UKC

I'm looking for a new watch and can't make up my mind what to go for. 

Has anyone got any valuable input? 

I will use it for all the usual outdoor activates. 

thanks Matt  

In reply to mattc:

I will say this.

After my experience previously, Never Suunto.

In reply to mattc: i had a Suunto Traverse for a while and liked it, especially once Suunto resolved the issues with their app. In view of this I upgraded to a Suunto Vertical. However a major limitation for me was not being able to include position (Lat and Long or grid ref) on the display when recording a sea kayaking trip. Another issue was reducing the Traverse’s 5 buttons to 3 buttons on the Vertical making navigation of menus etc more of a hassle. I returned the Suunto for a refund and got a Garmin Fenix 7 solar sapphire instead which I’m very happy with. The Garmin developed a fault during warranty, replacement including retaining all my settings etc was quick and simple. Customer service was good too.

In reply to mattc:

Just to throw another option into the mix, we’ve got a COROS Vertix 2S review going live shortly. I’ve been using the Vertix 2 over the last few years and have really rated it. The 2S offer a couple of subtle but significant improvements - namely improved heart and GPS accuracy.

I haven’t used the Vertical Solar but Penny, my wife, has been using one over the last few months. Whilst she likes it, I wouldn’t say that she loves it, and certainly hasn’t been blown away with it. I haven’t used it as I’ve still got PTSD from using my old Suunto 9, which was a fairly infuriating device!!

Haven’t used the Garmin so can’t comment, but generally speaking the reports are pretty positive.

In reply to all.

thanks for the input. I will be going with the Garmin i think! look forward to what you have to say about the COROS Vertix 2S. 

Thanks Matt  

In reply to mattc:

Garmin tactix.  

In reply to bouldery bits:

Yup, me too. The watch has been good, the customer service appalling.

In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:

Ill second this, I have a Vertix 2 and love it, frequent updates amazing battery and the navigation I have found great, 

In reply to mattc:

Just to put in a bit of a counter argument for the Suunto, I've got a Vertical that I think is great. I really like the mapping, I find it really easy to use, and the general UI as it doesn't try to force all the data at you in one go. The app is really nice as well in how things are laid out, having tried to use my wife's Garmin, I really didn't like how there seemed to be many metrics pulled from calculations that wasn't explained. From a more general point, I like that it doesn't look as obnoxiously outdoorsy as some of the others. 

A caveat to all this is that my previous watch was a Suunto Ambit 3 Peak so it was a noticeable jump anyway. 

In reply to LCWatson:

Timely thread,

I’m also looking for a watch. 
 

Im after something with maps, where I can save a track, upload a track and retrace my steps. 
 

good battery life would also be helpful. 
 

Ideally it would be simple to use and possible with gloves on. 
 

Id also like to use it track offpiste skiing so I can remember where I’ve been. 

A suunto vertical fits the bill and is a lot cheaper than a fenix 7.

I live in the alps is it worth paying the extra for a solar watch?

Thanks,

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

Creating, editing and uploading routes to the watch is really easy though it is only app based so sometimes I create/edit routes on a tablet just to have bigger screen. You can also use upload previous tracks as routes so you can follow them again.

I haven't used it on a Scottish winter day but have done a fair bit of XC skiing with it and didn't have an issue with gloves. 

I can't comment on the solar side of things, I'm based in Finland where sun isn't much of a commodity for half of the year so didn't feel the need to spend the extra money. I normally charge about once a month and that's with about 20hrs of most accurate tracking and with a HR strap, and I use it as a daily watch so has all the normal stuff as well. And even then it's only about 20-30%. 

Hope that helps. 

In reply to LCWatson:

Thanks for the input. 

You have to favour Suunto if you're in Finland though!! haha 

In reply to mattc:

I also have a Suunto vertical, just the standard one because the solar version was beyond my budget. I find it a very good watch but I imagine if had a garmin or similar it would do the job for me too. A few have mentioned software issues with Suunto, which was when they closed down their previous app Movescount, they handled this badly at the time but new Suunto app is very good and they have improved it’s functionality and features. The maps are very good and are free to download off the app. Garmin maps would be slightly better as they show labels for contour and other features. The screen is nice and bright and the watch is tough and resistant against my clumsiness. The only real bug bear I have with it is the charging cable and you have to fiddle with it to get the watch to charge, but everything else is grand with it.