Suunto 9 Baro Review

The Suunto 9 Baro stands out for its large touch screen; however, unless you are a dedicated Suunto fan, you may find this option underwhelming when compared to the competition. It's a reliable model, so if it fits your use case and priorities, we don't think you will be disappointed; we feel there are better options out there.

Since our original testing of this watch, various software updates have introduced a few new features and changes. Notably, there is a gravel cycling sport mode, and Strava live segments can now be utilized. Additionally, there are some new font color changes and backlight improvements. To see all of the new changes head to Suunto's product release notes.

Performance Comparison

Features

The features offered on the 9 Baro are everything you'll need for GPS tracking, fitness tracking, basic navigation, and gauging altitude. However, this watch is not nearly as robust as many of the Garmin options. You can't download workouts, pay wirelessly, or download music. These features are available at this price point on other models, so the 9 Baro scored less in this category.

The Suunto app is a simple platform that allows you to share activities, track your fitness, and optimize your watch with features. There are mapping capabilities in-app, although we prefer using a more dedicated service like Gaia or CalTopo for our route creation. The app looks nice, and we think it's easier to use than the Garmin platform, which is loaded with features; too many, in our opinion. If you are after basic GPS functions, we don't think the feature set of the 9 Baro will let you down — just know you can get more for your money.

Battery Life

Built with ultra-distances in mind, we are impressed by the amount of GPS battery life the 9 Baro has. You can get away using it during any ultrarace, and if you need extra juice, you can charge it on the go. That said, charging it took 150 minutes from 0% to 100%, which was much longer than the rest of the competition.

Suunto claims this watch will last seven days in smartwatch mode (14 days in just time mode), and it has several training modes that will last anywhere between 25 and 170 hours. We used this watch out of the box with pre-programmed settings and managed to get 4-5 days when actively using it for GPS activities 2-3 times per week.

Like the feature category, you can get better battery life for equal to less money, so it's hard to recommend the 9 Baro. Still, we experienced no issues with battery life, and it will be plenty sufficient for most people. The battery modes on the Suunto products are a bit confusing, using plain language instead of more descriptive statements about what the various battery life modes mean. Garmin products have useful images to see what changes are made for the various modes, and we wish Suunto implemented this feature.

Ease of Use

Our testers felt like this watch was more difficult to understand, and we constantly found ourselves hitting the wrong button. The Suunto ecosystem moves more horizontally, while the Garmin/Coros ecosystems move more vertically. We prefer the Coros/Garmin system and don't like that the Suunto system isn't a loop design. Once you get to the bottom of a menu, you have to scroll all the way to the top. Frustrating.

The touch screen is very large and easy to see, with touch functions working in cold and wet weather and with compatible gloves. We appreciate the combination of both a touch screen and dedicated buttons, though the screen does noticeably lag a bit. Many of our testers also thought the buttons were harder to press than others (not as reactive), especially when exercising. Overall, this is a nice watch, but other options are a bit higher quality, don't lag, and offer a much more natural user experience.

The integrated mobile app is pretty simple to use. When you open it, you immediately see the latest activities and stats for that month. You can go to the next icon and see a bigger overview of activities, and the next is your location and an associated map. You can also access a leaderboard where you add friends and ranks. There are several app options under “partner services,” including coaching apps, mapping apps, and more. The interface is clear and easy to use.

Accuracy

Accuracy is middle of the road for heart rate and excellent for GPS. During our tests, we took this watch on several backcountry adventures, including downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, and trail running. During all of the GPS activities, tracks were never further than 10 feet off our course, including around corners, with distances reported being 99.5% correct.

The heart rate monitor isn't as accurate as other models. This, we think, is primarily due to fit. On several bike rides, we noted breaks in heart rate (we wore two watches at one time, and other watches picked up these breaks). During our resting tests, the heart rate didn't deviate by much — only 3 - 5 bpm. When exercising, we felt like the readings were accurate as well. Overall, accuracy is good but not great as the fit of the watch is large and has a harder time picking up data.

Design

This watch is large, and unless you have a large wrist, you probably can find a better model. Still, the design is classic Suunto, and it's clearly made of premium materials. We do wish the screen was brighter in sunny conditions because readability suffered at times. We appreciate the dedicated buttons, although they felt a bit soft at times. This is not the thinnest model we tested, but it's far from thick.

Design is a very personal topic, so consider your style and preferences. Personally, we prefer hinge-style watch bands and thinner cases. It's hard to argue that the screen size doesn't look cool, though.

Value

Even at this reduced price, we cannot recommend this watch. The interface is lacking, the screen brightness is not up to par with the competition, and the battery life is not as good as Garmin or Coros. The design is heavier and arguably less premium. If you are a die-hard Suunto fan, don't let us deter you, but we think most of our readers will find better value elsewhere.

Conclusion

The Suunto 9 Baro has a large screen and a rugged beefy style. If you love Suunto products or this particular design, then we think you will have no problems with it. If you are in the market to spend every dollar as specifically as possible, we would suggest the Garmin Forerunner 955 at this price point. We are fans of Suunto's past models, but this one falls short for us, and we hope we can test a more well-rounded model in the future.