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Suunto is slowly carving a formidable niche in the world of outdoor and multisport smartwatches. We can attest to that — last year, we tested the running-focused Suunto Race 2 and Suunto Run. While we had some minor quibbles with them, we were generally impressed by their stylish design, advanced workout-tracking features and long battery life. This year, we got our hands on something even better — the Suunto Vertical 2. This high-end adventure smartwatch has eerily similar specs and functionality to the ultra-premium Garmin Fenix 8, but costs around $300 less ($599 to $699, depending on the model).
The Suunto Vertical 2 boasts a durable design, up to 20 days’ battery life and multiple advanced navigation tools and workout-tracking features. It is a tough cookie, built for those who frequently venture off into the great outdoors and do not want to skimp on safety and reliability. Plus, it looks unusually stylish for an adventure watch.
Suunto Vertical 2 smartwatch review
Suunto Vertical 2: Design
- Heavy, rugged build
- Stylish and fairly comfortable to wear
- 10ATM water resistance
Key specs
Display: 1.5-inch AMOLED – 466 x 466 (resolution)
Always-On: Yes
Dimensions (in): 1.9 x 1.9 x 0.5
Dimensions (mm): 48.6 x 48.6 x 13.5
Weight: 3.07 oz (87 g)
Colors: Black, All-black, Arctic Gray, Canyon, Pine Green and Sage
Finish: Stainless steel or titanium
GPS: Yes
Compass: Yes
Altimeter: Yes
Offline maps: Yes
Water resistance: 10ATM
NFC payments: N/A
Compatibility: iOS and Android
Storage: 32 GB internal storage
Right off the bat, the Suunto Vertical 2 scores highly for its customizability. This adventure watch is available in two options, with a stainless steel finish or a more durable and heat-resistant titanium finish, and it comes with a range of removable silicon straps in gorgeous earthy colors. Should you wish to shake things up even more, plenty of other leather and nylon straps can be found at Amazon and other third-party retailers. There is something for everyone here.
Our testing unit came in stainless steel and with a Pine Green strap. First impression upon unboxing? Having tested multiple clunky smartwatches in the past (we are looking at you, TicWatch Atlas), the Suunto Vertical 2 feels like a welcome change. It is rugged in the full sense of the word, but at the same time, it manages to stay exceptionally sleek and, dare we say, stylish. While this smartwatch is designed primarily for outdoor explorations, it will not look too out of place in more mundane circumstances.
That is not to say that the Suunto Vertical 2 is a great option for 24/7 wear. Weighing a solid 3.07 oz (87 g), it is still a formidable piece of machinery, and you can definitely feel its presence on your wrist. To put that into perspective, the Fenix 8 weighs “only” about 2.82 oz or 80 g. We found it quite cumbersome, too. While we did not mind wearing it in bed, some people may find the sheer size of this smartwatch to be too disruptive for comfortable sleep-tracking. However, we got used to wearing the Suunto Vertical 2 pretty quickly, as it is actually quite comfortable to wear, or at least more comfortable than many other models that sat on our wrist before.
The Suunto Vertical 2 also feels well built. This smartwatch did not sustain any scratches or wear-and-tear damage after two months of testing, nor was it ever fazed by being exposed to freezing January temperatures and cold water. Even occasional bumps from a steel barbell did not cause us any issues. Given how durable this smartwatch is, you can easily forgive its heaviness.
Lastly, the silicone strap. It deserves a special mention here — it is pleasantly soft and flexible, has a beautiful green shade to it, and has never caused any skin irritation.
Suunto Vertical 2: Display
- 1.5-inch AMOLED display
- Relatively easy to read and navigate
- Responsive to the touch, even in cold temperatures
The Suunto Vertical 2 features a big, colorful 1.5-inch AMOLED display. There are upsides and downsides to this. AMOLED screens are vibrant and pixel-dense, but they also tend to drain the battery much faster than, for example, the transflective MIP displays employed in many other adventure watches. When this type of screen is employed in a model whose functionality is rooted in long battery life, it needs built-in dimming features that preserve its energy use — and the Suunto Vertical 2 is no different. While its AMOLED display is by no means difficult to read, it can still feel uncomfortably dark and lacklustre at times.
Look past this, however, and you should not feel disappointed. The touchscreen display in the Suunto Vertical 2 is responsive (but not nearly as prone to accidental swipes as was the case with the Suunto Race 2) and, in our experience at least, seemingly immune to lags and other performance issues caused by exposure to cold temperatures. The interface looks good, too. It is loaded with stats and widgets, but still easy to read and navigate — even though it could take annoyingly long to scroll to the sports mode we wanted.
Suunto Vertical 2: Features
- Advanced navigation and mapping capabilities
- Over 115 sports modes
- No contactless payments, music storage or voice commands
The Suunto Vertical 2 is a full-on fitness and adventure watch, with its features centered around outdoor explorations and smashing workout PBs. Unlike the Fenix 8, for example, it can’t be used for more “mundane” activities such as paying for your groceries or storing your favorite tunes. It also does not have a built-in microphone and voice recognition, nor can it answer a call from your mobile phone.
It is not a deal-breaker, though. The Suunto Vertical 2 has almost everything you may need or want on a hiking trail or running course, and its lack of advanced smart features does not overshadow these impressive capabilities.
To start with, the Suunto Vertical 2 comes with a comprehensive set of navigation tools, from a built-in LED flashlight to detailed offline maps and reliable dual-band GPS that supports all major satellite systems. Features like breadcrumb tracking, route planning and “find back” (a GPS navigation tool that retraces your steps and guides you back to your starting point — a lifesaver when you have gone off-trail or the weather obscures your path) make this smartwatch a particularly good companion for off-grid adventures.
Its range of workout-tracking tools is also impressive. The Suunto Vertical 2 comes with over 115 sport modes and an in-depth set of fitness stats for each of those activities, as well as continuous heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen sensing, sleep quality assessments and many more useful measurements.
As fitness buffs ourselves, we thoroughly enjoyed diving into our health and fitness stats after each workout. Exercise beginners, however, may feel a bit overwhelmed by the Suunto app. It does not offer the same level of holistic wellness coaching or AI-powered trend analysis as some of its competitors, and it could be information overload for those unfamiliar with complex fitness terms.
Suunto Vertical 2: Performance
- Up to 20 days of battery life in smartwatch mode
- Relatively accurate measurements
- Good app connectivity
According to the brand, the Suunto Vertical 2 can last up to 20 days in smartwatch mode, 65 hours in Performance mode (default multi-band GPS mode, with highly accurate navigation), 75 hours in Endurance mode (all-systems single-band GPS, less accurate), 110 hours in Ultra mode (all-systems single-band GPS, disabled heart rate measurements) and 250 hours in Tour mode (lowest GPS accuracy). Understandably, we could not thoroughly test every one of these modes and can’t say for sure, but these claims seem pretty accurate. The battery life on the Suunto Vertical 2 is staggering, and we have barely had to charge this smartwatch at all.
Accuracy-wise, the Suunto Vertical 2 is a big step up from the Suunto Race 2 and a particularly solid performer for navigation, sleep and heart rate measurements. During one workout, for example, we wore it alongside a more precise Polar H9 chest-strap heart rate monitor. We found that both of these devices produced similar measurements, especially during periods of rest and steady state cardio. True, the accuracy did tail off slightly during high-intensity activities, but that is something we have observed in nearly every wearable we tested.
It is also worth noting that some of its tracking can be inconsistent at times. For example, the Suunto Vertical 2 appears to frequently overcount steps and overestimate the calories burned. However, these issues are rather minor and do not have a major impact on the overall user experience.
Lastly, the app connectivity seems very good. We had no issues with connecting our Suunto Vertical 2 or syncing the data between the devices. Again, that’s not something we can confidently say about other smartwatches we tested before.
Suunto Vertical 2: User reviews
At the time of writing this review, Amazon‘s customer reviews placed the Suunto Vertical 2 at a solid 4.4 out of 5 stars. Buyers at the Suunto US website, on the other hand, rated it at a slightly higher 4.78 stars. This smartwatch was generally praised for its rugged build, extensive and accurate navigation features, and a handy built-in flashlight.
One happy user said: “I previously had the Suunto Peak Pro and this has been a very enjoyable upgrade. The screen brightness and readability alone are fantastic. I have put the watch through the paces with multi-sport and strength training, as well as on a recent 48-hour ski tour hut trip, on which maybe 15% of the battery life was used from start to finish. Though bigger than the Peak Pro, the weight and size are hardly noticeable. Heart rate and GPS access and navigation are well within standards.”
However, the tracking accuracy receives mixed feedback, and some users also complained about its confusing interface and basic sleep-tracking features.
Should you buy the Suunto Vertical 2 smartwatch?
The Suunto Vertical 2 is an excellent no-nonsense smartwatch for outdoor enthusiasts and fitness pros. It offers a combination of outdoor-focused features, reliable tracking performance and rugged design, all at an approachable price and without pricey subscriptions. Plus, it is unusually stylish and customizable. This smartwatch may have skimped on smart features and extra frills, but it does a good job of the essentials.
✅ Buy it if: You are a keen explorer or outdoor fitness enthusiast looking for a reliable adventure watch, especially if you often venture on multi-day hiking or camping trips.
❌ Do not buy it if: You seek a day-to-day smartwatch with contactless payments, music storage and an extensive app ecosystem, or do not tend to spend much time in the great outdoors.
Suunto Vertical 2: Related products
The Coros Vertix 2 is one of the most suitable alternatives to the Suunto Vertical 2. Both of these smartwatches offer roughly the same features at a very similar price, but the former comes with slightly longer battery life and a more straightforward interface.
Looking for something more premium and do not mind splashing the cash? Then you can’t go wrong with the Garmin Fenix 8. The direct and most formidable competitor to the Suunto Vertical 2, this high-end smartwatch offers similar ruggedness and tracking features, but it also throws in a bunch of smart features, a rich app ecosystem and the ability to use more advanced dive modes. It costs anywhere between $799 and $1,199 (depending on the model), but it is well worth the money if you are not willing to cut any corners.
On a budget? Consider the Amazfit T-Rex 3 or its more advanced sibling, the T-Rex 3 Pro. While this smartwatch does not have as advanced and comprehensive mapping and fitness-tracking features, it offers excellent battery life, durable design and good accuracy — and it costs “only” $279.99.
Suunto Vertical 2: How we tested
We spent over two months trying and testing the Suunto Vertical 2, assessing its design, features, tracking performance, battery life, app connectivity and ease of use. We wore this smartwatch during the day, while sleeping, and when doing a range of activities, from hiking outdoors to indoor rowing and high-intensity strength training. Then, we compared the sleep, steps and heart rate measurements taken by the Suunto Vertical 2 with the data we obtained using a Polar H9 chest-strap heart rate monitor and our Whoop MG screenless fitness tracker. Lastly, we gave our verdict on its overall functionality and value for money.
