Suunto Run Review: Value-Packed AMOLED for Runners

Suunto Run is an impressive entry-level AMOLED sports watch that offers great value for runners. It’s a solid option that undercuts other top running watches like the Garmin Forerunner 165 and Coros Pace Pro in its category.

While it doesn’t have all the premium features of the Suunto Race S and Suunto Race, like offline maps, the Suunto Run introduces some great new features, such as music storage and track run mode.

After testing it, I found the Suunto Run to be a reliable running partner. It offers accurate GPS tracking and in-depth training analysis. I think it’s a fantastic choice for both new and experienced runners looking for a budget-friendly option.

In this review, I’ll explain why I believe the Suunto Run is one of the best affordable running watches out there.

Suunto Run Watch Specifications

Category	Details
Dimensions	46 x 46 x 11.5 mm
Weight	36 g
Bezel Material	Stainless Steel
Glass Material	Gorilla Glass
Case Material	Glass Fiber Reinforced Polyamide
Strap Material	Textile (22 mm width)
Display	1.32″ AMOLED, 466 x 466 resolution
Touchscreen	Yes
Always-On Display	Yes, configurable
Water Resistance	50 meters
Battery Life	Up to 12 days (watch mode), 20h (dual-band GPS), up to 40h (power saving GPS)
Charging Type	Rechargeable Lithium-Ion
Connectivity	Bluetooth, Suunto App, Strava, TrainingPeaks
Smart Features	Notifications, Music Controls, Weather Widget, Alipay (China)
Sensors	Dual-Band GPS, Heart Rate Monitor, Blood Oxygen, Compass, Barometer
GNSS Systems	GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BEIDOU
Operating Temperature	-20°C to +55°C
Sport Modes	32+ Pre-installed, Customizable
Activity Tracking	Steps, Calories, Sleep (Deep, Light, REM), Stress & Recovery
Outdoor Features	Breadcrumb Navigation, POI, Heatmaps, Route Planning
Swimming Metrics	Pool & Open Water Distance, SWOLF, Stroke Count
Running Features	Pace, Power, Ghost Runner, FusedSpeed™
Cycling Features	Speed, Power, Interval Guidance
Multisport Support	Yes, Change Sport During Exercise
In the Box	Suunto Run Watch, Charging Cable, User Guide

Suunto Run Watch Price and Availability

Suunto Run Watch launched on 13 May 2025 and is priced at $249 in the U.S. and £199 in the U.K. This makes it $100 cheaper than the Suunto Race S and more affordable than other top entry-level AMOLED running watches, like the Garmin Forerunner 165 and Coros Pace Pro.

Suunto Run Watch Design

The Suunto Run comes in four colors: bright red, black, light grey, and the lime yellow-green one I tested. It’s thin and lightweight, with a comfortable nylon strap that makes it easy to wear all day. You can also swap the strap for any 22mm band.

The watch isn’t all plastic like many budget options; it has a steel bezel, which makes it feel more premium. It’s also waterproof to 50m, which is great for swimmers.

The 1.32-inch AMOLED touchscreen is easy to read, even in bright sunlight. While it’s not as bright as the screens on the Suunto Race or Suunto Race S, it’s still clear enough.

Inside, it has an altimeter, pulse oximeter, and the same GPS chipset as the more expensive models, offering dual-band tracking for better accuracy. There’s also a new heart rate sensor for more precise readings.

You can connect to heart rate sensors, foot pods, and headphones via Bluetooth. However, you can’t connect cycling power meters, which are available on the more expensive watches.

The 4GB of storage lets you store a small amount of music, but it’s less than the other models because it doesn’t have offline maps like the Suunto Race or Suunto Race S.

Suunto Run Watch Sports Tracking and Training performance

The Suunto Run has 34 sports modes, including swimming and a new track run mode. This mode tracks distance and pace better than normal GPS, which I use a lot on Garmin and Apple watches. I’m happy Suunto added it here.

You can also make your own sports modes and easily change what data you see during workouts using the Suunto app. The app lets you create interval workouts too, but advanced features like SuuntoPlus apps are missing on this watch. I think this is fine because the Suunto Run is meant to be simple, and I don’t use those apps much anyway.

After workouts, you get a lot of training data on the watch and in the app. It shows colorful charts and stats like training load to help you track progress. But if you’re new to this, it might take some time to understand all the graphs and terms.

Suunto Run Watch GPS and Heart Rate Accuracy Performance

The GPS accuracy on the Suunto Run has been really good in my runs. I compared it with my Garmin Fenix 8 and found no big differences. The GPS tracks were almost perfect.

For heart rate, the Suunto Run is better than older Suunto models. I tested it with a chest strap and found it accurate during bike rides, gym, and yoga. On some runs, it gave slightly high readings, but it improved after a few tries.

If you want the best heart rate accuracy, I’d still suggest using a chest strap. That’s what I usually do with any sports watch.

Suunto Run Watch Activity and Sleep Tracking Performance

Besides sports tracking, the Suunto Run also keeps track of your daily activity. It records your steps, active calories burned, and even reminds you if you’ve been sitting for more than two hours.

However, I noticed that the step counts on the Suunto Run were often lower than other watches I’ve tested. This seems to be common with Suunto watches. It might be due to how the watch counts steps, but if you’re someone who likes to hit a daily step goal, this could be a little frustrating.

For sleep tracking, my experience was mixed. Sometimes it showed that I only slept 3-4 hours, even when I had a proper 7-8 hour sleep. It also often showed my whole sleep as just light sleep, with no deep or REM stages.

To be fair, I was traveling to Japan during my testing, which messed up my sleep schedule. So, I didn’t get as much accurate sleep data as I wanted.

Suunto Run Watch Smart Features

The Suunto Run is the first Suunto watch with music storage. You can add MP3 songs by connecting it to your computer. After that, you can make playlists in the Suunto app.

But honestly, adding music was a bit tricky for me. My laptop didn’t detect the watch at first. It took a few tries and some time to move songs. It’s not as easy as Spotify on Garmin watches.

Still, if you already have MP3 files, you can enjoy music or podcasts without your phone.

The watch also shows notifications, weather updates, and in China, you can pay with Alipay.

It doesn’t have offline maps like the Suunto Race models, but you do get simple breadcrumb navigation to follow your route.

Suunto Run Watch Battery Life

Suunto says the Suunto Run can last up to 12 days in normal watch mode. For GPS tracking, you get around 20 hours in the most accurate dual-band GPS mode.

But if you keep the always-on display, you’ll need to charge it more often. For me, with daily runs and the screen always on, the battery lasted about 3 to 4 days.

That’s still good for a small watch with an AMOLED screen. You can make it last longer by turning off always-on and using raise-to-wake instead.

However, brands like Coros give you better battery life. For example, the Coros Pace Pro lasts 5 to 6 days with always-on display.

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Pros and Cons of Suunto Run

Pros	Cons
✅ Good price ($249), cheaper than Garmin and Coros	❌ No offline maps
✅ Bright AMOLED screen, easy to read	❌ Music storage is hard to set up
✅ Light and comfortable to wear	❌ Step counting is not very accurate
✅ Strong GPS accuracy with dual-band tracking	❌ Sleep tracking is not always correct
✅ Good heart rate accuracy	❌ Battery lasts 3-4 days with always-on display
✅ Has many sports modes, including track run	❌ No cycling power meter support
✅ Simple and easy to use for beginners	❌ Fewer smart features than Garmin
✅ Nice design with steel bezel	❌ Limited music storage (4GB)

Conclusion

Suunto Run is a good running watch at a great price. It has all the main features runners need. It’s perfect for beginners but also works well for long-distance runners like me.

Other watches like the Garmin Forerunner 165 cost more ($299) and have better smart features. The Coros Pace Pro is even more expensive at $349. Suunto Run is cheaper at $249 and still offers great features like dual-band GPS and detailed training data.

If you want a good sports watch for less money, the Suunto Run is a smart choice.

Suunto now has watches for every level:

• Vertical and Race for pro athletes
• Race S for mid-range
• Run for best value

In my opinion, the Suunto Run is best budget sports watch available.