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I will cover the review of Suunto Spartan HR Trainer GPS watch in the following heads.

Why I bought a GPS HR watch? Items in the box. Technical specifications. Features of the watch. Which all features I am using? Pros and cons. Overall verdict.

After splitting the article, I guess it is easier now for you to read the review and for me to write it. So, let’s get started.

1. Why I bought a GPS HR watch?

To start with, I am an ultrarunner. That means that I run races longer than marathon distances i.e 42.2 km. I have been running these kinds of events for last 3-4 years and finally I felt a need to buy a GPS watch.

But why now?

A GPS watch helps me to track the distance and pace at which I am running, while I am running. Now, the same function can be performed by a mobile phone using a variety of apps but it is a hassle to take it out from pocket, check it and put it back again. So, effectively I am blind to which pace I am running and the distance covered.

So, to enhance my endurance running and become more efficient, I need to keep a “watch” on my pace and HR. Now for us ultra long distance runners, majority of the runs are done at an easy pace, which ironically takes a lot of discipline. And if you have a solid aerobic base, then you will be able to maintain an “all-day-long” pace.

Additionally, training at aerobic pace helps to shed weight. Aerobic means when body uses oxygen to derive energy and anaerobic means when body does not need oxygen to derive energy. In other words, aerobic means when body burns more fat and less sugar to derive energy and anaerobic means when body burns more sugar and less fat to derive energy.

That means we need to train at aerobic levels to burn fat, right? Right!

We need to determine our aerobic zone in which we must train to lose fat. You may want to read this article on How To Burn Fat Using A Heart Rate Monitor. This article also includes the hows of Maffetone method.

It is however, a perceived exertion and knowledge of pace which finally helps on the race day because I won’t like to waste my energy on constantly looking at my readings on the watch. I would like to race by feel and the GPS watch will only be an instrument to record my distance and time.

Buy Suunto Spartan HR Trainer

2. Items in the box

Suunto Sparton HR Trainer GPS watch box contains the following items-

The watch itself.

Charging chord.

Documentation to include user manual and warranty card, written in 26 languages.

You can watch this unboxing video/vlog below. The unboxing starts at 1:34.

3. Technical specifications

Name – Suunto Spartan Trainer Wrist HR – Blue.

Price – $223.20(Amazon.com)

Rs 19,874(Amazon.in). Prices may vary at the time you are reading this post.

Weight – 57 gms.

Glass screen – Polymide.

Watch body – Glass fibre reinforced polymide.

Water resistant – Till 50 metre.

Battery backup – 14 days in time mode.

10 hours in training mode.

HR sensors – Made by Valencell (one of the biggest name in the field).

Display – 218 x 218 resolution.

4. Features of the watch

From the watch face, if you press the right side up and down buttons, you will be taken to different menus. If you press up, you are taken into Training mode. And then if you press the middle button, you will be taken into different activities you want to track. To see how these menus look, go to the bottom of the post to see the YouTube video I made on it.

Further up is the Navigation. You can download maps from your computer on this and navigate your training route.

Then comes Logbook, which contains all the data of your activities.

Thereafter Timer.

Then Settings where you can enter time/date, language, tones, backlight, personal details, navigation/training settings, watch face etc.

If you press the down button from the watch face, you are taken into HR tracking mode. This is to track your HR at times when you are not performing any activity like resting HR, after and before sleep etc.

Further down is the number of steps taken during the day. However, you can customise your watch face to show this number as well.

Then it will show you the number of hours of training during the week. Finally I hit my goal this week. I am going to increase my weekly hours of training goal by a couple of hours now.

Then is the recovery time the watch feels one should take. I think this is bulls@#t!!!

Further down, if you want to track your sleep.

Read : Tips To Wake Up Early To Run

5. Which all features I am using?

Out of all menus, I don’t use the following features. By the way, it is not because of any flaw in them but just because I haven’t felt the need of it as yet.

Navigation.

Sleep tracking.

24 x 7 HR tracking.

Notifications.

My primary used features as of now are-

Pace.

HR tracking while running/cycling.

Distance and time elapsed.

Ascent and descent.

A view on number of steps.

The other features which Suunto Spartan HR Trainer offers are as of now not required by me because I am already half way into my training program for La Ultra 111 km. I will explore them when I am done with the race in August.

Buy Suunto Spartan HR Trainer

6. Pros and Cons

Pros –

Excellent HR and GPS tracking.

Huge range of sports can be tracked.

Slimmed down design. Fits snugly on the wrist.

Cool colours.

Best priced triathlon watch in the market.

Light weight.

Cons –

HR tracking takes a couple of minutes before it tracks accurately.

Buttons are clunky. I always press another button while pressing the required one while running (not a big deal though).

No touch screen(again not a big deal).

May not hold battery charge for more than 10 hours during ultramarathons (not tested).

7. Overall Verdict

Being my first GPS HR watch, I am in love with it! But to view it critically, it is performing the tasks which I except from a watch of this category.

To buy a GPS watch I did a lot of research and this watch suited my budget and requirements. I bought this watch after comparing with the other competitors of different companies.

Few basic considerations to buy this watch was price, looks, waterproof ability and wrist based HR tracking. I hate wearing the chest strap!

I have used Suunto products previously when I used to scuba dive. They make dive computers and are pretty good. So I was in a way familiar with them. I have also used Garmin GPS but somehow they failed to impress me in the looks category and those which looked good were very expensive.

The use of this watch is easy. The functions are quite intuitive. The Movescount app is well developed according to me and serves all the purposes I am looking for. I can make some basic changes from the mobile app itself in the watch.

However, if you want to change settings like what you want to see while doing a specific type of an activity, then you will have to plug in to a computer, during initial setting, and use the Movescount website. You may want to watch this video by Jamil Coury on how to change the settings on the watch. He is having Suunto Ambit 3 Peak.

I can also plan routes, workouts, create a training program etc which is awesome. I will be using this feature in near future.

You can create routes and then download it on the watch.

It also creates heat maps of runners of the routes they frequent to build an engaging community.

As regards to integrating it with Strava, you will need to plug in the watch with computer, at the time of initial setting up, and then it is an easy process to link your Strava Profile to Movescount website. So whenever you save an activity and sync it with the mobile app, it automatically uploads it to Strava, but in private mode. Thereafter, you can edit the post, insert pictures etc before making it public.

Follow me on Strava

Suunto has a wonderful feature called the Suunto movie. What it does is that once the activity is synced with the mobile app, it creates a short 3D movie showing the route and fastest pace, highest HR etc. It is quite fun to watch and can be shared on social media as well.

So my final verdict is that I give it a big thumbs up and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a GPS and HR tracking watch. It is priced adequately for the features it provides. Go for it!

Buy Suunto Spartan HR Trainer

You can watch my vlog below too where I review the watch at 5:30. Before that I do an interval session and make a beet root smoothie. Hope you enjoy it.

In case you have any other queries, then do comment below. I will try and answer them for you.

Till then stay fit and keep running.

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I am Neel and the creator of Blog On Running. I am an ultra marathoner, scuba diver, adventurer, YouTuber, writer and father of an extremely active child. blogonrunning.com