Suunto Core Outdoor Sport Watch with Altimeter, Barometer and Compass

Product Information

But, with so many different outdoor watches out there on the market today, it can be difficult to know if the Suunto Core is really the watch for you. To help you out, we’ve put together this in-depth review of the Suunto Core based on over 3 years of experience using this watch in pretty much any condition you can imagine and on nearly every continent on Earth. In the end, you can decide if it’s the right watch for your needs. First Impressions Daily functions include dual time, date, alarm, sports chronograph and predicted times for sunrise and sunset Since none of the buttons on the Core are labeled, it took a bit of time to get used to how it all functioned. However, after a few days of practice, it became more or less second nature. Ultimately, the Core is one of the most simple and intuitive, yet functional outdoor watches on the market today. Accuracy When talking about the best tactical outdoor watches, Suunto is one of the first brands that come to mind. This Finland-based company has led the industry in designing and crafting robust outdoor smartwatches for years now. One sought-after Suunto watch that has made a special impression is the sleek and sturdy Suunto Core.

The Suunto Core is a very functional outdoor watch with plenty of great features. In reality, we use the vast majority of the features, with the exception of the compass. While the Core has a built-in digital compass, we have to say that this is our least used feature simply because we have little need for it. The Core has three alarms, which is the same as the Suunto Ambit2 and the Suunto Vector and less than both the Casio Pathfinder PAG240-1 and the Pathfinder PAG240T-7, which have five. Besides having less alarms, what we thought was the bigger deal was the Suunto alarms weren't very loud and we had to put the watch close to our head to make sure they woke us up. The Core has a stopwatch and a timer and during either of these functions, you can see the current time and whatever your stopwatch/timer is measuring. Altimeter and BarometerThe Core is one of few altimeter watches you can take snorkeling or shallow diving. It is waterproof enough to take down to 100 feet, though it will only accurately tell you your depth to 30 feet. While certainly not a "must have" feature, the Core has sunrise/sunset times. You can access this by selecting your location (or the nearest one out of 400 options compared with the Pathfinder's 48). As a result you can know sunset/sunrise times and set alarms. Thermometer However, if you take the watch off and wait a few minutes, it will give you a fairly accurate reading. We didn’t actually find this to be a problem because we generally just get dressed each day based on the weather outside, not what temperature our watch is telling us. Suunto Core gathers a range of accurate data and information you need when exploring the wilder parts of the world. This outdoor watch tells you when a blast is coming with the storm alarm, with this you can make the most accurate decision on your way. In addition, you have an altimeter, barometer, thermometer, digital compass and barometric trend indicator. The pressure sensor works in four modes. The Suunto Core has an automatic alti-baro mode that detects movements or absence of movements, and changes accordingly.

The watch features a digital display with LED illumination. The screen is fully waterproof up to 30 m, making it perfect for swimmers and snorkellers, and comes with a silicone strap. One downside of this watch is the display. Many users have described it as dark and difficult to read in bright sunlight. The Suunto Core comes with many other features that would be useful to an outdoor sports enthusiast. It has a compass, sunrise and sunset information, notifications of severe weather, temperature, and depth gauge. It also functions as a basic watch with alarm, date, stopwatch and countdown timer. More OptionsSimilar to its competition, the Core has a compass with adjustable declination. You can set it to help you record and follow compass bearings. In all the models we tested, if you are doing more serious off-trail travel we wouldn't bring this as your only compass, but it's fine for people who just need it for a general point of reference. Other cool features This Luminox Bear Grylls watch comes with functions including a countdown time zone, compass, walking speed calculator, and more. Driven by a RONDA 5021.D movement, this watch has a 50-month battery life and an impressive 200-metre depth rating, which far surpasses what the Suunto Core offers. Unlike both Pathfinder models and the Vector, the Core has the altimeter and barometer functions linked together. It measures elevation in three-foot or one-meter intervals compared with the Pathfinder 20 feet or 5 meters and the Vector's 10 feet or 3 meters. The altimeter/barometer feature is sweet. It calculates long-term pressure trends to give you a more accurate reading. For example, when you are ascending it gains with you as the barometric pressure changes at a rate far faster than the barometric pressure changes with the weather. Once you stop gaining elevation for a while (i.e. sleeping) it realizes that and sees any barometer pressure changes as what they are and not elevation gain. This is a pretty cool and fairly effective feature; it works sometimes but not always in our real world tests. It had the second most accurate altimeter only every so slightly behind the much more expensive Ambit2. If you are looking for a more high-end outdoor watch, then this Garmin MARQ Captain Modern Tool Ref. 010-02006-07 is the right one for you. This timepiece is designed as a modern all-rounder tool for individuals with active lifestyles. It comes with an altimeter, barometer, a three-axis electronic compass, a functional GPS for easy navigation, and even a regatta function for those who enjoy yachting. This Garmin watch comes in a 46mm lightweight titanium case, with a handsome blue ceramic bezel and a matching blue textile strap. However, despite its average case size, the Suunto Core is pretty darn light, tipping the scales at just 2.26oz (64g). Other outdoor watches that contain significantly more metal will weigh upwards of 3.15oz (90g). This might not sound a lot, but when you think about how often you move your arm during the day, every gram counts.

The only other accuracy issue that we found with the Core has to do with the watch’s temperature readings. If you wear the watch on your wrist like most people, the Core’s temperature readings will generally be much higher than they should be since the temperature sensor is on the underside of the casing. This Garmin MARQ watch is also equipped with an array of smart functions. These include a heart monitoring app, a hydration detection function, wireless connectivity to Bluetooth and Wifi, and ClimbPro, an app that gives you instant data on the climbs and gradients that await you on your route. All of these can be viewed on the watch’s colourful digital dial, which showcases legible numerals in red and blue hues along with blunt white hands for the time display. That being said, the Suunto Core’s barometer was incredibly accurate after two months of daily comparisons with a proper external barograph. Each day, the Core showed more or less the same pressure readings as the barograph, as well as the same pressure trends, so the problem lies in the elevation estimates, not the barometer itself. In the end, the Core has many of the same issues with accuracy as other barometer-based altimeters, but this is easily fixed with frequent calibration. If you thought that you couldn’t ask for more, this top SUUNTO Core Military watch proves you wrong. By keeping an eye on weather systems and local conditions, the Suunto Core keeps you ahead of the game. To allow detailed information on air pressure and therefore probable weather, the Suunto Core features an in-built barometer.The Suunto Core is a fully-featured altimeter watch that warrants a full, in-depth review. Here’s what we found when we tested it out over three years: Case Size, Shape, and Fit In the second case, a vertical movement will activate the altimeter while the prolonged permanence at a determined level of altitude will automatically switch the device to barometer mode. If you’re not used to wearing an outdoor watch, you’ll probably find that putting on the Suunto Core for the first time feels a bit weird. With a case size diameter of 1.93 inches (49.1mm), the Suunto is more or less the same size (give or take a few millimeters) of every other outdoor watch. For comparison, the Garmin Fenix 6 has a case size of 1.8 inches (47mm) while the Suunto 9 Baro has a case size of 2.03 inches (51.6mm).