Verified / Wearables & trackers · Updated 17 Oct 2026
Newer model available: Suunto Race 2 (since August 2025). This review covers the previous model.
Sqwod Verified · Wearables & trackers
Suunto Race
The Suunto Race is the best watch Suunto has made in years: a bright 1.43-inch AMOLED, accurate dual-band GPS and genuinely huge battery life, all launched well below Garmin. Now selling around 320 EUR (down from a 449 EUR RRP), it is one of the best-value AMOLED multisport watches you can buy. The catch is software: the Suunto app and on-watch OS feel slower and thinner than Garmin Connect, the wrist heart-rate sensor is only so-so, and recovery/sleep metrics are noisy. For runners and outdoor athletes who want a big screen, maps and long battery without paying Garmin money, it is an easy recommendation.
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The read
Should you buy it?
Buy it if…
Buy it if you want a big, bright AMOLED multisport watch with strong dual-band GPS, maps and multi-day battery for far less than a Garmin Forerunner 965.
Skip it if…
Skip it if you rely on precise wrist heart rate, contactless payments, or Garmin's deep app and third-party ecosystem - or if you'd rather wait for the Race 2.
How the score breaks down
Crowd Signal
1,400 reviews · 4 platforms
Sqwod Assessment
Value / Deal
Crowd & price figures from public sources, as of 17 Oct 2026. Live aggregation is rolling out, so figures may change.
Suunto’s Race arrived as the brand’s first AMOLED sports watch and immediately reset expectations: a gorgeous 1.43-inch 466x466 panel at 1000 nits, a stainless-steel-and-sapphire (or titanium) build, a digital crown, and dual-band (L1/L5) GPS. In testing by DC Rainmaker and the5krunner the GPS held its own against Garmin and Apple on land, and the battery is a standout - a 12.5-hour mountain outing drained only about a quarter of the pack, backing up Suunto’s ~40-hour dual-band and 12-day smartwatch claims. Onboard offline maps, HRV, structured workouts and TrainingPeaks integration round out a genuinely capable training package.
Where it trails Garmin is the ecosystem. The Suunto app is clean but shallower than Garmin Connect, the on-watch software can feel sluggish, and there is no contactless payment, no ANT+ and no broadcast HR for Zwift. The optical heart-rate sensor is the weakest link, drifting during intervals, so a chest strap is worth it. Reviewers still landed firmly positive - the5krunner scored it 89%, Trusted Reviews 4.5/5, and DC Rainmaker called it ‘the best Suunto yet.’ With EU street prices now around 320 EUR versus the 449 EUR launch RRP, the value case is stronger than ever.
In the guides
All buyer's guides 2026Every product in the category, ranked on the same scorecard.See the rankings →How we score
Crowd 45 · Assessment 40 · Value 15Brands cannot pay for a score. Affiliate links are labelled and never move a number.Read the methodology →For coaches in Berlin
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