Suunto 9 Peak Pro is the latest sports watch released by the Finnish manufacturer. The Suunto brand is famous for its specialised equipment for activity enthusiasts. I’ve had the opportunity to test this new arrival over the last few weeks, so in this post I will tell you about my impressions after testing this smart wearable. If you’re thinking of buying the Suunto 9 Peak Pro, be sure to read my review first.

Design of the Suunto 9 Peak Pro sports watch

Let's start with the design. According to the Finnish manufacturer, the Suunto 9 Peak Pro is the most powerful and best performing GPS multisport watch ever created by the brand. And what can I say – indeed it is. I chose the Suunto 9 Peak Pro All Black for testing, as I found this model to be the most versatile. The case is just under 11 mm thick, so it looks good even on a thin woman's wrist. It fits snugly on the wrist and, surprisingly, is very comfortable to wear. It's so lightweight that you can even forget you’re wearing it on your wrist.

The screen is covered with a sapphire crystal. And it really does make a difference. I have already tested some sports watches and smartwatches, so I can confirm the durability of this type of crystal. Although I wore it practically 24/7 and hit the watch accidentally against some objects during my everyday activities and exercises, there were no scratches or cracks whatsoever. The model still looked like new. What’s more, I slept with the watch on my wrist all the time and nothing bad happened to neither me, nor the device. 

There are three buttons on the side of the case, which are intuitive to operate and are particularly convenient during exercising when you don't want to accidentally click something on the touchscreen.

Suunto 9 Peak Pro – outstanding battery life

How about the battery life? As the manufacturer says, the Suunto 9 Peak Pro features the most efficient battery of all sports watches of this size. It’s impossible to compare the model to all smart wearables available in the market, but the truth is that its battery is much more powerful than the battery of the Suunto 9 Peak. For example, if you work out three times a week with 24-hour tracking and enabled phone notifications, the watch will last about a week and a half without the need of enabling power-saving modes.

The fast charging works as expected – it only takes about an hour to fully charge the battery. This is convenient when you want to keep track of your health and physical activity at all times.

My opinion on the improvements made to the Suunto 9 Peak Pro

Several improvements were made to the Suunto 9 Peak Pro. Let’s start with a much better user interface. In fact, it runs very smoothly, without lagging. The time isn't difficult to read even when the screen is dimmed. I am not a design specialist, but as a user I can say that the menu is intuitive to use and looks aesthetically pleasing. I particularly liked the dial designed to look like handwriting. The messages have been simplified, the numerals are larger and the contrast is stronger than in the previous models. I have already told you about the superior battery. The durability of the device is confirmed by military standards. When it comes to GPS, the model is equipped with two additional navigation systems and can connect to as many as 32 satellites, which significantly improves accuracy. I don't run off-road at all, but after testing it on a walk in an urban setting, the difference is noticeable.

There are also two new sports modes: snorkelling and mermaiding. I haven’t had the opportunity to test them, but I am sure they will appeal to fans of water sports. The water resistance of the watch is 100 metres, which means you can go underwater to a depth of 10 metres with a watch on without fear of damage. Also, you don’t have to take the watch off when taking a shower, which is extremely convenient.

I am also pleased with the brand's eco-friendly approach. Each Suunto 9 Peak Pro watch is made using 100% renewable energy. In addition, the company has done a Life Cycle Assessment to calculate the amount of CO2e emissions one watch creates during its lifespan. The brand compensates for these emissions with Verified Carbon Units via Tree-Nation. The compensation is done in a reforestation project in Southern Africa that plants trees, protects biodiversity and supports local communities in creating sustainable livelihoods. It is heartening to see that things are finally starting to change in the watch industry too. 

Sports functions of the Suunto 9 Peak Pro

I am not a professional athlete, but I do sport three or four times a week to stay fit and feel good. I usually do yoga. Sometimes I work out at the gym. I also enjoy long walks. That’s why I was mainly interested in checking out these functions. And I was given lots of information about my activity. In addition to the duration of activity and calories burned, the Suunto 9 Peak Pro also shows the time it takes to recover, TSS (it tells you how hard your workout was), EPOC (an indicator of exercise intensity; it tells you how long it will take to fully recover), and PTE (it tells you what impact a workout has had on your overall aerobic fitness). There are plenty of modes to choose from, appropriate to any activity you can think of. You can also add your own suggestions.

How do the health features of the Suunto 9 Peak Pro work?

I am particularly impressed with accurate sleep tracking. It precisely corresponded to my mood after getting up. The watch indicates the duration of rest, displays how much deep sleep I got, shows my heart rate, saturation and the number of awakenings. It also assesses sleep quality. What I found really useful was the measurement of heart rate and blood oxygenation as well as the post-workout recovery guidance.

My rating of the Suunto 9 Peak Pro

The Suunto 9 Peak Pro is a really solid sports watch that reinforces my good opinion of the Finnish brand. The model is carefully made. The aesthetic design goes hand in hand with great functionality. That’s why I am sure the watch will please many athletes. I really like the fact that the brand is totally transparent about its policy regarding the carbon footprint. The comprehensive data on sports performance and automatic updates make things even better. All Suunto fans who want to take the quality of their training to an even higher level should be satisfied just as I am!