This Smartwatch Gets 3 Times The Battery Life Of My Garmin - But There's More

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Suunto Vertical 2 is disposable now for $599, aliases $699 pinch titanium casing.
• Besides nan vivid 1.5-inch AMOLED display, it has a very agelong artillery life and sports an LED flashlight.
• The watch is only disposable successful 1 48.6 mm diameter size, nan flashlight controls are limited, and securing nan pin connected nan set tin beryllium tough.

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Many of nan precocious sports watches I trial look to beryllium going much toward nan "smart assistant" route, pinch hands-free communication, costs solutions. But others are doubling down connected wellness and fittingness tracking, for illustration Polar and Suunto, 2 brands that person made immoderate of my favourite smartwatches I've tested successful nan past 2 years.

The caller Suunto Vertical 2 is 1 of them -- building upon nan features of nan Race 2 pinch an integrated LED flashlight, vibrant AMOLED touchscreen display, and improved artillery life. 

Also: I tested nan champion sports watches successful 2025: Here are nan latest and top watches, nary matter your budget

Earlier this twelvemonth I had nan opportunity to trial nan Suunto Race 2 and recovered it to beryllium 1 of nan champion sports watches disposable today. For $100 more, nan caller Suunto Vertical 2 provides a much rugged build and immoderate further improvements. In summation to nan other cost, nan Vertical 2 measures successful astatine 1 mm thicker than nan Race 2 while maintaining nan aforesaid 86 gram weight for nan stainless alloy model.

One creation quality I'm not a large instrumentality of is nan move of nan halfway correct button's rotating dial to a button. I enjoyed scrolling done my information pinch nan dial connected nan Race 2, and pinch nan caller fastener connected nan Vertical 2 I recovered myself swiping up and down nan touchscreen much often. 

When you are successful nan mediate of an activity, swiping connected nan show whitethorn beryllium easier than spinning a mini dial, truthful it's only a insignificant annoyance, but still basal to mention. 

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Ever since Garmin launched a sports watch pinch an LED flashlight, I've worn a Garmin connected 1 wrist conscionable astir each day. I find myself utilizing nan LED flashlight almost regular for a assortment of purposes, and it has go a must person characteristic for my watches. 

We saw Amazfit motorboat nan T-Rex 3 Pro pinch a LED flashlight, and now Suunto joins nan party. Unfortunately, Suunto needs to do a spot much activity connected nan utility, since activating nan LED flashlight results successful a default brightness of 50%. 

Also: Amazfit conscionable sewage nan 1 Garmin characteristic I usage each time - and now I'm conflicted

Screen swipes aliases fastener presses are needed to move nan flashlight from 50% to 75%, 100%, 25%, reddish light, SOS mode, breathing achromatic light, aliases reddish alert light. There are nary options to group a default ray mode and nary measurement to alteration definite modes for various workouts, specified arsenic breathing achromatic ray mode erstwhile moving to thief make others alert of your beingness arsenic you run. Given that nan hardware and basal functions are conscionable fine, a elemental package update would spell acold to amended nan feature. 

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

It's not clear to maine what artillery magic Suunto is performing, but moreover pinch nan always-on show and nan highest location search accuracy, nan Vertical 2 should past for up to 65 hours. For comparison, nan likewise sized 47mm Garmin Fenix 8 Pro pinch nan aforesaid level of location search accuracy and ever connected show has a reported artillery life of conscionable 23 hours. 

The Fenix 8 Pro offers rather a spot much connectivity and is besides priced doubly arsenic overmuch arsenic nan Suunto Vertical 2. Thus, if you are looking for a sports watch pinch an AMOLED show and agelong artillery life nan Vertical 2 is cleanable for you.

Also: One of nan astir underrated smartwatches I've tested conscionable group a 55-hour artillery life record

Suunto knowledgeable questionable bosom complaint accuracy successful nan past, but that was fixed pinch nan latest sensor successful nan Race 2 and thankfully that aforesaid sensor is successful nan Vertical 2. Heart complaint accuracy has proven to lucifer intimately pinch my limb and thorax mounted sensors, and nan Vertical 2 additionally supports connections to those outer sensors if you for illustration to usage them instead. 

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

The exemplary I was sent for testing includes nan Pine Green watch band, seen above. I for illustration nan colour of nan band, but recognize it's astir apt not for everybody. Also, nan pin that you insert into nan opening connected nan buckle is reliable to insert, and I didn't bask pushing truthful difficult down into nan underside of my wrist to unafraid nan strap. 

Instead, I purchased a Suunto cloth set since I find those types of bands overmuch much comfortable to deterioration astatine nighttime while search slumber and while moving out.

Also: Best humor unit watches: I tested nan apical models that really work

The Suunto Vertical 2 supports nan SuuntoPlus app store, but nan mostly of apps are utilities for different sports, watch faces, and partner collections alternatively than apps for illustration you spot connected Garmin, Apple, aliases Google smartwatches. It besides supports basal smartphone notifications and if you person a connected Android, you tin reply to messages.

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

One point to statement during my information play is that location is an rumor pinch nan Suunto smartwatch app connecting to nan Suunto Vertical 2 connected nan caller iPhone 17 models. Suunto has a announcement that it is moving to resoluteness nan issue, but I simply utilized my Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 to trial nan Vertical 2 for this reappraisal and that was a seamless experience. 

ZDNET's buying advice

Based connected my years of utilizing nan LED flashlight connected Garmin watches, it's a no-brainer for maine to salary nan other $100 to get nan flashlight connected nan Vertical 2. I utilized it regular during my reappraisal contempt nan activity needed to make nan flashlight inferior much businesslike for regular usage. 

The artillery life is besides outstanding, and fixed really agelong nan watch keeps going, it's 1 of nan fewer pinch an AMOLED show I'm comfortable enabling nan always-on display. Suunto continues to impressment and successful summation to awesome hardware, offers a awesome app pinch tons of coaching, guidance, and elaborate search to fulfill those focused connected improving their performance.