GPS Running Watches / COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) vs Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)
COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) 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 0.4 points
Quick Verdict
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) is the stronger all-round pick, ahead by 0.4 points. 55 hours of multiband GPS and free world maps for $499 — but not one song on board.
The COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) and Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) are both current-generation GPS Running Watch models, and the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) is $250 cheaper than the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) ($249 vs $499). On Navigation & Maps, the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) leads (8.0 vs 3.5/10) — real routable offline topographic maps versus a breadcrumb line, plus how painful it is to get maps onto the watch.. On Build & Comfort, the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) leads (9.0 vs 8.0/10) — case materials, lens (sapphire vs glass), weight on the wrist and durability ratings.. On Value, the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) leads (9.4 vs 8.4/10) — what the watch delivers per dollar against everything else in the comparison at the moment of purchase.. Overall, the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores 8.2/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 7.8/10 for the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band). 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 PACE 4 (silicone band) | Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $249.00 | $499.00 |
| Release Year | 2025 | 2025 |
| Display | 1.2-in 390x390 AMOLED touchscreen with digital crown, optional always-on | 1.5-in 466x466 AMOLED touchscreen with sapphire lens, optional always-on |
| Smartwatch Battery ( days) | 19 | 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 | 6 days with always-on display — always-on costs 13 of the 19 headline days, and cuts all-systems GPS from 41 h to 30 h and dual-frequency from 31 h to 24 h | 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) | 31 | 55✓ |
| GNSS Bands | Dual-frequency L1+L5 across GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou and QZSS. Rare at this price — the similarly-priced Forerunner 170 is single-band. | 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 | None. Breadcrumb navigation only, from GPX or routes synced from Strava, Komoot, RideWithGPS or Wikiloc. No offline base map. | 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 | 4 GB for sideloaded MP3s played to Bluetooth headphones. No Spotify and no other streaming service. | 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 (Training Load, Base Fitness, Fatigue, Running Fitness) are free with no paid tier at all. Metrics are COROS' own, not Firstbeat-licensed. | 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+. BLE chest straps, Stryd pods and power meters pair normally. | Bluetooth sensors with multiple saved pairings — no ANT+ |
| Data Export | Free .FIT and GPX export from the COROS app, plus automatic sync to Strava, TrainingPeaks, Nike Run Club, 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 Crystal, Cloud White | All Black, Coral Orange |
Category Scores
GPS Accuracy
The COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) and Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) are level here, at 8.2/10 each. trace quality in cities and under tree cover — multiband L1+L5 hardware plus what independent testers measured in the real world. is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Battery Honesty
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) is marginally ahead, 8.6 to 8.4. 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 PACE 4 (silicone band) is marginally ahead, 7.6 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 COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) is marginally ahead, 7.8 to 7.6. 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 8.3 — a 0.9-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 PACE 4 (silicone band) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Build & Comfort
The COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) leads clearly here, 9.0 against 8.0 — a 1.0-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 PACE 4 (silicone band) leads clearly here, 9.4 against 8.4 — a 1.0-point margin on what the watch delivers per dollar against everything else in the comparison at the moment of purchase.. If that is what you are buying for, the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) if…
- • Build & Comfort matters most to you — the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) scores 9.0/10 here (case materials, lens (sapphire vs glass), weight on the wrist and durability ratings.).
- • Value matters most to you — the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) scores 9.4/10 here (what the watch delivers per dollar against everything else in the comparison at the moment of purchase.).
- • Heart Rate matters most to you — the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) scores 7.8/10 here (optical wrist accuracy during intervals and burst efforts, and whether the watch pairs with ANT+ and/or Bluetooth chest straps as a fix.).
- • You want to spend less — it's $250 cheaper.
Choose the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) if…
- • 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.).
- • 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.).
- • Your main use case is trail-ultra.
Pros & Cons
COROS PACE 4 (silicone band)
Pros
- +Dual-frequency L1+L5 GNSS at $249 — the single biggest accuracy upgrade you can buy at this price
- +31 h in the most accurate GPS mode still beats what most $500 AMOLED watches manage
- +32 g on the nylon band; you forget it is there on a long run
- +No subscription anywhere in the COROS ecosystem, and .FIT files sync free to Strava and TrainingPeaks
- +DC Rainmaker found the optical HR 'spot-on' through intervals — unusual for a $249 watch
Cons
- −No offline maps at all — breadcrumb trails only, which is a real limitation off-road
- −No ANT+, so ANT+-only power meters and older chest straps will not pair
- −Music is sideloaded MP3 only; there is no Spotify, no streaming, no phone-music control
- −Always-on display costs 13 of the 19 claimed smartwatch days and 10 h of GPS time
- −Training Load resets every Monday rather than rolling, which DC Rainmaker notes does not match recovery physiology
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 PACE 4 (silicone band) 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 Navigation & Maps, the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) or the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)?+
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores higher on Navigation & Maps (8.0/10 vs 3.5/10) — real routable offline topographic maps versus a breadcrumb line, plus how painful it is to get maps onto the watch..
Which is better for Build & Comfort, the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) or the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)?+
The COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) scores higher on Build & Comfort (9.0/10 vs 8.0/10) — case materials, lens (sapphire vs glass), weight on the wrist and durability ratings..
Which is better for Value, the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) or the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)?+
The COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) scores higher on Value (9.4/10 vs 8.4/10) — what the watch delivers per dollar against everything else in the comparison at the moment of purchase..
Which is better for Display, the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) or the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)?+
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores higher on Display (9.2/10 vs 8.3/10) — brightness, resolution and daylight readability, weighing AMOLED sharpness against MIP's always-on-for-free behaviour..
Is the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) worth the price difference over the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)?+
The COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) is the cheaper option at $249 versus $499. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in Navigation & Maps.
Which is better suited to my use case?+
The COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) is the better fit if you mainly care about road-running or triathlon. The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) is the better fit for trail-ultra.
What's the warranty on the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) vs the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)?+
The COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) 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.
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.