Suunto 3

Heartrate monitored during exercise and sleep.

Comfortable silicone band in a variety of colors.

Editor rating: 9.2 / 10

User's rating: based on 0 user ratings

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By RosieA

Suunto 3 Review Facts

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The Suunto 3 looks like a stylish accessory, carefully designed to embody the look of a watch but with all the features of a fitness watch. It has customized “adaptive training guidance” allowing you to adjust your workout depending on your goals. No matter what form of exercise you gravitate towards, with the abundance of options there will be an activity that caters to your needs.

The Fitness watch is working hard even when the user is resting, constantly monitoring your heartrate. This information can be used to determine the calories burned. In addition, it will record sleep duration, and how you recover from stress. There is no built in GPS, however, GPS can be utilized from your phone. There is the option to connect your phone to the watch enabling the receiving of notifications. The Suunto App provides a space to log, and monitor your progress so you can see your fitness improve.

Editor's Pros & Cons

Pros

Fashionable Design
Easy to Use
Variety of Sports
Custom 7-day workout
Track Progress
Distance Measure (with Phone GPS)

Cons

No Built-in GPS
Heart rate only measured from wrist

Use

With 70 pre-installed sports available at your fingertips, there is an abundance of activities available for exploration. Once the initial fitness calibration is completed, you can set the workout with “adaptive training guidance”, a 7-day plan, based specifically around your goals. Setup interval training, and incorporate them into the workout. Spend time after your workout on the App, where you can review your progress, and even share it on social media! Monitor your rest, and sleep patterns, making sure you have a healthy balance.

Basic Features

The Suunto 3 accommodates the basic requirements of a watch, in addition to the fitness features. A wide variety of sports are available so you can adapt the settings to your needs, or even try a new activity. The Training portion of the watch is based on the notion of adaptive guidance. After an initial assessment, the feature will set a 7day fitness plan on the grounds of three options, and your fitness level. Depending on your level, and goals you can choose whether you would like to focus on-maintaining, improving, or boosting. A great aspect of this feature is it adapts in accordance with the amount of activity you do. For example, if you do more than allocated for one day, the next workout adjusts automatically. This feature is great for someone who needs some guidance in maintaining, and expanding their workout regime.

Advanced Features

Countering exercise with rest and sleep is a vital part of improving fitness. When planning fitness goals, the focus is rarely placed on the rest. Suunto makes sure you are taking care of your body, tuning it to reach its potential safely in a sustainable manner. In light of improving well-being, with the Resources category, you will be able to monitor daily stress on your body. If you are feeling under the weather, you will be notified, making sure your body gets what it needs according to natural daily fluctuation. You can see if the sleep you had was sufficient to recover from the days' exercise. Paying attention to this tool will help avoid injury from overexertion.

Connectivity

The Suunto 3 has sufficient connectivity, but as it does not have built-in GPS. Arguably, this is an area it falls short in comparison with other Fitness watches such as the Garmin Forerunner 35. If you are somebody who cannot leave the house without your phone then this will not be an issue. The watch is able to sync and track all the routes via the GPS on the phone when the Suunto App is installed. Being connected to the phone also means that notifications from the phone can be received directly to the watch. There is no way to differentiate between which messages will go through, therefore, this could potentially be distracting if there is heavy traffic of messages.

Apps

This fitness watched is compatible with the Suunto App, to really utilize all the features available then the this needs to be downloaded to the mobile device. This easy to use app allows you to log all of the statistics so you can keep track of your progress, and identify specific areas where improvements could be made. Not only does it notify you of your heart rate, and calories burnt, but it also calculates your sleep. A good night's rest could make or break your work-out and is such a key component of a healthy lifestyle. The new app is an upgrade from the previous MovesCount App by Suunto, with better syncing reliability, and a wider variety of options. Not only can you log the daily workout and history, but also with the Explore option you can navigate your location surroundings. and plan-out a new route. Connect to social media after your workout, and share your progress with your friends!

Comfort

One element of comfort is weight, wearing an item that is heavy and bulky is not an option for exercise. As the watch will be worn during exercise it is pertinent that it is light, weighing in at only 36gram (1.2oz), this smartwatch meets that need. There will be no distraction due to added weight from the watch during exercise allowing the user to focus on the task at hand. The lack of GPS installed into the watch contributes a positive as it allows it to be more streamlined. The wristband is made of silicone, and while it looks effortless to wear, some users found it less comfortable than desired but not to the point of being bothersome. The solid design does not allow for breathability, however, there are holed options available. The majority of users agree it is a comfortable watch and is practical to wear during exercise.

Style

It is almost unidentifiable as a fitness watch, giving it great versatility. It is available of a wide array of colors. This allows you to add a personal flair depending on your unique style. Whether it is bright and bold, or subtle and chic, there will be a color to meet your need. The neutral watch face is neither masculine nor feminine, this increases the appeal across a wider market. The overall sleek design means you can wear the smartwatch day and night. If you need to go from the gym to the office, or from a run to the school-run, this watch is versatile and will accommodate your image in multiple environments.

Durability

Having a watch that can withstand wear and tear is important, when the watch will primarily be worn during exercise, this is even more important. Luckily, the material of the band is silicone which is notoriously durable. Not only can it withstand UV exposure, but is also resistant to abrasion from friction. Further assisting the durability of the product is the fact that it is water resistant up to 30 meters deep. So, unless you are doing deep-sea scuba diving, this water should cover any scenario whereby you may enter water whilst wearing it. Swimming as an option for exercise is available, and just waiting for you to jump in! The only vulnerable area is the screen, which may be at risk of scratches, other than that this is a durable watch.

Face

The face measures 1.69 inches in diameter, this includes the bezel. The glass screen is made of polyamide, and the Case is made of a reinforced polyamide glass fiber. The Bezel varies in color but is always made of stainless steel which adds to the durability of the watch. The screen has color display with a 218x 218 resolution. This is not the best quality but certainly gets the job done. It is important to consider that the watch is not a touchscreen. This serves practicality as touching a screen with sweaty fingers is not always doable. That being said, some users who are accustomed to touchscreen may not find this appealing. Instead, there are 5 buttons placed around the circumference on the bezel. They each have a purpose and are reportedly easy to use.

Band

The band comes in a wide variety of colors, and is made of silicone. It measures 20mm in width and fits wrists between 120mm-210mm. This means that it should be compatible in sizing with majority of buyers. The band can be easily switched out if you decided to change the color, and alternative bands can be purchased separately. To most users, the band is comfortable, and will stay that way with care and maintenance such as periodic cleaning. Just like any item used during exercise that is being exposed to heat and sweat it needs to be cleaned.

Ease of Use

As there is no touchscreen option, navigation through categories is done via the five buttons placed around the stainless-steel bezel. Three are on one side, and two on the other. Like any new product, in order to really utilize, and maximize the ease of use, then reading the manual prior to use is recommended. Majority of users reported this smartwatch to be very easy to use, and were able to navigate through the features without any hassle. The most important aspect, in order to make sure the watch is being used to its full potential, is the initial fitness assessment. It is the foundation of the fitness plan; therefore, it is important to make sure it is the first line of duty. No touchscreen actually makes navigating this watch much simpler and is more practical.

Battery

The battery in this Suunto watch is lithium-ion and is rechargeable. Taking a little over an hour to fully recharge is a convenient touch, as time is not always of the essence. The battery status is communicated by a percentage icon so you can easily keep track of when it needs to be juiced up. The charger is a clip so make sure it is accurately connected before leaving it. How long the battery lasts entirely depends on how often you use it, and in which capacity. Without GPS installed but in training mode, it will last up to 40hours, in the same mode but with GPS this drops down to 30hours. With mobile notifications, and 24/7 this time extends up to 5days, and up to 10 days in time mode. The duration of battery is compatible with the level of exercise executed by the user, as the watch is not aimed at those training for marathons or other long-haul exercises.

Price

The Suunto 3 Fitness watch is priced comparatively reasonable in comparison to others such as the Garmin Forerunner 35 or the Fitbit Versa. It is not overpriced nor is it extremely cheap. How much you want to pay will depend on how accurate, and how many features you want to have. The heart rate is not always 100% accurate according to users, this is due to the wrist only reading. This is one example of why it may be cheaper than some of the more advanced fitness watches. For the price, it reliably tracks and guides you through your exercise depending on your goals, without breaking the bank.

Accessories

The accessory that comes in the most abundance is the variety of wrist bands that are easily interchangeable as desired. Make your Suunto stand out by customizing the colors. Other accessories which are compatible are the Suunto Bike Sensor, if riding is your thing, keep accurate records of your movement with this add on. Another option is the Suunto Smart Sensor, this would be a good option if you prefer a true heart rate measurement as this is worn on your chest during exercise and even for swimming.

Key Features

-Adaptive Training Guidance
-Sleep Tracker
-Stress Indicator
-Sleek Design
-Multiple Sports
-No GPS
-Suunto App

Bottom Line

If you are looking for a fitness watch which will guide you through your workout regime, whilst simultaneously adding a fashionable touch, the Suunto 3 is for you. The stylish design is pleasing on the eyes and appeals to a wide audience as it is available in multiple designs. It will provide a detailed work-out plan, which collaborates with you and your individual goal, whether it be to improve, maintain or boost your fitness. Not having GPS installed may be a hindrance for some potential buyers. However, this is subjective as if like most, you cannot be without your phone than this should not affect you. As the heart rate is measured via the wrist, a separate Smart Sensor is available to accommodate those who need 100% accuracy. This easy to use watch will guide you through your workouts, so all you have to focus on is giving 100% and enjoy the results.