While Garmin has had configurable low battery alerts for some time now Suunto seems to understand that the small things can really improve a users' experience. If not mistaken, COROS has a low battery notification as well (at around 10%). But, I would definitely say Suunto has now moved past COROS; or COROS has just not improved the UI in meaningful ways. While the COROS ethos is to be a no frills long battery life sport watch. Their price points put them in direct competition with other companies that offer comparably long battery with a more developed UI. Even the Pace series is challenged by Garmin's routine sales (like the Forerunner 255). Suunto has seized an opportunity to deliver a UI that is simple & refined while COROS is stuck with limitations and missed opportunities.
The COROS alert is just a display alert, meaning there is no noise or vibration with it. At least I’m pretty sure about that. I agree! COROS needs to up their game. They were innovators with ridiculous battery life, and I love the simplicity and UI if their app. However, they really need to make at least one watch with an AMOLED display as all their competitors are.
@@UltraTrailSteven Agreed... COROS' alerts are so brief (when they occur) that by the time you look at the watch any alert that did pop up is long gone. I blame... Lewis Wu... LOL. I think his climbing obsession is dominating the developing resources leaving little left to do anything else.
The race and the vertical are both insane watches! Loved using them both over several months. If they keep putting out watches like those I will be switching to Suunto full time. Great review as always Steven. 😎🤘
Great review Steven, love how you sum up things other reviewers did not mention. I'm deciding between the Suunto Race, Garmin Epix Gen 2 or maybe the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra. But somehow I always come back to the design of the Race. Maybe the upcoming Race S will have some updates, hopefully in the heart rate!
@@UltraTrailSteven Ah thank you. I want to track my performance on the soccer pitch, but also wear the watch casually. Furthermore, it would be nice to track some health statistics. The Epix Gen 2 Sapphire is still quite expensive in the Netherlands compared to the titanium or steel version of the Race...
Seems like from the Suunto App when clicking the "Use in watch" you didn't also tap the "turn-by-turn guidance" on. The watch has turn by turn notifications but you have to enabled it when from the route on the app. After tapping that on and when using that route it gives you notifications. :)
I think the thing that keeps me from leaving Garmin is the navigation is still superior. No one else has the route back capabilities that Garmin has. At best they have backtrack, but Garmin will actually find you the best way out. On solo adventures I’ve used that a lot.
I have the Coros Apex -- first version -- it up until recently and has been a great watch -- going on 4 years -- That being said, the latest app update really screwed me over. Apparently, there isn't enough storage on the watch to configure properly with the app, so when I do trail runs specifically my "training load" is way off. The app always shows my training as low effort? Which in turn screws up my weekly stats and my training. I contacted Coros, and they knew this was a problem and basically told me "Oh well" After watching your review and the comparable review between this and the Apex 2 pro I am switching watches. Thank you very much
a question please regarding the issue that happened very often that the screen gets stuck that is in the menu when you scrolled it was fixed and one last thing more would you choose this or the smaller rase s thank you
Did that issue happen in this video? If so, can you give me a time stamp so I can see what you are referring to? Depends on you; I like the longer battery
@@UltraTrailStevenin this video no I didn't see any touch screen lag in other videos I've seen and others have said this is a problem so I was asking if this would be fixed with an upgrade and the oscilloscope was also an amazing watch ok but if it has the issue of lag then it can be done
@@Running-j5v ah ok. Well the Suunto watch OS is a bit slower in general versus say Garmin or Apple. I don’t think it’s a case of screen lag, but lack of processing power.
I bought this watch and returned it because the screen goes dim the instant you lower your wrist, even during exercise mode, thus making it hard to see your heart rate. I don’t want to have to raise my wrist to my face every time I want to see my HR (such as during push-ups). However, Suunto does pay for return shipping and credited me quickly.
First , hows your recovery going? Re watch vert data: Did Kettle Moraine 100k this past Saturday. My garmin 945 showed 18,800’ of vert!!! Actual was about 5500’. All other data looked reasonable (mileage of course is never what course claims- it was off by 2 miles) Other efforts in training the vert looked ok. Anyone see this kind of anomaly in Garmin? Any ideas what might cause such crazy vert reading? Thanks
Hey Steven i have one question. I am really into trail running and ultramarathons. I have a AW Series 9 and i want to buy a new watch. I am interested in Coros Apex 2 Pro. I have seen treds on reddit that they are horrible and inaccurate. What is your experience with it? Is it outdated and most importantly how are the maps? I know they cannot compare to garmins but what i have seen on yt they look extremely ugly and barly readable. What i find usefull are contour lines. Thanks a lot Steven!!!
I have found the COROS APEX 2 Pro to be very accurate with GPS tracks, and the heart rate readings are fairly accurate for a wrist based sensor. At the end of this review view, I linked the APEX 2 Pro video as it compares pretty well with the Suunto Race. I really like the Suunto Race! Only real drawback is the heart rate data. The COROS is more accurate.
@UltraTrailSteven yea i've seen it. Super usefull video. I'm just sceptical about maps, because maps are super importan to me. Do you have any pictures of maps on coros. If you do i would like to see them if possible (if not never mind)
@@RealNickBradley I would choose the Suunto Race if I was going to be using it for 100 mile races or less. If I was going to use it for 200 mile races or long multi day things, I would go with the Vertix 2S.
The flashlight feature would be so useful for daily life…I use my phone flashlight all the time, would be great to always have one on my wrist. Definitely looks nice enough to dress up or down. Heh. 69 grams.
While Garmin has had configurable low battery alerts for some time now Suunto seems to understand that the small things can really improve a users' experience.
If not mistaken, COROS has a low battery notification as well (at around 10%). But, I would definitely say Suunto has now moved past COROS; or COROS has just not improved the UI in meaningful ways.
While the COROS ethos is to be a no frills long battery life sport watch. Their price points put them in direct competition with other companies that offer comparably long battery with a more developed UI. Even the Pace series is challenged by Garmin's routine sales (like the Forerunner 255).
Suunto has seized an opportunity to deliver a UI that is simple & refined while COROS is stuck with limitations and missed opportunities.
The COROS alert is just a display alert, meaning there is no noise or vibration with it. At least I’m pretty sure about that.
I agree! COROS needs to up their game. They were innovators with ridiculous battery life, and I love the simplicity and UI if their app. However, they really need to make at least one watch with an AMOLED display as all their competitors are.
@@UltraTrailSteven Agreed... COROS' alerts are so brief (when they occur) that by the time you look at the watch any alert that did pop up is long gone. I blame... Lewis Wu... LOL. I think his climbing obsession is dominating the developing resources leaving little left to do anything else.
The race and the vertical are both insane watches! Loved using them both over several months. If they keep putting out watches like those I will be switching to Suunto full time. Great review as always Steven. 😎🤘
Thanks, Ben! I agree; Suunto is back in the game!
With the Race and the Vertical, it really feels like Suunto is back in the game, and even amongst the leaders, after years of lagging behind.
I agree! Definitely making huge strides!
There are Turn by Turn Navigations, but you habe to plan the Route with the Suunto App.
Yep. I found that out. You have to create the route in the Suunto app in order to have turn by turn as an option.
You can activate turn by turn when you import a route. Just need to edit and toggle on turn by turn. I found out the hard way!
@@paulmorton8959 yep me too lol
Great review Steven, love how you sum up things other reviewers did not mention. I'm deciding between the Suunto Race, Garmin Epix Gen 2 or maybe the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra. But somehow I always come back to the design of the Race. Maybe the upcoming Race S will have some updates, hopefully in the heart rate!
Thanks! The Epix Gen 2 is quite a bit more watch than the Race, and if you want a GPS watch for activities, I would likely steer clear of the Samsung.
@@UltraTrailSteven Ah thank you. I want to track my performance on the soccer pitch, but also wear the watch casually. Furthermore, it would be nice to track some health statistics.
The Epix Gen 2 Sapphire is still quite expensive in the Netherlands compared to the titanium or steel version of the Race...
AMOLED is the way to go! One of the reasons I love my Epix Gen2.
Yeah it’s noice!
Beautiful as it is, beware if you run with the map screen on that ~40 hour run time went down to ~16 hours. Sent it back and swapped for the vertical.
Yeah I did see on the Suunto website that the map screen will reduce the battery life significantly
Great review.
Have you done a 100M with performance and navigation on? What was the battery like?
I have not yet.
Seems like from the Suunto App when clicking the "Use in watch" you didn't also tap the "turn-by-turn guidance" on. The watch has turn by turn notifications but you have to enabled it when from the route on the app. After tapping that on and when using that route it gives you notifications. :)
Ah! Is this when creating a GPX? Cause I used a GPX route from another app I created.
Could be that it’s only when creating a route.
I think the thing that keeps me from leaving Garmin is the navigation is still superior. No one else has the route back capabilities that Garmin has. At best they have backtrack, but Garmin will actually find you the best way out. On solo adventures I’ve used that a lot.
Yeah that is a handy feature.
And the free live tracking feature is great for friends and family to track you
I have the Coros Apex -- first version -- it up until recently and has been a great watch -- going on 4 years --
That being said, the latest app update really screwed me over.
Apparently, there isn't enough storage on the watch to configure properly with the app, so when I do trail runs specifically my "training load" is way off. The app always shows my training as low effort? Which in turn screws up my weekly stats and my training.
I contacted Coros, and they knew this was a problem and basically told me "Oh well" After watching your review and the comparable review between this and the Apex 2 pro I am switching watches.
Thank you very much
That’s a bummer! So you have the Apex 46mm? I had that for a few years too. Storage was definitely a limiting factor.
@@UltraTrailSteven yes, pisses me off they didn't tell me that before updating the app, what would you recommend the 16 (steal) or 32 (titanium)
@@PEPSEP both would be great. The 16gb is plenty of storage for maps. Just depends on if you want a lighter weight watch
a question please regarding the issue that happened very often that the screen gets stuck that is in the menu when you scrolled it was fixed and one last thing more would you choose this or the smaller rase s thank you
Did that issue happen in this video? If so, can you give me a time stamp so I can see what you are referring to? Depends on you; I like the longer battery
@@UltraTrailStevenin this video no I didn't see any touch screen lag in other videos I've seen and others have said this is a problem so I was asking if this would be fixed with an upgrade and the oscilloscope was also an amazing watch ok but if it has the issue of lag then it can be done
@@Running-j5v ah ok. Well the Suunto watch OS is a bit slower in general versus say Garmin or Apple. I don’t think it’s a case of screen lag, but lack of processing power.
I bought this watch and returned it because the screen goes dim the instant you lower your wrist, even during exercise mode, thus making it hard to see your heart rate. I don’t want to have to raise my wrist to my face every time I want to see my HR (such as during push-ups). However, Suunto does pay for return shipping and credited me quickly.
There is an always on display mode that will prevent the screen from going blank when the wrist is lowered.
It has turn by turn you have to turn it on when you upload your route
Yep I found that out!
1:50 Polar Vantage V2 ?? 🤣🤣
Just comparing
@@UltraTrailSteven ok, but I still don't know why the correct name couldn't be written there.
@@ondrejfiala5670 ha just realized that it’s the M2! Good catch. I’ve reviewed so many watches I guess I confused it with the V2
First , hows your recovery going?
Re watch vert data:
Did Kettle Moraine 100k this past Saturday. My garmin 945 showed 18,800’ of vert!!! Actual was about 5500’. All other data looked reasonable (mileage of course is never what course claims- it was off by 2 miles)
Other efforts in training the vert looked ok. Anyone see this kind of anomaly in Garmin? Any ideas what might cause such crazy vert reading? Thanks
That is insane! That's a big discrepancy. My surgery is supposed to be Thursday
Is it compatible with spotify? Without having to bring the phone?
No. You cannot store music on the phone, and there is no cellular service with the watch to stream.
Hey Steven i have one question. I am really into trail running and ultramarathons. I have a AW Series 9 and i want to buy a new watch. I am interested in Coros Apex 2 Pro. I have seen treds on reddit that they are horrible and inaccurate. What is your experience with it? Is it outdated and most importantly how are the maps? I know they cannot compare to garmins but what i have seen on yt they look extremely ugly and barly readable. What i find usefull are contour lines. Thanks a lot Steven!!!
I have found the COROS APEX 2 Pro to be very accurate with GPS tracks, and the heart rate readings are fairly accurate for a wrist based sensor. At the end of this review view, I linked the APEX 2 Pro video as it compares pretty well with the Suunto Race. I really like the Suunto Race! Only real drawback is the heart rate data. The COROS is more accurate.
@UltraTrailSteven yea i've seen it. Super usefull video. I'm just sceptical about maps, because maps are super importan to me. Do you have any pictures of maps on coros. If you do i would like to see them if possible (if not never mind)
Here's an older video showing COROS maps. They still look the same
th-cam.com/video/BWyUzUofAjY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=km34hy8bnjqC_lMV&t=443
Great review!
If you had to choose between the Suunto Race and the COROS Vertix 2s, which would you choose and why? (Regardless of price).
Thanks!
@@RealNickBradley I would choose the Suunto Race if I was going to be using it for 100 mile races or less. If I was going to use it for 200 mile races or long multi day things, I would go with the Vertix 2S.
The flashlight feature would be so useful for daily life…I use my phone flashlight all the time, would be great to always have one on my wrist. Definitely looks nice enough to dress up or down.
Heh. 69 grams.
Yeeeah I forget to charge my Fitbit all the time…mine lasts for about a week depending on my activity…And then I’ll forget it on the charger 😂
haha it is a great weight! :wink: Thanks for watching!
What about compare with garmin
Great idea, but I don’t have any Garmin watches anymore
@@UltraTrailStevenWhat made you move from Garmin?
@@Cyborgon batter life. Wanted a watch I could do a 100 mile race and not worry about it dying.
Race or Race S?
Race
@@UltraTrailSteven What about Heart rate sensor?
@@inevern8027Just us a HR-strap for workout as it is better all the time. Day to day the HR of Race is good enough. 😉
@@inevern8027 what are you asking? If the race or race S is better, or if this review is on the Race or Race S
@@UltraTrailSteven Which one should I buy if price doesnt matter
You make a video about the Suunto race but you wear a watch which is not made for sportsmen 😂
I swap watches when I run. Can’t be the features of the AWU2 for daily use tho