When we compare Suunto and Garmin, two heavyweights in the market for multisport GPS smartwatches, it cannot be easy to select between the two options. Garmin and Suunto are both excellent options.
The entire buying process can be overwhelming, regardless of whether you want to upgrade or are especially looking for a GPS running watch, especially if you’re planning to spend more than or equal to $500 total.
Both types of smartwatches constantly put out new watches aimed at runners, explorers, and other specialized groups while improving their software and overall design.
The Fenix 7 and Forerunner 945 series are the most recent additions to Garmin’s high-end offerings at this time. It is easy to see why Garmin is the brand most frequently relied on by consumers for monitoring their fitness and health thanks to these smartwatches: Garmin is dependable in terms of its data and GPS capabilities, as well as its ability to give LTE capabilities, a plethora of safety features (the majority of which are featured on the Fenix and Forerunner), and several other features.
Garmin’s other watches, such as the Venu 2, 2S Plus, the Lily, and the Vivomove, all demonstrate the company’s other approach to smartwatches and fitness trackers, which is a more fashion-oriented one.
The Suunto 9 is the company’s flagship watch, and it is available in two different but equally impressive iterations: the slightly more traditional 9 Baro and the somewhat more cutting-edge and streamlined 9 Peak. You also can purchase the Suunto 7 with Google Wear OS, which is a watch that is marginally more intelligent.
Models such as the Suunto 5 Peak (another lighter variant of an older model) and their Dive Watch line are examples of how Suunto, like Garmin, offers a variety of products and caters to specialized markets.
Because Garmin is a more established brand, they have a wider variety of smartwatch families to choose from. For example, the Forerunner is a better option for runners and is more reasonably priced than their multisport watches.
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How to pick between the two – Suunto vs. Garmin
Remember that both Suunto and Garmin make high-quality watches before you drive yourself crazy trying to decide which one is better between the two: Suunto or Garmin. Both of these options are equally good in every way.
The average price of a Garmin product is slightly higher than that of its competitors, but the exact amount varies depending on the model. There is a good chance that you are already familiar with some of the functions that are available if you already own a watch that either Garmin or Suunto manufactured.
The screen, the variety of monitoring options and sports modes, and the software that allows you to sync your data from the device are all factors that are subject to personal preference. It is essential to keep in mind that they do not, as a rule, provide substantial price reductions or sales.
Identify the characteristics of a watch that are most essential to you, including the following:
Should you get a simple watch to time your runs and exercises, or do you already have one?
Are you an athlete who participates in multiple sports and needs a watch to track all of them?
Do you feel like you could benefit from having a watch that can monitor your health, communications, and schedule?
We can ask one more question. Who makes each different brand of the smartwatch?
What exactly is Garmin?
Garmin Ltd. is a multinational corporation that was established in the United States in 1989 under the name Pranav. Its headquarters are located in Olathe, Kansas. They specialize in GPS technology for use in various fields and industries, including aviation, marine, automotive, and outdoor sports. In more recent years, they have shifted their focus to activity trackers in response to the emergence of wearable technologies.
Garmin started out as a modest business, and the United States Army was its first client. Through the years, the company expanded to the point where it is now, which is a watchmaker for everyone. They are now able to sell their wares on a global basis and own a number of patents for various inventions.
Garmin is a popular retailer that offers a variety of GPS devices for walking, diving, and tracking vehicles. But when it comes to smartwatches, Garmin has established itself as a formidable competitor to the likes of Apple and Fitbit with models such as the Fenix, the Instinct, the Epix, and the most recent editions of the Venu.
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What exactly is Suunto?
Suunto Oy is a firm that has been around since 1936 and has its headquarters in the city of Vantaa in Finland. The name of the company comes from the word used in Finnish, meaning ‘direction.’ Suunto has had significant growth throughout its history, and the company presently has over 300 workers located in over 100 countries across the world.
In addition to the available modern smartwatches, Suunto also manufactures diving watches, compasses, sports watches, computers and instruments, and other types of lifestyle watches.
Comparing the Running Watches of Suunto and Garmin
It is vital to remember that both Suunto and Garmin are well renowned for producing tracking watches of high quality. Smartwatches are an excellent tool for runners as well as triathletes and biathletes.
However, the features offered by each manufacturer are unique.
In the end, the specific running features or design factors that potentially affect your run are the ones you should be looking at when choosing a GPS watch for running because they are the ones that will have the most impact. Consider aspects like the display, the various tracking modes and activities, and the required software.
Suunto’s lightweight Peak versions of the Suunto 5 and 9 can improve your runs and jogs by providing more accurate pace and distance information. On the other hand, Garmin has an entire area of their website devoted to a series of smartwatches called the Forerunner Series. Their most recent model, the Forerunner 945, has LTE technology that enables users to make phone calls and send texts directly from the watch.
Comparing the Features of Suunto and Garmin
Think of the features as the meat and potatoes of your smartwatch: what kinds of fascinating tools are packed into this tiny device that you wear on your wrist? The incident detection capabilities offered by Garmin are among the company’s most significant features.
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Protective Measures
These require a smartphone that is compatible with the Garmin Connect app and a network connection on both the phone and the watch, and you must also utilize the Garmin Connect app on your phone.
In the event that you find yourself in a precarious situation, you may make use of a fundamental function like assistance, which gives you the ability to send a short message to your contacts along with your precise GPS location. Alternately, the 945 and the Fenix 7 both come with a feature called Incident Detection, which may detect unexpected stops, slowdowns, or falls.
Even while they aren’t quite as feature-packed as Garmin’s, the most recent iterations of the Suunto 9 and 5 smartwatches both come equipped with their very own incident detection capabilities. You can use the new SuuntoPlus feature on either of these two watches. This feature provides additional insights into your workouts while you track activities.
This includes the Suunto Safe app, which provides you with immediate access to both your current precise location and the location of where you began your journey. This information can also be discussed with close associates and members of one’s own family.
Design and Fit Features
Because Garmin sells a greater number of smartwatches overall, the company naturally has a wider selection of designs and looks. On the other hand, their smartwatches typically feature lenses composed of either Power Glass, Gorilla Glass, or Power Sapphire as one of the most prevalent types of materials.
You can discover lens materials that are comparable in quality from Suunto and more inexpensive materials such as plastic. Because of this, certain of their models, such as the 5 Peak example, have a durability that is inferior to that of a product from Garmin with a comparable price point, such as an Instinct 2 Standard.
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GPS Functionality
Both variants come with incredibly accurate GPS and location tracking capabilities. Both Suunto and Garmin are capable of using your GPS location to provide you with increased safety and support functions, as was just explained. Nevertheless, their GPS is capable of a great deal more! Garmin, for example, also provides a way to locate your way back, much as the Suunto Safe function may do. The one and the only distinction is that Garmin refers to it as TracBack.
If we look at both of their top-of-the-line devices, the Fenix 7 and the Suunto 9, we can see that the Suunto employs more satellites to pinpoint your location. Garmin smartwatches and trackers, on the other hand, come out on top when compared to those of other brands since they offer more features and more methods to put the collected location data to use.
The Screen and the Display
In most cases, Garmin can provide a more appealing display to the eye and is simpler to read than Suunto. Additionally, it appears that Garmin has improved the quality and high-contrast ratio of the display found on the Instinct 2/2S/Solar. On the other hand, the screen of the Suunto 9 is difficult to read, particularly when there is little available light.
Battery Capacity
When it comes to the length of time a battery can last, the Suunto 9 is a very capable device. This device indicates how much battery life remains and offers three different battery modes. If the watch detects that your battery is getting low, it will advise you to switch to a different mode to get the most use out of the remaining power. Depending on the setting, users can get anywhere from 25 to 120 hours of use out of the battery.
On the other hand, Garmin is getting closer with the introduction of new models like the Fenix 7 Solar and the Instinct 2 Solar.
- The Suunto 9 has a longer battery life than its predecessor.
- There are other solar-charging variants available from Garmin.
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Garmin watch that monitors your heart rate
The higher-end watches produced by both brands incorporate either wrist-based monitoring or optical heart rate monitoring. Suunto makes watches like the Ambit 3 Peak that comes with an optional heart rate belt as an alternative. Your personal preferences should play a significant role in determining the kind of monitor you buy.
The Garmin Fenix 7 is not only capable of tracking heart rate but also monitors overall Fitness around the clock. This includes the metrics on your sleep, which some users may find to be helpful.
- If a heart rate belt is something you are interested in, then the Ambit 3 Peak is the one we recommend.
- The Fenix 7 is the watch you should have on your wrist if you want to monitor everything to an advanced degree.
Garmin and Suunto Have Released Their Newest Devices
Suunto 5 Peak
The Suunto 5 smartwatch is one of several of the company’s previous models that are now available in scaled-down, more compact, and user-friendly iterations. The 5 Peak is the most recent product from the watchmaker, and it provides a less expensive option to get started with your very first tracker or smartwatch.
Despite its reduced size, it still has over 80 sports modes, excellent GPS tracking, SuuntoPlus, a number of training functions, sleep tracking, and heart rate monitoring. There are even specialized training options for activities such as jogging, cycling, and swimming.
It has a plastic display, so it is not as robust as a comparable Garmin device, but it might be sufficient for activities or workouts that are not as strenuous on your body.
Suunto 9 Peak
This is quite a departure from the hefty Smartwatches that are often included in the Suunto range since this device is the thinnest and lightest one that Suunto has ever produced. In addition, the Suunto 9/9 Baro is a lighter version of an existing model, similar to the Suunto 5 Peak, which was released in 2017.
The Suunto 9 Peak is a multisport watch that is both fashionable and durable. It has scratch-resistant sapphire glass, grade 5 titanium, and a water resistance rating of 10 atm. The Peak comes equipped with eighty different sports modes that can be monitored for extended periods of time: According to Suunto, the battery can be fully charged in just one hour, and it has a lifespan of 25 hours while using their “best GPS.”
The following are important characteristics that are included in the 9 model, which is smaller:
- Barometric altitude
- Navigating Routes
- Alarms for Storms
- Calculating Sea Level Pressure
- Tracking Sleep
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The Garmin Fenix 7
7S, and 7X are available with either a standard solar or a solar sapphire display.
When Garmin released the successor to their popular Fenix 6 multisport GPS watch, they did not add a significant number of new features or capabilities. Instead, Garmin concentrated on enhancing the functionality of a smartwatch that already had a solid reputation for dependability. When opposed to the 6, the seven appear to have a more streamlined, more simple, and more fashion-forward design.
The Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar is an adventure smartwatch that can be charged by solar power and is durable enough to be worn outdoors.
The Fenix is a fantastic watch for a wide variety of sports, but it really shines when it comes to jogging, hiking, and extreme sports. Additionally, there is a selection of solar-powered Fenix 7 models available, so there is no need to stress the device’s battery life.
This particular Garmin smartwatch provides access to the full suite of protective functions offered by the brand. Some of these features are not available on any of their other watches, and they contain some entertaining components such as Group LiveTrack.
Instinct 2 by Garmin
Version 2 and 2S come with Standard, Surf, Camo, Tactical, or dezl
Standard, Surf, Camo, Tactical, and deal modes are available for the Garmin Instinct 2 and 2S.
This is one of Garmin’s more reasonably priced multisport GPS smartwatches, and the Instinct 2 is unquestionably one of the more specialized Garmin watches. Actually, the Instinct 2 caters to a variety of subcultures, including those associated with watersports (Surf), trucking/driving (dezl), the military (Tactical), and outdoor adventure (Camo). In terms of their physical characteristics, each one of them has a few unique nuances.
This smartwatch is built to last, regardless of the model or size you select, and it comes loaded with a variety of functions for monitoring your health and keeping track of your activities. However, keep in mind that despite its reduced price, it does not offer as much as the Garmin Fenix 7, so you should not expect it to.
However, the Instinct 2 will still provide you with reliable GPS tracking, a number of different map capabilities, and a battery that will last for a very long time. Alternately, you might go with a solar-powered Instinct 2 for practically limitless battery life.
Final say – Suunto or Garmin?
Although it is arguable that both of these smartwatch brands are outstanding in their own unique ways, the one that is best for you will depend on the requirements that you have in terms of your physical activity, health, financial situation, and personal taste.
Garmin offers a greater variety of smartwatches and fitness trackers than Suunto does. If either of them is what you’re looking for, go no further. It’s no secret that those who are passionate about their health and fitness and desire a straightforward user interface and fundamental features favor Suunto sports watches.
Garmin is the best option if you want a comprehensive assortment of functions for training, sports, and fitness, all in one convenient package. The manufacturer gives you a wide range of options to choose from in terms of your selected smart features, your preferred sport or activity, and your preferred fashion.
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On average, though, Garmin watches will cost you a little more than Suunto watches. Therefore, it is safe to conclude that Suunto is a good choice for everyone who has a somewhat smaller budget or does not want as much intelligent technology on their wrist.
Therefore, in all honesty, it is not possible to determine with absolute certainty which of these two organizations produces the superior timepiece.
A more precise focus on data management and advanced features, coupled with categories such as user-friendly monitoring features, stress tracking features, and the way in which these features are suitable to a wide range of user needs, can help provide a more impartial comparison of the available options.
Despite this, both the Garmin and the Suunto are high-quality trackers that may appeal to a diverse range of potential purchasers due to their unique characteristics.
The size difference between Garmin watches and Suunto smartwatches is obvious due to the fact that Garmin watches are typically larger than Suunto smartwatches.
The arrangement of the displays on each heart rate monitor is distinctively different from one another as well. Compared to those found on Garmin smartwatches, the optional heart rate strap that comes with Suunto watches is substantially larger and more comfortable to wear. Nevertheless, despite these relatively insignificant design distinctions, the heart rate sensor of either model delivers astonishingly precise readings.
When placed next to a Garmin smartwatch, the Suunto 7’s screen will appear to have a significantly higher level of reflection when exposed to direct sunlight. The watchbands that come with Garmin models are more conventional, meaning that they have clasps, and they typically come equipped with quick-release mechanisms.
Suunto watches are the most versatile options for a sports watch because they offer various sports modes. This is the best option for individuals who take pleasure in participating in various sporting activities. Garmin watches are the finest choice, though, for working out for extended periods of time.
When you exercise, you may acquire all of the information you need from this one gadget by monitoring your heart rate and other aspects of your physical activity.
Garmin watches are your best bet when it comes to creating individualized workout routines and tracking your running performance. The goods of these businesses feature qualities that give you the ability to customize your workouts to get the best possible outcomes.
