A few years back I did a quick review of sports watches . Well I’ve switched again!
This time I’m going to do a really short review of my Suunto Racer S and an Apple Watch 10 .
The Suunto Race S has since become my current model and the Apple Watch 10 is a device I had the good fortune to test for a couple of weeks on holiday in October 2025 and I have to confess, the Apple Watch has come a long way since I last used it. This is a device that offers unparalleled smart watch functionality.
I didn’t stick with it this time though, mostly because the battery life I have become used to from Polar , isn’t on offer with the Apple Watch. Despite that the Apple Watch was reliable and accurate.
So I went back to my Polar Vantage V3 .
Recently though I got a bit bored with waiting for Polar to update its Polar Flow app. I also hit a few roadblocks with syncing to my iPhone. Nothing major, I still think Polar watches are great devices. Then I saw a review of a watch manufactured in Finland - Suunto .
It looked good!
I read a few more reviews and then I was sold. I’m a sucker for sports watches! So I sorted myself out a second hand Racer S
It cost me a third of the polar vantage V3 that I normally use.
That was a month ago and the question is:
Was it worth the switch?
Yes!
The watch Is at least as good as my Polar if not a wee bit better. The Suunto app offers a lot more than the Polar flow app, more data for the nerdy part of me.
It feels a lot better, more equipped, sleeker!
Why is that?
Data
The Suunto app slots in the middle between Garmin’s furious feature fairground and Polars bare minimum yet still offering more data and useful parameters than Polar. In terms of fitness feedback, Suunto mirrors a lot of what Training peaks offers. So once you’re happy monitoring your TSS and fatigue then Suunto is not so far away. I also find the data meaningful, HRV and VO2 max are essentials for me.
Set Up
Compared to Polar, I had to invest more in setting up the watch to be what I wanted it to be. Here is Something Suuno can improve but once that’s done then you’re in a good place. You can also set up to recieve notifications when training or even turn them off completely, thats what I do.
Usability
Crucial for me, can I get to the things I need quickly. I don’t want to be fighting with a UI before I can start a work out. It was something that bothered me with Garmin but both Apple and Polar have nailed this. The Suunto Racer S is also very easy to navigate and I got used to the UI in a really short time. Using the map interface is also very smooth.
Maps
The Sunto maps feature is a massive bonus! It works really well on the watch and allows you to create routes on the App. This is an impressive part of what Suunto offers. Maps are great whilst running even without POI. They are due to arrive soon.
Accuracy
So far GPS and Heart rate readings have been excellent.
Battery Life
With my usage around 5 days and pretty much the same as my Polar. GPS and HR usage also in the same ballpark as Polar, Ultras and Marathons no problem. Charging time is also very quick!
Usage in the wild
Easy to use and so far so good, it hasnt let me down and I am already used to the display. Running, Squash and Boxing sessions all work fine.
Integration
Connecting to Strava and Training Peaks easy peasy and the watch syncs seamlessly with the app.
Summary
If you’re really looking at buying a sports watch then take a look Here This bloke does some great reviews. Depending on what you’re into then Apple, Garmin, Polar and Suunto offer some great solutions. I think it’s all a personal choice. So far I’m really happy with my Suunto and it’s 5 day battery life! I can do everything that I did before and revel in the fitness feedback.