Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar Review

The Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar is extremely well made, boasts incredible battery life, and offers great accuracy. However, the internal UI and the software features could be better. The unit feels slow, outdated, and does not provide a premium experience. You'll love this watch if you love Suunto's solid, well-made design. It may not be the best pick for you if you prefer your equipment with all the bells and whistles and a high-end interface.

Performance Comparison

Features

The Vertical has all of the normal functions you'd expect on a high-end GPS watch: sport modes, health tracking, and daily smartwatch functions. However, it does lack a few extra features other watches might offer. This isn't to say that more is always better, and Suunto keeps this watch simple and focused. Small devices can easily get overly cluttered and filled with features you never use. Other watches stuff every metric and widget under the sun, which you glance at once before never looking at again. Suunto does a good job of adding things you want but doesn't fill up on extras you may not need.

For some, it may be hard to accept fewer features at a higher price. A few examples of features not offered on the Vertical are contactless payments, find my phone, find my watch, and hotkeys. It does, however, provide third-party app downloads, but these are also a bit limited and don't add any additional features that aren't already integrated into the watch. While they add minor customizations, they don't provide much in the way of key additions to the feature set. Still, the features it does include are perfect for those who want premium basics such as an ABC (Altimeter, Barometer, Compass) with topographic navigation and don't need potentially excess software features.

Battery Life

With 85+ hours of GPS tracking + solar charging, the Suunto Vertical offers industry-leading battery life in the 49mm case size. This should be more than enough for most adventures and multi-day trips. If using the battery-saver mode during your downtime, you can expect extended life, which is great for expedition use. Suunto makes it easy to choose a battery mode at the start of a workout, which we also appreciate. These various modes alter the performance of battery draining features, decreasing performance but increasing battery life. GPS watches have come a long way, and we are impressed with the substantial battery upgrades Suunto has been able to provide. If you have held off purchasing a Suunto because of poor battery life, you don't have to wait any longer.

Ease of Use

After extensive testing, we found the UI and interaction on the Vertical Titanium Solar to be frustrating at best. With no dedicated back button, you are left scrolling through menus that aren't loops. Of course, you can just use the touch screen, but we found this to be inconsistent, laggy, and slow. Other times, the touch screen is excellent, but it requires button input before allowing touch input. This makes sense to prevent accidental touches but creates clunkiness.

This watch's software is SLOW — it's not any better than previous Suunto models, and button pauses must be accounted for; otherwise, the software cannot keep up. The purpose of this may be to save battery, but it can be inconvenient for the user. Hopefully, a firmware update can fix this issue down the line. If you are patient or plan to interact minimally with the device, you may have no issues or qualms with the usability.

Accuracy

We experienced excellent GPS accuracy on the Suunto Vertical, partly thanks to the updated dual-frequency chip, which provided consistent accuracy even in poor line-of-sight scenarios. However, the heart rate monitor provided more variation than we have come to expect from our most accurate model. With this update, we would've expected an upgrade, but unfortunately, this HR monitor is still the same as the previous Suunto 9 Peak, which also had similar issues. That said, wrist-worn HR data should be taken with a grain of salt, given the potential for variability. Still, we expected better accuracy. We'd suggest a chest HR strap if you are considering this model and desire the most accurate HR data.

Design

By far, the greatest part of the Suunto Vertical is the design. We love the 49mm case size and wish this was the standard over the 47mm. This watch is beautifully made, with large portions of titanium surrounding both the case and bezel. While it is slightly thicker than others, this allows for increased battery performance. The directional buttons have a satisfying travel that feels firm and precise. Removable watch straps fit excellently, although the pin strap keeper design tends to be felt into the wrist bones when resting the hand or working at a desk. Readability is great even in full sun, thanks to a crisp, bright screen and dark blacks. If you appreciate fine craftsmanship, we wouldn't deter you from this model; its simplicity and elegance are the largest selling points.

Should You Buy the Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar?

If you desire simplicity and build quality, we don't think you will be disappointed with purchasing the Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar. However, for those who want a faster, more upgraded experience, we think there are better options out there.

What Other GPS Watches Should You Consider?

At this price point, the Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Solar is an option you might consider. It has a great blend of features, performance, and usability. For those who desire the elegance and build quality of Suunto, check out the Suunto Race. With an updated AMOLED display, UI, and faster software, this is a great option at a more attainable price point.