Multisport~$499Suunto
Suunto describes Race 2 as slimmer and lighter than the original Race, with a larger, brighter 1.5-inch LTPO AMOLED and a redesigned back panel for wrist heart rate. Its battery runs to 55 hours of multi-band GPS and 18 days of daily use. A sapphire crystal comes standard on the steel model, with titanium versions above it.
Approx. price
~$499
maker's list price, not a live price
76 g
Suunto spec weight, stainless steel version (Suunto does not say whether the strap is included)
Best for: Triathletes and trail runners who want a large AMOLED screen and multi-day GPS battery
The ring’s outer track is the headline claim; the inner two are the always-on and GPS figures as a share of it. An empty track means Suunto does not publish that figure. Why the figures differ
Suunto cites no regulator clearance for a health feature on this model. Its heart-rate, sleep and blood-oxygen readings are wellness features.
A clearance says what a feature is allowed to claim, not that it replaces a doctor. Cleared versus wellness features
What the extra money buys: Against the Suunto Race S, the extra ~$150 buys 25 h more GPS time and a longer headline battery (18 days vs 9 days). See the Suunto Race S.
The two lists above are drawn from the maker’s own pages and prices, not from owner reports. Where owner discussion has been read it appears in its own section below, so the two are never mistaken for each other.
From what 28 owners of the Suunto Race 2 reported between July and October 2026. Earlier generations are not counted.
Race 2 owners like the hardware. They describe a bright screen, a sapphire face that resists marks, good battery in day-to-day training, and offline maps that several of them rate above Garmin's. Hikers in particular report that navigation and Climb Guidance just work.
The firmware is the problem. Reboots during workouts, intervals and races come up again and again, sometimes appearing after an update and sometimes on a new watch. A few owners rolled firmware back to get a stable watch, and at least two returned theirs. Wrist heart rate that takes 10 to 20 minutes to settle, pool swims that save short, and a screen that will not turn off in rain or with navigation running are the other repeat issues.
If you mostly hike and navigate, or want a long-lasting AMOLED watch for steady training, owners are largely happy. If you run structured intervals, race long distances or rely on wrist heart rate from the first minute, check that the latest firmware has settled before buying, and plan on a chest strap.
Owners kept reporting it through summer 2026: after updates, in SuuntoPlus interval workouts, and in long races. One owner said a friend's watch had been stable since the latest update, while another found the 2.56.28 hotfix made things worse until they rolled back.
Yes. Two owners did it from the watch: in Settings, General, About, a long press on the lower button opens a menu for picking an older update package. One of them then turned off automatic updates.
In normal training owners report about one to two weeks between charges and modest drain on long GPS days. The exceptions came when the display stayed on, from rain on the touchscreen or with navigation running, and those owners got far less than Suunto's figures.
Not everywhere. One owner on backcountry canoe trips found only blocks of land and water colour with no contours or detail, while hikers on marked trails were happy with the maps and Climb Guidance.
Multisport · Suunto
Best for: Runners with smaller wrists who want Suunto's maps and training tools at a lower price
Multisport · Polar
Best for: Multisport athletes with smaller wrists who want maps and Polar's sensor set for less
Multisport · COROS
Best for: Trail runners and mountain athletes who want maps and a sunlight-readable screen in a smaller case