While making the decision for my next smartwatch, I initially was torn between the Forerunner 165, the Coros Pace Pro and the Suunto Race S. Forerunner 265 is way out of my budget so I switched to the cheaper 165 into the list. Funny story: I actually won the 165 during a lucky draw recently. I never win anything at lucky draws so that was one a million thing. Too bad I already got my 255 Music at the moment, with a slightly bigger screen but no AMOLED though. Since I could do with the money, I sold it right away. I thought the 165’s 1.2" screen was too small, the inner bezel too big and I didn’t like the black colour.
Fast forward two months later. My Forerunner 255 Music suddenly died on me. It could be the battery or the motherboard but one thing for sure, it’s already out of warranty. In dire need of a smartwatch for my phone’s notification and also for exercises, I bought an Apple watch SE shortly after. A decision I come to regret now because I prefer the round watch faces of the Garmin and the square Apple watches just look ugly in comparison.
While choosing my next GPS smartwatch, I almost picked the Coros Pace Pro. It ticked all the boxes - big AMOLED screen, always on screen, long battery life and most importantly, cheaper than say the Suunto Race S. But while watching review and comparison videos between the too, I grow to like the Suunto more and more. It’s stainless steel bezel, it’s beautiful font and user interface. It’s pretty bright orange strap. Yes Coros Pace Pro has slightly better specs and a tad lower price tag but the big Coros text on the bezel is just an eyesore for me. Hence why I ultimately choose the Suunto Race S.
What strikes me the most about the Suunto Race S is the beautiful display and user interface. This 45mm watch has a small bezel and a crisp and bright high definition AMOLED screen. It’s the prettiest display I’ve ever seen in a sportswatch. The UI is also great, featuring this elegant custom font easy to navigate menu system. You scroll between the menu using the physical crown button and select using the 2 dedicated buttons.
Battery life is good too with my normal usage including training, always on display and the brightest setting lasting 4-5 days before needing charge. If there’s one thing I want to complain about this Suunto watch is its charging dock which is not magnetic and can easily disconnect from charging at the slightest touch. The Suunto Race S has most of the features available on a similarly priced Garmin including online and offline maps. The only major thing missing is Spotify sync which is exclusive to Garmin smartwatches at the moment.
The GPS is quick and it’ll take 2-3 seconds for it to connect when you’re completely outdoors. The workout features and screen are completely customizable. It shows my daily steps and calories, heart rate, altitude, blood oxygen and compass straight from my wrist. The default watchfaces are already pretty and you can find more watchfaces on the Suunto app.
Overall, I’m really pleased with my Suunto Race S. It’s by far the best GPS sportswatch that I’ve ever owned. And I’ve owned a few Garmins before including a Fenix. At around 1,700 ringgit, it’s a bit pricier than an entry-level sports watch but the beautiful design and user interface makes it really worth it.
