Suunto Vertical vs Garmin Fenix 7

jakubdr

Yesterday I received my Suunto Vertical after switching from Fenix 7. So just wanted to add my 2 cents and first impressions (will be slowly expanding the thread) for people deciding between the two (A bit of my background: sports watch enthusiast, started with Apple Watch, then Forerunners, Fenixes (5-6), again Apple Watch, Suunto 9 Peak in between, back to Garmin (F7) and now Suunto Vertical, my main sport: trail running, so can’t compare any other sport capabilities).

Look and Feel

Suunto has much more premium feel than F7. The pictures do not do it justice and it caught me by surprise (the F7 itself has nice and durable look and feel).
On the wrist Suunto disappears and is more comfortable than F7 despite being slightly larger (49 mm vs 47 mm). The size difference is negligible and thanks to the clean design, Suunto feels smaller than it actually is. The size is a sweet spot for me (e.g. F7x is huge for my wrist). The sillicon strap is more comfortable on Suunto despite the fact that is was new and F7 was broken in.
Suunto looks more like a daily watch as well. I will not be afraid to carry it to my upcoming wedding

Training Features
Disclaimer: Garmins training features never worked for my type of training (lots of easy miles, sometimes fast). Tested this also previously on S9P, as on Verticals I don’t have enough history yet.

Love the Suunto’s approach here. It doesn’t try to tell me how I am feeling or how I am supposed to feel. What it does it that it gives me an input:

How I ran this route compared to previous runs: compare HR and pace. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANT TO SEE. Is my HR lower than before at the same or different pace? By how much? For this I had to use Google Sheets with Garmin.
Quickly see the most important data (do the watch think I am overtraining? Inform me but consider me an adult, don’t scream at me that my readiness is low and that I am apparently dead just because you don’t take into the account enough of previous history or because you incorrectly tracked sleep). I think the Suunto Coach is doing much better job here - I can take it into the consideration but also it is not the first thing I see when I launch the app, which is a good thing compared to Garmin, where one thing missing for them to add is an alarm screaming that I am unproductive and dead

Watch UI

Here I have to give an overall edge to F7. The interface is smooth, clean (did not used to be) and I can quickly glance on widgets. On Suunto Vertical the widgets are sometimes laggy (as I understand fix is coming), but F7 also gives me a nice haptic feedback when scrolling on the touch screen.
Suunto’s interface is however more simple and intuitive and easier to navigate.

Mobile app

No contest here. Garmin’s app is not even close. Just try to create a route on Garmin’s app vs Suunto’s. I also prefer the structure of information on Suunto’s app. Garmin’s app is trying to be a health report on the main page in a world where majority of the collected data is fuzzy at best. And I am not even mentioning the design. Garmin’s app is outdated.

So in summary of my first impressions - I am very happy with the switch. Loving the philosophy of Suunto and the dedication they have. If they keep the current pace, they can really disturb the space (like Coros did in the beginning). And finally the HW matches the top end HW of the competitors (sometimes surpasses it). There are still some bugs and kinks to iron out but overall I love where Suunto is and excited for the future.

ChrisA

@jakubdr great review. Completely agree on the training assessment. While it may be great for some, if it works, it never did for me (as for you, it tracked my sleep wrong and therefore my training readiness was always low. And while there is a web app, the data displayed is very poor. If you want to compare your pace over the last months you get 6 dots in a diagram, one for each month, which actually doesn’t tell you anything

isazi

@jakubdr congrats for the upcoming wedding!

jakubdr

@isazi said in Suunto Vertical vs Garmin Fenix 7:

@jakubdr congrats for the upcoming wedding!

Thank you! Strategically mentioned that the Vertical is also a design piece to match my wedding suit, when asking for purchase approval

Brad_Olwin

@jakubdr I had an Epix 2 for 8 or nine months and I had exactly the same issues with Training Features and the Mobile App. I never was able to load a course for a 100 mile race without it being truncated.

Well said!

pilleus

I know people who are happy with their Apple watch, Amazfit watch, WearOS watch, Huawei watch, Casio watch, Polar watch, Coros watch, Garmin watch or an old Spartan Ultra.

So the best watch is the one a person will use for a certain purpose and which will meet the requirements of the person and last but not least which has the style a person prefers.

Enjoy your watches!

gone troppo

I haven’t tested the vertical yet it’s on its way however I do agree with the original poster 100% and I hope suunto reads this and keeps doing things the way they are without trying to be Garmin. That’s why we all use suunto right ?

Brad_Olwin

@gone-troppo Agreed!

PENNACNP

@jakubdr Excellent comparison! I have used both Garmin and Suunto platforms and enjoy aspects of both. That said, I wholeheartedly agree with @gone-troppo that both companies have a unique identity which they should promote.

I am a relative amateur, compared to the likes of @Brad_Olwin and others, so I very much appreciate the way the data is cleanly presented in both the Suunto Vertical and in the Suunto App. It is meaningful, logical, and points my novice self in a direction to see gains and improvements. Additionally, the data seems easier to crosswalk between the Suunto App and TrainingPeaks.

All in all, I too am impressed and excited about the direction in which Suunto is headed.

Happy trails!

sjusko

@jakubdr Can you compare the quality of the optical heart rate sensor compared to the Garmin? In the tests we’ve read so far, the sensor in the Suunto Vertical wasn’t very good.

Jole13

@sjusko I had a Garmin previously and find the OHR during runs very similar.

dulko79

@sjusko ohr performance depends on the person, for some is great, for some is disaster. You should have tested it for yourself.

ChrisA

@sjusko I can’t compare to an actual Fenix, but I have an Instinct 2 with the same sensor like the Fenix and they‘re very close and good in showing actual HR in running for me, but the Vertical does not work as good while cycling, where it tends to show too low HR values in general for me. This may be due to the higher weight and bigger size?

sjusko

I’ll get the new Vertical tomorrow, and I’ll test it on a 5-day trek in the mountains next week, where I’ll do a comparison with the Garmin Instinct with chest strap.

Egika

@ChrisA said in Suunto Vertical vs Garmin Fenix 7:

@sjusko I can’t compare to an actual Fenix, but I have an Instinct 2 with the same sensor like the Fenix and they‘re very close and good in showing actual HR in running for me, but the Vertical does not work as good while cycling, where it tends to show too low HR values in general for me. This may be due to the higher weight and bigger size?

I found I need to tighten the strap of the Vertical a little more that I used to with the S9PP, for proper wrist heart rate.

jakubdr

@sjusko Based on my observations so far (sold the F7, so can’t do a head to head test):

F7 reacts quickly to the HR changes (e.g. running uphill)
F7 catches cadence instead of HR unexpectedly (e.g. when running on flat), while Vertical sometimes catches cadence when running downhill (makes more sense to me due to more bounce)

Overall impressions from HR when compared to my feeling (non scientific method as HR can be influenced by many other factors): Vertical tends to be on the lower side then what I expect based on my feeling and then catches on and climbs higher more in line with my feeling, F7 is sometimes on the higher side of high I am feeling and then drops to a more sensible values).

I would say F7 was better until recently when it failed me the last couple of runs, Vertical was terrible during the first run but got better and during my last race seemed to be on par with my feeling.

But to be honest I just purchased a (Suunto) chest strap because the OHR for my body seems to be affected a lot by outside conditions (e.g. too hot or too cold = OHR is unreliable). Also I seemed to have breakthrough in training, so I am not sure, if I am not accusing Vertical from low HR unfairly, while it was my body adaptations to training.

So my conclusion is: I am going to use chest strap for correct HR tracking no matter if I still had F7 or Vertical, to be sure

ChrisA

@Egika ah thanks, will try that next ride. I just used it for casual rides and commuting. For more training oriented rides I will use a H10 chest strap anyways

craigeggleton

@jakubdr Agree with all of your points and very similar journey with you as far as owning most of the same watches you have over the years. Vertical is the first Suunto product I have purchased after many years of being a fan of their design but the hardware always held me back from pulling the trigger. I’d like to see Suunto continue to tweak the user interface on the watch as it is a area Garmin has really done well over the last few years. For example structured workouts from training peaks is seamless on the Garmin. They work well on the vertical but I have to stare at the watch for a few seconds to read the next step of the workout. Also the gauges that show pace or power need more vibrant colors they seem a little washed out. Some folks have had issues with OHR on the vertical. What I have found after testing for a week is the type strap used makes a world of difference. The new silicone 2 straps work flawlessly. When I use an older silicone strap the fit does not feel as good and I have noticed HR spikes and drops. Overall I feel the Vertical will only continue to improve over time. Lastly the look and build of this Watch are top notch.

sky-runner

As a current Fenix 7X owner and a former owner of 3 Suunto watches (Ambit, Ambit3 Peak, 9 Baro) I consider switching to Vertical. Fenix has a lot of smaller bugs in areas that are not critical and getting Garmin’s attention to those issues seems difficult. Well, their support is usually good with opening the case when I bring their attention to an issue, but then nothing happens for months or even years even when the bugs are obvious. Having said that, when it comes to the core features, Fenix reliability is rock solid. I’ve never had Fenix 6X or 7X lose a single run or glitch in a significant way in 3 and half years of use and almost daily runs. Having direct access to the watch storage is a definite plus too - something that Suunto doesn’t provide.

What I’d gain with Vertical:

More battery life with dual-band GPS. Although Fenix 7X battery life is already pretty good. But having a guaranteed 60 hours with dual-band would be nice.
Potentially better distance and pace accuracy, although I still have yet to see any side-by-side comparisons. Fenix 7X accuracy with dual-band GPS is already very good.
Better map readability. All the screenshots I’ve seen look impressive. In contrast, Garmin’s maps are not optimized for faster paced activities like trail running.
More responsive map, especially with the orientation
Adaptive backlight, which would be a good thing when running in a forest during those winter months
Potentially better tracking of routes and Strava segments, but again I have yet to see any side-by-side comparisons

What I’d lose if I switch to Vertical:

Climb Pro. I use this feature extensively and often stay on the Climb Pro screen for extended periods of time
Up Ahead. Garmin’s implementation is useful and helpful. Basically Up Ahead is a screen that shows up to 4 upcoming course points (waypoints) with their names and the remaining distance. I use that often during races to see upcoming aid stations. While it is possible to track distance to the next aid station with a Suunto watch, I particularly dislike the way Suunto implemented that. Suunto requires me to add a data field on one of the data screens, but that field is always there regardless of whether navigation is used or not. Furthermore, I am not even sure if it is possible to have a field that shows the name of the upcoming waypoint.
On device routing. I don’t use that often, but once in a while I like to be able to route the shortest path back to the car. It is a nice feature to have.
5 physical buttons. More buttons improve usability and allow to have various button shortcuts, including user assignable ones. I think Suunto 3 button design limits the UI usability. For example, I kind of like to be able to switch data screens in both directions. I tend to have the map screen next to my main data screen so I can quickly switch between them without having to scroll through all data screens.
Better customization. Not many people understand it, but Garmin has developed a very flexible customization of settings where many settings can be set at the system level and be overridden at the activity/sport level. This way every activity profile can be tweaked in a very precise way - almost every imaginable setting, including everything that is related to the power consumption. Also, one thing that is great about Garmin watches is that every setting, even the data field layout can be changed during an activity without interrupting it.

JonnyKarate

@sky-runner Coming from a Tactix 7, I agree with you on all fronts. I knew switching to the Suunto Vertical I would lose a few things, but hopefully we see improvement over time. I agree with you on the 3 vs 5 button configuration, but the hardware can’t be changed at this point. I really hope that Suunto adds some functionality and customization to the buttons, such as double pressing or long presses for shortcuts, etc. And speaking of customization, that’s one area I feel we’re seriously lacking on. I don’t need to customize every little thing on my Vertical, but honestly, more options would be a welcome change. Maybe I just need to get used to it, I don’t know…

I will say that I vastly prefer the look and feel of this watch over my Tactix 7. That feels like a clunky tacti-cool watch compared to the Vertical. I think the size, feel, and aesthetics are perfect, so kudos to Suunto!