Suunto’s Race was a lot of watch for a reasonable price. It had good and reliable GPS, the build had a really quality feel and was very robust. I managed to fall, hit it into many things and drop it many times and it never showed a scar.
The Race 2 brings a change of some of the hardware for a better experience. however, this comes with a price increase. I have been using the Race 2 for about the last 1000 miles of my running after putting just over 4000 miles into the original Race. How do they compare and did they fix any of my bugbears over the iterations? Read on to find out.
Hardware of the Suunto Race 2
What works for me
The first thing you notice as soon as the box is open is that the Race 2 is a very sleek watch. Gone is the serrated edge on the bezel much to the delight of my son and wife. While it gave the original watch a real robustness and tough look, it did act rather like a saw on soft skin. The Race 2 is a much thinner watch, it feels less bulky on my narrow wrist. The package has also lost about 4 grams on each model. Although, if I am honest, losing 4g hasn’t really been a noticeable difference for me. I haven’t felt like my arm was floating away but over the miles, each little less mass on each arm swing must add up.
The main event of the obvious changes is the screen. On the original Race, the screen was a beautiful thing. Bright, easy to read in any conditions and responsive. In the second iteration, the Race 2 screen grows to 1.5 inches from 1.43 and gets brighter in the process. From the original 1,000 nits it gets a glow up to 2,000 nits. Now, I am no expert on screen brightness measurement. But, I can see the difference from bright, direct sunlight to dark, misty mornings. It has been an absolute wonder in all conditions. The information is bright, clear and present. What else could you want?
My biggest issue with the Race was the heart rate monitor. From slow, easy runs to the hardest of sessions, my heart rate hovered around the 206 bpm mark. Funnily enough, this was also my cadence on those runs. Thankfully, the Race 2 features a much improved optical heart rate monitor. Whilst many purist heart rate trainers will still prefer a chest or bicep monitor, for someone like me who takes a passing interest in heart rate, it is an absolute bonus. I have yet to have a run with an unrealistic heart rate recorded. It is useful but as I am currently training by power with Stryd, it’s not essential for me.
With all of these improvements, an important part of the Race 2 is the battery. Thankfully, this too has improved. It currently lasts me a good couple of weeks of running and wear before needing a charge. As a further improvement, Suunto have upgraded the actual charging dock too. The previous version of the Race had started to fail me. Every charge needed micro adjustments of the way the watch sat on the pins and absolute stillness for the charge to happen. Happily, the new charger is currently proving to be a lot more robust. The Race 2 attaches with a healthy sounding clunk and holds itself in place. This is very handy when an assortment of cats and a toddler are charging around knocking life asunder.
Overall, the hardware improvements are just that. The Race 2 is an objectively better watch than its predecessor. The screen and the heart rate monitor are the biggest upgrades. That said, the whole package feels more refined and more fitting to the Race name. It is sleeker, smoother and shinier.
What doesn’t work for me
The main issue I have had with the Race 2 was a few days when the power button had somehow become gummed up. Whether it had some residual energy gel spilled into it or grubby little toddler fingers over it, I am not sure. What I am sure of is that every time I went to pause the watch, the button would stick. This would cause the watch to get loop in a reset cycle and render it useless on the run. I was worried that this would signal a rather premature end to my relationship with the Race 2. However, a few showers while wearing the watch seems to have sorted the issue and we are back and running well.
Secondly, the pin which is attached to the strap to hold it firm while running is a little big. It is a minor gripe but it can catch on the buckle when trying to put the watch on. When it is on the wrist, it can take a little effort to put it through the adjustment hole. They have begun to stretch and this process has got easier over time but it is a little fiddly at first. I will probably solve this problem the same way I solved my strap problems on the original Suunto Race. I bought a set of fabric sports loops from Amazon and all was good.
GPS of the Suunto Race 2
What works for me
As GPS sits somewhere between hardware and software, so does this section. With the original Race, I never found an issue with the GPs other than it could take a moment or two longer to fix position than I’d like on some cold, wet mornings. This time out, the connection has proven to be faster when I have turned both watches on at the same time. It even manages to connect from inside my house which is a real bonus for the winter runs at 5:30am.
On the run, I have found that it is accurate and reliable. My morning run always measures the same distance, give or take a slight discrepancy for a cross of a road or detour around a dog. Furthermore, I have used it in a a mixture of locations from built up areas to the foothills of The Alps. In all of these situations I have found mapping and recording to be very reliable and spot on. This came very handy when following the route for the KIPRUN Mini Barkley Marathon escapade. This saw some very twisty and steep routes navigated (not run) with ease (thanks for them, Thys!)
The offline maps are clear, very zoomable and this makes them exceptionally easy to use on those runs which take you beyond your usual beaten paths. From the route to the top of the cable car line to finding a coffee shop in rural Belgium, it has never led me astray.
What doesn’t work for me
All told, this is a very solid section of the Suunto Race 2 for me. While I am not DC Rainmaker with the sheer depth of technical knowledge, I can say that as a daily runner who is fortunate enough to run in a variety of new places from time to time, I have no issue with the offering and how it performs.
The only downside I have found with it is the movement of maps onto the watch can be a little cumbersome and time consuming. Perhaps it is my internet connection in locations where I have wanted to complete the operation but it seems like it could be a little easier. The interface and syncing between app and watch seems a to take a while and everything needs to be just right for it to work. Move away from the watch with the phone and it takes a break, and the downloads seem slow. Once they are there, it works a charm. Getting them there can be a pain, especially if you are on the move.
Software of the Suunto Race 2
What works for me
If I am honest, I have not noticed a huge difference in the interface and software workings of the Race 2. It still has the same feel and function as the Race. This has been a double edged sword. It has felt comfortable to put on and run with. I know how it works from my time with the previous version. Overall, it is an easy to use interface which makes sense on the run and in the app.
Adding and using maps is easy, navigating between screens is rapid and easily accessed with a click of the crown. The start, stop and lap buttons do their job well (when they aren’t sticky). Using the app to create a workout and import it to the watch is very easy. I have been using workouts from Stryd and these work well when programmed in. However, this also leads me to the main issue I had with the workout screen on the Race and this is something that Suunto have not changed in this iteration. More on that below.
What doesn’t work for me
While programming a workout via the app is easy and accessing it through the watch is a breeze, setting up the data screen on the watch is still a pain. This section is pretty much a copy and paste of the previous review. I have very little time spare in my life and would like to just click and go as is possible with Coros. Unfortunately, Suunto wants you to work for your workout.
To get the appropriate data display for a preprogrammed workout, the user is required to set up a new running mode and design their own screen. While this may very much suit some people who like to tailor every detail, I just want to know how long or far I have left to run on each section of my workout. It takes trial and error to get it right and when it is set up incorrectly, it makes running the workout much more of a hassle than needs be.
If I could change anything about the Race 2, this would be it. I would like a more automatic and intuitive running workout mode. Perhaps it is my ever advancing age but there are some things in life that I don’t want to have to tinker with.
Conclusion
Final Verdict
The Suunto Race 2 offers real improvements over the original. While the Race offered a great watch for the price, it did have limitations particularly with heart rate monitoring. The Race 2 gets rid of all of these issues and refines the entire package. For £80 more, it seems like a small price increase for quite a lot of improvements where they matter. That said, if you want a pretty bombproof watch with a lot of features, Suunto is continuing to support the Race with updates and it is still available on their site, you can use the change to buy a chest strap for the heart rate issues.
