Suunto - Vertical 2 All Black

I’m in the same boat. The Fenix 8 lag, mapping, waypoints, searching for courses, etc. is a dumpster fire. I did pre-order the vertical 2 and have high hopes.

I really liked the Suunto Race 2 but the data discrepancies between the watch and the app were glaring and frustrating. Suunto seems to spend all their time making gorgeous watches with no time invested in the software or data integrity. They also never engage the community or seem to have any beta testing. I’m not ok with that. If I just wanted a gorgeous watch that told me the time ok fine but we buy these devices to track activities, provide health monitoring and give us accurate information…no? I was trying to get away from Garmin but ended up going back to a Garmin Fenix 8 as pound for pound, I think it’s the best thing out there. Edit: I’ve been quite vocal about the data discrepancies as have others. I’ve also felt that people are somewhat giving them a pass because the watches are so amazing to look at and wear. While they are very well built and perhaps the best designed watches available, they’re just not reliable. The accuracy in metrics like Resources, CTL, TSB and sleep tracking just suck. One shouldn’t have to wonder if it’s the app or the watch that has the correct data…it leads one to think they’re both wrong. The sleep tracking is also crappy as it doesn’t detect awake time and it counts sitting on the couch as a nap. I was very disappointed not just in the data but the lack of any update from Suunto. They’re totally silent. The only redeeming quality of the Race 2 and perhaps Vertical 2 is the heart rate sensor seems quite good. Garmin is far from perfect but at least they provide quite regular updates and the data is quite accurate overall.

I’ve been quite vocal about the data discrepancies as have others. I’ve also felt that people are somewhat giving them a pass because the watches are so amazing to look at and wear. While they are very well built and perhaps the best designed watches available, they’re just not reliable. The accuracy in metrics like Resources, CTL, TSB and sleep tracking just suck. One shouldn’t have to wonder if it’s the app or the watch that has the correct data…it leads one to think they’re both wrong. The sleep tracking is also crappy as it doesn’t detect awake time and it counts sitting on the couch as a nap. I was very disappointed not just in the data but the lack of any update from Suunto. They’re totally silent. The only redeeming quality of the Race 2 and perhaps Vertical 2 is the heart rate sensor seems quite good. Garmin is far from perfect but at least they provide quite regular updates and the data is quite accurate overall.

I'd recommend a Suunto for the long-term investment in a platform and training system. Suunto, having been acquired by a Chinese company, has been infused with cash and this has played out in their app development as well as the watches they've been releasing. The Vertical 2 (AMOLED) virtually matches the first gen. Vertical hour to hour in battery life. Not to mention the Run which is the best value fitness watch on the market at this time. Suunto Coach is a good way to structure your training and the Suunto Plus store offers a ton of utility to Suunto watches (sans Run). On the flip side, Polar has floundered in recent years, lacking innovation and repackaging features into new hardware. The new M3 is a nice looking watch and is the best value of their newest releases, but they are so far behind in the digital realm, it's honestly depressing. Sure, they are updating Flow, but it feels too little too late. They have some training guidance, but unless FitSpark has had a MASSIVE update I've missed, it recommends really simple workouts that lack adaptation to current training which something like Gemini or ChatGPT could outclass given the right prompts.

The above comment is not true. Coming from Enduro 3 to Vertical 2. Vertical has a much simpler UI, much faster maps scrolling. And the Suunto app is better, But know that Suunto makes sportswatches and not smartwatches, so yes you will nt have all the bells and whistles from Garmin, but you will have something you can rely on

Hi ! I'm surprised to see the Vertix 2S on your list. I got it, and honestly it's really outdated: interface not smooth, few new features, and a price too high for what it offers today. And even for autonomy, it no longer really has any advantage. For less money, the Suunto Vertical 2 does much better: top screen, fluid interface, very comfortable cardio sensor, and 65 hours of battery life in precision mode. Quick comparison: Vertix 2S: – Slow interface – No AMOLED screen – Too expensive – Actual autonomy ~50–60 h in dual frequency – 62 g (nylon) / 88 g (silicone) Vertical 2: – Autonomy ~65 h in precision – Very readable screen – Fluid and modern – 74 g (titanium) / 86 g (steel) ➡️ Similar or lighter weight depending on the version, and not annoying thanks to the flat cardio sensor. Conclusion : At the same or lower price, the Vertical 2 is clearly a much better choice than the Vertix 2S today.

I have a vertical 2 and came from a fenix 8 and a long line of garmins. The software is fine, and the app is significantly better. One key feature it offers is the easier ability to compare over time, or compare your routes. It’s simpler than the fenix in that you have less metrics but in truth after the novelty has worn off on the Garmin I didn’t look at all the derailed metrics - even DC Rainmaker notes that pro trainers don’t use them. I like the simpler metrics and the app is light years ahead of Garmin. For note: I haven’t had the issues people describe below. Just my thoughts nothing else.

That is just ridiculous and false Suunto does track heart rate outside of activities. Suunot has better battery in most of their watches than Garmin does, better software as well. Nice looking watches and lower cost to feature ratio as well.

Did you look at the 24/7 list which includes heart rate and stress? The battery specs listed on the page? It is clear that that the watch measures heart rate outside of activities. Not sure how you think it would get recovery , HRV etc if it didn't. You must know the HRV is the time measured between heart beats. https://preview.redd.it/wjnd6fzn9msf1.png?width=2880&format=png&auto=webp&s=14a7a3ad9997d2c17bc3b670d4ff2c97b9d7b193

The V2 looks certainly take the cake. The Suunto appears to be more well built as well. The metal lugs can make a difference in durability. I mean, there are lots of examples on r/garmin of broken lugs. Feature-wise, the FR certainly has more options to play with. But it is not a pretty watch by any means. Maybe the FR also has a worse battery. I'm more of a MIP display guy, but i would certanly go for the Vertical 2,

Great summary. I made the switch from Fenix to Vertical 2 following the same logic. My HR is anyhow accurate, despite all I've read about in the last month.

Oh yeah, the good ol smartphone argument 😂 That excuse doesn't work in 2025 anymore for poor software. New SOC means not only better performance but also better battery because of it being more efficient. Suunto Vertical 2 have much better performance and tops battery life any other Garmin amoled watch.