9.7.2018

***UPDATED REVIEW - PLEASE SEE THE END**This is a really nice watch, with lots and lots of functions. It's also extremely expensive, so my review has one eye on the price to benefit ratio.I really can't decide if Suunto are going for the fashion end of the sports market, or the hardcore athlete end. The marketing blurb definitely suggests the hardcore end of things, but as a training tool there are many odd design choices here. Everything works, sort-of, but it's just not quite there for using as a serious tool. At the same time, this isn't a subtle watch - it's very big and makes a statement on the wrist.The best example is the speed meter on the GPS.If you come to a complete halt the speed readout lags a solid five seconds behind until it read zero I used this watch to try and get a live feedback on my kayak sprint stroke, making small differences in technique to see how it affected my speed, but I couldn't be sure if what I was seeing on the screen was my speed right now, or five seconds ago. This is using the high accuracy mode. The data when I downloaded to my PC was spot on, and the GPS track is super-accurate, but that's no good to me in the water.The pulse meter is another odd one - it seems to work fine when you're working, but for checking resting pulse or low-level intensity work it just doesn't work properly, and only shows whatever you've programmed your resting pulse to be. To get the best from this, you really need to use a HR chest belt, which leads to another odd choice in that only bluetooth devices are supported, not ANT+. For cyclists especially, power meters and HR belts use this and it's almost a defacto standard interface. I don't understand why a high end gadget like this watch doesn't support it. If you're using a lot of ANT+ kit, look elsewhere.The auto-lap function is odd too, as you can only have it working by distance, or time and not by position. If I'm open-water swimming between two buoys, I want the watch to know I've done a lap when I pass through the same point geographically, but with this watch I have to measure a lap, stop, program the watch, and then carry on. It's just not as usable as it could be.I could go on, as there are lots of silly details Suunto seem to have overlooked. - the compass is useful and accurate, but constantly asks for calibration. It gives a bearing for the direction its facing, but there is nothing on the watch to indicate which way the watch thinks that is - presumably it's 12 o'clock, but nothing really shows you. It's handy as a backup and impressively matched my expensive magnetic compass (also a Suunto!) but I certainly wouldn't trust it for even casual navigation when it constantly asks to be calibrated.Anyway, enough of the poor bits, none of which can't be fixed by software updates, and none of which are really deal-breakers.. This is a very expensive watch, and I'm therefore holding it to very high standards, but taking a step back from that for a moment, here some of the good bits.GPS accuracy is extremely good, especially on the highest setting. This uses battery faster, but you still get 30-odd hours of use at this level so for most people, most of the time, this is what you'll be using. You can tweak the settings to give you up to 120 hours of use, but this reduces the GPS ping rate, and so accuracy. The watch attempts to 'fill in the gaps' using its motion sensor on this setting, and this works well if you're doing something with a lot of movement, like running. A long, smooth, sweeping descent on a bike, for example, will fool it, and while the results will be perfectly usable it won't be super-accurate. You can use the watch to navigate, and set waypoints, but you can't offset these on the watch - you need to be at that location to mark it as a waypoint. The watch can then give you a bearing and ETA, but this is not turn-by-turn navigation, and is no substitute for a traditional map and compass. Any movement with the GPS on gives a breadcrumb trail to follow. Again, a nice backup, but not for serious work in the country side. What is very good though is that you can change the coordinate system and being able to get a OS BNG position is very useful as a cross check, or in emergencies.Data fields and recording are excellent. I've used similar devices as this and had nothing but frustration getting the data into my PC, but this works beautifully. The data cable is a magentic snap-on cable that is quick and easy, and the data is quickly uploaded to the Suunto app. Within this app you can customise all sorts of things for your watch, including which data fields are shown when you are training, which activities you want to do and even make your own up, and analyse all sorts of things. It plays nicely with Strava of course. The Suunto software isn't the most straightforward to use, but on the other hand there is no dumbing down here. You can really dive deep into your exercise data. That said, I couldn't get the mobile app to work, as it would not recognise my watch. Suunto support has been great here, and is looking into the problem.The altimeter and barometer are first class. It's not often a watch altimeter actually works well enough to be useful, as it gets thrown out by changes in air pressure. This watch uses a combination of the movement sensors and air pressure to give an excellent level of accuracy, which is useful for both training and for navigation. A 'storm alarm' warns you if the air pressure drops suddenly.Using the watch during sport is hit and miss - the touch screen is useful, but doesn't work when wet. The buttons are nice and big and easy to use with gloves on, but the strap is a bit too short to get over a wetsuit or a jacket if you have larger wrists. The user interface is a bit odd, and takes some getting used to. Some things require a long press and it's not always that intuitive to use, especially when you're tired and under stress. Most of the time you'll set it up how you like it, press 'Start' and then not touch it..The watch is very big, and sits high above the wrist, but the screen is very tough and has taken some bashing without seeming to come to harm.I've written enough I think, but I think you get the idea. If you're an elite level athlete this might not quite have the fine detail you need in real-time, but for mere mortals it really covers everything you could need. It also looks cool and smart without being too 'look at me, I like to exercise' but is definitely noticeable on the wrist.As seems to be usual for high-end devices these days, it doesn't come with any real instructions so you will be spending a lot of time on the Suunto website to get the best from this, but if you can overlook it's many nearly-there shortcomings, this is a really good watch.**UPDATE AFTER SIX MONTHS** OK, so while I stand by my comments above, I have to say I have come to love this watch. The thing is, it does an awful lot more than the marketing says, and is let down by the lack of a manual. For a start, I had no idea this thing has smart watch features. If your phone is bluetoothed to this, then the watch will show messages, and vibrate when your phone rings. Really useful when you're out training and don't want to stop to see who's phoning. The battery life is actually pretty incredible, and it's a tough watch. I'm a beach lifeguard and swear by my G-Shock watch for dealing with abuse, but this Suunto shrugs it off too. It's now sneakily become my daily wear watch. The limitatiions I mention above are still valid, but in real-life use they are of little consequence. This is a very , very good watch and I'm upping my review a star to the full five.

12.3.2019

This Suunto 9 is a mid range model balancing fitness features and performance with price, this model does not have a built in barometer for altitude. Available in three different colours (Lime, Black, White).Powering up first time starts a setup wizard. Watch operation is a combination of touch screen and three push buttons mounted on the right edge of the case, good for right handed not sure if an issue for left handed. Supplied with proprietary magnetic charge cable, quick start guide (full manual available online) + warranty information. Watch diameter is 50mm being 16.5mm thick, weighing 72g making it comfortable, lightweight and not overly bulky.A soft 24mm silicone rubber strap has two buckle keepers makes it comfortable and secure to wear, straps are removable and interchangeable with aftermarket ones.As keen runner / cyclist / swimmer I need something practical with performance and ease of use. Stainless steel bezel and mineral glass for the watch glass makes this a tough scratch resistant watch. I use my watch as an everyday watch as well as tough sports watch, had inevitable scrapes and drops without any damage so far, on par with some Casio G shock watches. Heart rate monitor is an optical type, measuring blood flow through skin to estimate heart rate, I have found this to be accurate having tested against a heart rate monitor.You can receive the usual notifications such as messages calls etc easily enough with an easy scrollable messages display. A stopwatch / timer, date alarm, as well as sunrise / sunset times and moon phases feature complete the basic watch functions. My one criticism is you can only have one active alarm, no option to create multiple custom alarms, maybe something for a future software update . Watch faces can be customised with built in skins as well the display colour.Three things I am really impressed with:* Great battery life* Extremely tough watch* Lightness / compact feel watchOk whats it like as a sports watch?GPS lock is extremely quick and you are ready to go much faster than several of my other fitness watches. Battery is really good far superior to anything I have had previously, even with GPS enabled many other watches would be close to empty, this is ready for some more. Battery usage can be configured (sacrificing a little accuracy) for each sport activities using three built in modes (Performance=24 hours, Endurance=50 hours, Ultra=120 hours). A built in GPS receiver accurately tracks outdoor activities, this model does not have built in barometer using GPS fix to estimate altitude which is reasonable, I don't do huge amounts of trail running so altitude it not so important. The fact that it water resistant to 100 metres makes this suitable for swimming and shower use, dirt and muck can be just washed off by rinsing under water. The compass and navigation functions of the watch are useful for trekking trail running to orient and analyse your route.The watch has many built in sports modes that you can choose to quickly fire up an exercises session, these can all be customised to your liking, as well as custom ones created according to your needs. Has an accompanying Suunto smartphone app, which whilst not perfect is good for analysing your workouts.Overall a very capable sports watch which has one of the best batteries in its class, features optical heart rate monitor, built in GPS, is extremely tough and comfortable to wear not overly bulky but lightweight. No built in barometer for altitude (more expensive barometer version available). Ideal for long distance / endurance runners looking for long range, accurate measurements but don't need weather functions or accurate altitude measurements, less suitable for trekking or mountain running. Lighter than barometer version and around £100 cheaper, great for athletes not wanting to pay more for a barometer.Positives+ Very Tough+ Excellent battery life+ Compass + Navigation function+ Multi sports+ Fast GPS startup+ Lightweight+ 100m water resistant+ Responsive touch screen (even when wet)+ Scratch resistant glass+ Comfortable+ Message / call notificationsNegatives- Proprietary Charging cable- GPS based altimeter- No multi alarms- Poor app supportReview update 19/03/2019:Having charged this seven days ago, battery longevity really has lived up to expectations. Seven days in I have been on several long / medium runs throughout the week all with full GPS functions with daily heart rate monitor on, the battery charge is showing around 20%. No special battery saver functions were used, all battery saving is whatever was set by default. Another couple points of note for which I have not marked it down as it's not a huge issue, the back light for night use could be a tad brighter, the shiny glass face does have a tendency to show finger marks etc but this can be quickly wiped away.

6.7.2018

This is a very nice watch by Suunto. It comes in a small light weight box. The watch itself is much lighter than my old one and looks much nicer as well. When you first turn it on you will need to set it up, i would also recommend charging it and downloading the app so you can connect it to your phone and update it. I have tested it using an iPhone 7 and had no problems. When you first turn it on it can be a bit confusing as the booklet that came with it only had a basic tutorial so you will need to flick through the watch to get familiar with it.When i turned mine on I did not like the watch face which is the one you can see in the picture or on the box however there is a way in the options to change what it looks like.There are 8 different ones to chose from depending what style you like from digital or analog ones and you can even change the colour which has 9 different options. You can even change what displays on the home screen from day/date, steps taken, battery life, altitude etc. This watch also includes a pedometer for keeping track of your steps and also has calorie graphs and allows you to set goals. It also has a exercise mode which has over 80 sports to chose from which is literally anything you can think of. Some examples include: ice skating, running, treadmill, swimming, weight training, skiing or even cheer leading. Once you have synced your watch to your phone you should also be able to set the GPS which will not only allow you to see where you or whoever is wearing the watch is currently located but also allow you to set routes for running etc. It can be a bit tricky to set up as it has to connect to the satellite but syncing your phone allows it to know where they are going to be in advance so it can pair faster.If you need to keep an eye on your heart rate this watch has a HRmonitor which is a nice addition. It keeps data on your watch for the previous 12 hours, if you wish to keep it longer you will need to use the app and sync it to your phone daily however most of the other stats seem to track for a week. It also has a graph for most things on the watch so you can see what it was over the past few hours. It even has a sleep mode so you can now make sure you are sleeping enough. The one thing on this watch i wouldn't really use is the altitude one but it would be handy if you ever needed it. The other things this watch includes are: Timer, Logbook, Alarm, Training, Notifications from your mobile and a few other things like language, battery saver etc. You can get over 70 hours of battery if you put it on the right settings however i like most of my stuff on so I only get around 13 hours which is fine as i charge it at night anyway.Overall i gave this 5 stars as its a very nice looking watch which is nicely designed and has most of the things you would want in a watch like this. The only thing that was a little disappointing was the fact that you cannot use it to control the music on your phone which would have been the only other thing i would want. Other than that its probably the best watch i have ever owned.

23.9.2018

The latest flagship model of sports smartwatch from Finnish company Suunto, the 'Suunto Unisex 9 BARO Watch, Black, One Size' is a beautiful and highly functional watch. It is a large watch but comfortable even on a fairly small female wrist. The face is highly scratch-proof while functioning as a responsive touchscreen.Upon first unboxing the device, it is necessary to set it up and perform software updates by means of connecting it to a computer, which seems a little backward these days - why can't this be done via the app? It is necessary to set up an account with Suunto for them to sync your info to, then once this is done you can try (operative word) to sync it via Bluetooth to the smartphone app.

29.6.2019

After owning the Suunto Ambit 2 for around 5 and a half years I thought it was time for an upgrade. The Ambit 2 still works perfectly fine incidentally and has served me well, having zero issues. It also still holds a decent charge too.The Suunto 9 is an awesome watch. Easy to set up, syncs run on my Android phone via bluetooth fine and connects to my computer and syncs to Movescount perfectly. GPS is accurate as long as it's taking readings every second, which is what I use for running. I tested a couple of walks with GPS readings every 10 seconds and that perfectly fine too but if you're running it would have been off, especially as I run quite quick.

9.4.2020

I've had the watch for a month now. I bought it as an upgrade from the Ambit 2S.-GPS has mostly been great. Had the odd time if started off saying my altitude was 100m or so higher than it was, but that quickly settles out after a minute or two.-Battery life is insanely good. Love the option to optimise battery life too.-HR seems to over estimate but only by about 4-5 bpm which I can live with. It works better if I really strap the watch down tight which is OK for when I'm working out.-Following routes is good for cycling in the mountains in Taiwan. Not great for in the city but that's to be expected.-I like being able to create routes using the APP,

5.8.2018

This Suunto 9 Baro Watch is a serious watch for serious athletes. It's also quite expensive so you will want to wear it all the time to get real value for money out of it. It is very well made though with a fantastic large touch screen and is waterproof to 100 metres, so you can literally where it everywhere. It also feels very tough and durable. I'm not a serious athlete so it's multi functionality is probably wasted on me but it has got some great functions for whatever sport, activity or training you prefer. I mainly use if for the heart rate monitor, step count and when I am in the pool and it works perfectly for me.

31.10.2019

Great quality watch. The battery lasts for a week with 5 hours of training and tracking activity and heart rate for 24 hours. Quickly determines the coordinates, correctly tracks the route. Sometimes it cuts corners, but I saw this problem only in the coniferous forest. At the start, the altimeter lies, but after the start of the movement, the problem disappears. The display is read perfectly at any time of the day, vibro during training is felt up to 20 km, then you stop paying attention. The black belt quickly collects dust, but does not affect the appearance of the watch.

11.7.2019

The biggest issue I have with this is that it's pretty ugly. It's got a big deep face and lime green strap, so it certainly stands out on your wrist. It's not, therefore, one for wearing with your more stylish outfits.Aside from that minor issue though, it's a great fitness tracker.It syncs easily with your phone, is accurate at counting steps, which is pretty important!It's got a great battery life and charging it is pretty straightforward, which is nice.Highly recommend this.

28.2.2021

Love this watch ! Been with garmin for a fewYears , recently switched to COROS but watch was a little dainty for me. I like a chunky watch, had a Spartan years ago so liked the look of the 9. Touch screen is way more responsive than the Spartan , nice additional features .including sleep tracking. Brilliant battery life and all together a nice package. Plus for some reason it was really well priced here around £70 less expensive than other vendors. Definitely recommend.

31.7.2018

Comfy and not too heavy to wear. Doesn't pinch the skin anywhere.Initial results show good accuracy for the heart sensor when I've been out exercising.The GPS and altitude seem to be pretty accurate.I'm impressed with the battery and the battery options.Overall I'd highly recommend this watch. I am aware that I don't use it to its full capacity and therefore my review is lacking in some areas, but for all I've seen it's an exceptional watch.

24.8.2020

Great watch. Handy for long distances. I am not sure how accurate the heart rate monitor is, but is ok for reference. The back light function is a bit annoying, as you have to press a separate button, which when running can be a bit awkward. It's not the end of the world and is ok once you get used to it. Lots of multi sports modes is a plus.Initially I got sent a book instead of the watch, but Amazon quickly rectified this.

4.1.2020

I couldn't choose between a Suunto or a Garmin for ages. I finally went for a Garmin Fenix 5s because of great reviews..... I Hated it! The way Garmin watches work -the way you have to navigate around them, just drove me crazy. Sent it back and bought this Suunto 9. So much better - intuitive to use, easy to set up, great to view on the go - much better screen than the Garmin. I'm very happy with it.

17.8.2020

I used my new Suunto 9 at the 2020 Stour Valley Path 50K Ultra this weekend gone. Even when in the normal battery setting not in the two battery saving distance options, and with the navigation running, the battery lasted with 75% life left, having ran for about 7 hours. Amazing. The breadcrumb navigation was spot on. Lots of sports settings. I highly recommend this watch.

16.12.2020

I want to make a comment about the excellent service they gave, in the purchase I made on the watch. They respected delivery times and helped me with my questions before, during and after the purchase. The product is fantastic, but as I said before, I want to highlight the great service they provide. I am from Argentina and I highly recommend the page.

Suunto 9 - Reviews

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