Looking for a sleek GPS sports watch with great battery life, detailed maps, and an AMOLED screen that really pops? Meet the Suunto Race Stainless Steel – a powerful, mid-priced GPS watch that delivers premium features without the premium price tag, amazing value for money. Available now from Outdoor GPS Shop, it’s one of the best-value watches in its class.
Let’s dive into what makes the Suunto Race such a strong contender.
Bright AMOLED Display, Built to Perform
The 49mm Suunto Race Stainless Steel boasts a vibrant 1000-nit AMOLED screen that’s crisp, bright, and easy to read in any condition – whether you’re on a shaded woodland trail or out in blazing sun. It automatically adjusts brightness when you raise your wrist, and while there’s a slight delay, it’s more than responsive enough for running or cycling.
The screen doesn’t support double-tap wake or touchscreen input during activities, but that’s a conscious decision to avoid accidental taps. Navigation and scrolling are handled through Suunto’s digital crown, and it works smoothly—even with gloves on.
A True Multi-Sport Watch with Top-Tier Mapping
With 95+ sport profiles, the Suunto Race Stainless Steel covers everything from trail running and hiking to circuit training and cycling. GPS accuracy is top-tier, thanks to dual-frequency GNSS, making it great for runs in dense woods or tight valley trails. Unlike older GPS watches that wobble near water or trees, this one holds strong.
Where the Suunto Race Stainless Steel truly shines is mapping. Once you’ve downloaded offline maps via the app (a slightly slow process, we’ll admit), the maps look stunning on the AMOLED display. Routes can be added via Suunto's app or imported from Strava/Komoot, complete with turn-by-turn navigation. Zooming and panning is a breeze using the digital crown.
Excellent Battery Life
The Suunto Race Stainless Steel delivers standout performance in the power department:
- Up to 40 hours in performance GPS mode
- Even more in lower-power modes
- Easily a full week of use with average daily training
- Fast charging via USB – 20 minutes gets you roughly 22% battery
That’s much better than similarly priced AMOLED watches like the Garmin Forerunner 265, which only gives you around 16 hours GPS time.
And while it doesn’t have solar charging, that’s no great loss – the battery life here is already excellent.
Comfortable All-Day Wear
Despite its size, the Suunto Race Stainless Steel is still lightweight, with not alot of wait difference between this and the Titanium version and sits comfortably on the wrist all day. The quick-release strap is breathable, skin-friendly, and easy to swap out for a more colourful or premium option. It’s stylish enough to wear from trail to town.
HR Accuracy – Use a Strap for the Best Results
The optical heart rate sensor on the Suunto Race Stainless Steel is fine for light training, but results vary during intense efforts. In side-by-side tests with a chest strap, readings were often under-reported—especially during intervals or hill climbs.
Suunto allows Bluetooth HR strap pairing, and for best accuracy (and reliable data for recovery, sleep, and HRV metrics), we recommend using an external HR monitor.
Daily Wellness and Recovery Tracking
Sleep tracking, heart rate variability, training load, and recovery stats are all built in. Once the watch has gathered 2 weeks of data, Suunto’s metrics start to shine. The Suunto Coach feature offers daily feedback and helps you balance training stress with recovery.
The app tracks sleep phases, HRV, and even your post-ride naps (yes, really). If you're someone who trains hard, this insight can be game-changing—especially when trying to avoid overtraining or burnout.
Clean, User-Friendly App
The Suunto App is beautifully designed, intuitive, and packed with insights. It feels less cluttered than Garmin Connect and integrates nicely with TrainingPeaks-style metrics like TSS and HR zones.
One catch: if you use another brand’s head unit (like Garmin Edge), syncing across ecosystems can be a bit awkward.
Limitations to Consider
There are a few features that Suunto Race Stainless Steel does not include:
- No music storage or streaming
- No contactless payments
- No HR broadcast to apps like Zwift
- No climb-specific feature like Garmin’s ClimbPro
While these may not matter to everyone, it's worth noting if those are must-haves for you.
Value and Verdict
At just over £300 (stainless steel version) the Suunto Race offers remarkable value for money. With mapping, AMOLED display, strong GPS, and long battery life, it's competing with watches that cost £500 or more.
For runners, cyclists, hikers, and multi-sport athletes looking for premium features without the premium price, the Suunto Race Stainless Steel is a top pick—and you can order it today from Outdoor GPS Shop, where we keep everything in stock for next working day delivery.
Buy your Suunto Race Stainless Steel now from Outdoor GPS Shop – the UK's trusted online GPS specialist for best prices and fast dispatch.
Suunto Race (Stainless steel) - more here
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