Suunto Run watch review

The Suunto Run GPS watch is a well-priced, slick-looking number whose vibrancy of look not only comes from its fetching yellow/lime colourway, but also its stainless-steel bezel and Gorilla Glass protection.

The core of the watch is tough plastic, which doesn’t detract from its smart aesthetic. (It also comes in orange, grey and black.) The Velcro strap is also a winner – it’s light and comfy – though some will prefer a traditional silicone version.

As for its software, there’s much here to applaud. The GPS held up well in most conditions, performing impressively on trails runs beneath the canopies of trees.

It was fine on the bike, too, and was okay in the open-water but nothing more than that. Although I didn’t test it on an athletics track, others report that its track-running mode is a real boon, ‘locking’ to the lane you’re running for greater distance and pace accuracy on curved surfaces.

Features and performance

While the Run lacks topographical maps, you can plan routes on the excellent app and sync them to the watch. That’s to be expected beneath the £200 mark.

Similar to the Polar, heart rate can be a little erratic at times but for the most part is reliable. As is the Ghost Runner, a feature whereby you either chase or be chased by your shadow when training at a certain pace or aiming for a set finishing time. It’s a cute feature but arguably one you’ll use half-a-dozen times at most.

Additional runner-friendly pros include offline music support and Bluetooth headphone support, so you can transfer songs from your computer or phone to the Suunto Run using the USB-C charging cable and stride to your heart’s content without carrying your phone.

Enabling Auto Laps also gives you voice feedback after each lap, keeping you updated on your performance in real time. It’s useful, though borders on irritation after a while.

All of this and its moniker highlight that this is more a run watch than a multisport tool. Despite that, it’s pre-loaded with 32 sports including triathlon. It also features advanced swimming features like the SWOLF score, which measures your stroke efficiency.

It calculates open-water swim distance, too. We also appreciate how Suunto offsets the predicted lifetime carbon-dioxide emissions of the Run via a reforestation project in south-east Africa.

It’s a fine watch but, though more expensive (£345), we’d guide you to Suunto’s impressive Race. Its battery life is higher than the 20hrs seen here (in full GPS mode) and it comprises more advanced multisport metrics to optimise your performance. If running is your main activity and you’re on a budget though, then the Suunto Run is a fine option.

Suunto Run specs

Price	$249/£199
Weight	1.27oz / 36g
Screen	1.3″ AMOLED display; 466 × 466 pixels
Dimensions	46 × 46 × 11.5 mm
Battery life	Up to 12 days in smartwatch mode; up to 20h in GPS mode
Tech	Dual-band GPS
Storage	4GB
Connectivity	Bluetooth