GPS Running Watches / COROS APEX 4 (42mm) vs Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)
COROS APEX 4 (42mm) vs Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)
Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)
55 hours of multiband GPS and free world maps for $499 — but not one song on board.
Wins overall by 0.3 points
Quick Verdict
This is close. The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) edges ahead by 0.3 points, but that margin is inside the noise — the COROS APEX 4 (42mm) is a defensible pick on its own terms. Free offline topo maps and a titanium bezel for $429 — with a screen you fight in low light.
The COROS APEX 4 (42mm) and Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) are both current-generation GPS Running Watch models, and the COROS APEX 4 (42mm) is $70 cheaper than the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) ($429 vs $499). On Display, the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) leads (9.2 vs 6.2/10) — brightness, resolution and daylight readability, weighing AMOLED sharpness against MIP's always-on-for-free behaviour.. On Build & Comfort, the COROS APEX 4 (42mm) leads (8.6 vs 8.0/10) — case materials, lens (sapphire vs glass), weight on the wrist and durability ratings.. On Training & Recovery, the COROS APEX 4 (42mm) leads (7.8 vs 7.4/10) — depth of load, readiness and recovery analysis, and how much of it is free rather than gated behind a subscription or an extra chest strap.. Overall, the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores 8.2/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 7.9/10 for the COROS APEX 4 (42mm), though the gap is close enough that your specific use case should decide it. Below, we break down the full spec sheet, category-by-category scores, and exactly who should buy which one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | COROS APEX 4 (42mm) | Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $429.00 | $499.00 |
| Release Year | 2025 | 2025 |
| Display | 1.2-in 240x240 3rd-gen transflective MIP, always-on, no AMOLED battery penalty — but DC Rainmaker and Tom's Guide both call it dim indoors and in low light | 1.5-in 466x466 AMOLED touchscreen with sapphire lens, optional always-on |
| Smartwatch Battery ( days) | 15 | 18 days with wrist HR on, 30 days in standby (Suunto). DC Rainmaker's review quotes up to 16 days — sources conflict. |
| Always-On Display Cost | No always-on penalty — the MIP screen is permanently on. (The 46 mm version is rated 24 days smartwatch and 65 h all-systems GPS if you want the bigger numbers.) | Dual-band training time falls from 55 h to 50 h with the always-on display, per Wareable's testing notes — a smaller penalty than most AMOLED rivals |
| Battery, Single-Band GPS ( h) | 41 | 65✓ |
| Battery, Multiband GPS ( h) | Not published by COROS for the 42 mm in any source reviewed here. For reference the 46 mm is rated 65 h all-systems vs 41 h dual-frequency — expect a similar ~35-40% drop. | 55 |
| GNSS Bands | Dual-frequency L1+L5 chipset covering GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou and QZSS. DC Rainmaker warns GPS accuracy degrades noticeably when route navigation is running. | Dual-band L1+L5. Suunto publishes 55 h in the dual-band Performance mode, 65 h single-band and 200 h in the power-saving Tour mode. |
| Onboard Maps | Free global offline topographic and landscape maps with street/trail names and POIs, downloaded through the COROS app, plus turn-by-turn on preloaded routes. No ClimbPro equivalent and no automatic rerouting. | Free offline topographic maps for most of the world in 32 GB, downloaded over Wi-Fi with no cable and no charge. Maps are split into small regions (France alone is 27 sections) and there is no automatic rerouting — off-course you get compass guidance only. |
| Music Storage | MP3 files only, sideloaded. No streaming services and no phone-music control. | None. No on-device music storage and no streaming; DC Rainmaker notes Suunto appears to be building toward it but it does not exist today. |
| Training Platform & Subscription | COROS app and EvoLab analytics are entirely free, no subscription tier. COROS' own metrics, not Firstbeat. | Suunto app is free with no subscription tier. Training analytics are Suunto's own; the watch also carries the Suunto Coach guidance layer at no cost. |
| External Sensor Support | Bluetooth only — no ANT+ at all, which rules out ANT+-only power meters | Bluetooth sensors with multiple saved pairings — no ANT+ |
| Data Export | Free .FIT/GPX export plus auto-sync to Strava, TrainingPeaks, Apple Health and Health Connect | Free .FIT export and automatic sync to Strava, TrainingPeaks, Komoot and 300+ partner services |
| Warranty | 24 months | 24 months |
| Colors | Black | All Black, Coral Orange |
Category Scores
GPS Accuracy
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) is marginally ahead, 8.2 to 8.0. A gap this small rarely decides a purchase on its own, though it counts if trace quality in cities and under tree cover — multiband L1+L5 hardware plus what independent testers measured in the real world. is your priority.
Battery Honesty
The COROS APEX 4 (42mm) is marginally ahead, 8.8 to 8.6. A gap this small rarely decides a purchase on its own, though it counts if how much of the headline battery claim survives the mode you would actually train in: all-systems plus multiband, always-on display, music playing. The number on the box is almost always the slowest, least accurate mode. is your priority.
Training & Recovery
The COROS APEX 4 (42mm) is marginally ahead, 7.8 to 7.4. A gap this small rarely decides a purchase on its own, though it counts if depth of load, readiness and recovery analysis, and how much of it is free rather than gated behind a subscription or an extra chest strap. is your priority.
Heart Rate
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) is marginally ahead, 7.6 to 7.4. A gap this small rarely decides a purchase on its own, though it counts if optical wrist accuracy during intervals and burst efforts, and whether the watch pairs with ANT+ and/or Bluetooth chest straps as a fix. is your priority.
Display
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) leads clearly here, 9.2 against 6.2 — a 3.0-point margin on brightness, resolution and daylight readability, weighing AMOLED sharpness against MIP's always-on-for-free behaviour.. If that is what you are buying for, the COROS APEX 4 (42mm) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Build & Comfort
The COROS APEX 4 (42mm) leads clearly here, 8.6 against 8.0 — a 0.6-point margin on case materials, lens (sapphire vs glass), weight on the wrist and durability ratings.. If that is what you are buying for, the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Value
The COROS APEX 4 (42mm) is marginally ahead, 8.6 to 8.4. A gap this small rarely decides a purchase on its own, though it counts if what the watch delivers per dollar against everything else in the comparison at the moment of purchase. is your priority.
Best For
Choose the COROS APEX 4 (42mm) if…
- • Build & Comfort matters most to you — the COROS APEX 4 (42mm) scores 8.6/10 here (case materials, lens (sapphire vs glass), weight on the wrist and durability ratings.).
- • Training & Recovery matters most to you — the COROS APEX 4 (42mm) scores 7.8/10 here (depth of load, readiness and recovery analysis, and how much of it is free rather than gated behind a subscription or an extra chest strap.).
- • Battery Honesty matters most to you — the COROS APEX 4 (42mm) scores 8.8/10 here (how much of the headline battery claim survives the mode you would actually train in: all-systems plus multiband, always-on display, music playing. The number on the box is almost always the slowest, least accurate mode.).
- • You want to spend less — it's $70 cheaper.
- • Your main use case is hiking-navigation or long-battery.
Choose the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) if…
- • Display matters most to you — the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores 9.2/10 here (brightness, resolution and daylight readability, weighing AMOLED sharpness against MIP's always-on-for-free behaviour.).
- • Navigation & Maps matters most to you — the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores 8.0/10 here (real routable offline topographic maps versus a breadcrumb line, plus how painful it is to get maps onto the watch.).
- • Your main use case is road-running or triathlon.
Pros & Cons
COROS APEX 4 (42mm)
Pros
- +Free global offline topo maps with street and trail names at $429 — Garmin charges $749.99 before you get maps
- +Titanium bezel and sapphire glass at a price where rivals use aluminium and Gorilla Glass
- +MIP means the 41 h all-systems figure is what you get, with no always-on display tax
- +Two years of warranty and zero subscriptions anywhere in the platform
Cons
- −COROS does not publish a dual-frequency battery figure for the 42 mm, and dual-frequency is where accuracy actually lives
- −DC Rainmaker measured a real GPS accuracy drop when a route is loaded and navigation is active
- −MIP display is dim indoors and at night compared with every AMOLED rival here
- −No ANT+, no NFC payments and no LED flashlight
- −The depth gauge has no certification and cannot record dives to the app, and there are no dive sport profiles
Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)
Pros
- +55 h in the accurate dual-band mode — more than double what a Forerunner 570 manages at $50 more
- +Free worldwide offline maps in 32 GB, downloadable over Wi-Fi with no cable and no fee
- +1.5-in 466x466 AMOLED behind sapphire crystal at $499
- +DC Rainmaker rates the new optical HR sensor a 'massive improvement' and within the acceptable range for training
Cons
- −No music storage whatsoever — no MP3, no Spotify, nothing
- −Suunto's 18-day smartwatch figure and DC Rainmaker's 16-day figure do not agree
- −No automatic rerouting when you leave a course, and trails vanish from the map above roughly the 0.2-mile zoom level
- −Bluetooth only — no ANT+ sensors
- −DC Rainmaker measured a small GPS accuracy regression versus the original Race and Vertical
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the COROS APEX 4 (42mm) or Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) comes out ahead overall. See the full breakdown in the scores section above — the right pick still depends on which categories matter most for your use case.
Which is better for Display, the COROS APEX 4 (42mm) or the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)?+
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores higher on Display (9.2/10 vs 6.2/10) — brightness, resolution and daylight readability, weighing AMOLED sharpness against MIP's always-on-for-free behaviour..
Which is better for Build & Comfort, the COROS APEX 4 (42mm) or the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)?+
The COROS APEX 4 (42mm) scores higher on Build & Comfort (8.6/10 vs 8.0/10) — case materials, lens (sapphire vs glass), weight on the wrist and durability ratings..
Which is better for Training & Recovery, the COROS APEX 4 (42mm) or the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)?+
The COROS APEX 4 (42mm) scores higher on Training & Recovery (7.8/10 vs 7.4/10) — depth of load, readiness and recovery analysis, and how much of it is free rather than gated behind a subscription or an extra chest strap..
Which is better for Battery Honesty, the COROS APEX 4 (42mm) or the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)?+
The COROS APEX 4 (42mm) scores higher on Battery Honesty (8.8/10 vs 8.6/10) — how much of the headline battery claim survives the mode you would actually train in: all-systems plus multiband, always-on display, music playing. The number on the box is almost always the slowest, least accurate mode..
Is the COROS APEX 4 (42mm) worth the price difference over the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)?+
The COROS APEX 4 (42mm) is the cheaper option at $429 versus $499. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in Display.
Which is better suited to my use case?+
The COROS APEX 4 (42mm) is the better fit if you mainly care about hiking-navigation or long-battery. The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) is the better fit for road-running or triathlon.
What's the warranty on the COROS APEX 4 (42mm) vs the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)?+
The COROS APEX 4 (42mm) ships with a 24-month warranty; the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) ships with a 24-month warranty. Always confirm current terms on the manufacturer's site before buying.
Should I wait for the next model instead of buying either of these?+
If either model is more than two years old, a successor may be close — check the "Latest Model" link on each product page. Otherwise, both are current, well-supported options and there's no strong reason to wait.
Cheaper Option
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar (45mm) — $399.99
Premium Option
Garmin Forerunner 570 (47mm) — $549.99
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.