Suunto Race
Wearables & trackers
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 299 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.
How the score breaks down
Crowd Signal
1,400 reviews · 4 platforms
Sqwod Assessment
Value / Deal
Crowd & price figures from public sources, as of 30 Jul 2026. Live aggregation is rolling out — figures may change.
Pros
- Bright, sharp 1.43" AMOLED (1000 nits) that's excellent in sunlight
- Accurate dual-band GPS on land, matching Garmin/Apple
- Outstanding battery life for AMOLED (up to ~40h dual-band, 12 days smartwatch)
- Onboard offline maps and a handy digital crown
- Excellent value - around 299 EUR street, well under Garmin rivals
Cons
- Suunto app and OS lag behind Garmin's ecosystem and third-party support
- Optical wrist heart rate is inconsistent during intervals
- Sleep and recovery metrics are noisy and over-abundant
- No contactless payments, no ANT+, no broadcast HR for Zwift
Who it's for
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.
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 299 EUR versus the 449 EUR launch RRP, the value case is stronger than ever.
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