The world of sports watches is more competitive than ever, with advanced features trickling down to more accessible price points. Suunto’s latest offering, the Suunto Race S, enters this arena as a compelling option, promising a vibrant AMOLED display and robust training tools without the premium cost often associated with such capabilities. Positioned as a smaller, more budget-friendly alternative to its sibling, the Suunto Race, this timepiece aims to capture the attention of athletes seeking high performance and exceptional value.
Design and Display: A Visual and Comfortable Experience
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Our Picks for the Best Smartwatch in 2026
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| Num | Product | Action |
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| 1 | Smart Watch, 2026 AMOLED 1.43" Fitness Smartwatch for Men Women, Bluetooth 5.4 Call, 130+Sports Modes, 60+Days Flashlight, Heart Rate/Sleep Monitor, IP68 Waterproof Activity Tracker for Android iOS |
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| 2 | Smart Watch for Men Women Compatible with iPhone Samsung Android Phone 1.83 inch Full Touch Screen IP68 Waterproof Bluetooh Fitness Tracker Heart Rate/Sleep Monitor, Black |
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| 3 | Smart Watch for Men, 120 Sports Modes Smartwatch with 1.83" HD Touchsreen, IP67 Waterproof, Sleep Monitor, Bluetooth Call & Music Control Fitness Watch for Android/iPhone (Black) |
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| 4 | Smart Watch with Alexa Built-in, 1.83" HD Touchscreen Fitness Tracker with Bluetooth Calling, Fitness Watch with Heart Rate/Sleep Monitor, 120+ Sports Modes, IP68 Waterproof Smartwatch for Android iOS |
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| 5 | Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 42mm] Smartwatch with Rose Gold Aluminum Case with Light Blush Sport Band - S/M. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant |
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| 6 | Amazfit Bip 6 Smart Watch 46mm, 14 Day Battery, 1.97" AMOLED Display, GPS & Free Maps, AI, Bluetooth Call & Text, Health, Fitness & Sleep Tracker, 140+ Workout Modes, 5 ATM Water-Resistance, Black |
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| 7 | Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Sport Band - M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant |
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| 8 | Smart Watch for Men, 120+ Sports Modes Smartwatch with 1.83" HD Touchsreen, Sleep Monitor, IP67 Waterproof, Bluetooth Call & Music Control Fitness Watch for iPhone/Android Black |
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| 9 | SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 7 40mm Bluetooth AI Smartwatch w/Energy Score, Wellness Tips, Heart Rate Tracking, Sleep Monitor, Fitness Tracker, 2024, Cream [US Version, 1Yr Manufacturer Warranty] |
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| 10 | WHOOP 5.0/MG Activity Tracker - 12 Month Membership - Health and Fitness Wearable – 24/7 Activity and Sleep Tracker, Personalized Coaching, Menstrual Cycle Insights – 14+ Days Battery Life |
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One of the standout features of the Suunto Race S is its brilliant 1.32-inch AMOLED touchscreen display. With a crisp 466×466 resolution, colors pop, and details are sharp, ensuring excellent readability whether you’re under bright sunlight or navigating in low-light conditions. The vivid screen elevates the user experience, making maps easier to follow and workout data instantly clear.
Beyond its visual appeal, the Race S boasts a thoughtful design. It’s noticeably smaller, thinner, and lighter than the original Suunto Race, weighing in at just 60 grams. This compact form factor, combined with a comfortable silicone strap, makes it ideal for those with smaller wrists or anyone who prefers a less obtrusive watch for 24/7 wear, including sleep tracking. The construction features a durable stainless steel bezel and Gorilla Glass, giving it a sturdy yet refined feel that belies its competitive price point.
Suunto Race S sports watch with bright AMOLED display on a person's wrist.
Performance Where It Counts: GPS, Heart Rate, and Battery Life
For a sports watch, accuracy and endurance are paramount, and the Suunto Race S largely delivers. It comes equipped with dual-band GNSS tracking, a technology typically found in higher-end devices, providing precise location data even in challenging environments like dense urban areas or rugged trails. This accuracy is a significant advantage for runners, cyclists, and hikers who rely on dependable distance and pace measurements.
Heart rate tracking is handled by a new optical sensor, an improvement over previous Suunto models. While optical heart rate sensors can be inherently subjective and vary per user, the Race S aims for enhanced accuracy. For athletes demanding the absolute highest precision during intense workouts, an external Bluetooth heart rate strap remains an option and is compatible with the watch.
Battery life is another strong suit, especially for an AMOLED-equipped device. The Suunto Race S can last up to 9 days in smartwatch mode and an impressive 30 hours with multi-band GPS activated. This robust battery performance ensures that the watch can keep up with long training sessions, multi-day adventures, and daily wear without constant recharging.
Comprehensive Sports and Training Features
The Suunto Race S is packed with features designed to support a wide array of athletic pursuits. It offers over 95 sport modes, covering everything from running and cycling to swimming and triathlon. Beyond basic tracking, the watch provides valuable training analysis and recovery insights, including Heart Rate Variability (HRV) tracking, to help athletes optimize their performance and prevent overtraining.
One of its most compelling aspects is the inclusion of free global offline maps, stored on a generous 32GB of internal memory. This feature is a game-changer for outdoor enthusiasts, offering detailed route navigation, Points of Interest (POI) guidance, and even a new Suunto Climb Guidance feature, which functions similarly to Garmin’s ClimbPro. These navigation tools ensure you can explore with confidence, even off-grid.
Suunto Race S displaying detailed global offline maps for outdoor navigation.
Daily wellness tracking is also integrated, monitoring heart rate, blood oxygen levels, sleep quality, calories burned, and steps taken. The Suunto App further enhances the experience, offering menstrual cycle tracking and a clear, well-presented overview of your data, though it might be simpler in scope compared to some competitors’ ecosystems.
Smart Features and the Competitive Landscape
While the Suunto Race S is undeniably a powerful sports watch, its “smartwatch” capabilities are more focused on essential functions. Users can control music playback and receive phone notifications directly on the watch. However, it doesn’t aim to compete with the extensive app stores or advanced daily wellness metrics offered by some competitors.
When pitted against rivals like the Garmin Forerunner 265 or 965, the Suunto Race S carves out its niche. It often comes in at a more attractive price point, particularly when considering the inclusion of detailed offline maps, a feature usually reserved for Garmin’s more expensive models. While Garmin might offer a broader array of smart features, more granular training metrics, and a larger app ecosystem, the Suunto Race S counters with superior battery life in GPS mode, a sleek aesthetic, and an exceptional value proposition for its core sports tracking and navigation capabilities.
Who Is the Suunto Race S For?
The Suunto Race S is an excellent choice for serious amateur athletes, runners, triathletes, and outdoor adventurers who prioritize a premium AMOLED display, accurate GPS, robust navigation, and solid battery life. It’s particularly appealing to those who appreciate a clean design and strong build quality but don’t want to break the bank for the highest-tier sports watches. If your focus is squarely on tracking and enhancing your athletic performance with reliable data and clear visuals, and you’re comfortable with a streamlined set of smartwatch features, the Suunto Race S emerges as a formidable and budget-conscious competitor.
