Suunto

Polar Fitness Watches – Polar Vantage V Titan

December 3, 2019 By Jacquelyn Ellis Leave a Comment

For the avid trainer, or the individual who loves to push limits and surpass expectations, the Polar Vantage V Titan could be your best companion. Sporting an exceptionally sleek and light form, it’s one of the best fitness watches out there. The Polar isn’t just spectacular because of its good looks – it has cool features and extended battery life, too.

When Polar watches were first launched, they faced a lot of criticism as they lagged behind the opposition with poor smartphone connectivity. So Polar went back to the drawing board and when the updated versions hit the market, they were much improved. The Finnish-made Vantage V Titan can now be compared to the output of Garmin or Suunto. Let’s find out more below.

Features

The Polar Vantage V Titan Fitness Watch (available on Amazon for $418.99) shows how much detail can be put into a smartwatch to ensure optimal performance. It features a responsive touch screen, improved optical heart rate sensors including an innovative extra sensor that identifies when the watch makes contact with the skin.

This fitness watch delivers comprehensive and precise data for heart tracking. This helps the individual trainer find the right heart rate monitoring for their sport. It also makes it easier for the watch to keep track of biometric data on the go, which can be updated to the Polar Flow to monitor progress.

Polar also worked on the connectivity of the Vantage V Titan to online communities like Strava or Training Peaks for workout planning. The Polar Vantage V use of a “Training Load Pro” feature can help athletes, and fitness enthusiasts check body strain.

The Running index helps to track those everyday jogs and early morning runs, keeping you informed of progress, while the smart calories monitor is as accurate as it can get.

The box contains a manual, charger, smartwatch and essential chest strap.

Design

The Vantage V Titan trumps the older models in its design, with its light weight and comfortable fit. It may be a bit bigger than some rivals, but it sports a slim, sleek body. The body and bezel are made of stainless steel, topped with gorilla glass for extra-durability and screen protection. There’s also a premium titanium model with a polymer back available as well.

The strap, which is soft on the hands, is flexible and sturdy, but is a bit fiddly to secure. The watch has five buttons around the side, which serve as physical control buttons and navigation is boosted by a good touch screen. However, customisation and personalisation is a bit basic compared with Garmin’s, for instance.

Fitness Tracking

The Vantage V Titan’s strength is in its tracking abilities, particularly when using the chest strap, but still is very good. Connectivity with iPhone or Android smartphones via Bluetooth is much better than previous models.

The watch now features smartphone notifications. You’ll be able to see who is calling your phone, as well as text messages and basic notifications, and you can cancel calls too.

Main advantages
– Great metrics for runners
– Supports a wide range of sports
– Comfortable fit
– Brushed steel watch with gorilla 3 glass
– Up to 40 hours of training with GPS
– Up to 30m waterproof
– Hydrophobic coating on the glass makes view in water much clearer

Main disadvantages
– Wrist Based HR gives inconsistent results
– Lacks customisation options
– Does not support music or payment
– Offers very basic notification support

Summary

Overall, the Vantage V Titan is an especially good fitness tracker for runners as it excels in calculating body metrics. The GPS is fast and efficient, with a return routing feature that helps runners track their way back when training in unfamiliar areas. It’s a great way to track progress, not only for running, but also swimming, biking, hiking, and long haul activities such as training for triathlons.

Best Sports Watches for Women: 4 Stylish Choices

November 28, 2019 By Roxana Bikfalvi Leave a Comment

Woman performing stretches next to water front

In a smartwatch market mainly geared towards men, some brands have recognised that a sports watch for women has to have more than a stylish band.

The biggest players in the industry have now started to equip their wearables with feminine health features including menstrual cycle and fertility metrics.

Those features, alongside other sports profiles, are a few of the essentials in a good woman’s sports watch – though the looks matter too. So if you’re looking for a sports watch that performs in the gym and goes well with your little black dress, have a look at the four picks below.

1. Garmin Vivoactive 4S

A stylish yet highly performing sports watch for women

The Garmin Vivoactive 4S is a slimmer, more feminine version of the Vivoactive 4. It’s smartwatch built with women in mind and that impresses with sleek lines and rose gold accents.

Specific feminine health features include menstrual cycle tracking via the Garmin Connect app. You can log in physical and emotional symptoms, set period reminders, and even access training and nutrition advice for each phase of your cycle.

Made for daily wear, it comes with interchangeable bands and is designed to be worn 24/7. It’s water-resistant to 5 ATM and has an always-on, sunlight-readable display.

Over 20 preloaded sports profiles let you track a variety of outdoor and indoor workouts, including running or walking, cycling, golf, and pool swimming, to name just a few. Furthermore, animated workouts on your wrist make it easier to start training if athletic performance has never been your greatest strength.

An array of additional features, such as respiration tracking and body battery energy monitoring, add further value for money. The watch also delivers smart notifications on your wrist and incorporates features such as Garmin Pay and a music player. It’s undoubtedly one of the best sports watches for women you can find.

Main Advantages

Customisable watch faces
Interchangeable bands
Over 20 preloaded sports profiles
Long battery life
Feminine health features

Main Disadvantages

The software may sometimes hang

2. Fitbit Charge 3

A fashionable choice for slender wrists

Straddling the line between the slimmer Inspire and performance Ionic, the Fitbit Charge 3 is an excellent sports watch for women. It doesn’t have built-in GPS but it can pair with your phone’s GPS to provide accurate outdoor workout tracking.

A 24/7 heart rate and sleep monitoring sensor determines your overall fitness levels. Breathing tips help reduce stress, while a wealth of preloaded workouts allow you to track athletic performance regardless of the sport you practice.

The female health tracking feature is similar to Garmin’s; you can use it to monitor your menstrual cycle as well as ovulation and fertility windows, while the Fitbit App dashboard lets you set goals, find inspiration, and even connect with your friends.

Charge 3 sports a sensitive touch-screen display and easy-to-read high-resolution screen. Smartphone notifications and wireless payments are other highlights.

Designed to fit all wrists, it comes in two size options with swappable bands and up to seven days of battery life – all at a very attractive price.

Main Advantages

Dedicated female health features
Slim, feminine design
Excellent fitness tracking capabilities
Automatic exercise recognition

Main Disadvantages

No built-in GPS
It is not fully compatible with iOS

3. Apple Watch Series 4

The trendiest sports watch on the market

The Apple Watch is not the most attractive sports watch out there, but it’s definitely one of the best. If you’re an Apple enthusiast, you’ll fall head over heels for this wearable.

What it lacks in the looks department, the Apple Watch Series 4 makes up for in terms of functionality. It comes in two sizes and with or without LTE. The 40mm variant is undeniably the best choice for women as it looks sleeker on the wrist.

As it has improved health and fitness tracking features compared to the Series 3, and a more affordable price point compared to the new Series 5, the Apple Watch Series 4 is a winner.

Enhanced heart rate monitoring with alerts and comprehensive reports are a great addition for those concerned about their health, but you won’t get any feminine health tracking features.

All in all, the Apple Watch Series 4 is an excellent all-rounder – a trendy wearable to add to your smart device arsenal.

Main Advantages

Large, crisp display
High and low heart rate detection
Fall detection with SOS trigger
Extremely responsive
Electrocardiogram feature

Main Disadvantages

Short battery life
Limited style choices
Quite expensive

4. Suunto 3 Fitness

A solid fitness watch built for the sports enthusiasts

Casual fitness fans who want a sporty, more masculine-looking watch might like the Suunto 3 Fitness, which has something of the allure of Garmin’s Forerunner 935.

Capable of improving your general fitness, this watch is more than a fitness tracker. You’ll get the usual cycling, running, and walking, but the Suunto 3 Fitness focuses on helping you improve performance based on your personal metrics.

Its best features are the heart-rate powered adaptive training and recovery advice that show you the stress your body is under in real-time. These features help you get the most out of your workout and are often more useful than preloaded sports profile.

In terms of style, it’s sleeker than other Suunto watches. It looks great on most wrists and pairs well with gym and casual attire. There’s no doubt that it’s a great smartwatch if you’re looking for an affordable, goal-oriented device.

Main Advantages

Slim and lightweight profile
Adaptive training plans
Good battery life
Smart notifications on the wrist

Main Disadvantages

No GPS
Sync features may fail sometimes

How Do We Test Smartwatches?

Here at Superwatches, we strive to deliver accurate reviews of the devices we recommend, so we can help you make informed buying decisions. That’s why we test each watch before reviewing it by wearing and using its functions both inside and outside of the gym. Besides training and fitness tracking capabilities, we also test the overall functionality and smart features in day-to-day life.

Summary

The smartwatch and fitness trackers market might be geared towards men, but there is also a wealth of capable sports watches for women you can choose from. Whether you want to focus on style, fitness tracking features, or trends, I hope the four choices above inspired you.

So, what do you say? Did you find the right sports watch in the list above? Tell me in a comment below; I’d love to hear from you.

Before you go, share this article with your friends to help them find the right sports watch.

Popular Sports Watches for Men in 2019

November 5, 2019 By Emma Morris Leave a Comment

Want to know the which are best sports watches for men in 2019? Here is our run down of the most popular brands to consider to improve your sporting performance

Do you want to boost your sports performance? Or do you just want to gett active? There are some truly impressive sports watches out there which use cutting-edge technology to track all popular sports. They won’t just tell you the distance you’ve covered or the number of calories you’ve burned; they’ll give you an in-depth analysis of heart rate, technique and the effect of your training. Some can even give you coaching as you go!

Whatever you want a sports watch for, there’s one out there to suit you – so how to decide? Here’s our roundup of the most popular sports watches for men in 2019.

1. The Garmin Forerunner 735XT

The Garmin brand is well-known for its high quality devices, and the Forerunner 735XT certainly won’t disappoint. If you’re a cyclist, you’ll particularly love this sports watch since it doesn’t just offer Bluetooth, it also offers ANT+. This means you’ll have the possibility of connecting to a huge range of devices like heartrate, cadence and power sensors.

The battery life is pretty amazing too, lasting for a full 14 hours when using GPS or an outstanding 11 days when used without GPS. Even if you aren’t a cyclist, you’ll still find a lot to enjoy with this watch. It can track indoor events, has a multisport mode if you’re a triathlete and is waterproof for use while swimming.

2. Polar M430

Are you a runner? There’s a host of sports watches to choose from to track your favourite sport, but none is better than the Polar M430. Without the premium price tag of some rival models, this device offers all of the essential features and functions that you’re going to need. It comes equipped with a heartrate monitor and inbuilt GPS as well as the ability to set up a customised workout based on your time, heartrate, distance or pace.

On the Polar Flow app and website you can create a customised training plan to suit your individual needs based on a particular target or your fitness level. That plan will then be transmitted to your sports watch which will then guide you through your workouts. Basically, it’s a tracker and running coach in one handy device. The battery life of eight hours when you have GPS enabled or 20 hours without is long enough to suit any runner’s needs. Furthermore, its waterproofing means you won’t have to worry about rain or sweat.

3. Garmin Forerunner 35

If you want a fully featured sports watch but you’re on a tight budget, you might want to consider the Garmin Forerunner 35. As you’d expect from a device from the Garmin brand, this watch comes well-equipped with almost everything you could need. As well as its everyday sports tracking functions, it also comes with inbuilt GPS, indoor and outdoor running, walking and cycling modes.

You can’t use it for tracking your swims, which is a minor downside, but it is waterproofed to 5ATM so you can wear it confidently in the pool or in the rain. It even comes with a heartrate sensor built in, but it’s also compatible with ANT+ chest straps if you want even more accuracy. Even better, you can pair it with the Garmin Footpod if you want the most accurate indoor treadmill tracking. With a long 13 hour battery life if the GPS is active or nine days without, this watch won’t disappoint, especially at this price point.

4. Withings Steel HR

Do you want a functional sports watch but without the added bulk? The Withings Steel HR is the ideal solution, with a discreet appearance that looks exactly like a regular watch. It may have an unassuming façade but it certainly doesn’t compromise on technology; it has all the advanced tech you could possibly need for tracking your everyday sporting activities and recording basic information about your fitness levels.

This watch can automatically track your walks, swims and runs as well as your sleep patterns. It’ll give you subtle insights as to your progress through its OLED display. It doesn’t offer GPS tracking and there are no in-depth workout statistics, but if you’re looking for style with some fitness tracking functions thrown in you’ll find it an ideal choice. It’s waterproof, features a heartrate tracker and has an amazing battery life of 25 days.

5. Apple Watch Series 4

If you’re serious about your sports tracking and want one of the very best sports watches on the market with the top smartwatch functions thrown in, the Apple Watch Series 4 is hard to beat. Offering you all the benefits you would expect from one of the world’s biggest and best-known technology brands, the Series 4 has a fast processor and one of the best swimming trackers available with automatic lap counting and stroke recognition.

Choose the cellular model and you won’t need to take your phone with you while you train – you’ll be able to take calls, use GPS and stream music right from your wrist. All the top tracking apps are fully supported by this device including Cyclemeter, Runkeeper and Strava and there are plenty of other workout applications to choose from too.

Unfortunately, the battery life isn’t the longest at around 18 hours, but its excellent multi-functional features offset this. However, the watch comes with a high price tag, but you’ll have the confidence of knowing you’re buying a sports watch that’s going to last for years.

These are just five of the very best sports watches for men in 2019. We’re sure you’ll find one to suit your needs, budget and taste!

How Do We Test Smartwatches?

We take pride in the amount of time and effort that we put into testing and reviewing smartwatches. We know that you’re relying on us to give you the key information that you need to decide whether a certain model is right for your needs, and that’s why we put each and every one through its paces with a rigorous approach to testing.

We examine the design of each watch to see whether it’s stylish and appealing while also remaining highly functional and easy to use. Is it comfortable to wear? Does it look good on wrists of all sizes? Does it offer customisation options or interchangeable straps and faces? We examine all of these elements.

We look closely at integrated features and fitness tracking capabilities. Is there GPS? Are there LTE capabilities? Can you make contactless payments? Is there storage for songs and podcasts? Sleep tracking and activity tracking for different sports? We test these elements and look at the effect that each have on the power, processing capacity, memory and battery life of each device.

Then we bring all this information together in an informative review so that you can make the best choice about whether the smartwatch that we’re reviewing is really the best one for your requirements.

Waterproof Watches for Women

November 4, 2019 By Emma Morris Leave a Comment

Are you a woman looking for a great waterproof watch? Here’s our pick of the best ones on the market today.

Whether you’re a woman who loves swimming, sailing or surfing, or whether you just want to make sure that your watch will be safe from sweat, rain or accidental soakings, you need it to be waterproof. With narrower wrists than men, a woman needs a waterproof watch which is comfortable to wear and doesn’t look too bulky. With this in mind, we’ve brought you our selection of contenders for the crown of best waterproof watch for women.

1. Timex Ironman Sleek 50

Don’t be put off by the word“man”in the title! The Timex brand is certainly famous for its high-quality timepieces and the Ironman Sleek 50 won’t disappoint. With its modern, bold design, this model has sporty undertones and a comfortable polyurethane strap which is flexible and well-ventilated. It fits comfortably on even the slimmest wrist without looking bulky or inhibiting movement.

Not only does it boast a sleek design, it also has a simple push-button format so you can access the features with ease; the Indiglo function also means you can read the display easily in low-lighting conditions. Furthermore, there is a training log which records your workouts by lap time, total exercise time and date so you can keep on top of your fitness.

2. Armitron Digital Sports Watch

If you want a watch that’s perfect for swimming and tracking other sports, the Armitron 45/7053 LTG digital sports watch is ideal. Its stylish casing is highly durable while its strap is made from soft-touch resin which remains comfortably in place around your wrist all day long. In addition, this watch is capable of supporting dual time zones, boasts three easy-set alarms, a lap timer and a backlight feature. With water resistance built up down to 100 meters, it’s certainly perfect for swimmers. Above all, its affordable price tag is an even greater bonus.

3. Casio G-Shock S Series

When you need an extremely durable watch that will withstand even the most rigorous sporting activity, the Casio G-Shock S series could definitely be the one. Shock resistant, water resistant to 200m and magnetic resistant. It also has an incredibly accurate stopwatch feature.

Meanwhile, its stylish and slim design is perfect for slim wrists, sitting around the wrist comfortably without hindering its movement or function. It has five daily alarms, a 60-minute time signal, an automatic LED light with an afterglow and the function to record as many as 29 different time zones. It also has both analog and digital faces, a speed indicator and anti-slip buttons.

4. Garmin Vivoactive 3

The Garmin brand is well-known for its high quality sports watches, and its Vivoactive 3 model is perfect for women who want a sleek and modern design with all of the functionality of Garmin’s standard watch range. Suitable for wear both in the gym and in the office; this watch tracks your fitness level and workouts and monitors your health and sleep 24/7. It also boasts a heartrate monitor and a durable and comfortable strap. Thanks to Garmin’s unrivalled GPS system, it’s easier than ever to track both outdoor and indoor activities with no worries about signal dropouts. Although the base model can’t support music, the upgraded model has storage capacity for 500 MP3 files and access to the iHeartRadio app.

5. The Fitbit Ionic

The Fitbit brand is known for its high-quality sports trackers and the Ionic is the first model from this brand to look like a regular watch instead of a basic fitness tracker. Its choice of interchangeable leather or plastic strap makes this a great choice for all occasions. Furthermore, the 384 x 250 LCD display is easy to read with an impressive brightness level.

Thanks to its touchscreen you can cycle rapidly through the various app choices while the side buttons allow even greater choice of functionality. This waterproof watch tracks your activities including swimming, cycling, weightlifting and running, and it also has inbuilt workouts to add into your daily routine. Meanwhile, the inbuilt heartrate monitor gives you accurate measurements and the GPS feature maps your location.

6. Garmin Forerunner 35

Garmin is a popular and high-quality brand and the Forerunner series offers a range of impressive watches with the Forerunner 35 being no exception. Instead of the bulky, industrial design which is seen in the other Garmin models, this watch has a modern, sleek design which won’t impede your movements. It also offers sport tracking features with an inbuilt GPS so you can track your distance, location and speed as well as heartrate and number of calories burned. You can then upload your stats to fitness apps like Strava or Garmin Connect and compare your results with your family and friends. You’ll receive notifications via a vibration alert and with waterproofing down to 50m, you won’t have to worry about getting this watch wet.

7. Suunto Spartan Trainer

Finally, the newest model from Suunto is the Spartan Trainer, a sleek version of its Spartan Sports model. Designed for wear on thin wrists, this lighter watch has a 218 x 218 resolution screen and a bunch of great options. It has a highly accurate heartrate monitor as well as impressive GPS to map your routes. Since this model also uses maps which you’ve downloaded, it’ll give you the optimal running routes. Its long lasting battery can hold its charge for around 3-4 days even when you’re covering lots of activities and while the app isn’t fantastic, it still gives you access to your data just a few seconds after you’ve worked out.

If you’re looking for one of the best waterproof watches for women on the market today, one of these seven options is sure to be the one for you.

How Do We Test Smartwatches?

Here at Superwatches we examine the design of each watch to see whether it’s stylish and appealing while also remaining highly functional and easy to use. Is it comfortable to wear? Does it look good on wrists of all sizes? Does it offer customisation options or interchangeable straps and faces? We examine all of these elements.

Suunto 5

September 27, 2019 By Mel Richards Leave a Comment

This most recent GPS-tracking, multi-sport wellness watch by Suunto certainly adheres to the Finnish brand’s comfortable style. Underneath the rough exterior, this substitution for the Suunto Austere Coach Wrist HR brings features seen on higher-end Suunto watches down into the mid-run value section.

The Suunto 5 incorporates a 40-hour battery life. Also featuring a smart direction that reminds users to charge the device before the next session, in case levels are excessively low to complete it. There’s versatile preparing plans, fitness level following, and movement, rest and stress monitoring as well. Furthermore, the watch has heart rate monitoring for 80 adaptable activity modes.

Design

Comparing the Suunto 5 to its ancestor, it’s very difficult to separate them. There’s a similar little screen, with far less space for details. There is still the Suunto trademark five side catches to control the watch and still no touchscreen. Like the Suunto Straightforward Mentor Wrist HR, there are a lot of inflexible joints that stand out from the watch face and drop down into the silicone strap. While the strap is bent to fit the state of your arm, it’s significantly less flexible than different straps. When tested, it was certainly difficult to get a genuinely agreeable fit, especially during sleep. Furthermore, these fixed joints make the watch feel chunkier on the wrist. It is also more compact and more reduced than other Suunto watches.

On the underside of the Suunto 5, there is a 4-Drove optical pulse screen and the usual four-stick charging port. Fortunately, the charging port is equivalent to other Suunto watches, maintaining a strategic distance from Garmin’s irritating propensity for changing the USB connectors with each new gadget. The heart rate sensor isn’t as raised as other devices, which means there’s no uncomfortable poking from a forceful knock. The watch can be purchased in four colours: Black, White, Burgundy Copper and Graphite Copper.

Features

The Suunto 5 is a great watch with unique feature-customized preparing plans. The Suunto 5 auto-creates 7-day preparing plans dependent on the objectives set. There are options to improve or increase your fitness. For each prescribed session, there is an objective length and power. The watch provides constant updates during a session to keep users working at the right level.

The preparation plan doesn’t venture to recommend which activity users ought to accomplish for every session. However, users can look down from the home screen to perceive what sessions are coming up for the week and the aggregate sum of exercise time.

In case users switch on versatile preparing, they will get a next session suggestion dependent on performance in the last exercise and how well they’ve recuperated.

The post-exercise information users receive from the new Suunto application is really far-reaching. With the standard pace, separation, speed and pulse details, there are also some extra wellness measurements including PTE (Pinnacle Preparing Impact) and EPOC (Assessed Post-Exercise Oxygen Utilization). The Suunto 5 joins the new Garmin Trailblazer by offering pressure following as well.

The significance of rest for wellbeing, wellness and prosperity is clearly indicated. The optical pulse sensor recognizes significant examples in pulse information in periods of rest to evaluate what extent and how well a person has slept by giving a general rest score (0-100).

Battery

The Suunto 5 is a well-designed watch with great specs. One of the champion selling points of the Suunto 5 is the 40-hour asserted battery life in preparing mode and 14 days in watch mode, alongside insightful updates. These changes to the battery modes enable improved power-sparing if the watch spots you’re low on juice.

Suunto has designed a reasonable, multi-sport fitness tracker with wellness tracking and heart rate monitoring.

Against

The display deteriorates in light, despite the watch face following the same size as the Polar Vantage M and Garmin Harbinger 245. Unusually, the small 218 x 218 screen is encircled in such a way the data displayed feels cramped. Furthermore, when contrasting its lucidity and freshness with a large majority of different watches, it’s tragically deficient. Notwithstanding the backdrop illumination is dull, experiences glare, and is hard to peruse in several light conditions. Additionally, the Suunto 5 scratched easily, bringing into query the trademark Suunto solidness.

Competition

The Suunto 5 packs a huge amount of highlights into a moderate multi-sport watch, however, the diminished display might be a major issue. A strong option to consider is the Garmin Nature, which has a comparable rough plan with highlights that are designed for outside experiences. Multi-sport competitors who enjoy running ought to consider the lightweight Precursor 245 or the enduring Coros Pinnacle.

Summary

Despite reasonable features, even against Suunto’s own watches, the Suunto 5 feels out of date and awkward. It’s difficult to move beyond a poor screen, muddled route and a slightly disagreeable design. Currently, Garmin, Polar and the new brand Coros offer much better value for a reasonable price. What Suunto does best is make enormous, rough, worked to-last watches, prepared for the sort of experiences where your tech is probably going to get hammered. They’ve seldom strayed from that way and the new Suunto 5 follows the same pattern

Suunto vs Garmin

September 20, 2019 By Joanne Jeffries Leave a Comment

Which Brand of SmartWatch is Right for You?

Whether you are in the market for an upgrade on your sports watch or have decided that now is the time to make your first GPS watch purchase, the market can be a little daunting. There are some great brands out there with a wide variety of different features and some significant difference in prices. If you already have a watch, then there is a good chance that you already know some, if not all, of the features that you require, and those that you really didn’t need. If, however, this is your first purchase, then don’t just be tempted to buy the one someone suggests to you. It may not have all the features you are looking for.

Two of the more popular brands of GPS watch that are available to buy now are Suunto and Garmin. Both make great running watches, so let’s take a look at a few of their models.

Who is Garmin?

Based in Olathe, Kansas Garmin Ltd is an American company who originally began life as Pronav. The company has been around for quite a while, having been founded in 1989. They have a background in specialising in GPS technology for a wide variety of applications from aviation to marine, automobile to outdoor activities. More recently, they have moved into the field of activity trackers following the development of wearable technology.

Over the years, Garmin has grown from the small company – whose first customer was the US Army – to where they are today. Now, they are a company who sell their products on a global scale and hold a variety of patents.

Garmin sells a wide variety of incredibly popular vehicle trackers as well as walking and diving GPS. They also count the Vivo series of fitness trackers in their range with popular models including Vivofit, Vivosmart and the Vivoactive.

Who is Suunto?

Suunto Oy is a Finnish company with its headquarters in Vantaa, Finland. The company name is derived from the Finnish word “Suunto” which means direction or heading. The company was founded in 1936 when they became the first company to manufacture the compact liquid sighting compass which was used extensively by artillery officers during the war.

The company has expanded over the years and now employs over 300 people all over the world with its products selling in over 100 countries.

In addition to compasses, which they still manufacture, the company also produce diving watches, computers and instruments, Sports watches and a range of lifestyle watches. They are a subsidiary of the Amer Sports Corporation.

How to choose a GPS watch for running

Before you start to panic, it is essential to remember that both Suunto and Garmin are well known for making very high-quality tracker watches. So, whichever brand you do decide on you really can’t go wrong. Of course, both brands do offer a range of different features. Ultimately, what you should be looking at when choosing a GPS watch for running are the features. Look at things like display, tracking modes and activities, and of course, the app that you use to sync any data your watch records. There are a variety of models to suit different needs and budgets from each brand.

Do you want a basic watch that just tracks races and training?
Do you want a multi-sport watch that will manage a more varied selection of sport?
Do you want a watch that foes everything and tracks everything that you do all the time?

These questions should get you started on your search for the right tracker. If you already have a watch and there are features that you don’t particularly like, then maybe you might prefer to change the brand. If, however, you love the one you already have and are just looking for an upgrade, then it might be better to stick with the brand you know.

Feature comparison

One thing you will find with most basis GPS watches, and this applies to any makes, is that they will include many of the same data-tracking features. These include pace, distance, calorie tracking and in many cases, heart rate monitor. However, some cheaper GPS watches do not include this last feature.

They will, however, differ in terms of the hardware, alerts, training tools and data management.

In order to compare Suunto and Garmin, we will break the features down and look at them individually.

Tracking and display

Both brands offer watches that display real-time data that is customisable, things such as pace, distance, time, calories burnt and heart rate. At the touch of a button, they also both offer summary information; average pace, elevation gain and stride count. All of which can be valuable information for any runner in training.

In terms of tracking and display, there is little difference between the brands. However, in terms of digital customisation, there is one big difference. The Fenix 5X Plus from Garmin allows the user to change the data screen during a workout. All the models available from Suunto require any custom changes to be made through the Movescount app.

The GPS tracking from both models is, however, superb.

The Garmin Fenix 5X Plus with its handy mid-workout data changing is slightly more workout friendly.

Battery Life

The Suunto 9 is rather clever when it comes to battery life. This model features three battery mode and has a built-in system that allows you to estimate how much battery is left. If the watch notices your battery is running out, it will suggest you switch to a different mode to help prolong battery life. Depending on the mode users get between 25 to 120 hours from the battery.

Both the Forerunner 935 and the Fenix 5 from Garmin have various battery mode settings and a battery life ranging from 24 hours in GPS mode to 60 hours in the UltraTrac battery saver mode. This mode shuts off GPS periodically and relies on an accelerometer to calculate distance and speed.

Suunto 9 offers the better battery life

Mapping and navigation

When it comes to new routes, whether you know the area or not, both brands provide superb navigational features. The Fenix series from Garmin offers colour topographic mapping capabilities. However, due to the size of the screen, this may not be ideal for many users.

All watches from Suunto offer GPS downloads that display a “breadcrumb” map and the direction you need to follow.

Of course, Suunto is also known for barometric and altimeter functions, which are great for off-trail running.

While both brands offer very similar features, the Suunto watches have the edge with their added altimeter and barometric functions and, of course, map size.

Heart rate monitoring

The higher-end watches from both brands include optical heart rate or wrist-based monitoring.

Models like the Ambit 3 Peak from Suunto have an optional heart rate belt instead. The type of monitor you prefer is very much down to personal choice.

In addition to monitoring heart rate, the Garmin Fenix 5 also tracks wellness on a 24/7 basis. This includes your sleep metrics, which some users might find handy.

If a heart rate belt is for you, then you will probably prefer the Ambit 3 Peak
If you want to track everything, then the Fenix 5 from Garmin is the watch for you.

Apps and data management

If you are changing brands of tracker, then this is one area where you will probably notice the most difference.

Suunto watches use Movescount. However, there are plans in place to replace this at some point during the summer of 2020 when the Suunto app will go live. All of the watches have the ability to analyse your data and synchronise, upload photos and workout descriptions and send notifications from your phone to your watch. The Spartan collection, Suunto 3 Fitness and Suunto 9 also allow for 24/7 synchronisation of data – things like calories burnt, steps and route planning.

All Garmin models use Connect – this offers similar features to Movescount and the ability to build courses, create workouts and even challenge your friends to competitions.

There is very little to choose between both brands. Although, it is worth remembering that with the move from Movescount to the Suunto app coming up, there may be new ways of doing things that you will need to learn.

Which Tracker?

Ultimately the choice in tracker between the 2 makes really will come down to personal choice and the features that they both offer. They are both excellent brands that offer real value for money in the field of tracking devices.

Here we have put together a small comparison of a few models from each brand in different price brackets:

	SUUNTO	GARMIN
BUDGET TRACKER	Suunto Ambit 3 Run	Garmin Forerunner 25
FEATURES	All basic run features, designed for a smaller wrist	Best priced starter GPS watch
MID RANGE TRACKER	Suunto Ambit 3 Peak	Garmin Forerunner 935
FEATURES	Multi-sport, Route navigation	Multi-sport, heartrate monitor, barometer, altimeter
HIGH-END TRACKER	Suunto 9	Garmin Fenix 5/6
FEATURES	Extra-long battery life, barometer, weather alerts	Sleek look, all sports, all day, has all the features