Compare Garmin Forerunner 570 vs Suunto Race S

P1 Garmin Forerunner 570
P2 Suunto Race S

Comparison Takeaways

Garmin Forerunner 570

Where It Has the Edge

  • contactless payments is 4.4 vs 1.0. Contactless payment support is confirmed through NFC payments, but reviewers mention it briefly rather than as a major...
  • activity auto-detection is 4.0 vs 1.0. Reviewers noted helpful race/activity automation, especially AutoLap timing gates and finish-line cleanup, but evidence is narrow rather than...
  • onboard music storage is 4.1 vs 1.1. Onboard music storage is supported through 8GB storage, MP3s, and streaming-service syncing, giving it better music capability than...
  • health tracking accuracy is 4.3 vs 2.7. Health tracking is broad and useful, covering heart rate, sleep, stress, skin temperature, respiration, and wellness metrics, but...

Suunto Race S

Where It Has the Edge

  • reliability is 4.7 vs 2.3. Reliability is strong where tested long-term, with no GPS drops, data loss or signal dropouts reported by key...
  • value for money is 4.7 vs 2.6. Value for money is one of the strongest agreements, with reviewers repeatedly calling the feature set unusually strong...
  • battery life is 4.2 vs 3.3. Battery life is strong for an AMOLED sports watch, though real-world daily use can fall below the largest...
  • smartphone notifications is 3.5 vs 3.1. Smartphone notifications work for basic mirroring, though some reviewers found presentation limited.
Average score
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.0
Product 2: Suunto Race S
3.7
activity auto-detection
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.0

Reviewers noted helpful race/activity automation, especially AutoLap timing gates and finish-line cleanup, but evidence is narrow rather than a broad auto-detection theme.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
1.0

Activity auto-detection is weak in the available evidence, with one review saying not to expect auto exercise detection.

app ecosystem
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.2

Garmin's app ecosystem is useful through Connect IQ and watchface downloads, though reviewers repeatedly describe it as more limited than Apple or Wear OS.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.3

The app ecosystem is strong for routes, TrainingPeaks-style workflows and SuuntoPlus-style extensions.

band quality
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.4

The silicone/translucent bands are generally praised for softness, fit, sweat comfort, and durability, with one reviewer noting a strap tail/bump annoyance.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.0

Band quality is mostly positive for comfort and fastening, with some concerns about stickiness or discoloration.

battery life
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
3.3

Battery life is divisive: still far better than mainstream smartwatches for some users, but several reviewers saw a drop from the 265 and short always-on endurance.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.2

Battery life is strong for an AMOLED sports watch, though real-world daily use can fall below the largest headline claims.

blood oxygen tracking
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.0

Blood oxygen tracking is present and used in overnight health tracking, but reviewers mention it as part of the health suite rather than a standout accuracy feature.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
2.8

Blood oxygen is present, but evidence is thin and one reviewer called overnight SpO2 readings unreliable.

Bluetooth connectivity
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
3.6

Bluetooth supports calls and pairing with phones/sensors, but one reviewer reported frequent phone disconnect notices, making connectivity evidence mixed.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
3.1

Bluetooth works for sensors and notifications, but reviewers noted sensor-management limits and pairing compromises.

brightness
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.7

Brightness is one of the clearest strengths, with reviewers calling the AMOLED screen brighter, vivid, and among Garmin's brightest.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.6

Brightness is consistently praised, especially for the AMOLED screen and route-following visibility.

build quality
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.4

Build quality is viewed positively thanks to a robust-feeling case and upgraded aluminum bezel, with no major build concerns outside price-tier omissions.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.8

Build quality is praised as premium for the price, including strong comments on watch and strap construction.

button controls
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.6

The five-button setup is repeatedly praised for sweaty, rainy, gloved, and swimming use, while also complementing the touchscreen well.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
3.0

Button controls are mixed: the physical layout helps, but the crown is repeatedly described as tricky or awkward.

call handling
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.2

Call handling is a solid new smartwatch feature via microphone, speaker, and Bluetooth, though reviewers usually treat it as handy rather than essential.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
2.8

Call handling is limited to alerts rather than true calling, matching the watch’s training-first focus.

calorie tracking usefulness
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.0

Calorie tracking is available and tied into activity details, including pack-weight calculations, but reviewers do not deeply validate calorie accuracy.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
3.3

Calorie tracking is mentioned as part of basic workout feedback, but reviewer evidence is limited.

charging convenience
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
3.7

Charging convenience is acceptable but not premium: Garmin's connector is functional and fast enough, yet the lack of wireless charging is a recurring caveat.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
3.6

Charging convenience is mixed: speed helps, but the proprietary cradle and alignment requirements can be inconvenient.

charging speed
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.4

Charging speed receives positive user evidence, with one long-term reviewer saying it can recharge during a morning shower.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.6

Charging speed is a strength, with several reviewers reporting roughly 40 minutes to an hour or rapid top-ups.

coaching features
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.4

Coaching features are a major strength, including Garmin Coach, triathlon plans, daily workout suggestions, and adaptive training guidance.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
3.4

Coaching is mixed: structured workouts and climb guidance help, but reviewers missed richer training plans or daily suggested workouts.

comfort
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.4

Comfort is broadly strong, with reviewers calling it light and wearable all day; only larger-size sleep comfort and strap buckle issues temper the praise.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.3

Comfort is generally positive, especially for daily wear, though some found sleep wear or bulk less ideal.

companion app quality
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.2

Garmin Connect is powerful and data-rich, though one reviewer notes its learning curve and depth can feel overwhelming.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.3

The companion app is a standout for routes, maps and clean design, though a few reviewers wanted a more intuitive experience.

contactless payments
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.4

Contactless payment support is confirmed through NFC payments, but reviewers mention it briefly rather than as a major buying reason.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
1.0

Contactless payments are absent, making this a clear weakness for users who rely on wrist payments.

cross-platform compatibility
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.1

Cross-platform use is solid for notifications on Android and iPhone, but iPhone reply limitations keep it short of Apple Watch-level integration.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.4

Cross-platform phone support is solid, with explicit evidence for both Android and Apple compatibility.

customization options
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.4

Customization is strong across watchfaces, widgets, data fields, layouts, colors, and report options, with several reviewers highlighting personalization.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.3

Customization is strong across watch faces, widgets, map layers and personalized sport modes.

display quality
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.7

Display quality is a standout: the AMOLED panel is sharp, vivid, responsive, and frequently cited as a major upgrade.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.6

Display quality is a major strength, with AMOLED sharpness, color and resolution praised across reviews.

durability
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.5

Durability evidence is mostly positive, with bezels, bands, water use, and glass holding up well, though one review noted small scratches or heat-related unresponsiveness.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
3.9

Durability is generally solid, but the switch from sapphire to Gorilla Glass and 50m rating creates some caveats.

ECG functionality
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
1.0

ECG functionality is the clearest omission: many reviewers criticize the lack of ECG despite the newer heart-rate sensor and the price.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
No score yet
fit
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.5

Fit is praised for secure, no-bounce wear and useful size options, particularly for smaller wrists.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.6

Fit is a strength for smaller wrists and active use, with secure strap fit and reduced case size praised.

fitness tracking accuracy
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.6

Fitness tracking accuracy is strong overall, anchored by consistently praised GPS and heart-rate performance across running, cycling, and multisport use.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
3.2

Fitness tracking is generally competent for workouts, but wrist-HR weaknesses affect confidence in some activities.

GPS accuracy
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.7

GPS accuracy is one of the strongest attributes, with reviewers repeatedly calling tracks excellent, flawless, near-perfect, or among the best tested.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.8

GPS accuracy is one of the strongest consensus positives, with reviewers praising precise tracks across runs, rides, trails and mapping use.

health tracking accuracy
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.3

Health tracking is broad and useful, covering heart rate, sleep, stress, skin temperature, respiration, and wellness metrics, but some illness/sleep limitations appear.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
2.7

Health tracking is usable for HRV-style context, but reviewers flagged weak sleep-stage reliability and inconsistent body-resource style metrics.

heart rate accuracy
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.5

Heart-rate accuracy is highly rated across most reviews, especially for running and intervals, though lab-style testing found some delays and dips.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
3.3

Heart rate accuracy is the clearest split: some reviewers saw improved or precise running/swim data, while many still recommended a chest strap.

LTE connectivity
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
1.1

LTE connectivity is not offered; reviewers explicitly note the lack of cellular connection or cellular smartwatch capability.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
No score yet
mapping and navigation
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
2.2

Navigation is the biggest tradeoff: breadcrumb routing works, but the absence of offline/topographic maps is repeatedly criticized at this price.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
No score yet
materials quality
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.4

Materials quality improves over the 265 with an aluminum bezel and Gorilla Glass, giving the watch a more premium feel.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.2

Materials quality is good for the price, with steel, titanium and Gorilla Glass mentioned, though the plastic body and non-sapphire lens are tradeoffs.

menu navigation
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.5

Menu navigation is mostly intuitive and easy, supported by buttons, touchscreen, Glances, and refreshed menus, though phantom clicks hurt one review.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
3.2

Menu navigation takes practice; reviewers described the logic as initially confusing despite short navigation paths once learned.

music controls
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.0

Music controls are available alongside notifications and calendar previews, but reviewer evidence is brief.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
3.9

Music control from a phone works across reviews, but it is not the same as phone-free playback.

onboard music storage
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.1

Onboard music storage is supported through 8GB storage, MP3s, and streaming-service syncing, giving it better music capability than many sports watches.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
1.1

Onboard music storage is a repeated limitation, with several reviewers saying there is no real music storage or streaming support.

operating system experience
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.0

The updated operating-system experience is cleaner and more modern, with Garmin aligning the 570 with newer Fenix/Forerunner UI styling.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.2

The operating system feels simpler and more focused than Garmin, with reviewers noting improved organization and responsiveness.

outdoor visibility
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.9

Outdoor visibility is excellent, with reviewers praising sunlight readability and the bright AMOLED display in harsh outdoor conditions.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.6

Outdoor visibility is excellent, with reviewers reporting easy readability in sun, shade and outdoor workouts.

pairing reliability
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
3.6

Pairing and syncing are mixed: some reviewers found smooth iPhone/Strava syncing, while another saw repeated phone disconnects.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
3.6

Pairing is easy for the phone and external HR monitors, but multi-sensor management is a notable limitation.

recovery insights
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.6

Recovery insights are a major reason reviewers liked the watch, especially Training Readiness, Body Battery, HRV, and sleep-informed rest guidance.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.0

Recovery insights are a real part of the platform, using HRV, sleep and training load, though presentation varies by reviewer.

reliability
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
2.3

Reliability is mixed: core tracking is reliable, but reviewers cite occasional crashes, overheating unresponsiveness, software bugs, and phantom clicks.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.7

Reliability is strong where tested long-term, with no GPS drops, data loss or signal dropouts reported by key reviewers.

safety features
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.3

Safety features are solid, with LiveTrack, Incident Detection, and safety/tracking features mentioned as part of the package.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.1

Safety features center on Find Back, offline maps, route guidance and battery reminders, all useful for outdoor use.

size options
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.5

Size options are a strength because the 570 comes in 42mm and 47mm, making it more accessible than single-size Garmin alternatives.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.2

Size options improve wearability versus the larger Race, with reviewers praising the smaller 45mm format.

sleep tracking accuracy
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
3.3

Sleep tracking is useful but not class-leading; some found it reasonably accurate while others called it less robust or less complete than competitors.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
2.8

Sleep tracking drew repeated caveats, from underreported sleep and night comfort issues to poor sleep-stage confidence.

smartphone notifications
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
3.1

Smartphone notifications work, but evidence is mixed because one reviewer found notification handling intrusive during workouts.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
3.5

Smartphone notifications work for basic mirroring, though some reviewers found presentation limited.

smartwatch features
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.1

Smartwatch features improved meaningfully with mic, speaker, calls, voice commands, music, NFC, reports, and notifications, though it is not a full smartwatch.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
3.1

Smartwatch features are intentionally basic: notifications, music control and widgets are present, but advanced smartwatch tools are limited.

software smoothness
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.5

Software smoothness is generally positive, with reviewers describing the interface as polished, faster, and modern, but not bug-free.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.2

Software smoothness is improved over earlier Suunto experiences, though one review still noted minor lag.

step counting accuracy
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.3

Step counting appears accurate in direct step tests and is part of the daily tracking suite.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
3.0

Step counting is mixed: one reviewer found totals similar to Garmin, while another saw substantial undercounting.

stress tracking
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.4

Stress tracking feeds into readiness and wellness guidance, giving it practical value for recovery decisions.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.1

Stress tracking appears mainly through training-stress metrics, with reviewers noting Training Stress Score and Training Stress Balance displays.

style and design
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.5

Style and design are a standout upgrade, with reviewers praising the colorful, expressive, more premium look.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.6

Style and design are standout positives, with reviewers repeatedly calling the watch sleek, premium or great-looking.

third-party app support
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
3.5

Third-party app support exists through Connect IQ, but reviewers view Garmin's store as useful yet limited versus full smartwatch platforms.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
3.9

Third-party support is useful through SuuntoPlus and connected services, but on-watch app limits hold it back.

touchscreen responsiveness
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.6

Touchscreen responsiveness is widely praised as responsive, fast, and useful, especially alongside the physical buttons.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.0

Touchscreen responsiveness is mostly good or improved, with some caveats around ultimate slickness and moisture sensitivity.

user interface
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.2

The user interface is cleaner and easier to navigate than before, though Garmin's learning curve and rare menu quirks remain.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
3.4

The user interface is functional but divisive, with comments ranging from easy to find features to less intuitive than rivals.

value for money
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
2.6

Value for money is the most common concern: reviewers like the watch but repeatedly say the price is high versus the 265, 965, 970, and rivals.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.7

Value for money is one of the strongest agreements, with reviewers repeatedly calling the feature set unusually strong for the price.

voice assistant quality
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.1

Voice assistant and command quality is good for watch tasks and commands, while phone-assistant workflows can be clunky or dependent on the phone.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
No score yet
watch face quality
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.5

Watch face quality is strong thanks to customization and readable data layouts, with reviewers highlighting clean default faces and useful widgets.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.0

Watch faces are customizable and improved, though at least one reviewer still wanted third-party watch faces.

water resistance
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.4

Water resistance is well supported for swimming and real-world water exposure, including pools, lakes, ocean use, and a 5ATM rating.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
3.9

Water resistance is adequate for swimming and normal use, but it is lower than the larger Race.

wellness insights
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.5

Wellness insights are deep and actionable, especially Body Battery, readiness, stress, sleep, and recovery metrics that shape daily decisions.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
3.7

Wellness insights exist and can be helpful, but they stay relatively low-key and are not always as persuasive as Garmin-style metrics.

Wi-Fi connectivity
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
No score yet
Product 2: Suunto Race S
3.8

Wi-Fi is mainly useful for map downloads and syncing map regions, with the process often tied to the app and charger.

workout tracking variety
Product 1: Garmin Forerunner 570
4.6

Workout tracking variety is excellent, with triathlon/multisport support, many sport modes, open-water swimming, gym profiles, and new activity types.

Product 2: Suunto Race S
4.7

Workout variety is a major strength, with reviewers repeatedly citing broad sport modes, triathlon support and multisport coverage.