Details
Brand
Suunto
Model
Spartan Sport
Battery Life
8-12 hours
Use
Tracking
Latest Version
Yes
Key Features
• Touch screen face• Integration with the Suunto App• GPS distance tracking• Well integrated with smartphone• Stylish design
Comfort
The Suunto Spartan Sport is pretty good in the comfort department. The weight doesn’t do too much to help it, as it can’t really be considered lightweight. The weight definitely doesn’t hurt though either, as it can be pretty comfortably be labeled as average for weight. The band is silicone, which is a pretty comfortable material in and of itself. This is because it is pretty light, and doesn’t feel too cumbersome on the skin. It additionally is not affected by water and does not get soggy, another positive feature for comfort. The size of the face is pretty decent for comfort too, being not too large or too small.
Size
s Available;The actual face of the Suunto Spartan Sport itself is available only in the original size, weighing in at about 75 grams. This is probably too heavy to be considered lightweight, but is not overly heavy by any stretch. The silicone band is replaceable however should it prove to be too short or too long for some wrists. The size overall is pretty average for the watch.
Accessories
The Suunto Spartan Sport does not really offer any specific accessories that are exclusively designed for it. The general range of accessories for watches can be found for the Suunto Spartan Sport however. For example, the band can be replaced. Heart rate straps are also usable with the watch, and can be purchased as an extra tool.
Style
Stylistically, the Suunto Spartan Sport is actually a pretty good watch. The Spartan Sport has a very clean and sleek design that is frequently seen in smart watches. Its colors are a bit more discreet, rather than bright and eye popping like some running watches tend to be. The face is very clean, but is a bit large for everyday use. This is to be expected of higher end sport watches however, and is not too big of a surprise. The band is sleek and doesn’t look clunky. Overall, the Spartan Sport is pretty stylish, and for some who don’t mind face, could be used as an everyday watch as well.
Activities
The Suunto Spartan Sport is a multisport watch, which is great for those who like to juggle or switch between different activities frequently. The watch doesn’t particularly focus on one activity or another, but is pretty well optimized for mainly running, biking, and swimming. Apart from these sports, the watch is also usable for activities like hiking or skiing, or at any time one wishes to record heart rate. Finally, the watch is usable as a traditional watch for day to day use.
Basic Features
The Suunto Spartan Sport is a multisport watch, which is great for those who like to juggle or switch between different activities frequently. The watch doesn’t particularly focus on one activity or another, but is pretty well optimized for mainly running, biking, and swimming. Apart from these sports, the watch is also usable for activities like hiking or skiing, or at any time one wishes to record heart rate. Finally, the watch is usable as a traditional watch for day to day use.
Advanced Features
There are a lot of useful and interesting advanced features in the Suunto Spartan Sport that contribute to an overall better running experience.;The Suunto Spartan Sport also offers integration with Suunto’s Movescount app. This app shows a pretty standard layout of information regarding your activities, including things like lap pace, distance, calories, and heart rate. The interface is quite clean and well put together. A very useful feature of this app however is the heat map, which show popular routes taken for all sports supported by the watch. This is really handy for finding new areas to run, particularly when visiting a new area for the first time.;Another handy feature related to smartphone integration is the ability to see push notifications from the watch itself. This is great for those who don’t like to whip out their phone in the middle of workouts, but still want to be updated.
Connectivity
The Suunto Spartan Sport connects to phones via bluetooth, and syncs data through the Movescount app. This is a pretty standard process, and those who have dealt with a sports watch or smart watch shouldn’t have any trouble with this, as it is a fairly painless process. The watch also can connect to computers to view the more advanced sets of data available on the Suunto website via bluetooth once again or a USB cable.
Ease of Use
Ease of use is a pretty strong aspect of the Suunto Spartan Sport. The general sport watch features should be very easy to use for those who have used any running watches before. Starting and stopping runs, looking at distance and pace, and lapping are all fairly straightforward. Even those who have not used a running watch before shouldn’t have too much trouble with this. The more advanced features might prove more difficult for some who have not had experience with them however. Things like syncing to the phone app, customizing settings, setting workout reminders, or creating custom sports are not terribly difficult to do, but definitely take some time to understand, especially if one has not done it before. Overall however, the watch is fairly user friendly, and there shouldn’t be too many issues with it.
Power Source
The battery is one of the stronger points of the Suunto Spartan Sport. The battery is projected to last about 16 hours in training mode, which is quite long in comparison to other sport watches. Additionally, the watch lasts about 10 days in regular time mode. What this means is that one doesn’t have to worry as much about charging the Spartan Sport every single day. Using certain features of the watch will wear out the battery faster however, such as the backlight, so this is something to keep in mind. Overall though, the battery life of the Spartan Sport is pretty strong.
Accuracy
When it comes to accuracy, most measurements in the Suunto Spartan Sport are spot on, though it is not without some issues. When it comes to the most base measurements, such as time and lap keeping, there are, of course, no issues at all. The GPS tracking is also pretty accurate, and distance and pace stats are also accurate consequently. The main piece of the watch that has contention regarding accuracy is the heart rate measurements. Non strap measured heart rate readings are generally a bit more prone to error, and this is true of the Suunto Spartan Sport’s heart rate measuring as well. Users tend to see mixed results with it, though for most, the results will not stray too horribly from the correct numbers.
Face
The face of the Spartan Sport is pretty nice. It boasts a touch color screen, and is a decent size while not being overly large. The screen also has a backlight of course, for use at night or in dimly lit areas. The face of the Spartan Sport is not super heavy either, also falling in the pretty average smartwatch and running watch range. The face overall is nice in that it doesn’t feel overly heavy, but still provides a clean interface and is easily viewable.
Band
The Suunto Spartan Sport has a band made of silicone. This is an extremely popular choice for watch bands, even out of the smartwatch world. Silicone is lightweight, and also does not feel overly imposing on the skin, which is nice, as uncomfortable bands are particularly grating on longer runs. Silicone also has the advantage of being water resistant, so you don’t have to worry about excessive sweat, or the watch getting splashed by anything. The band is 22 mm long, though it is replaceable should one need a shorter or longer band. Overall, the RunIQ’s band is pretty standard though it is definitely effective, and there are not too many negatives to it.
Apps
The Movescount app by Suunto is the primary app the watch is designed to integrate with. The Movescount app is a pretty good hub of information, and displays pretty much all information that is to be expected. This includes activity distances, paces, time, calories, and the route taken. Some settings are also customizable through here as well.;The watch is compatible with pretty much the standard suite of running and athletic apps as well, including apps like MapMyFitness, or Training Peaks.
Sizes Available
The actual face of the Suunto Spartan Sport itself is available only in the original size, weighing in at about 75 grams. This is probably too heavy to be considered lightweight, but is not overly heavy by any stretch. The silicone band is replaceable however should it prove to be too short or too long for some wrists. The size overall is pretty average for the watch.
Durability
Durability is pretty strong in the Suunto Spartan Sport. One would expect the watch to be fairly durable, considering it is designed for a multitude of sports, and it follows through with that for sure. The entire watch is waterproof up to 100 meters, so there is no need to worry about getting the watch wet at all. The face is also pretty resistant to drops and abrasions, though the touch screen holds it back a tiny bit and adds some fragility that is not found in non touch screen faces. The band is pretty standard and pretty resistant to general wear and tear, being silicone, so not too many issues should arise here.
Price
The Suunto Spartan Sport can be purchased for about 400 dollars from the Suunto website itself. It can likely be found for a bit of a lower price elsewhere however. 400 dollars definitely on the higher end for watches, though the Suunto Spartan Sport could probably be classified a higher end watch as it is. The features offered by the watch are enough to justify the price tag, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is still a lot of money. Those who are seeking a more advanced watch might find the Spartan Sport’s price a good deal, but those looking for a more beginner oriented watch might have trouble with the cost.
Bottom Line
Overall, the Suunto Spartan Sport is a pretty good multisport watch. The features offered are quite useful for the watch’s purpose. It offers the standard range of running watch features, like GPS distance tracking and time and lap tracking, but extends into multisport territory as well. The watch also is quite stylish, and its design is pretty much suitable for everyday use. The price point of the Spartan Sport is also pretty good for what is offered, though it definitely on the higher end for watches. The Suunto Spartan Sport is an overall solid watch, that is perfect for those seeking a decently priced high end watch that offers multisport capability.
