Suunto Watches

Suunto Watches: An Adventurer’s Best Companion

If you have the heart for adventure, outdoor activities, and exploration, Suunto sports watches are certainly worthy investments. The brand itself has a solid reputation for manufacturing quality watches that have reliably served their worldwide customer base for years. Their products remain at the top of the line when it comes to outdoor watches and compasses, and they take great pride in the durability of all their products. 

The brand’s professional, military, and consumer devices are built to last even as the wearer traverses through the roughest of terrains. Suunto dive watches and compass watches have been dominating the market for years. In recent years, the brand has also innovated and entered the smartwatch scene with products like the Suunto 7 and Suunto 9. Now, Suunto smartwatches remain a must-have among hikers, bikers, climbers, athletes, and other people with an active lifestyle. 

How Much Is a Suunto Watch?

Suunto’s Watch Collections

Suunto sports watches are all the hype in the world of fitness and outdoor activities — and for good reason. These watches show remarkable quality and boast numerous features that fit the needs of those who live a more active and adventurous lifestyle. Suunto watches’ prices differ largely depending on the model, but each model has its unique perks that truly set it apart from other sports watches.

Prices for the Suunto 3: A Basic Smartwatch For an Active Lifestyle

The Suunto 3 is currently the most budget-friendly among all the Suunto smartwatches. At around $180 USD, this smartwatch is less expensive than the other smartwatches, but it’s far from being a bad smartwatch. Despite not having some of the features that higher-end models have, the Suunto 3 holds up well on its own and has numerous strengths that make it worth the hype. 

The Suunto 3 lacks the touch screen feature and Google Wear’s OS, which is the most notable distinction between the Suunto 3 and the other Suunto smartwatches. It also does not have a built-in GPS but has the ability to connect to third-party devices with GPS functionality. Because of its more basic functionality, however, the Suunto 3 does not need the tech that the higher-end models have. This allows the Suunto 3 to remain smaller and lighter than the other models, making it more comfortable to wear especially during outdoor travels and other fitness activities.

Although it’s a more basic smartwatch, its features are still incredibly handy for everyday fitness activities. The watch also has a fitness tracker that allows the wearer to monitor their heart rate, distance, sleep activity, speed, calories burned, stress level, steps taken, and of course, time.

Like most Suunto sports watches, the Suunto 3 is a durable watch that’s built for an active lifestyle. It’s made of quality materials and provides up to 30m of water resistance. The Suunto 3 also has a 40-hour battery life, ready for long exercise sessions on a regular basis. While it may be the least expensive Suunto smartwatch, it still proves to be a highly capable exercise companion.

Prices for the Suunto 5: A Quality Mid-Range Smartwatch

For a more mid-range smartwatch, the Suunto 5 packs a ton of features that compete with other brands of smartwatches in its price range. The Suunto 5 also boasts a remarkable build quality with its mineral crystal glass, stainless steel bezel, and glass fiber reinforced polycarbonate. It’s also much lighter than the Suunto 7 while having significantly more features than the Suunto 3. How much is a Suunto watch of this build? The retail price for the Suunto 5 is around $270 USD, providing a balance between functionality and budget.

Like most Suunto men’s watches, the Suunto 5 provides a smooth user experience. It has fitness tracking features, over 80 customizable sports modes, adaptive coaching plans, and other features that you can also purchase through the Suunto App. Its GPS allows you to create a point of interest (POI) which you can save and navigate to. It also allows for turn-by-turn navigation. Of course, it also has the basic functions of a smartwatch such as alarms and notifications.

The Suunto 5 has a tough build, but it has a sleek and lightweight design that many athletes covet. It has a 50m water resistance that’s useful for those who swim. It also has a 40-hour battery life, but when you’re not using its more advanced features, it can stay up for about two weeks. Overall, the Suunto 5 is a competitive smartwatch around its price range.

Prices for the Suunto 7: A Stylish Fitness Smartwatch For Your Multi-Sport Adventures

Released in January 2020, the Suunto 7 is the latest model of the Suunto smartwatches. This premium smartwatch comes at a hefty price of $400 USD, but it’s a worthy investment for those who want to take their fitness and sports adventures to the next level.

In terms of its design, many enjoy the sleek appearance of the Suunto 7. Its screen is bright enough even in broad daylight, and it features a sharp display with a screen resolution of 454 x 454 pixels. Of course, the watch gets the ever-superb Suunto treatment with its durable case and screen. With its glass fiber reinforced polyamide case and gorilla glass screen, it certainly can take a hit with no problem. It has a 5 ATM water and dust resistance as well. Because of this, it’s a perfect companion for even the toughest treks in the rough terrains.

The Suunto 7 boasts smooth software and utilizes Google’s Wear OS, unlike the other Suunto sports watches that run on their proprietary software. It has 1 GB of RAM and 4.5GB of user-accessible storage. The Suunto 7 relies on the Suunto app for sports tracking, but you will need to switch to Google Fit for your everyday stats such as your resting heart rate. 

For those who like listening to music during exercise, you can also pair your Bluetooth earphones with the Suunto 7. You can use music streaming services like Spotify on the watch, but it doesn't allow you to download music directly. Although you can only mirror Spotify in the watch with your phone, you can transfer your music from Google Play Music directly to the Suunto 7.

Prices for the Suunto 9: A GPS Sports Watch With Remarkable Endurance

The Suunto 9 smartwatch is quite heavy compared to many smartwatches in the market, but for its multitude of features, it’s a sports watch that’s worth considering. The Suunto 9 and the Suunto 9 Baro have mostly similar features, but the Suunto 9 Baro adds a little more functionality such as the altimeter and barometer for more specialized athletes. With this added technology comes an increase in size and weight, however. Although these two models are more on the heavier side of smartwatches, they aren’t uncomfortable to wear.

The Suunto 9 series is great for those who tend to do a lot of fitness activities such as swimming, running, cycling, and mountaineering — the Suunto 9 has over 80 customizable sports modes. The shiny sapphire crystal glass screen has a resolution of 320x300 pixels, and you can turn on the backlight with the press of a button. This durable watch is built for endurance and has a battery life that provides 120 hours of continuous sports tracking. Also, the Suunto 9 Baro has scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass for an extra boost in durability.

The Suunto 9 prices vary per model. Suunto 9 watches have a retail price of $329 USD, while Suunto Baro watches cost $499 USD. Special editions of Suunto Baro watches are also available, with the Suunto 9 Baro Titanium costing $599 USD and the Suunto 9 Baro Titanium Ambassador Edition having a price of $749 USD.

Prices for the Suunto Core: A Fully-Featured Altimeter Watch

The Suunto Core is an amazing outdoor watch that has loads of features such as an altimeter, barometer, and compass. Although it lacks a GPS feature, it still has a lot to show for a smart sports watch. Many users also enjoy its comfortable elastomer strap, smooth user interface, and easy-to-use buttons that give the watch an edge in everyday wear. 

The Suunto Core has waterproof buttons that are useful for swimming, snorkeling, and some shallow water diving as deep as 32.8 feet (10 m). This watch also features a depth meter for snorkeling, as well as storm alarms and temperature features. Skiers, climbers, and hikers also get something out of the watch because it also has an altitude log that records the true vertical height gained as well as the ascent, descent, and number of runs.

The brand released the Suunto Core in 2007 and has since released 30 versions of the watch. The Suunto Core ranges from $229 USD to $529 USD, depending on the model. 

Prices for the Suunto Traverse: A Robust and Elegant Outdoor Watch

Suunto released its Traverse Collection in 2015, and in the following year, Wilderness Magazine hailed the Suunto Traverse as the 2016 Gear of the Year. Like many Suunto men’s watches, the Suunto Traverse boasts a sleek modern design and a powerful performance to boot. 

This prime timepiece can withstand any outdoor adventure with its 328 ft (100m) water resistance and its sturdy composite case with a scratch-resistant stainless steel bezel. At 80 grams, the watch is lightweight despite its remarkable array of technological features. It’s perfect for various outdoor activities as well as everyday use.

The Suunto Traverse’s features include a Bluetooth chipset, barometer, compass, GPS tracking, GPS navigation, weather functions, as well as step and calorie tracking. The Suunto Traverse also has an accurate altimeter and an easy user interface. The Suunto Traverse costs $419 USD, which isn’t a bad price considering what it is capable of. 

Suunto's Milestones and Innovations

Suunto has led many innovations in the realm of watches, compasses, and other precision instruments since its foundation. In the early 1930s, the company’s founder, Tuomas Vohlonen, came up with a sealed liquid-filled compass that’s resistant to shock and wear. He later received a patent for this compass, and it went into mass production and became commercially available as the M-311 Compass.

The company reached continued success through the Suunto compass watches. In the 1960s, a British sports diver noticed that his Suunto wrist compass worked underwater — and Suunto innovated and produced the SK-4 Compass. In 1987, Suunto also introduced the SME-ML, the first wrist-mounted dive computer for recreational divers. The Suunto dive watches became quite significant in the diving community, and the company kept up the innovation to create the Suunto DX, a rebreather-compatible wrist-mounted dive computer that they introduced in 2013.

In addition to their dedicated craft in compasses and dive computers, Suunto also ventured into a wider market. They introduced products that are suited not only for diving but many other outdoor activities as well. In 1998, the company introduced the Suunto Vector, a sports watch with an altimeter, barometer, and compass. They also released the Suunto Ambit in 2012, adding a built-in GPS and body monitoring system to the watch. 

The Revolutionary M-311 and SK-4 Compasses

When the company’s founder, Tuomas Vohlonen, created and patented his unique method of making a liquid-filled compass, he also created a revolutionary instrument. While his compass wasn’t the first liquid-filled compass, his design made the compass lightweight and portable enough to be worn on the wrist. This gave birth to the Suunto M-311, a wrist-mounted compass that the Finnish Army later adopted as the M-34. The SK-4 Compass was also revolutionary in its own right because it was the world's first dedicated diving compass. Today, the SK-8 is in production as this revolutionary compass’s direct descendant.

The Best of Suunto Smartwatches & Compass Watches

Suunto compass watches and smartwatches are incredibly versatile, and each timepiece has its perks and advantages. The Suunto 3, for example, is a sleek, lightweight smartwatch that still has many of the essential features of a dedicated sports watch. It’s a more budget-friendly option that’s still extremely handy. The Suunto 9, on the other hand, is a higher-end product that boasts features upon features with exceptional battery life to boot. Suunto’s latest smartwatch offering, Suunto 7, is also loaded with advanced technology that easily can topple its competitors.

History of Suunto

Suunto Oy officially entered the trade register in 1936, but its success started before then. Its success is rooted in the revolutionary Suunto M-311, a lightweight and portable compass that the founder patented in 1935. The company’s founder, Tuomas Vohlonen, was a surveyor and engineer by trade and founded the company in Vantaa, Finland. Suunto’s company name stems from the Finnish word suunta, which translates to “direction” or “path” — which is apt considering the company’s origin.

When Tuomas Vohlonen died in 1939, his widow Elli Vohlonen took over until 1952. She then sold the company to Aarne Mahnala, Paavo Kajanne, and Veli-Jussi Hölsö, who owned Redox Oy. They then sold it to the Niemistö family at the end of the 1970s. Sponsor Oy bought the company in the 1990s, and Amer Sports then bought it in 1999. Its headquarters now resides in Valimotie 7, Tammisto, Vantaa.

Top 5 Reasons To Get a Suunto Watch

1. The watches are built to last. Suunto compass watches and sports watches have a reputation for being highly durable. Their high-quality materials allow them to withstand any weather, activity, and terrain. They’re perfect for an active, adventurous lifestyle.

2. The features are exceptional. Suunto smartwatches especially have an edge when it comes to features — they’re a perfect mix of sports watches and smartwatches. Suunto never skimps on features in their products; they are dedicated to assisting the adventurer in you. Music, connectivity, performance, and health monitoring, navigation, and more — all in a compact watch.

3. The watches are stylish. Although their watches are remarkably functional timepieces, Suunto also makes sure to take aesthetics into account. Their stylish designs provide a clean, modern feel and are sure to spark interest wherever you go.

4. Suunto sports watches are incredibly versatile. If you have a passion for multiple sports and activities, Suunto watches are the perfect choice for you. With numerous different customizable sports modes, there’s always something for every activity of your choice. These watches adapt to provide whatever you may need in a sports watch.

5. Suunto watches help you optimize your performance. Some Suunto sports watches offer performance monitoring and adaptive training guidance. This allows you to maximize your performance and ensure optimal training. These watches are as dedicated to your activities as you are — truly a remarkable feat that’s worth the investment.

Sturdy Smartwatches for Your Adventures

Suunto’s watches, compasses, and other precision instruments have dominated the market for years, and they continue to be successful because of their products’ quality and precision. If you have the heart for adventure and activity then Suunto sports watches will suit you perfectly. Not only do these timepieces have the strength to withstand the most extreme activities, but they also will provide a plethora of incredible features that you never even thought you needed.