If you want better customization options
Choose Suunto Vertical 2. It scores 4.8 vs 2.9 for customization options, with a 4.2 overall score.
Suunto Race 2 Review
Bottom Line
Choose the Suunto Race 2 if you want a training-first AMOLED watch with long battery life, bright maps and stronger HR than older Suuntos. Skip it if you need rich smartwatch apps, onboard music, payments or the most consistent GPS/HR accuracy.
Best for
Best for runners, trail users and endurance athletes who want a bright AMOLED training watch with long battery life, offline maps and strong sport-tracking basics without a phone-like smartwatch experience.
Not for
Not for users who prioritize onboard music, payments, advanced smartwatch apps, a smaller case, or fully polished health and recovery metrics over battery life and training tools.
Verdict
The Suunto Race 2 comes through in the reviews as a training-first endurance watch with standout display quality, outdoor readability, battery life, and improved heart-rate hardware. Reviewers repeatedly liked the brighter AMOLED screen, stronger build, long GPS endurance, better charger, and capable maps once they were loaded. The tradeoff is that the Race 2 still behaves more like a focused sports watch than a full smartwatch: payments, onboard music, rich notifications, and deep app customization are limited. Accuracy is also not unanimous; heart rate is much better than older Suuntos, but several reviewers still saw outliers, and GPS drew both praise and nitpicks.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
52 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.020 (38%)
-
Positive 3.5-4.415 (29%)
-
Neutral 2.5-3.49 (17%)
-
Negative 1.5-2.48 (15%)
Pros
-
Charging speed was praised as fast enough for quick top-ups before long GPS days.
-
Brightness received explicit praise, with one reviewer calling the display brightness unusually strong.
-
The flashlight mode was strongly praised by one reviewer as unexpectedly handy and bright enough for real use.
-
The operating system experience was praised in one review as one of the best fitness-first watch systems.
-
Water resistance was viewed positively, with one review highlighting serious waterproof credentials.
-
Display quality was one of the strongest points, repeatedly described as bright, sharp, readable, stunning, and easy to use during training.
-
Outdoor visibility was consistently excellent, with reviewers reporting easy readability in bright sun and direct sunlight.
-
Battery life was one of the clearest strengths, with reviewers repeatedly praising endurance, long GPS runtime, and multi-day use.
-
Pairing reliability was praised for easy external sensor connections and the ability to manage multiple sensors of the same type.
-
Build quality was strongly praised, with reviewers calling the hardware premium, sturdy, and well matched to smooth software.
-
Durability was praised, with reviewers describing the watch as hard to kill and resistant to visible wear during testing.
-
Charging convenience improved substantially, with reviewers praising the redesigned magnetic charger and more secure dock.
-
Software smoothness was widely praised as improved, with reviewers noting slicker widgets, smoother scrolling, and little delay.
-
Style and design were widely praised, with reviewers calling the Race 2 sleek, gorgeous, modern, robust, and premium-looking.
-
Workout variety was consistently praised, with reviewers highlighting broad sport-profile coverage and comprehensive tracking for mainstream and niche activities.
-
Comfort was mostly positive thanks to the thinner case, lighter feel and improved wrist fit, though size and strap choices still mattered.
-
The app ecosystem received positive evidence from SuuntoPlus, with one reviewer saying integrations made the watch feel less insular than rival fitness watches.
-
Bluetooth connectivity evidence was positive in one review, where phone pairing was described as simple.
-
Materials quality received positive evidence from the feel of the metal buttons and digital crown.
-
Reliability was positive in one review that reported no lag, freezes, unexplained shutdowns, or transfer issues.
-
GPS accuracy was generally strong, especially for land workouts, but several reviewers saw small errors, worse open-water results, or a slight step back from past Suunto performance.
-
Value was generally strong but price-sensitive: many reviewers found it competitive or worthwhile, while a few noted the price jump weakened the bargain angle.
-
One reviewer tied the improved sensors to more meaningful health and training feedback, suggesting better fitness-tracking usefulness than the older model.
-
Heart-rate accuracy was the most debated upgrade: many reviewers called it a major improvement or accurate enough for training, while several still found unreliable readings in hard efforts or certain workouts.
-
Mapping and navigation were a major strength once maps were loaded, but reviewers also noted non-routable maps, slow downloads, and missing labels or POIs.
-
Coaching features were seen as helpful for interpreting training and recovery, especially for runners, though the evidence favored practical context over advanced smartwatch coaching.
-
Cross-platform compatibility was supported by positive evidence for importing and sharing workout data through services such as Strava.
-
Fit was positive in one review because the large watch still did not feel too large on the wrist.
-
Button controls were mostly praised as clicky and usable during activity, though one reviewer had a sticky-button problem.
-
Third-party app support was mixed: SuuntoPlus integrations impressed one reviewer, while another found the two-app limit restrictive.
-
The companion app was mixed but often useful: some praised route playback, readable analysis, streamlining and polish, while others saw mismatched stats or a basic app.
-
Sleep tracking drew split feedback, with some reviewers praising sleep timing or nap detection while others reported missed awakenings, hit-or-miss nights, or overly ambitious deep-sleep estimates.
-
Band quality was mixed: some liked the stock silicone strap, while others disliked the pin fastening, fiddly buckle, or overall band feel.
-
Wellness insights were useful but not universally trusted, with one reviewer valuing HRV and another finding resources too generous.
-
Music controls were considered acceptable for basic phone control, but not a deeper music experience.
Cons
-
Size options were a caveat because reviewers noted the 49mm case can feel big for smaller wrists.
-
Watch faces were generally seen as basic or lightly customizable, with limited options compared with Garmin or COROS.
-
Smartphone notifications were described as basic because the watch can display them but not respond from the wrist.
-
User interface feedback was split, ranging from easy and sensible on runs to clunky, unintuitive, or difficult to get used to.
-
Customization was uneven: reviewers liked some configurable widgets and screens but criticized limited watch-face options, sport-mode setup friction, and direct customization limits.
-
Recovery insights were mixed: reviewers liked the training context but criticized confusing TrainingPeaks terms, overly optimistic resources, and presentation that was hard to parse.
-
Menu navigation was mixed: some controls were manageable after learning, while the sports menu and many submenus frustrated reviewers.
-
Stress-related HRV insight was viewed as underexplained, with one reviewer saying the daily average lacks enough context for new users.
-
Touchscreen responsiveness was criticized in one review for being too sensitive and prone to accidental inputs.
-
Wi-Fi connectivity was a recurring map-download annoyance, with reviewers describing slow downloads, cumbersome syncing, or trouble on weak networks.
-
Smartwatch features were consistently limited, with reviewers repeatedly noting that the Race 2 is training-first rather than a phone-like smartwatch.
-
Onboard music storage was a repeated shortcoming, with reviewers noting that offline playback is not available despite expectations for a premium sports watch.
-
Step counting was a recurring weak spot in the evidence, with reviewers saying the Race 2 miscalculated steps or produced very low counts.
-
Calorie tracking was criticized in one review for producing numbers that appeared much too high.
-
Contactless payments were called out as missing, contributing to the watch's limited smartwatch feature set.
-
One review raised broad tracking concerns, saying steps, calories and heart rate needed improvement rather than treating the watch as fully dependable for health metrics.
-
Safety features drew a serious concern from one reviewer about exposed public activity start and end positions.
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other Smartwatches, this product is above average in charging convenience, flashlight usefulness, operating system experience, near average in GPS accuracy, heart rate accuracy, below average in safety features, health tracking accuracy, step counting accuracy.
Summary
52 compared features-
Above average 0.4+ pts higher22 (42%)
-
Same as average within 0.3 pts12 (23%)
-
Below average 0.4+ pts lower18 (35%)
Largest category differences
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| safety features | 1.5 | 3.9 | -2.4 |
| health tracking accuracy | 2.0 | 3.9 | -1.9 |
| step counting accuracy | 2.0 | 3.8 | -1.8 |
| touchscreen responsiveness | 2.5 | 4.0 | -1.5 |
| charging convenience | 4.6 | 3.3 | +1.3 |
| smartwatch features | 2.2 | 3.5 | -1.3 |
| calorie tracking usefulness | 2.0 | 3.3 | -1.3 |
| customization options | 2.9 | 4.1 | -1.2 |
Consider This Instead
If you want better health tracking accuracy
Choose Suunto Run. It scores 4.6 vs 2.0 for health tracking accuracy, with a 4.0 overall score.
If you want better touchscreen responsiveness
Choose Garmin Forerunner 165. It scores 4.6 vs 2.5 for touchscreen responsiveness, with a 4.3 overall score.
If you want better value for money
Choose Suunto Race S. It scores 4.8 vs 4.2 for value for money, with a 3.9 overall score.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
- More expensive: price The reviewer noted the Race 2 is still cheaper than the Garmin Forerunner 970.
- Similar: overall performance and value The reviewer framed the Race 2 as a close match for the Garmin Forerunner 970 at a lower price.
- Similar: GPS accuracy The reviewer found the Race 2 GPS track matched the Apple Watch Ultra almost perfectly.
- Worse: display and mapping feel The reviewer said the Race 2 feels more modern and map-friendly than a MIP watch such as the COROS APEX 4.
FAQ
Is the Suunto Race 2 good for serious running and endurance training?
Yes. Reviewers consistently framed it as a training-first watch with strong battery life, useful maps, broad sport modes and improved heart-rate tracking for runners and endurance athletes.
How good is the battery life?
Battery life is one of the strongest points. Reviewers praised multi-day smartwatch use and long GPS runtime, with several calling the endurance excellent for an AMOLED sports watch.
Is the heart-rate sensor accurate?
It is clearly improved over older Suunto watches, and many reviewers found it reliable enough for regular training. However, several still reported inaccurate readings during hard efforts, early-run lock-on, or certain gym workouts.
Are the maps and navigation useful?
Yes, reviewers liked the offline maps and trail navigation once maps were loaded. The main caveats were slow map downloads, missing labels or POIs in some feedback, and no on-watch rerouting.
Does it work well as a smartwatch?
Only in a basic way. Reviewers repeatedly noted limited smartwatch features, including basic notifications and no onboard music or contactless payments.
Who is most likely to be disappointed by it?
People wanting a smaller watch, rich smartwatch apps, built-in music, payments, or the most consistent health and sleep tracking may find the Race 2 too focused on sport-watch essentials.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
Video Reviews
YouTube - The Run Testers
- Review score
- 4.0
YouTube - DesFit
- Review score
- 4.4
YouTube - Chase the Summit
- Review score
- 4.1
Article Reviews
techradar.com
- Review score
- 4.4
androidcentral.com
- Review score
- 4.3
livescience.com
- Review score
- 3.7
Top Smartwatches to Consider
Good if you want premium running features, long battery life, and maps for under $200. Skip it if you need flawless heart-rate data, multiband GPS, LTE, or richer app support.
Pros: pairing reliability, brightness
Cons: Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth connectivity
Best for accurate running metrics, excellent coaching tools, a bright AMOLED display, and dependable battery life. Skip it if you need offline maps, music storage, contactless payments, multi-band GPS, or...
Pros: step counting accuracy, app ecosystem
Cons: Bluetooth connectivity, pairing reliability
Good if you want a compact, stylish Garmin with strong GPS, comfort, and week-plus battery life. Skip it if you need richer smartwatch apps, onboard music, bright always-on display, or...
Pros: health tracking accuracy, blood oxygen tracking
Cons: ECG functionality, onboard music storage
Best for luxury-watch styling, vivid TAG faces, solid build, and casual smartwatch use. Skip it if you need top fitness accuracy, call handling, LTE, or strong value.
Pros: contactless payments, pairing reliability
Cons: LTE connectivity, call handling