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Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar Review

If your highest priorities are build quality and design, this watch comes through, but we wish it had a more user-friendly interface
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Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar Review
Credit: Matthew Richardson
Price:  $839 List
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Manufacturer:   Suunto
By Matthew Richardson ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Jul 3, 2024
78
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#7 of 16
  • Accuracy - 30% 8.5
  • Activity Use - 20% 8.0
  • Everyday Use - 15% 6.5
  • Extra Features - 15% 6.0
  • Wearability - 10% 9.5
  • Battery Life - 10% 8.5

Our Verdict

The physical design of the Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar is one of the best we've seen in a GPS watch. It offers a unique 49 mm case size, which we think is the perfect balance between screen size and on-the-wrist comfort. The mobile application is also exceptionally designed, even if it lacks some remote customization ability. We previously had complaints about the watch feeling slow, but we are happy to report that has been fixed! Suunto's craftsmanship is apparent just by looking at the Vertical, and this is one of our favorite watch designs. Compare it to other options in our review of the best GPS watches.
REASONS TO BUY
Durable
Great design
49mm case
Incredible battery life
REASONS TO AVOID
Minimal features
Expensive

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Awards  Top Pick Award
Best on Expedition
Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall GPS Watch
Best Buy Award
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Best Buy Award
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Bottom Line With excellent craftsmanship and quality, this watch is a great buy for someone looking for superb physical design, but the internals could be betterWith the best battery life and boosting solar charging this is one of the best for expedition or backcountry useThe 47mm case size offers great readability, and the slim design makes it feel featherweight on your wristGreat craftsmanship and design with an updated UI, menu, and AMOLED displayThis watch excels as an affordable GPS companion, offering value and dependable accuracy
Rating Categories Suunto Vertical Tit... Garmin Enduro 3 Garmin Forerunner 965 Suunto Race Coros Pace 3
Accuracy (30%)
8.5
9.3
9.3
9.3
9.0
Activity Use (20%)
8.0
9.5
8.0
8.5
7.5
Everyday Use (15%)
6.5
9.0
8.0
7.5
7.0
Extra Features (15%)
6.0
9.0
8.5
6.5
5.0
Wearability (10%)
9.5
9.3
9.0
9.5
7.5
Battery Life (10%)
8.5
10.0
5.1
6.3
5.4
Specs Suunto Vertical Tit... Garmin Enduro 3 Garmin Forerunner 965 Suunto Race Coros Pace 3
Measured Body Diameter 49.0 mm 47 mm 47.2 mm 49.0 mm 41.9 mm
Screen Type MIP MIP AMOLED AMOLED MIP
Measured Thickness 13.6 mm 17.5 mm 13.2 mm 13.3 mm 11.8 mm
Measured Battery Life with GPS 90 hours 120 hours 29 hours 50 hours 34 hours
Sensors Included Heart rate, altimeter, barometer, compass, blood oxygen level Heart rate, altimeter, barometer, compass, temperature, blood oxygen level Heart rate, altimeter, barometer, compass, temperature, blood oxygen level Heart rate, altimeter, barometer, compass, blood oxygen level Heart rate, altimeter, barometer, compass, blood oxygen level
Measured Charging Time 90 min 139 min 99 min 84 min 113 min
Measured Screen Width 35.5 mm 36 mm 35.4 mm 36.0 mm 31.0 mm
Measured Weight 2.70 oz 3.00 oz 1.90 oz 2.93 oz 1.50 oz
Battery Life Claims by Manufacturer In Time mode: 60 days - Solar: 1 year
24/7 Tracking and Mobile Notifications: 30 days - Solar: 60 days
Training mode with GPS:
60h / 90h /140h / 500h - Solar: 85h / 140h / 280h / 30d
Smartwatch: Up to 21 days/28 days with solar
Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 34 days/58 days with solar
GPS Only: Up to 67 hours/92 hours with solar
All Satellte Systems: Up to 48 hours/59 hours with solar
All Satellite Systems + Multi-band: Up to 37 hours/43 hours with solar
All Satellite Systems + Music: Up to 13 hours
Max Battery GPS: Up to 132 hours/283 hours with solar
Expedition GPS: Up to 34 days/58 days with solar
Smartwatch mode; Up to 23 days
GPS-Only mode without Music: 31 hours
In time mode: 26 days
With 24/7 Tracking and Mobile Notifications: 12 days
Training mode with GPS: 40h / 50h / 70h / 120h
Full GPS: 38 hours - 10 hours with music
All Systems On: 25 hours - 9 hours with music
Dual Frequency: 15 hours - 7 hours with music
Daily Use: 17 days - 15 days with daily stress monitors
Navigation Detailed, back to start Detailed, back to start Detailed, back to start Detailed, back to start Breadcrumb, back to start
Music Options Control, storage Control, storage Control, storage Control only Downloaded control, storage
Touchless Payment No Yes Yes No No
Sleep Tracking Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Water Resistance (Max Depth) 100m 100m 50m 100m 50m
Main Software App Suunto Garmin Connect Garmin Connect Suunto Coros App
Compatible with Other Software Ecosystems Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Watch Face Material Sapphire glass Power Sapphire Corning Gorilla Glass 3 DX Sapphire crystal Mineral Glass
Battery Type Rechargable lithium ion Rechargable lithium ion Rechargable lithium ion Rechargable lithium ion Rechargable lithium ion
Bezel Material Titanium Grade 5 Titanium Titanium Stainless steel Glass fiber reinforced polyamide
Case Material Glass fiber reinforced polyamide Fiber reinforced polymer with titanium rear cover Glass fiber reinforced polyamide Glass fiber reinforced polyamide Glass fiber reinforced polyamide
Strap Material Silicone Ultra light-weight elastic nylon hook and loop Silicone Silicone Silicone
Tools Required to Change Band No No No No No
Model Tested Titanium Standard Standard Stainless steel Standard
Size Tested One size only 51 mm One size only One size only One size only
Warranty Offered 2 year 1 year 1 year 2 year 2 year

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar is extremely well made, boasts incredible battery life, and offers great accuracy. Recent updates have improved the performance, making the model feel fast and snappy to use. 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 to contain all the latest bells and whistles, but if you need a dependable GPS watch, consider this model.

Performance Comparison


suunto vertical titanium solar - the suunto vertical titanium solar has one of the best physical...
The Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar has one of the best physical designs.
Credit: Matthew Richardson

Accuracy


To determine accuracy, we tested the GPS chipset and heart rate sensor carefully. For GPS accuracy, we compared the readings after taking the watch on a known 2.8-mile track to see how close it came. For heart rate accuracy, we ran with a watch on each wrist for 0.5 miles, using a Polar H10 chest strap—known for its scientific accuracy—as the benchmark. GPS testing was all conducted on the same day to keep weather conditions as similar as possible for each watch. For the heart rate tests, each watch was tightened to the same level to maintain a controlled fit. We then exported all data and matched the timestamps to provide a fair comparison between the chest strap and the wrist-worn devices.

The Suunto Vertical did great in both the HR and GPS testing. For heart rate, our data shows a difference of +/- 3.70 BPM. For GPS, the watch produced a difference of +/-0.08 miles, which was one of our most accurate models. If you need even greater accuracy, you can record with the multi-gnss function. We are confident in the Suunto platform and its sensors — if you need near-perfect accuracy, a chest-worn heart rate monitor is your best bet.

suunto vertical titanium solar - comparison of the vertical's heart rate sensor readings and our...
Comparison of the Vertical's heart rate sensor readings and our Polar H10 chest strap.
Credit: Matthew Richardson

Activity Usage


The Suunto Vertical excels during activities, providing everything you need to tackle a challenging route, expedition, or workout. The 49mm case size is perfect, in our opinion, adding slightly more screen real estate without fully stepping up to the largest 51 mm case. This allows the watch to feel easily readable and accepting of lots of data without feeling overly large or clunky. The sapphire glass is durable while offering solar charging for long days out in the sun.

The data screens are well-designed, and a host of modes and metrics are offered, which are easily customizable in the Suunto app. The app also can provide suggested routes, which can then be forwarded to your watch for easy access when you get to the trailhead. Navigation is easy to use either via the buttons or touch screen and offers detailed maps, breadcrumb tracks, and turn-by-turn navigation.

suunto vertical titanium solar - the suunto vertical is truly a beautiful watch.
The Suunto Vertical is truly a beautiful watch.
Credit: Matthew Richardson

Everyday Use


After extensive testing, we found the UI to become more intuitive than at first glance. Interaction on the Vertical Titanium Solar can be operated with the touchscreen or dedicated buttons. There are some weird instances, though, where the main central button operates differently in various apps and widgets. The UI inconsistencies took a bit to get used to. We prefer a dedicated back button and home button that remain the same no matter what screen you're on.

The Vertical provides a host of health metrics, like sleep, HR, and performance. These are useful for understanding your training and how well you are likely to perform. These can either be viewed in widgets on the watch or in the companion app. This app is one of our favorites and offers a great design and easy interaction. The ability to link your phone provides items like Find My Phone, remote music controls, and notifications. With tons of battery life, you should have no problem tracking your daily activities and health data for up to weeks at a time. Suunto continues to improve on this model with firmware updates and has come a long way since its first release. We are glad Suunto is committed to updates and it provides us confidence that they stand behind their products.

suunto vertical titanium solar
Credit: Matthew Richardson

Extra 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 may 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 we like not offered on the Vertical are contactless payments, actual flashlight, and red light mode. 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.

We'd recommend the Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar to users that find other brands' feature sets overwhelming. This watch offers simplicity which may be appealing to those who don't need a ton of excess widgets and health features.
Credit: Matthew Richardson

Wearability


By far, the greatest part of the Suunto Vertical is the design. We love the 49 mm 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.

We made sure to test each of our watches in a variety of conditions...
We made sure to test each of our watches in a variety of conditions and scenarios. Here we are in the Front Range getting some elevation gain. The Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar lived up to intense testing and was extremely durable with its titanium case.
The comfort and great fit of the Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar...
The comfort and great fit of the Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar makes the watch stay stationary on your wrist even on rough terrain, others tend to bounce around creating discomfort.
We love that this watch is made to be both beautiful and durable, and it has a secure fit that doesn't jostle around.

Battery Life


With 85+ hours of GPS tracking couple with 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 lower battery life, you don't have to wait any longer.

We hope this made your decision-making process easier regarding the Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar.
Credit: Matthew Richardson

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. There are other options that offer more features, but these often go unused. If you have a specific feature you are looking for, we'd recommend seeing if the Suunto Vertical offers it using their product page.

What Other GPS Watches Should You Consider?


At a slightly higher price point, the Garmin Fenix 8 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 equally fast software, this is a great option at a more attainable price point.

suunto vertical titanium solar - the vertical has a great design and is impressively durable.
The Vertical has a great design and is impressively durable.
Credit: Matthew Richardson

Matthew Richardson