Thanks to a very generous offer from The Watch Company, I’ve been testing out the Suunto Ambit2 S for the past month or so. Over the years I’ve owned several Garmin GPS watches, but recently the eye-catching looks of the Suunto range have had me thinking it could be time for a change.
The model I received was a Graphite Suunto Ambit2 S – a super-sleek design with advanced features for running, biking, swimming and multisport events. At first glance, the S model appears similar to the more expensive Ambit2, but lacks both barometric pressure and temperature features. At 72g, the S is also slightly lighter than the Ambit2, with a battery life of approximately 25 hours using a 60 second recording interval, compared to 50 hours for the Ambit2.
Box contents were pretty minimal, with just a USB charging cable, comprehensive user manual and the watch itself. My particular unit did not contain a heart rate monitor strap, but there is a variant available if you’d like to go that route. For the record, the Ambit2 S is ANT+™ certified and paired easily with my existing Garmin heart rate strap. In fact, it should pair easily with any ANT+™ footpod, speed/cadence sensor, power meter etc. The 4-pin charging clip simply clamps onto the unit itself, and can be powered via a USB wall outlet or USB computer/laptop port. The manual is very comprehensive, but thankfully, pretty easy to follow.
So far, I’ve only used the run and bike features of the watch. After entering my weight and max heart rate, then setting up some of the available general options (time/date formats, tones and display), I was off on my first run. Despite being used to the intuitive Garmin devices, it was pretty straightforward to figure out how to kick things off on the Suunto too. Simply press the top right Start/Stop button, then select which activity you’ll be doing; which, in the case of my first workout was running.
Satellites were found quickly (literally just a couple of seconds), and using a combination of the Next and View buttons, there was a wealth of data available throughout the run – all of which is customizable if required. To pause a workout (i.e. when crossing the road, or waiting at traffic lights), simply press Start/Stop to trigger the pause. Simply press the same button to resume the run. Naturally, there’s a Lap button available where you can create markers/intervals that can be viewed post-workout. I haven’t used it, but you can also set up an AutoPause feature which detects when you’ve stopped running and will pause the watch automatically.
Post-run, it was time to upload the workout. First thing to do is download and install the Suunto Moveslink software from the Suunto Movescount web page. This acts as a device agent to upload data from your watch to the Movescount site, similar to the ANT Agent if you’re more familiar with Garmin products.
Once the software is installed and configured, connect your watch to your computer using the USB cable and the Moveslink agent will upload the data automatically. Once the data is uploaded, head over to movescount.com, which is Suunto’s free online site for viewing/analyzing your workouts. Again, I guess you can compare this to the Garmin Connect website. The initial setup may seem like a bit of hassle, but it’s a one time deal and doesn’t take long at all.
I really like the look of the Ambit2 S compared to my Garmin GPS – it’s definitely more watch-looking than the rectangular laptop-on-a-wrist 910XT. However, I wasn’t totally happy with how the Suunto felt on my wrist during a run. It’s probably more to do with the shape of my wrist than the weight of the watch or the design of the strap, but it was either too loose and moved around a bit, or too tight which caused slight discomfort on my knobby wrist bone. On a positive note, the display is very easy to read, and once I’d configured the unit to my own preferences, was straightforward to navigate.
Initially, I wasn’t too keen on having to connect the watch to my computer via a cable, but uploads have been straightforward and there haven’t been any annoying failed uploads like I seem to regularly experience with the Garmin ANT Agent. The clamp-action of the clip is sturdy too and there’s no danger of a bad connection when you’re charging the unit between workouts.
So, all in all, I’m pretty pleased with the Ambit2 S, and am looking forward to using it more during training and future races. The swim and multisport features also look great, plus there’s the maps, compass and navigation to explore as well. Regular retail price for the Ambit2 S without HR strap is $400, but if you’re interested, you’ll probably be able to pick one up a bit cheaper at one of the links below.
More info: for a really comprehensive review of both the Ambit2 and Ambit2 S, please visit the excellent DC Rainmaker web site. Make sure you have plenty of time on your hands though, as the quantity/quality of information in Ray’s post is staggering.
Other Links:
- Suunto Ambit2 S Product Page
- The Watch Company Ambit2 S Product Page
- DC Rainmaker Review
- Amazon.com Ambit2 S Product Page
I have suunto ambit 2 watch its too usefull and attractive however you have to charge it one time in 30 days ( if you use gps or chronometer or any other thing , you have to charge in same day ) at the result nice device when you carry its charger with it