Bluetooth heart-rate chest strap responds more quickly than a wrist sensor during intervals and can also help when wrist readings are difficult underwater.

Can I control music from my phone on a Suunto watch?

Yes, on Vertical 2, Race 2 and Run 2. Run 2 also supports music stored on the watch, which is useful when you want phone-free listening through Bluetooth headphones.

Do Suunto offline maps need a subscription or paid app?

No. You can download offline maps through the Suunto app without a subscription or paid map app, provided you prepare the maps before leaving phone signal.

Can Suunto follow routes from Komoot, Strava or AllTrails?

Yes. Komoot and starred Strava routes can sync through the Suunto app, while an AllTrails route can be imported as a GPX file before being sent to a compatible watch.