We love Garmin watches here at Live Science. These premium wearables continuously impress us with their sleek design, advanced tracking features and top-notch accuracy. However, that does not mean we do not appreciate fitness trackers from some of the lesser-known brands. For example, our trusted reviewer, Tantse Walter, is a huge fan of the Suunto Race GPS Sports Watch.
Now is a great time to see why — this excellent Garmin alternative has just been discounted by a huge 29% at Amazon, bringing it to its lowest-ever price ahead of Prime Day.
Anna Gora is a health writer and product tester at Live Science as well as a certified personal trainer, nutritionist and health coach with over 13 years of professional experience. She is passionate about promoting the benefits of fitness tracking and has personally tried and tested dozens of smartwatches, smart rings and heart rate monitors.
The first thing you notice about the Suunto Race is its size. It has a large AMOLED 1.43-inch display and a thick 1.93-inch face, making it one of the most formidable GPS sports watches in its price range, plus it weighs a considerable 2.93 oz (83g) — more than twice as much as the Apple Watch Series 10, for example. At the same time, the Suunto Race does not feel or look too intimidating. Even our reviewer, who has relatively small wrists, found it surprisingly comfortable to wear.
What Tantse liked most about this sports watch, however, was its mind-boggling array of workout-related features. The Suunto Race has everything you may ever want from a fitness watch, from stacks of detailed maps and multiple sports modes to comprehensive health analysis and 100M water resistance. In that sense, it is a close match for some of the much pricier Garmin watches, and an excellent choice for beginner and seasoned athletes alike. The best part? You can now get this GPS sports watch at its lowest-ever price at Amazon.
Key features: AMOLED 1.43-inch display, optional Always-on mode, stainless steel finish, dual-band GPS, compass, altimeter, water resistance 100M, internal storage 16 GB
Product launched: October 2023
Price history: Before today's deal, the lowest price for the Suunto Race GPS Sports Watch was $349, and for the better part of this year, it had been $449. Today's offer from Amazon brings the price down to $319, which is the lowest price we have ever seen.
Price comparison: Amazon: $319 | Suunto: $319.22 | REI: $399
Reviews consensus: The Suunto Race received largely positive reviews, with many testers praising this sports watch for its robust workout training tools, impressive GPS accuracy and long battery life, and hailing it as a great pick for serious outdoor athletes and long-distance runners. However, none of the reviews awarded it a full five stars, as most testers complained about its bulky design, sluggish touchscreen and a lack of advanced smartwatch features that would vastly improve the overall user experience.
TechRadar: ★★★½ | Toms Guide: ★★★★ | Live Science: ★★★★½ | T3: ★★★★
✅ Buy it if: You want a formidable GPS sports watch that does not cost an arm and a leg.
❌ Don't buy it if: You want an advanced smartwatch with solar charging and highly accurate heart rate tracking (such as the Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar, now 12% off at Amazon).
Check out our other guides to the best Garmin watches, budget fitness trackers, smart rings, sleep trackers, and much more.
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