Verdict
The Suunto Run 2 is one of the best mid-range smartwatches for sports lovers. It’s just a shame the significant price increase means it’s not an instinctive budget buy like the first Run.
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Good GPS and heart rate tracking performance
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Added full colour maps
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Smooth-running watch software
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More expensive than Suunto Run
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Training analysis presentation needs simplifying
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Drop in daily battery life performance
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Key Features
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Review Price:
£265
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Dual-band GPS
Improved outdoor tracking accuracy for runs in trickier environments.
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Offline maps
Free full-colour maps are available on both storage models.
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Brighter AMOLED screen
The 1.32-inch display now reaches 2,000 nits.
Introduction
The Suunto Run 2 is the update to Suunto’s most affordable smartwatch built for runners. Like the first Run, the Run 2 can also track activities beyond running and now adds features for those who care about tracking above everything else.
That includes a new version of Suunto’s dual-band GPS technology to promise improved outdoor tracking accuracy, along with a revamped heart rate sensor and the notable addition of free offline maps.
Suunto clearly has Garmin and Coros in its sights with the Run 2. With those new features coming at an added price though, the Run 2 is playing in very different pricing territory now. Was it the right move? I’ve been wearing it for a few weeks to find out.
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Design and screen
- Now comes in two storage models
- Added brighter AMOLED display
- Waterproof up to 50 metres
The first Suunto Run was designed to be a lightweight, compact watch, making it ideal for runners who prefer to steer clear of more hulking watches. For the Run 2, Suunto has opted against making sweeping changes, and I think that’s a good thing.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
You still have a 46mm polymer case matched up with a stainless steel bezel with three physical buttons positioned down one side of the case. Up front is a similarly sized 1.32-inch AMOLED touchscreen that hits a peak brightness of 2,000 nits. It’s not the brightest smartwatch screen to stare at, but it certainly felt punchy enough to stay glanceable in brighter sunlight.
Colours-wise, there are three options to pick from: all-black, feather gold or the aloe green version I tested. Those colours mainly apply to the watch strap, which remains a very easy one to remove. It’s a strap with a nice stretch to it, though I did find on occasion the clasp securing it in place had a habit of popping out from the strap.
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One change that has been made is the decision to offer the Run 2 in two storage versions. There’s now a 4GB model and a 64GB version. The designs remain the same across the two watches; it’s simply a case of paying a bit more to have more room for maps, music and mainly watch faces.
Performance and software
- Compatible with Android and iOS
- Revamped Suunto companion app
- Smooth-running software
Software both on and off the watch has been an issue for Suunto, particularly when compared to what’s on offer from other smartwatches like Garmin, Coros and Polar.
On the watch, there’s been a notable improvement in how smoothly the software runs. Suunto doesn’t disclose what’s powering performance, though whatever it is, it’s doing a much better job of addressing the lag present on previous-generation Suunto watches.
Navigating the watch software is pretty straightforward too. Swiping up from the main watch screen gets you to your widget stream. Swiping right from the same place gets you to the main sports tracking screen. The Suunto companion smartphone app seems to have been given a performance injection as well. It’s zippier to interact with, if still a bit too text-heavy in places.
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As a smartwatch, you can do things like check the weather, set timers, access a flashlight and use the media playback controls. You do have the ability to sync music via the Suunto app, though that doesn’t extend to support for third-party music streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music. You also need to drag and drop files from a computer, with no ability as yet to do that from the Suunto smartphone app. It was at least relatively zippy to drag audio files over and was able to pair headphones over Bluetooth from Apple and Anker without issue.
You do have a nice selection of watch faces to choose from, including the ability to create your own photo-based ones in the Suunto app. Something you won’t find is access to Suunto’s Plus app store. That access is reserved for its more expensive watches.
The result is a smartwatch that still feels like its non-tracking smarts are still playing catch-up. It’s not quite the best mix of sports and smartwatch features, but there’s plenty of positive signs that things are going in the right direction.
Tracking and features
- Refined 12-channel heart rate sensor
- New dual-band GPS sensor added
- Added full colour maps
As the name suggests, running is the key tracking mode for the Run 2. Along with dedicated modes for outdoor or treadmill runs, you’ll find dedicated race day modes to push out your estimated finish time and put the real-time metrics on screen that matter most.
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A Ghost Runner mode pits you against a virtual runner to add a more competitive element to those runs when you’re not training. There’s nothing necessarily groundbreaking in smartwatch terms, but it means you have more than enough modes and features to track your runs.
Where Suunto looks to make some gains is with accuracy. It’s added a newer version of its dual-band GPS sensor to improve tracking accuracy in challenging GPS signal environments like tall buildings or densely wooded off-road terrain. Along with the promised GPS improvements, Suunto has rejigged its optical heart rate sensor to offer more reliable wrist-based heart rate tracking. That sensor now sits on curved glass to deliver those accuracy gains.
Like the Suunto Run, I’ve been impressed with the dual-band GPS performance on the Run 2. Suunto’s dual-band technology is up there with the best, and it’s good to see it make the cut on one of its more affordable smartwatches. The optical heart rate sensor performed surprisingly well too, even at higher intensities where most optical sensors tend to falter.
Beyond running, I’ve tracked swims, walks, indoor rides and general gym work with it. The only problem I’ve encountered was tracking a swim where the distance tracking was massively off from two other swim trackers. Overall, it’s well equipped to keep tabs on other sports outside of running.
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Maps is a big addition to the Run 2. You can sync maps from the Suunto app to the watch; you just need to place the watch back on the charger and jump onto a Wi-Fi connection to do that. Once that’s done, you’ll have access to maps that are nicely detailed and usefully automatically jump into action on looped routes.
One area I think Suunto needs to do some work is with its training insights and training features. This is a watch that can track your training progress, recovery time, training load, among other things. While I found that what those insights were telling me was in line with similar insights from rival watches, I felt that the language and presentation could be a bit more approachable.
This extends to how they’re treated in the Suunto app, where you’ll also find Suunto’s new training plans you can follow. These plans are in beta and are AI-driven, covering running, triathlons and general fitness goals.
- Up to 10 days of battery life in smartwatch mode
- Improved GPS battery life on Suunto Run
- Up to 24 hours GPS battery life
Suunto says you’ve got more battery to play with than the first Run. That’s thanks to bumping up the battery capacity by 29%, though a look back at the Suunto Run battery stats and the Run 2 actually promises 2 days less in smartwatch mode.
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What I can say based on my experience is that the Run 2 does comfortably last over a week if you’re willing to forgo the now-brighter display staying on at all times. If you do keep it on, the battery drop is around 15-20%, which works out to about 4-5 days. Stick to the raise-to-wake display support, and the daily drop is closer to 10% on average.
When GPS is in play, there are some improvements in this department. In the most accurate GPS mode, battery has jumped from 20 hours to 24 hours. I’ve been mainly using this mode, and battery life drop for an hour’s use was typically 6-7%.
So it seems there are wins for GPS tracking battery life and a bit of a loss for day-to-day battery.
Charging is done via one of Suunto’s proprietary chargers, and it’s not the most rapid of chargers. It usually took me a couple of hours to get the battery back up to full from a fully flat watch.
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Should you buy it?
You want a pretty affordable, running-focused smartwatch with good all-round tracking performance
The Suunto Run 2 puts in a strong tracking performance above everything else, with its compact and comfortable design.
You want the best in smartwatch features and training analysis
Suunto still needs to improve the presentation of its most useful training insights, while its smartwatch features lack the polish of rival watches.
Final Thoughts
The Run 2 adds to Suunto’s fast-improving collection of sporty smartwatches. It’s just a shame that the price increase from the first Run means it’s no longer a watch that undercuts the competition. It doesn’t make it a bad watch, just one that’s a bit tougher to recommend over other watches.
To see how it compares to the competition, take a look at our selection of the best running watches.
How We Test
We thoroughly test every smartwatch we review. We use industry-standard testing to compare features properly, and we use the watch as our main device over the review period. We’ll always tell you what we find and we never, ever, accept money to review a product.
- Worn as our main smartwatch during the testing period
- Health data compared against other wearables
FAQs
Does the Suunto Run 2 have maps?
Yes, the Suunto Run 2 offers free offline maps on both 4GB and 64GB models.
Full Specs
Suunto Run 2 Review
Release Date
2026
UK RRP
£265
USA RRP
TBC