Review: Suunto 5 GPS Sports Watch

XTERRA represents the intersection of adventure and opportunity. It’s the opportunity to test yourself against your competitors, Mother Nature, and yourself. And it’s the adventure of the unknown, of the elements, and of the challenge that lies before you.

Sometimes, you need a sophisticated tool with a barometer, an all-day-long battery, and a GPS to track your switchbacks. If this is the case, you need the Suunto 9.

But sometimes, all you need is a simple, yet refined watch to track your workouts, chart your recovery, and have a battery life you don’t need to worry about on your long rides and runs. That’s where the Suunto 5 comes in.

Its intelligent battery, 24/7 tracking, GPS navigation, and adaptive training guidance mean that you are getting a virtual coach on your wrist. Its long battery life and multiple sport features make it easy to track your workouts. Because the watch also tracks energy output and sleep, you can be sure to cover all the bases of your training plan. You can log your workouts and not worry about writing down your heartrate, calories torched, or miles burned – the Suunto 5 has your back. Additionally, you can store your route and rest assured that it will be there – with breadcrumbs – the next time you are out for your run or ride. Just as easily, you can chart your recovery, from deep sleep to rest, and correlate how you feel with the quality of your downtime.

"The Suunto is the watch you want for long battery life,” said Jessica Smith. “Before I get to my workout, I have to make take care of my family and attend to my day job. The last thing I want is for my watch to wear out before I do. That’s why I got the Suunto 5.”

The Suunto 5 has the sophistication to track your fitness level and adapt to your training – just like you. With over 80 customizable sports modes, you can get the relevant statistics you need to plan your next workout, your next race, or the next item to cross off your bucket list.

Because the Suunto 5 connects directly to the Suunto app, you can use your phone to explore new heatmap tracks, plot your next running route, find the most popular trails to run …. or find the trails with the fewest people on them. It’s totally up to you.

“What I love about the Suunto 5 is that it’s completely functional without being too complicated to be able to use,” said Smith. “I can go to spin class, yoga, out for a ride, and meet a group for a trail run, and all I have to do is push that top right button until I find the right sport. It’s so easy. And, I get to track my sleep, my heartrate, pace, stride length, and calories burned. I don’t know what else I would need, to be honest.”

Suunto knows that XTERRA athletes often want to go off the beaten path. With the Suunto 5, you can head off to the unknown and rest assured that you will find your way home again. Not only that, but in addition to wayfinding, the Suunto 5 will record your heart rate, calories burned, altitude climbed, and miles covered.

We know that Suunto is just a watch. But sometimes, it feels just like a training partner.