GPS Running Watches / Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) vs Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)
Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) 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 1.4 points
Quick Verdict
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) is the stronger all-round pick, ahead by 1.4 points. 55 hours of multiband GPS and free world maps for $499 — but not one song on board.
The Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) and Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) are both closely matched GPS Running Watch models, and the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) is $199 cheaper than the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) ($299.99 vs $499). On Navigation & Maps, the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) leads (8.0 vs 2.5/10) — real routable offline topographic maps versus a breadcrumb line, plus how painful it is to get maps onto the watch.. On GPS Accuracy, the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) leads (8.2 vs 6.2/10) — trace quality in cities and under tree cover — multiband L1+L5 hardware plus what independent testers measured in the real world.. On Battery Honesty, the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) leads (8.6 vs 7.0/10) — 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.. Overall, the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores 8.2/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 6.8/10 for the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm). Below, we break down the full spec sheet, category-by-category scores, and exactly who should buy which one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) | Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $299.99 | $499.00 |
| Release Year | 2026 | 2025 |
| Display | 1.2-in 390x390 AMOLED touchscreen, optional always-on | 1.5-in 466x466 AMOLED touchscreen with sapphire lens, optional always-on |
| Smartwatch Battery ( days) | 10 | 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 | 4 days with always-on display — the headline 10-day figure assumes the screen is off between glances | 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) | 20 | 65✓ |
| Battery, Multiband GPS ( h) | No multiband mode exists on this watch; all-systems (L1 only) runs 14 h | 55 |
| GNSS Bands | Single-band L1 multi-GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS). No L5/dual-frequency — DC Rainmaker's hands-on and the garminrumors spec wiki both confirm this; the5krunner's spec page loosely calls it 'multi-frequency', which is wrong. Multiband starts at the Forerunner 570. | 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 course-following only — no TopoActive maps, no turn-by-turn, no ClimbPro. | 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 | Only on the $349.99 Forerunner 170 Music: 4 GB with offline Spotify, Amazon Music and Deezer. The $299.99 base model reviewed here has no music storage and no Wi-Fi. | 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 | Garmin Connect is free and every core training metric — Training Readiness, Training Load, Training Status, HRV Status, Body Battery, recovery time — is Firstbeat-derived and free on the watch (Garmin bought Firstbeat in 2020). Connect+ is $6.99/mo or $69.99/yr and adds only AI wellness prompts, 3D maps, Trails+ routing, extra badges and nutrition logging — nothing a training plan depends on. | 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 | Pairs with both ANT+ and Bluetooth chest straps, footpods and Stryd — the cheap fix for wrist-HR interval errors | Bluetooth sensors with multiple saved pairings — no ANT+ |
| Data Export | Full .FIT file access over USB/MTP plus free automatic sync to Strava, TrainingPeaks, Runalyze, intervals.icu and others through Garmin Connect. | Free .FIT export and automatic sync to Strava, TrainingPeaks, Komoot and 300+ partner services |
| Warranty | 12 months | 24 months |
| Colors | Black / Amp Yellow | All Black, Coral Orange |
Category Scores
GPS Accuracy
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) leads clearly here, 8.2 against 6.2 — a 2.0-point margin on trace quality in cities and under tree cover — multiband L1+L5 hardware plus what independent testers measured in the real world.. If that is what you are buying for, the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Battery Honesty
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) leads clearly here, 8.6 against 7.0 — a 1.6-point margin on 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.. If that is what you are buying for, the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Training & Recovery
The Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) and Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) are level here, at 7.4/10 each. 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 not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Heart Rate
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) leads clearly here, 7.6 against 6.8 — a 0.8-point margin on optical wrist accuracy during intervals and burst efforts, and whether the watch pairs with ANT+ and/or Bluetooth chest straps as a fix.. If that is what you are buying for, the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Display
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) leads clearly here, 9.2 against 8.4 — a 0.8-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 Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Build & Comfort
The Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) is marginally ahead, 8.2 to 8.0. A gap this small rarely decides a purchase on its own, though it counts if case materials, lens (sapphire vs glass), weight on the wrist and durability ratings. is your priority.
Value
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) leads clearly here, 8.4 against 7.8 — a 0.6-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 Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) if…
- • You want to spend less — it's $199 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.).
- • GPS Accuracy matters most to you — the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores 8.2/10 here (trace quality in cities and under tree cover — multiband L1+L5 hardware plus what independent testers measured in the real world.).
- • Battery Honesty matters most to you — the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores 8.6/10 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.).
- • Heart Rate matters most to you — the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores 7.6/10 here (optical wrist accuracy during intervals and burst efforts, and whether the watch pairs with ANT+ and/or Bluetooth chest straps as a fix.).
- • 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.).
Pros & Cons
Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm)
Pros
- +Adds a barometer, gyroscope, wrist running power, Training Readiness and open-water swimming over the Forerunner 165 it replaces
- +Every training and recovery metric is free — Connect+ at $6.99/mo adds nothing a runner's plan depends on
- +Pairs with ANT+ and Bluetooth chest straps, so $60 of strap fixes the wrist sensor for intervals
- +20 h of GPS-only battery covers a road marathon several times over
Cons
- −Single-band L1 GNSS only — in city streets or under canopy the trace drifts, and multiband costs $250 more (Forerunner 570)
- −No multisport/triathlon mode at all, so it cannot record a triathlon; DC Rainmaker flags this as the headline omission
- −No maps of any kind, and no turn-by-turn — breadcrumbs only
- −Music is a $50 upcharge: the base model has zero song storage and no Wi-Fi
- −The 10-day smartwatch claim drops to 4 days the moment you enable the always-on display
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 Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) 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 Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) or the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)?+
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores higher on Navigation & Maps (8.0/10 vs 2.5/10) — real routable offline topographic maps versus a breadcrumb line, plus how painful it is to get maps onto the watch..
Which is better for GPS Accuracy, the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) or the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)?+
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores higher on GPS Accuracy (8.2/10 vs 6.2/10) — trace quality in cities and under tree cover — multiband L1+L5 hardware plus what independent testers measured in the real world..
Which is better for Battery Honesty, the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) or the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)?+
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores higher on Battery Honesty (8.6/10 vs 7.0/10) — 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..
Which is better for Heart Rate, the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) or the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)?+
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores higher on Heart Rate (7.6/10 vs 6.8/10) — optical wrist accuracy during intervals and burst efforts, and whether the watch pairs with ANT+ and/or Bluetooth chest straps as a fix..
Is the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) worth the price difference over the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)?+
The Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) is the cheaper option at $299.99 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 Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) 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 Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) vs the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)?+
The Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) ships with a 12-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
COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) — $249.00
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.