The Suunto Race S. All pictures: iRunFar/Craig Randall
The Suunto Race S ($350) has develop into carefully linked to ultrarunning star Courtney Dauwalter in current months, due to the brand new “Courtney version” Suunto Race S Titanium, with its particular glow-in-the-dark strap. The Race S is available in two configurations — stainless-steel and titanium — however each are provided in Suunto’s 45-millimeter case, its smallest obtainable proper now.
In a pre-launch assembly with the media, Dauwalter instructed us that the Race S’s compact measurement was one in all its largest options. In 50- or 100-mile or longer races, she has a degree: nobody desires to put on or carry cumbersome gear that provides further fatigue to the physique.
This overview focuses on the stainless-steel model, which weighs simply 2.93 ounces (83 grams).
The Race S has been out for the reason that center of 2024, and at the moment it was in uncommon air; it prices simply $350 with the identical AMOLED display screen as its large brother the Suunto Race, glorious battery efficiency, and an up to date coronary heart charge sensor, making it maybe probably the most feature-rich GPS efficiency look ahead to the cash.
However within the months that adopted, Coros launched the Coros Tempo Professional, additionally with an AMOLED display screen and in addition $350 — which makes the shopping for choice course of a bit trickier. Although this isn’t a head-to-head comparability overview of those two watches, it is very important point out that the Tempo Professional has stolen a number of the Race S’s features-for-the-price-point place. There are nonetheless some essential variations, notably in materials and construct high quality which may give Suunto the sting for ultrarunners and basic out of doors athletes over the admittedly road-and-track oriented Tempo Professional.
An excellent light-weight design and long-lasting battery are usually two opposing forces. The larger and bulkier the case, the extra room there may be for a extra highly effective battery. Suunto Product Supervisor Markus Kemetter stated that by way of improved battery improvements and eradicating options, the Suunto Race S has been in a position to drop weight and measurement with out sacrificing an excessive amount of on the battery facet.
Suunto Race S Battery Efficiency
A again view of the Suunto Race S.
Slim? Small? Svelte? The Suunto Race S actually is all about that “s,” no matter it really stands for. The load is slim, the display screen is small and, sadly, the battery is a bit bit on the svelter facet too. In these wild occasions when 200-mile races have gotten normalized, the Suunto Race wowed many runners with its 50 hours of greatest efficiency, dual-band GPS recording. The Race S dials down this capability to 40 hours.
These values on each variations could be virtually doubled on the highest finish by decreasing the GPS efficiency to tour mode; this will increase battery efficiency by decreasing the GPS sampling charge and turning off options just like the optical coronary heart charge sensor. However, should you simply prepare most days however in mere-mortal increments you may count on to get a few weeks out of the battery between prices.
The world is rapidly shifting to USB-C as the usual in charging configurations. Considerably surprisingly, the Race S employs the very same magnetic charging dock and USB kind that fashions as previous because the Suunto 9 Peak makes use of, with their USB-A typical.
Although the charging dock itself is clumsy and finicky to connect with the watch, the recharging time on the Race S is simply as implausible as a few of its predecessor fashions. In lower than 40 minutes, the Race S could be powered to virtually 100% from 0, making it the quickest refill in virtually any class of GPS efficiency watches.
And the Race S — like virtually all Suuntos of previous — could be recharged throughout an exercise; similar to at an support station throughout an ultramarathon, so that you don’t have to finish the recording outright. No have to even pause the exercise.
The Race S contains sleep and HRV monitoring. Many people take pleasure in this information to assist paint a extra well-rounded image of our coaching. However once more, it is going to sink your battery as HRV requires all-day and in a single day coronary heart charge sensor enter.
The underside line with the Suunto Race S and battery is that it’s good but it surely’s no Coros. You gained’t get a lot use from the watch that you simply’ll misplace the place your charging cable is as a result of it’s been so lengthy because you wanted it, as is the case with many Coros fashions. However battery recharging is so quick and the options for the price are so excessive with the Race S, that the tradeoff is suitable.
Suunto Race S AMOLED Show
The Suunto Race S (proper) beside the bigger Suunto Race.
An outline of the Suunto Race S’s battery efficiency can’t be separated from a dialogue on its AMOLED show.
Whereas you may prolong the battery efficiency throughout actions by decreasing sampling charges and turning off biofeedback sensors, you may’t swap the Race S between its normal high-definition AMOLED show and, say, a extra sensible reminiscence in pixel (MIP) one. Whereas it’d be good to modify between show sorts, the truth is that the battery pays a premium for the beautiful AMOLED show it powers.
Suunto has optimized for the superior visible expertise, however you’ll have to spend some high quality time with the settings configurations to familiarize your self with find out how to make the most of them.
Elevate to wake is the default configuration on the watch, which is able to detect once you flip your wrist to have a look at it by going from dim for battery preservation to totally vivid. This characteristic could be shut off or the sunshine turned to at all times on, relying in your desire.
Elevate to wake is okay when simply going about your day, however I discover it a tad irritating throughout actions when, say throughout an interval exercise, you need to see your watch face information instantly. However because of the small lag whereas the watch wakes up, you wait longer to see the display screen than in a MIP show watch. Elevate to wake too could be switched off throughout actions, however count on to make use of much more battery if it’s set to mild at all times on.
AMOLED is criticized for being tougher to learn in direct daylight than MIP watches, however the Race S does a implausible job with readability in any situation, and in darker or cloudy situations it’s simply flat-out superior to some other show kind.
Suunto Race S Mapping
One of many areas the place AMOLED is appreciated most is once you make the most of the Suunto Race S’s mapping capabilities. The Suunto Race S gives complete mapping and navigation options that make it precious for journey operating or on new routes. The maps nonetheless don’t come pre-loaded, but it surely’s doable to obtain particular person space maps from the Suunto app after which sync them to the watch.
This course of although could be frustratingly gradual, even for simply particular person state maps. I spent lots of time questioning if the obtain was even taking place regardless of it displaying that it was within the app. For instance, downloading Colorado and its 1.2 GB of information took virtually a full hour to complete, sync, and develop into usable within the watch.
The watch doesn’t have sufficient reminiscence to carry all of it, however it’s a must to marvel simply how lengthy it might take to obtain the whole United States with its 42 GB measurement. For the reason that maps are downloaded, they’re obtainable offline, and so they embrace topographic particulars, elevation strains, trails, and different POI. Whereas not as spectacular because the Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED maps, which come pre-loaded and totally labeled, the Race S gives the identical zoom and pan choices to discover surrounding areas.
Ought to You Purchase the Suunto Race S?
A facet view of the Suunto Race S.
Up to now on this overview, the Suunto Race S has been nearly akin to the Coros Tempo Professional. Each are round $350; each make the most of an AMOLED show; neither comes preloaded with maps however can be found for obtain; each are very mild in comparison with conventional high-function GPS sport watches; each make the most of satisfactory however not nice optical coronary heart charge sensors.
The 2 watches diverge considerably in two key areas: materials construct and processing velocity.
Coros, by its personal admission, has stated that the Tempo Professional with its mineral glass show is just not really helpful for mountain actions. The glass simply gained’t stand as much as affect from rock. The Suunto Race S, however, makes use of the extremely sturdy Gorilla Glass, which isn’t solely skinny and light-weight, however is scratch- and impact-resistant. The Tempo Professional could also be higher suited to street and observe operating whereas the Race S is firmly at residence on trails the place it will probably stand up to the inevitable affect from falling or scrambling.
Coros’s unbelievable battery longevity is beloved solely simply above its screaming quick processing energy. This has by no means been Suunto’s energy, and stays buoyed to even the latest Suunto merchandise, the Race S included. Whether or not it’s the relative slowness of scrolling the digital crown to the time it takes the watch to avoid wasting your exercise, to the act of transferring the exercise to the app after which third-party websites like Strava — Suunto is solely behind the ball in comparison with Coros.
You then add much less frequent over-the-air software program updates and enhancements in comparison with Coros. You’ll possible by no means break the Race S or say it’s much less fairly than Coros (and even Garmin), and so the worth proposition — with options being roughly equal to the Tempo Professional — is diminished to sturdiness, design, and person interface. These are what have and proceed to actually set Suunto aside from the competitors.
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- Have you ever tried the Suunto Race S? What have been your ideas?
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