The Suunto 5 Peak sports watch is a multi-featured lightweight piece of kit.  With GPS, over 80 sport modes, sleep and activity tracking, plus music controls, you get a whole lot of bang for your buck.  The sleek, clean interface epitomises Finnish design; this is a timeless looking watch.

 

I have to admit of only vaguely knowing the Suunto brand. My fishing-mad brother, on the other hand, was able to wax lyrically on the wonderful compasses for which Suunto is globally renowned.  The company was founded over 80 years ago by Finnish adventurer, Tuomas Vohlonen.  His revolutionary compass design, which helped him navigate the Arctic snow and darkness, was the first in the Suunto product range. Suunto’s reputation for tough, resilient gear built to withstand the harsh Finnish elements is only surpassed by the accuracy and reliability of their well reviewed products.

The Suunto 5 Peak certainly embodies all things Finnish and understated style. Let’s check out the nuts and bolts.

TRAINING

Suunto have paired up with over 200 partners to ensure you can access your favourite apps.

The 80+ customisable sports modes and capacity to analyse your performance through the Suunto app makes tracking your performance a breeze.

WELLBEING

Holistically the 5 Peak takes it to the next level. Sleep tracking,  fitness levels, stress and body resource data are all tracked. The Suunto app comprehensively provides detailed analysis to help you manage your health and wellbeing.  It was interesting to see how my stress levels were heightened at work but dropped immediately upon leaving… hmmm.

DESIGN

The Suunto 5 Peak is a light yet durable fitness training watch.  Weighing in at only 39 grams, the 5 Peak really stays the distance with 100 hours of GPS tracking in Tour mode.  Lots of choice with watch colours and interchangeable bands means you can really make this watch your own.  Water resistant to 30m, the 5 Peak is happy in the pool, surf or shower. Or rain… *looks up

MUSIC

Adjusting your music preferences on the go is a breeze with the 5 Peak. From music to audio books, use the intuitive side buttons to pause, skip tracks or adjust volume.  Pairing is simple so grab your favourite workout headset/ear buds and get moving.

SUNRISE SUNSET

Take advantage of daylight savings by ensuring you never miss an hour. No, Queensland, sit down.  Setting alarms is an easy task enabling you to maximise your time all day, everyday.

BATTERY & CHARGING

Honestly, I only took the 5 Peak off my wrist TWICE to charge over three weeks. It felt secure on my wrist and didn’t get in the way. Opting for the more subdued screen colour was great for sleeping too. All I had to do was click the middle button once to brighten the screen if need be. Charging was very quick with a simple alligator clip style USB cable.  The battery longevity is impressive – even when I set up sleep tracking it was still had incredible power economy.


 

NAVIGATION

The 5 Peak’s navigation was very intuitive and comprises of five buttons to access features and displays.  As per usual, I did not read the instructions and was able to easily navigate the watch within a few minutes.  I then read the instructions to be sure I hadn’t missed anything but no issues. The side buttons are sized just right; no fumbling to find the right button and it doesn’t matter what size your hands or fingers.

FEELING ‘APPY 

Suunto has a developed a broad community of navigation app partnerships which allow you the freedom to plan your next adventure. From 3D maps and route recommendations to outdoors, in the city or across the world, Suunto have you covered.  Free trial periods allows time to figure out which value added package works for you.

 

GET LOST

Well, you can try but the ability to build your own GPS route and turn-by-turn navigation means you’ll never go off track.  Enabling GPS on the 5 Peak ensure you can follow your selected route on map view without fear. Give it a go!

UPDATES

I updated the phone upon first opening and it took around 10 minutes max to update via wifi. I just set it up, came back and it was done.

TESTING TESTING 1 2 3

  • The SUUNTO 5 Peak Fitness Training Watch has a really nice clear watch face in silver with a 22mm silicone flecked strap in ‘Urban’. The strap is actually a composite of all waste material remaining from strap production. I really like it. Sustainability *tick*.
  • The water resistant aspect is a huge bonus. Jump in the shower, the pool or the surf without fear. No need to activate your watch before it gets wet!
  • It may be plastic but this this watch face is tough. It’s so tough it even thwarted the attempts of a Jack Russell puppy who was wandering around with it dangling out of her jaws of death. The watch band also survived.  Not a mark to be seen.
  • Illumination for some may be an issue but this is easily resolved. The screen does go into power saving mode but, with a few changes to the watch face, you can have this better illuminated for viewing purposes. Yes, it did impact upon battery life but not by much.
  • I found the lack of sim card was actually a bonus. In my work environment any watch with a sim is banned. It was a relief to wear a sports watch without fear of being in violation of company policy.
  • The pedometer is very accurate. The sleep monitor is great and I particularly like the ability to track how much I don’t sleep. *wry look
  • Tracking my progress on a walk went really well, until I hit a button and stopped the mapping without actually realising. I was able to go to my phone and look at the corresponding navigation path which was very handy. It also made me realise I had accidentally turned it off after 50m… yes, I’m idiot.
  • Made with 100% Renewable – ’nuff said.

SPECIFICATIONS

RECOMMENDATION

Suunto, you really know how to impress.  To say I was sorely disappointed when the Suunto 5 Peak was returned is an understatement.  For me it is the perfect sports training watch. Not only did it fit in with my needs, from a lifestyle perspective it ticked all boxes.  Everyone I showed it to really liked it and it blended seamlessly regardless of outfit or location.  I’d go so far as to say it’s the everywhere sports training watch.

The Suunto 5 Peak sports watch retails for $399.00. Suunto have regular specials so sign up for their mailing list to get first dibs. Alternatively head over to all reputable tech retailers for some great deals.

Thank you Suunto for the opportunity to trial the 5 Peak Fitness Training Watch.  It’s been a pleasure.

ADDENDUM

I felt so bereft without my Suunto I ventured onto the website only to find they had an amazing sale.  I managed to snag myself a Birch White 9 Peak Watch straight from Finland for a very decent price!  If you’re interested in learning more, head over to Kevin’s review on the Suunto 9 Peak.