Suunto Vertical 2 vs Polar Grit X2 Pro
The Polar Grit X2 Pro lists for about $401 more than the Suunto Vertical 2. On the headline smartwatch-mode figure, 20 days for the Suunto Vertical 2 against 11 days for the Polar Grit X2 Pro. For a GPS workout the figures are 3 days and 40 h. Phones differ: the Suunto Vertical 2 is android; iphone with limits, the Polar Grit X2 Pro iphone and android. Polar sells a paid tier (Polar Fitness Program) for the Polar Grit X2 Pro; Suunto sells none for the Suunto Vertical 2. Only the Polar Grit X2 Pro carries full topo maps. Every other published figure for both is in the table, with the rows where they differ tinted.
Suunto
Suunto Vertical 2
~$599
Suunto says Vertical 2 improves on the original with a brighter, larger LTPO AMOLED, a 1.5-inch panel that Suunto rates at up to 2,000 nits with a 1-120 Hz refresh.
Best for: Expedition hikers and ultra runners who want the longest Suunto battery with a flashlight
Polar
Polar Grit X2 Pro
~$1,000
Polar's top outdoor watch, unveiled in March 2024, puts a sapphire-covered 1.39-inch AMOLED inside a stainless steel case rated WR100 and tested to MIL-STD-810H.
Best for: Hikers and mountain athletes who want Polar's full training suite in a tougher case
| Specification | Suunto Vertical 2 | Polar Grit X2 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$599 (Vertical 2 stainless steel, $599.00 on suunto.com; titanium versions $699.00) | ~$1,000 (Grit X2 Pro (stainless steel), $999.99 on polar.com; Grit X2 Pro Titan $1,099.99) |
| Type | Rugged outdoor | Rugged outdoor |
| Platform | Suunto | Polar |
| Case sizes | 49 mm | 48.6 mm |
| Weight | 49 mm: 87 g (Suunto spec weight, stainless steel version (Suunto does not say whether the strap is included)) | 48.6 mm: 57 g (without wristband (79 g with it), Polar UK spec) |
| Battery, smartwatch mode | 20 days (Suunto spec: Daily use, Smartwatch mode: up to 20 days) | 11 days (Polar support: Smartwatch mode up to 11 days, 24/7 wrist HR and notifications on, always-on display off (US product page: 10 d)) |
| Battery, always-on display | Not published by the maker | Not published by the maker |
| Battery, GPS workout | 3 days (Suunto spec: All-Systems GNSS mode + Single-Band: up to 75h) | 40 h (Polar support: Performance training mode up to 40 hours, Dual-Frequency GPS on, 1-second recording, always-on display off (US product page: 43 h)) |
| Battery, dual-band GPS | 65 h | 40 h |
| Battery note | Multi-band up to 65h; Tour mode up to 250h with lower accuracy and heart rate off. Suunto's spec says standby up to 40 days, the product page 30 days with daily HR off. No AOD figure published. | Polar publishes no single-band or always-on figure; its support figures assume the always-on display is off. Eco training mode: up to 110 hours (single-frequency GPS every 2 minutes, wrist HR off). |
| Works with | Android; iPhone with limits | iPhone and Android |
| iPhone | Yes, with limits | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Phone limits | Suunto spec: 'Send predefined replies to incoming messages from watch: Android only'; notifications work on both. | Polar Flow app on iOS and Android; Polar lists push notifications and Find My Phone on the watch, with no platform restriction stated. |
| Paid tier | No paid tier sold by the maker | Polar Fitness Program, $107.88/year |
| What the paid tier gates | not published | No watch feature requires it. Polar: 'A subscription to Fitness Program is not required to fully enjoy Polar products or the Flow service'; it adds adaptive 4-week cardio, strength and mobility plans in Polar Flow |
| Update years | Not published by the maker | Not published by the maker |
| Cleared health features | None the maker cites | None the maker cites |
| Display | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Always-on display | Yes | Yes |
| Dual-band GPS | Yes | Yes |
| Maps | Downloadable maps, no topo (Suunto: free offline maps downloaded to the watch, with heatmaps and Climb Guidance; the page does not say the on-watch maps carry topographic contours; 32GB outdoor offline map storage) | Full topo maps on the watch (Polar: offline maps with dual-frequency GPS, route guidance, points of interest and Track Back; 32 GB storage) |
| Music on the watch | No | No |
| LTE | No LTE version | No LTE version |
| Contactless pay | No | No |
| Flashlight | Yes | No |
| Water rating | 100 m | WR100 |
| Case | glass-fibre reinforced polyamide, stainless steel bezel | stainless steel |
| Released | not published | 2024 |
Suunto Vertical 2: what it gives up
- 87 g is heavy for running
- No onboard music storage
- Message replies from the watch are Android only
- Priced above the Race 2, so the extra battery and flashlight carry a premium
Polar Grit X2 Pro: what it gives up
- 79 g with the strap, 22 g more than the Vantage V3
- Costs far more than the Vantage V3, whose smartwatch-mode figure is the same and GPS figure 2 hours longer
- No music storage, only music controls
- No contactless payments on the watch
Full pages: Suunto Vertical 2 · Polar Grit X2 Pro