Suunto was a brand that I never had on my radar. In fact, I had never really even heard of them until about a year ago, when numerous friends at the shop were wearing Vertical and Run models. I don't have data in front of me, but I have to believe that Suunto has taken a nice share of the market over the past year. With exceptional watch model releases and an absolutely stellar trail team, including Courtney Dauwalter, Toni McCann, Abby Hall, Zach Miller, Ryan Montgomery, Seth Ruhling, and others, the watch brand is as worthy of consideration as Garmin and Coros. With the latest release of their ultimate adventure watch, the Vertical 2, Ryan was able to take this thing into the wild for a full review. Check it out!
Tech Specs
The Good
The battery life on the Vertical 2 is stellar. It's as good as my Coros Apex 4, which lasts me about two weeks. I never have to worry about having enough battery for long race days when I'm on the course for 8+ hours at a time. In fact, I leave with plenty of battery percentage left. The Vertical 2 is a fantastic option for those looking to be in the mountains all day and not have to worry about their watch dying mid-run. This also leads me into the AMOLED display on the watch because it's crystal clear. My Coros still has the old MIP (memory-in-pixel) display, which really gives Kindle screen vibes. To have a battery life that lasts just as long as a watch still using MIPs is awesome. The screen really comes into play with maps and navigating unfamiliar terrain. It makes it so much easier to see and zoom in.
The build quality of this watch is the best I have experienced. It really feels indestructible. The stainless steel design feels heavier in hand, and it really has that metal feel to it. I'm really impressed with the stainless steel construction, and I can only imagine how tough the Titanium model is.
I mentioned the maps and navigation above when talking about the AMOLED display, but I really want to call out what an improvement the Suunto maps are over the Coros maps. I find that the responsiveness when looking at directions is much quicker. The traveled-distance updates refresh much more quickly, which is helpful at intersections where I really need to see when and where to turn. Another thing I love about navigation is the ascent and descent alerts I get. It tells me in my upcoming segment how much vertical gain I'm about to encounter or how much I will descend. This is one of my favorite aspects when I'm on a big trail run I've never been on before.
The app is very intuitive and easy to use, similar to the Coros app. It was one thing I was worried about when testing out the Suunto software. Many struggle with the convolutedness of the Garmin app, but Coros and Suunto remain very user-friendly.
Lastly, I have to call out my favorite feature: the built-in LED flashlight. It's an absolute game changer for parents trying to navigate their children's rooms at night without turning on a light. It comes with different brightness modes, an SOS mode, and a red alert mode. It's seriously like having a legit flashlight on your wrist.
The Bad
I'm not the biggest fan of the silicone strap the watch comes with. The rubber feels tougher on my skin, and it doesn't seem to have as much flex as my Coros silicone band does. I just find that it's not as comfortable. However, I do want to look into getting a nylon band to replace it, and that might help!
Another area that I struggle with is when creating a route in Strava. I am able to sync it to my Suunto. Yay! However, a limitation is that when you do this for any route not created natively in the Suunto app, you lose out on turn-by-turn directions. To me, this is a big bummer because I have a lot of routes created in Strava, and I actually prefer its route-creation interface. This is just something to know!
Lastly, not necessarily a “bad” item, but it's worth mentioning that this watch does feel heavy, especially compared to my Coros Apex 4. It's, of course, because of the larger display in combination with the stainless steel construction. Simple science will tell you that better, more durable materials are going to weigh more. It's not a bust by any means, just something I've noticed on my wrist!
The Verdict
The Suunto Vertical 2 is an absolute banger of a watch. With AMOLED, stainless steel, a built-in legit LED flashlight, amazing maps, and superb tracking, it's an excellent option for those seeking an all-mountain, all-day adventure watch. I find it's on par with the Coros Apex 4, the Garmin Enduro, and the Apple Watch Ultra series in terms of usage and intent. If you're looking for your next watch for ultra trail running, I'd say look no further!
Worth the Price
I thought about this for about five minutes, and the answer was yes. When you stack up the closest competing watches from highest to lowest pricing, the order is Coros Apex 4 ($479), Suunto Vertical 2 ($599), Apple Watch Ultra 4 ($799), and Garmin Enduro 3 ($900). With better mapping, an AMOLED display, battery life, more durable construction and premium materials, a built-in flashlight, and all the features that have parity with the Coros Apex 4, it's worth dropping a little over $100 more to upgrade to the Vertical 2. I think $599 is that perfect sweet spot for an adventure watch. And please, this isn't to say that $600 is an easy spend. I get it, I really do! At the end of the day, the Coros Apex 4 is still a great watch, and if you need to go lower in price, do that! If you have that flexibility in your budget and you're between the Apex 4 and Vertical 2, I'd go with the Vertical 2.
Buy If
- You are looking for stronger build quality in your watch
- You need better maps and navigation directions with turn-by-turn
- You like easy watch interface along with an intuitive app
- You want a watch that will last you through 100- to 200-mile distances
- You want a really well-built, integrated flashlight, more than just screen brightness like Coros
Skip If
- You want a lighter watch
- You want contactless payments and more social features of a smartwatch
