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Never having owned a smar****ch before I have to admit that choosing one is pretty confusing.
I miss my Suunto Vector that leaked and now is full of green corrosion and mush.
A GPS watch that does all that the Vector did as well could be good for me. It needs a clear display, time, altitude and barometer, plus compass. And not too "roughty tuffty" looking. Black, and not chunky.
The Suunto 7 seems to fit the bill but some reviews suggest that it has poor battery life and connectivity issues. Garmin may be better, and I just don't know. So, in true STW style, WWSTW do?
I had a Suunto on test for a bit and had no connection issues with it. In fact it was a bunch easier than lots of Garmin devices can be.
battery life seemed fine for the times I used it, not really noticeably worse than my own Fenix 5, so a full charge is good for a week with a couple of 2hour-ish rides.
Go for a 5 or a 9, I think the 7 is android based which limits battery life - I get a couple weeks battery out of my 9 while using it for 6 hours if cycling a week...
As per thread title...maybe a Suunto 7...
I've got a Suunto 9 baro which replaced my old Suunto Spartan. Very pleased with it, very reliable, battery life is good and Suunto are constantly upgrading the software so there are loads of new features. It is a bit beefy but not too bad.
The Suunto 7 runs WearOS whereas the others do not. So if you want the smart watch features of WearOS, then it's a good choice as a proper smart watch and proper activity tracker. If you don't need the smart watch functionality (replying to messages, Google maps navigation, deleting emails etc) or don't have an Android phone to take full advantage of WearOS; I'd look at the other Suunto's and Garmin's.
I am a confirmed Android user but unsure if I need all the features that the 7 offers, esp. if it may cause a battery drain.
I have a Kiox on my bike that seems to be able to do some navigation stuff. Whether or not it is possible to link watch, phone and kiox I don't know, nor do I know if I need to.
I'm abroad at the moment so I'm going to take advantage of the duty free.
I don't know about Suunto, but the sapphire face of my Fenix 5X is unscratchable.
Not like the rest of the watch.
#stealthad, I have a Garmin Instinct in the classifieds.
Polar Grit
Thanks everyone, a local shop had a Suunto 7 in stock so I bought it. The Tax Free till was borked so I will have to get my money back at the airport.
My heart rate is currently 73 bpm, it's good to be reassured that I am still alive.