Suunto Vertical 2 Review (2026): Brilliant Battery, Better Screen, But Still Not a Garmin

Suunto Vertical 2 Review

The biggest change from the original Vertical is immediately obvious.

Suunto has replaced the old 1.4-inch MIP screen with a 1.5-inch LTPO AMOLED panel offering 466 × 466 resolution and up to 2,000 nits of brightness. Maps, workout screens and everyday menus consequently look far more modern.

The trade-off is size.

At nearly 49 mm across and 87 g in stainless steel, this is unapologetically a large adventure watch. OutdoorGearLab described it as one of the heavier watches in its test group, while Wareable also found the physical dimensions noticeable.

Build quality is appropriately premium, though. Sapphire crystal comes standard, with stainless-steel or titanium bezel options and 100 m water resistance.

GPS and Navigation

This is where the Vertical 2 earns its flagship status.

You get dual-band GNSS, downloadable offline maps, route navigation, breadcrumb navigation, POIs, altitude profiles, heatmaps and Climb Guidance. Maps can be stored in the watch’s 32 GB of storage.

Independent testing backs up the hardware.

OutdoorGearLab measured its test route within roughly 0.03 miles of a known two-mile distance, while another comparison found Suunto and Garmin recording almost identical run distances.

Suunto has also continued improving navigation after launch. Its July 2026 update added richer map labels, map-layer controls and increased route storage to 200 routes.

For hiking and trail running, navigation is easily one of the Vertical 2’s strongest arguments.

Battery Life

AMOLED watches normally force you to accept shorter battery life.

The Vertical 2 largely avoids that problem.

More importantly, OutdoorGearLab actually measured 66 hours of GPS use, slightly exceeding the advertised figure.

Wareable also reported exceptionally strong real-world endurance during hiking and running. Wareable

That’s a major achievement for a watch with a large AMOLED screen.

Heart Rate and Health Tracking

Suunto redesigned the optical heart-rate system for the Vertical 2, and the result appears substantially better than earlier generations.

OutdoorGearLab found a small 3–4 bpm lag early in workouts but reported excellent agreement once the sensor settled, with most readings staying within 5 bpm of its reference sensor.

Other testing has been less consistent. Frandroid reported weaker results, particularly during lower-intensity activity, while Gadgets & Wearables obtained close agreement with a Garmin once the watch was positioned securely.

Suunto itself has continued working on the issue: a January 2026 software update specifically listed significantly improved wrist-heart-rate accuracy.

For normal training, the sensor should be adequate. Athletes who rely heavily on precise HR zones should still consider pairing a chest strap.

Outdoor Features

The LED flashlight sounds minor until you actually think about outdoor use.

It can help when finding gear in a tent, starting a run before sunrise, navigating a dark trailhead or simply getting around without pulling out your phone.

Independent reviewers consistently highlighted it as one of the Vertical 2’s most useful additions.

You also get barometric altitude, compass, storm alerts, weather data, sunrise and sunset information, blood oxygen readings and more than 115 sport modes.

Smartwatch Features

This is the section that makes the Vertical 2 feel less complete. You can receive notifications, control music playing on your phone and—on Android—send predefined replies.

But you cannot store Spotify playlists or other music directly on the watch, and there is no contactless payment system, microphone or speaker.

That’s a meaningful difference if you’re comparing it with premium Garmin or Apple models. Suunto is first and foremost giving you a sports and adventure watch.

Suunto Vertical 2 vs Original Vertical

The Vertical 2 is not simply a minor refresh.

The downside is that solar charging disappears.

For someone happy with the original Vertical’s MIP display and solar battery, upgrading isn’t automatic. For someone who wants a brighter screen, flashlight and improved HR hardware, Vertical 2 is a much bigger jump.

Suunto Vertical 2 Alternatives

Garmin fēnix 9

Consider Garmin if you value deeper training analytics and richer smartwatch functionality alongside serious outdoor navigation.

Related Review: Garmin fēnix 9 Review: Brilliant Outdoor Watch, Difficult Upgrade

Suunto Race 2

Probably the most important alternative within Suunto’s own lineup. It shares much of the Vertical 2’s platform but costs less; Vertical 2 mainly justifies its premium through longer battery life, more rugged construction and the flashlight.

Suunto Run 2

For runners who don’t need expedition-grade battery or the Vertical’s rugged build, the much lighter Suunto Run 2 is worth considering.