I’ve at all times loved reviewing Suunto’s sports activities watches. Through the years I’ve seemed on the 9 Peak and Spartan Baro HR and every time they impress me, drawing me nearer to leaping ship completely into the Suunto world. With their newest providing, the Suunto Vertical, they’ve lastly satisfied me.
Why choosing the proper watch is vital
When you consider it, there’s one thing so completely private concerning the watch you select to put on. It’s not like underwear, you don’t change it day by day; it’s extra like a automotive, your trusted GP, a financial institution or perhaps a superannuation plan. When it’s time to vary, we do our analysis, have a look at the options we wish, examine what is out there in our value vary and lock ourselves in for the following foreseeable future.
Contemplating worth for cash and what I’m gonna name ‘Value Per Look’ (CPG) a long-held watch is one thing that carries its weight.
I’ve owned two different sports activities watches in my time (a Casio ProTrek (2004-2010), Garmin Fenix 5s (2016-2023) and after carrying and testing for a month, I’m now offered on the Suunto Vertical (2023-?). It’s positively on the most important funding finish of the spectrum at $1299AU for the top-of-the-range titanium or $999AU for the chrome steel model, so yep, I plan on carrying it for a really very long time.
Navigation perform
Finnish model Suunto has been related to outside pursuits since 1936, after they began manufacturing compasses; or what I affectionately name, ‘analog GPS’. Bloody dependable issues they’re that by no means want recharging.
Their firm title comes from the Finnish phrase suunta, that means course, path, bearing or heading.
Enjoyable Truth
Now, as a lot as I really like a very good compass and practising conventional navigation, I loved the nav options on this smartwatch and located them intuitive and straightforward to make use of.
The navigation capabilities on this watch are wonderful and mimic most of the options you might already use in a navigation app on a smartphone.
Maps
By connecting to the Suunto app while on wifi, I used to be in a position to obtain free topographical maps (Open Avenue Maps) for the entire of NSW and QLD. The 49mm actual property of the Sapphire crystal face actually comes into its personal when utilizing the maps. Tracks have been clearly outlined, together with contours and the easy 3-button interface makes it straightforward to maneuver round, together with the contact display. A phrase of warning right here although: don’t be in a rush to obtain the maps, like earlier than you run out the door for a visit. Even with obtain speeds from my house NBN of 40mbps, it nonetheless took a few hours for every state.
Map Show
You may select to view the map in 3 methods, I discovered the Outside view essentially the most sensible and was one thing that I used to be visually accustomed to. Firstly of every exercise, you may choose to have the map off/on in case you are desirous to preserve battery.
Navigation sorts
I examined Climbing and Trekking sport modes. Inside these you may select a navigation ‘sort’ (or none in any respect) from breadcrumb, POIs (Level of Curiosity), Routes, Bearing, Snap to route or Compass. It’s also possible to direct it to a easy back-bearing, taking you again to the place you began.
Place Format
For us bushwalking/climbing/path operating sorts, we are able to choose from the most typical codecs utilized in Australia: UTM and MGRS. In case you actually can’t pull your self away from the lat/lengthy (you wacky maritime, 4WD and aviation sorts), don’t fear, all 3 of these WGS84 codecs are in there too, together with a bunch of different worldwide ones.
Battery Life
With the Vertical sports activities watch, Suunto have actually checked out battery life. The titanium photo voltaic mannequin has included a function that I really like – photo voltaic charging. One much less gadget to fret about draining my treasured energy financial institution power at camp. Within the month I’ve been utilizing it, with a mean of three recorded climbing actions per week (as much as approx 7 hrs every), I’ve solely recharged it twice.
The specs are fairly spectacular with Suunto stating that in time-only mode, the titanium photo voltaic model ought to final 12 months (WTF!?) on one cost and as much as 60 days for the non-solar model. That’s loopy lengthy battery life; manner in entrance of its opponents.
It provides useful alerts earlier than you begin an exercise to indicate you what number of hours you may train on the present cost. You may simply change between totally different energy modes that adapt the watch’s capabilities and companies to avoid wasting and preserve energy. Select from Efficiency (max options and battery use), to Endurance, Extremely or Tour (minimises power-hungry options and saves battery).
After some time, the Suunto Vertical will get to know you and the actions you do. Primarily based in your historical past, it is going to advise you to vary energy modes if it thinks you’ll run low. Sensible.
App and evaluation
I’ve to confess, I’m not a kind of gear reviewers who goes into minute technical testing element, that’s not the sort of particular person or bushwalker I’m. In case you’re after that sort of substances assessment, possibly take a look at Ray from DCRainmaker. Provided that, right here’s my abstract of the app options and evaluation screens that I do use and discover useful.
Coming again to my visible bias and focus, there’s lots I really like on this a part of the watch and the Suunto app.
Have a look on the net interface show of day 4 of my Sunshine Coast Hinterland Nice Stroll. You may play the 3D video of the crimson monitor worm and possibly get a bit enthusiastic about doing it your self someday!
What I really like
Design and interface
There’s no denying I’m a visible particular person. I really like good design and interesting interfaces which can be intuitive; I’d go as far as to say, humanise the binary of expertise. I consider Suunto does this higher than every other sports activities watch that I’ve examined. The menu structure, 3 button or contact display interface and colors, all conspire to make the Suunto Vertical straightforward to make use of straight out of the field, with out feeling like I must learn a wordy handbook. It simply makes logical sense.
Weight
I admit that I used to be nervous about this. Having examined the Suunto Baro HR 5 years in the past, having the burden of a small weapon was the one main disadvantage, particularly for girls. With using titanium on this new mannequin, they’ve cracked the code of a light-weight easy watch, filled with options, stable battery life, wonderful consumer interface and (this couldn’t go with out point out) an orange band 😉
Dawn/Sundown alarm
I really like that I can select to be woken day by day 15 minutes earlier than dawn (to greet the day) or 15 minutes earlier than sundown (to shut my greenhouse and shield my veggies from frost).
Photo voltaic charging
I really like the useful graphic that exhibits how a lot solar energy is being harvested.
Suunto App
Constructed into the Suunto App is a ‘coach’. It doesn’t must be hooked as much as every other coaching app (though you may if that’s your bag), which let’s me understand how I’m doing. The mixture of the language used and design for this doesn’t translate into snarky or preachy – extra like a useful and inspiring buddy. Good.
Customised exercise mode
Once I’m in the midst of a bushwalk, there’s a bunch of knowledge that I discover useful to have at a look. I designed my good display shows that work for me. It’s straightforward to do with the Suunto app and means the precious actual property of the 49mm display isn’t wasted with reporting stuff you don’t want. Right here’s a have a look at the display setup with my preferences.
What I reckon they might work on
Variety of alarms
Other than the dawn/sundown and a storm alarm (linked to the barometer), there seems to be only one different alarm within the menu you can set for both as soon as, weekdays or day by day. No biggie, I’ll simply change my behavior and use my cellphone for a number of alarms in the identical day.
Auto pause throughout exercise
This function prompts while you transfer lower than 2 km/hr throughout an exercise. For the sadists amongst us who relish off-track scrubby pursuits together with my favorite, wombatting, the place bodily taxing train is going down at lower than 2km/hr (I recall one heinous journey at 250m/hour), it doesn’t actually work for us. Possibly they need to add wombatting to the checklist alongside impediment racing, curler snowboarding, Nordic strolling, paragliding, SUP or mermaiding (!), that are choices.
Climbing exercise shows tempo not velocity
Out of the field, I discovered that the Climbing exercise shows my velocity as tempo (minutes per km) as an alternative of velocity (km/hr). Once more, not a biggie, it simply meant I wanted to arrange a customized exercise.
I used to be supplied this product for assessment functions. You should purchase my time to check, assessment and write – you may’t purchase my opinion.