Construction
Released in 2024, the Race S follows the Race. With it, Suunto wants to offer a relevant, but smaller, connected sports watch. It is therefore more intended for small wrists or those looking for discretion, something uncommon on this market.
Amoled panel optimized for small wrists
Compared to the Race, the Race S reduces its large case size from 49mm to 45mm. This does not mean that this watch ignores an attractive panel, quite the contrary. The screen reaches 1.32 inches and benefits from a definition of 466 x 466 pixels. For comparison, the Xiaomi Watch S3 sports the same definition, but for a larger screen of 1.43 mm. Its resolution is then undeniably lower.
And to reinforce a good display, Suunto has chosen an Amoled screen for the Race S. While it tends to reduce battery life compared to models with MIP screens, it is also much brighter, rich in colors and contrast, and makes reading the information very pleasant. At maximum, the panel can reach 1000 cd/m², which is still less than the Amazfit Balance and its 1500 cd/m².
The Amoled screen of the Suunto Race S provides certain comfort of use.
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The Suunto is dressed in Gorilla Glass that is resistant to shocks and scratches, but less so than the sapphire glass of the Garmin Fenix 8. As for the case, it is made of stainless steel in this version.
The Race S is 11.4mm thick, compared to 12.2mm for the Polar Vantage M3, for example. On the scale, it weighs 60 g, almost as much as the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra. Although the Suunto is far from being the lightest connected watch in our comparison, its silhouette makes it very ergonomic. It fits the shape of the wrist well and its 22 mm wide silicone strap is quickly forgotten.
The garish colors of certain bracelets contrast with the all-purpose desire of the Race S.
© Les Numériques
Exclusively sporty
Suunto specializes in connected sports watches. There is therefore no speaker or microphone. While the watch can display received notifications, it is not possible to reply to messages for iOS users; those on Android will have a few preconceived answers to choose from. The watch no longer has an NFC chip for contactless payment. And although it has 32 GB of storage, the Suunto Race S is not capable of recording music either. You will need to have your phone with you to listen to it.
On the contrarythis connected watch has a myriad of sensors. A barometric altimeter and depth gauge allow the user to track their activity at altitude or underwater. As such, the Race S is waterproof up to 50 m. Obviously, models allow you to go lower, but it remains a marginal use, targeting only a few people.
The Suunto Race S interface is easy to understand, as is the mobile app.
© Les Numériques
A heart rate monitor is integrated into the Suunto, as is a blood oxygen sensor. Finally, the Finnish manufacturer chose a dual frequency GNSS to provide the course layout and pace in real time. This is equipment favored by high-end watches or those specialized in sports, we will see what it is capable of in real conditions.
User experience
The Suunto Race S is a pleasant watch to wear. Its bracelet is comfortable and its case fits the shape of the wrist well. On the other hand, the fixing system is not always optimal and the tocante can sometimes come undone suddenly.
The bracelet fixing system is not optimal.
© Les Numériques
The interface is well thought out and easy to use. The menu display is fluid and the AMOLED screen makes reading them very pleasant. However, the touch screen is not very responsive when the watch is in standby: you often have to press a button to wake it up.
The Race S is equipped with three controls, all positioned on the right side. The top button starts the last launched activity. A long press displays the user's chosen shortcut, which could be flashlight, alarm clock, map, or weather. It is also this button that pauses the current activity.
The rotating crown provides access to the exhaustive list of sports profiles upwards and to widgets downwards. The latter is customizable: it is possible to modify the list and its classification. Here we find data, including the activity log, the number of steps and the measurements taken by the watch (blood oxygen level, sleep evaluation, progress rate, etc.). This same command also allows you to validate an action by pressing it.
-If the sensitivity of the crown is well adjusted, this is not the configuration that we favor. It is sometimes complicated to enter it to activate it, especially during exercise. A simple button is often preferable.
The rotating crown may not be Suunto's best choice.
© Les Numériques
The last button opens the watch's control panel, that is to say the main settings and basic tools. Obviously, the user can also control their watch via the touch screen. In standby, it is locked and you will first have to press a button to activate it.
The mobile application is still just as pleasant to use. It is readable, understandable and very complete. We prefer it to that of the market leader, Garmin. For more details on the application, we refer you to our test of the Suunto Vertical.
Sports & Health
The Race S smartwatch is perfect for running and cycling, but it adds some multi-sport activities, like triathlon. In total, it offers 95 different profiles. And when the user does not manually launch an activity, Suunto is able to detect it automatically. The watch then suggests starting one, and very quickly.
The sports profile menu is rich and readable.
If these data are not taken into account in our rating, you should know that the sleep monitoring established by the Race S is very correct. The smartwatch quickly detects bedtime and wake-up time. We only recorded a 3 minute difference between the actual wake-up time and that recorded by the Suunto.
With all this data, the watch calculates several scores to help the user train correctly. For example, a recovery score indicates the best time to get active, which is obviously similar to training preparation at Garmin.
Several scores, data and graphs are available directly on the watch. The app obviously gives more information.
Split
To test the effectiveness of your heart rate monitor, we embark on a split session with the repetition of several cardio exercises. Some increases in power are difficult to follow by the Suunto, but overall the results are very good. The Polar H10 belt doubles the measurements, which are almost identical to those recorded by the watch. At their highest, both devices record a heart rate of 147. On average, over the entire session, the rate of change is only 0.85%, in other words, nothing at all.
In orange the curve of the Suunto; in blue, that of the Polar belt.
Endurance
Small imperfections during the interval session disappear in endurance. The curves of the Suunto Race S and the Polar H10 are almost identical. The watch keeps pace without problem. The heart rate recorded is also identical for both devices, with no margin for error.
In orange, the curve of the watch; in blue, that of the belt.
Navigation system
The Suunto Race S navigation system is based on dual-frequency GNSS. This is equipment that is not uncommon to see on a sports connected watch. Tested in real conditions, it does not disappoint us. Of course, we sometimes pass through buildings, but like many other sports watches, like the Coros Pace Pro. Despite these imperfections, the layout is very correct. For the rest, the Race S is not the fastest at finding the GPS signal, it is in any case less so than the Garmin Lily 2 Active.
The layout of the Suunto Race S in blue.
