Looking to move to Vertical from Garmin

mpovolo

Hi. Hoping you can help with your experience. I have always had Garnin Fenix devices. 5, 6x, 7, 7x. While the MIPs display was ok, on my last device the 7x I found it a bit tough to read with my 49 year old eyes with glasses. So I moved to the Epix Pro 2. Display is yes very nice but I really would like to move to Suunto and have been debating for weeks on the vertical or Race. My heart says vertical but is based on a hope that from what I read its display is far better than the Fenix MIPS display.
Is the vertical display much easier to read than that of a Fenix?
Is the flash light mode on the vertical actually useable?
I actually like the LED flash light of the epix pro.
Many thanks.

iterumtenta

@mpovolo The display is better than the Enduro 2. The flashlight is useful, though not quite like Garmin’s LED, but it’s enough for me. Garmin feels like a bulky Inspector Gadget watch, while Suunto is more of a sports watch. Suunto lets you focus on what matters to you without making you a part of a data-driven guilt trip like Garmin does.

Brad_Olwin

@mpovolo Determine whether you want a MIP display or AMOLED. I have both the Vertical and Race. Maps on the Race are superior due to the display. The issue you might want to focus on is battery life. Suunto Race is 50h dual band with maps enabled; I get this estimate using maps and on the map page occasionally. Vertical is 90h battery life. In very bright sunlight (I am in Colorado) the Vertical display is better. Unless you are directly in the Sun the Race display is better. Both are very readable.
And if you are interested ZoneSense is and will continue to be a game changer.

Ze Stuart

@iterumtenta said in Looking to move to Vertical from Garmin:

@mpovolo Suunto lets you focus on what matters to you without making you a part of a data-driven guilt trip like Garmin does.

This made me laugh: my partner stopped using Garmin after describing it as a bully.

The only things I really miss from Garmin are the torch, and sensor management.

Tami999

Iam 30 yo with glasses, and i finds out vertical very readable. I got brightness on lowest settings + low light when move wrist. Amoled may be much better for sure, but so far, i finds out Vertical MIP very good, enough that I dont need to change it for a few years. Battery is insane, with 1h/day it lasts like 20-25 days. For compare, i used 9 Peak Pro and it was a bit worse.

wakarimasen

@Tami999 said in Looking to move to Vertical from Garmin:

Iam 30 yo with glasses, and i finds out vertical very readable. I got brightness on lowest settings + low light when move wrist. Amoled may be much better for sure, but so far, i finds out Vertical MIP very good, enough that I dont need to change it for a few years. Battery is insane, with 1h/day it lasts like 20-25 days. For compare, i used 9 Peak Pro and it was a bit worse.

How does the text size of the Race compare with that of the 9PP? I have the 9PP but would welcome a larger screen and find it hard to choose between the Vertical and the Race.

Tami999

@wakarimasen Sadly dont have Race, only seen in store. But screen size is same as Vertical if im not wrong. Race got crown + amoled, Vertical got better battery + MIP. Also I never had Garmin before, but when I was buying Vertical I saw many reviews its have much better MIP than Garmins. Iam happy so far with Vertical, got since late of 2023.

Brad_Olwin

@wakarimasen @Tami999 The Race screen is slightly larger than the Vertical and much higher resolution, pretty easy to read with my 67y old eyes.

wakarimasen

@Brad_Olwin any chance of a side by side picture of the running or zonesense screens Brad? I’m struggling a bit with clarity using the 9PP

Tami999

@Brad_Olwin Okay. I thought screen is same size and Vertical is a little more bit fat from what i remember :P. Even if i take off glasses, MIP of Vertical is perfect for me. Rarely I cant read anything on this watch. Its good both in dark and sun