The Suunto Vertical 2 is a fitness tracker that’s going to please a lot of Suunto’s loyal fans. It’s also going to pull in some new ones, especially those that can’t stomach the cost of an alternative, like Garmin’s Fenix 8 Pro.
Those fans feared the worst when Suunto’s parent company Amer Sports was acquired by Chinese technology company Lieshing in 2022. The first Vertical was the first major launch under that new ownership. I tested it, and given my previous experiences with watches like the Suunto 9 and Suunto 7, I kept my expectations low. I was pleasantly surprised. It was a Suunto with some unexpected design charm. It had offline maps and delivered both an impressive GPS and battery performance, while undercutting the competition on price.
Strong launches continued with the Suunto Race and Suunto Run ($199), but the Vertical that brought Suunto back into the conversation of a fitness tracker worthy of both your money and wrist space. The Vertical 2 has a big battery, a ton of sports modes, and finally made the hardware and software upgrades to bring the Vertical in line with outdoor watches from Apple, Garmin, and Coros. The updates have paid off, but Suunto now has to contend with the fact that there's just a lot of competition in this particular market category.
Flashy and Colorful
Photograph: Michael Sawh
The Suunto Vertical 2 is hefty, but it's manageable. Like the previous Vertical, the Vertical 2 comes with either a stainless steel or titanium grade 5 bezel. Both are hardy, but the main difference is the weight. The titanium is lighter, at 3.07 oz versus 2.61 oz for the steel. To put that weight into context, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 weighs just over 2 oz. This isn’t a watch you forget is there.