Suunto Suunto 9 Baro for Sale, Reviews, Deals and Guides

9.7
out of 10
18 Positive, 0 Mixed & 0 Negative
from 18 Reviews
Retail Price:
$424.00
Used Value:
$254.40
Sale Value:
$381.60

You're about 12 miles into your long run and wouldn't you know it, your watch has decided it's about to die here on top of this mountain. To prevent your 20+ mile day from becoming a ?+ mile day, there's the all new Suunto 9 Baro. Designed to balance battery saving and accurate GPS tracking, this watch is an invaluable tool for the dedicate long-distance athlete.

With three distinct battery modes, you can be reassured of long lasting performance when you head out on the trail. You've got 25 hours of battery life with Performance mode, 40 with Endurance, and up to 120 hours with Ultra mode. The Suunto 9 also sends you smart reminders based on your activity history to ensure that you're always charged up for your next run. If you do find yourself out in the backcountry with low juice, the watch will automatically suggest switching to a different training mode to conserve battery life.

One of the biggest problems with ultra athletes and GPS watches is battery life. On longer runs, GPS frequency is often reduced in order to preserve battery life, which may lead to a less accurate reading, especially on technical trails and tight switchbacks. Suunto's response to this problem is their FusedTrack algorithm. FusedTrack fills in the gaps of waning GPS signals with motion sensor data, ensuring both a more accurate reading and a prolonged battery life, so you can feel comfortable heading out for hours at a time.

Of course, extended battery life is only so great if there are features worth keeping charged, and with the Suunto 9 there certainly are. You've got a built-in heart rate monitor in the wrist to help you monitor your body's performance during speed workouts and high-altitude runs. Speaking of altitude, this watch has a FusedAlti altitude tracker that works similarly to FusedTrack, combining GPS and barometric altitude for a more accurate reading. Weather tracking gives you temperature readings and storm warnings, while speed tracking, plenty of log storage, and over 80 sport modes help you monitor work outs of all kinds. The new Outdoor watch face displays atmospheric and compass data, so you can keep your bearings through tough sections.

Finally, it wouldn't be a good performance watch if the watch itself wasn't tough. A durable sapphire crystal face stands up to scratches and trail abrasions, while a silicone strap stays comfortable and offers a secure grip. For rainy weather and pool running you've got 100m water resistance ensuring you can log an accurate workout in the water.

Specifications

Brand:
Alarms:
one
Backlight:
LED
Barometer:
FusedAlti
Battery Life:
[time mode] 7 days, [24/7 tracking] 7 days, [training mode with GPS] 25h (performance), 40h (endurance), 120h (ultra)
Battery Type:
rechargeable lithium-ion
Claimed Weight:
2.86oz
Date Indicator:
yes
Dual Times:
yes
Face Material:
sapphiire crystal
Face Size:
50mm
Housing Material:
glass fibre reinforced polyamide
Includes:
USb cable, Quick Guide
Low Battery Indicator:
intelligent charge reminders, percentage/icon
Manufacturer Warranty:
2 years
Movement:
digital
Odometer:
GPS
Operating System:
works with Suunto App (free in App Store and Google Play)
Pedometer:
yes
Recommended Use:
casual, hiking, running, swimming, biking
Strap Material:
silicone
Submersible:
100m
Technical Features:
GPS, heart rate monitor, weather functions

Full Reviews

8
I’ve had it for 30 days now... Battery life is as good or better than they claim Love the look Functions on watch and app are super easy to use Love all of the sports modes. Accurate GPS tracking I know this is not a smart watch but, I just wish it had 2 smart features. Music & a Digital wallet. I wear it every day and love it, but if it just had those 2 features it would be perfect.
Shane B., backcountry.com
October 3, 2020
8
I bought the Sunnto 9 Baro this year, primarily for navigation during backpacking trips, as I really didn't want to get lost, and its long lasting battery and the modes that allow it to go forever. The battery, just in its default mode, seems to last about 4 days for me, which is fantastic. Throw it in one of its performance modes while you're using its GPS, and it'll last forever. It terms of battery life, the Sunnto 9 Baro performs fantastically. In terms of GPS tracking, it's okay. The accuracy is questionable. I've hit the same trail multiple times, and it appears to be changing its length each time? It's generally different by at most a tenth of a mile each time, but for the same trail and route, it should be the same, and it isn't. It is recommended to use the Suunto App on your phone to optimize the GPS, which I did countless times, but still, there's always variation in distance. You also have to wait a bit before actually using the watch on an exercise like hiking for the GPS to kick in and kind of be accurate. Sometimes this is seconds long, and sometimes it is minutes long, and it is rather annoying to hold up everyone as your sitting there waiting for your watch to be good to go. If you don't wait, your tracking will be wildly off, especially if you have the same start and end point. The GPS affects navigation of course, and on this end, it's again, okay. You have to input routes into the watch, which you can create manually using the Suunto App or download them from All Trails, like I did, and send them to the Suunto App. I did have my watch desync with my phone once, and upon that occurring, it nuked all the routes in the watch, which made me extremely angry, so just be aware that that can occur. However, once you have a route in the watch via the Suunto App, it works fairly well, depending on how good your route is and how accurate the GPS tracking is at the moment. I had a backpacking trip where it was spot on, and it was good to know how much further it was to our destination, and the elevation increase ahead of us. When it works, it works great. It will also warn you when you go off track. On another backpacking trip, I had this going off all the time when I was on the right trail and not really doing anything wild. That could be a combination of the GPS tracking being off and the route I had in the watch not being incredibly accurate, but it was extremely annoying for the thing to be buzzing that I was off track when I wasn't. You're at the mercy of the route you put into the thing, but if you've already used the watch on that trail, you can reuse what it tracked as a route for better accuracy. In terms of actually navigating not using a route, it's a joke. You can save GPS coordinates of certain things, called POIs, but if you want to navigate to them, all you get is an arrow pointing in the direction of the POI. When I moved my watch into an orientation to actually see the screen and in front of me, this arrow would always be pointing in a wildly wrong direction. Also, it doesn't have maps, so you're in the black void of space, trying to figure out how to get to the POI. Garmin watches do have maps, but also cost twice as much. The last thing I'll mention is durability, which is pretty solid. This is a massive watch, and I'm not use to a watch this big, and I've banged it on the edges of everything. I would recommend getting the titanium version, but it's held up really well. I've also swam with it, and jumped into a lake with it, and it has came out like nothing happened. Great waterproofing. It also has sapphire glass, because if it didn't, it would be a joke and I would mock Suunto for not having it there, like Garmin using Gorilla glass on some of its watches because they live in fantasy land. It also has a touch screen that works great and is very nice to have. GPS watches aren't perfectly accurate yet, but the Suunto 9 Baro did good enough this year, and over time I've learned to love it.
Regan Fencl, backcountry.com
September 20, 2020
10
Suunto 9 baro did a great job for the past 12 months and I've put it through 2200KMs on the trails in the Pacific North West. Always reliable, accurate and works well with the navigation breadcrumb feature. Battery life is the most impressive part of the watch. After running 50k/7hours on the trails it still has 70% battery life left.
Goran A., backcountry.com
May 5, 2020
8
I took this on a two-week backcountry trek with a guy who had a new Garmin Fenix. My battery held up better than his, but his watch appeared to have more features that the Suunto and our elevations were consistently off. His watch showed about 400 ft higher than me and in looking at the map, his was more accurate. Also, I am still having a hard time getting the Suunto app to sync with Strava.
John Bell, backcountry.com
June 30, 2019
10
The Suunto 9 is the only watch you need and the battery lasts as long as you'll need. That is kind of it in a nutshell. I am not a techy person and this watch is very easy to use. It is unbeatable to be able to easily change from short heart rate training sessions to super long, multi day ultra runs all in one watch. On top of that to have a few more adjustments to make the battery last even longer without having to be a tech savy person. As a Suunto Athlete Ambassador I am psyched to have gotten this watch for free to try, as I can say the changes they have made to it from the previous models are fully worth upgrading as a consumer.
Meg K., backcountry.com
September 24, 2018
10
I am a long time user of Suunto watches, and am very happy with the latest evolution of their pinnacle watch. The biggest improvement with this watch over previous is the battery life. I recently used the watch for a 220 mile race in Italy and still had 30% battery life after 85 hours of use. I did use some of the less accurate gps settings, but it was still right on what the race advertised for distance and vert. Another feature that I have found particularly useful with this watch is the sleep and sleep HR tracking. This is a very powerful training tool to track the time spent recovering and to monitor resting HR status as a way to keep out of the trough of overtraining. The watch is a fully featured gps watch with all of the things you would expect with a watch of this quality. I find the user interface very intuitive and easy to use. One thing I do not love is the optical HR while running, but it connects to the Suunto HR chest strap for the times when very accurate HR data is needed, Full disclosure, I am an ambassador for Suunto and was provided the watch as part of that program. Regardless of the relationship that I have with them, I am so stoked on this watch and how it is working for me.
Luke Nelson, backcountry.com
September 17, 2018
10
I have been using the Suunto 9 on a daily basis for training and for my races for almost 3 months. I received the watch for free for being a SUUNTO ambassador, I am on the Suunto Pro Team as an ultrarunner athlete. I ran three of the biggest and hardest races is in Canada this summer and had the opportunity to test the Suunto 9 at each race. I have been using Suunto gps watches for three years. I have used the Ambit 3 Peak, Suunto Spartan Ultra, Suunto Spartan Sport HR and Suunto Vertical. I have run many Ultramarathons where my gps battery does not last the duration of the run, so I re-charge it on the fly. Running with a charging cable and charging box is kind of a hassle during 100 mile race. I was happy to learn the Suunto 9 was designed specifically with ultrarunners in mind: designed to last for 120 hours with GPS on. My first race of the summer was Sinister 7 100 mile in Crowsnest Pass, Alberta, Canada. I wore the Suunto 9 on my right wrist and the Suunto Spartan Ultra on my left wrist. I wanted to compare data between the two watches at the end of the race. I also wanted a backup just in case the Suunto 9 had a glitch. I ran almost 28 hours at Sinister 7. I set the Suunto 9 to ultra mode (longest battery life). On this mode you’re not able to see the watch screen unless you tap the touch screen. So I was actually happy to have the Spartan ULTRA on my left wrist to see what time it was. Needless to say after almost 28 hours, there were no glitches, The Suunto 9 had 21% battery life left. Total gamechanger! Finally a gps watch that will outlast my legs and my races!! I am a believer in the Suunto 9. I am surprised the price point is less on the Suunto 9 then on the spartan ultra considering it has better battery life and some different improved features. My next race was the 125km Canadian Death race in grand cache, Alberta. I trusted in the Suunto 9 and only wore that watch for my race. I set my Suunto on endurance mode which is the middle setting because I knew I was going to be running less than 24 hours. The race took me 23 hours and two minutes. I ended on 11% battery life. The cool thing is about the Suunto 9 is It will alert you if your battery is starting to die and then you can switch the mode to ULTRA setting and have the watch last you much longer. I did not use a heart rate strap or the built in wrist heart rate at these races. If I do use HR, I prefer using the HR strap because it is more accurate to use the classic HR strap than the wrist HR for running. I was impressed with the accuracy of the vertical gain and distance data from performance mode setting. My last race was the Blackspur 108km in Kimberley, BC Canada. I set my Suunto 9 on the middle battery setting Performance Mode. The race took me 21 hours. I ended with 18% battery life. The distance and vertical gain was accurate. I did use trekking poles for Blackspur, Canadian Death Race and Sinister 7 and I believe the data is a little different when using poles on Ultra mode versus not using poles because of the arm swing. I love many of the features of the Suunto 9 including sleep tracking which tells you how long you slept and how much deep sleep you got. It is super accurate. I also like seeing your resting heart rate tracking when you are sleeping. It gives you a 24 hr average. The Suunto 9 has this storm alarm based on barometer. If the sea level air pressure drops fast enough it will sound an alarm, so you know a storm is coming. The storm alarm did go off at my Blackspur 108K - and within 20 minutes it started to rain. You do not need to charge the Suunto9 very often. When the Battery does drop, the watch will alert you and ask if you are training soon and tell you to re-charge. I also do a lot of mountain biking, road biking and swimming with the Suunto 9. I am 100% happy with it for all of my activities. The Suunto 9 baro is the best GPS watch for UltraRunning, endurance adventures and long or multi day events. The Suunto 9 is my favorite Suunto now. It is reliable, accurate with amazing battery life!!
Michelle Barton, backcountry.com
September 13, 2018
10
I've been using the Suunto 9 for a few months now and have been very impressed with its customizable functions as well as its long-lasting battery. I do events up to 24 hrs in duration and I enjoy knowing that I ahve a watch that can accurately track everything Im doing during that time with ample battery to spare. Also, I enjoy setting the watch up on the Suunto Movescount platform to show the fields specific to what I care about in my training. Whether Im doing intervals, navigating through mountainous terrain, or trying to hit a certain HR zone, the 9 is a good tool for the job. Please note that I did receive the Suunto 9 for free as a Suunto Ambassador.
Michael F, backcountry.com
September 12, 2018
10
I have been using the watch for the past 3 months. I love running multi-days events, be it rogaines or very long trail running races and so I was particularly excited by Suunto developing the new cool FusedTrack feature in this watch! FusedTrack allows a huge increase in battery life while still providing an accurate track recording of the activity thanks to the smart use of the accelerometer data in between the spaced gps fixes collected. For me, this is a real killer feature as I was able to record my full Last One Standing race in Ireland (49h) and finished the race with 12% battery life left, with no need of carrying any additional system to charge on the go, really impressing. The look and feel of the watch is great which is a nice bonus ;) Note that I accepted to test this watch free of charge as a Suunto Ambassador on the condition that I could provide an honest review.
Guillaume Calmettes, backcountry.com
September 7, 2018
10
I've been loving the Suunto 9. The product features and usability are great but what really counts on this model is the battery life. That makes all the difference to me in a quality wrist computer. Everything else has been working great. Custom sport modes, syncing, button feel, touch screen are all performing great and I really like this model. My old standy-by rock was the Ambit3 Peak and this has finally replaced that (though that one is still going strong). Something not even the Spartan Ultra could do. I'd highly recommend the 9 as a good solid upgrade.
Max King, backcountry.com
September 5, 2018
10
Out of the box, this watch is very user-friendly and also looks great while wearing. The GPS catches quickly and the syncing over to MovesCount is easy and seamless. I usually use a chest strap for HR, and the Suunto 9 has zero issue picking up that signal immediately. I also appreciate the different sports settings...and last but not least: THE BATTERY LIFE. It's really great. Would highly recommend this watch!
Mary Johnson, backcountry.com
September 2, 2018
10
The Suunto 9 is a very impressive, multi-purpose high end sports watch. I just recently switched over to using the Suunto line of products, and the watch and the apps are quite sleek and nice. That said, there’s definitely also a learning curve, and I’ve found that the best way to learn features is often to explore the watch and the website with curiosity. Even now after over a month, I doubt I know how to use all the features, especially the post-workout analysis on Movescount – but there’s a lot of cool stuff to dig into! Overall I’d highly recommend it – excellent battery life, attractive display, detailed web-based analysis of training, etc. The Suunto 9 looks great, I’ve gotten quite a few compliments that it’s attractive, even though it’s fairly big on my wrist. It also has a comfortable wrist band, and is much more comfortable to wear than my previous sports watch – this is handy if you ever want to track your sleep, which does require wearing the watch during the night. It’s possible to change the watch face display to several different variations, and as I travel I really like the mode where I can see my current time as well as the time of day where I came from. The one complaint I have related to the appearance is that the screen catches quite a glare in the sun outside, so it can be difficult to see the display. It’s also a little hard to take a picture of the display, but if you change the angle you can usually find something that works, for that mid-workout progress update! It took me a little while to find the way, through Movescounts, to change the training display for each type of session; once I did so, it’s great to be able to customize to see workout duration, time of day, heart rate, interval time, or any other possible metric in simple combinations on your wrist. Battery life is really excellent. It can go so many workouts without charging, and it’s great to be able to switch battery modes during a workout, in case you did forget to top off the charge. The charging cable is magnetically attached and doesn’t have to plug into a port, it just connects some metal prongs to the back of the watch. It seems much more reliable than some systems that have to plug in, where there’s a risk that the port will get dirt encrusted from wearing the watch. Probably one of the main areas where I’ve noticed a difference between the Suunto 9 and my friends’ other-brand watches is in acquiring satellite and heart rate signals – I just have to select the workout type and it’s all ready to go right away, maybe a 1 second delay! Other people meanwhile are waiting at the start of the workout to acquire satellites or heart rate. Suunto currently has two apps I think, the Suunto app and the Movescount platform… this distinction is a little bit confusing to me, but I’ve heard that they’ll be improving the functionality of the Suunto app soon. For now, the Movescount app and web platform is a great way to look at past training sessions, evaluating day by day or month by month, looking at maps, speed, and heart rate metrics as needed for my pursuit of elite athletics. Durability of the watch itself is excellent – the screen is impeccable after 2 months now of constant wear, just have to wipe it with a cloth occasionally, like a sunglass lens. The buttons are made of metal, and in the black color they’re showing a tiny bit of wear down to the silver metal beneath, which makes them look even better and shows the quality. The band is in great shape, just like new even after having been washed off from plenty of dirty runs and bike rides, and I believe the band is easily replaceable if there are problems. Definitely a great watch – lots of pros, very few cons. Note that I did receive this Suunto 9 free as an athlete ambassador – it has a high price tag, but if you’re going to spend the big money on a high-end, gps-tracking heart rate watch, I’d highly recommend you consider this one.
enduranceCaitlin, backcountry.com
September 1, 2018
10
Over the past decade, I have owned over 20 different GPS watches. This Suunto 9 trumps them all with the best battery life of any GPS watch I have ever used. I had been using the Suunto Spartan Ultra for the past 2 years which was a good watch that continued to get better with software updates But I always wanted more battery. I can't wait to see what future updates will unlock? If battery Life is important to you this is the watch to get. I received the watch for free as part of the Suunto Ambassitor program
tea2496798, backcountry.com
August 28, 2018
10
The customizable battery life according to the length of the adventure is sweet. I'm an ultra runner and run 100 milers and do long mountain adventures, sometimes multi-day. Having a GPS watch actually last the entire event so I can capture the data is great. Plus, all the customizable sport settings makes it easy when I sync with Strava. I also love the different watch faces for casual. Great design.
Jeffrey B., backcountry.com
August 27, 2018
10
The Suunto 9 has combined everything I liked about my previous Suunto watches into one complete package. I prefer Suunto's design approach: Provide a watch that gives you the accurate data you need in a great looking package and maximizing usage by offering the best battery life of any watch on the market. Being able to choose from 3 battery life settings and option to customize gives you the ultimate flexibility between battery life, and high quality data. Fused Track and Fused Alti do an amazing job giving high fidelity speed/altitude even when operating with less data points in the battery saving modes. For my 2 week trip to Europe in June, this really helped extend the life so I didn't have to worry about charging while on the road. The Suunto watches undeniably have excellent style as well. They may not be able to play music or pay at the cash register, but for the serious athlete the Suunto 9 is by far the best choice. *Note: I received this watch free of charge as a Suunto Ambassador.
Michael Nunez, backcountry.com
August 27, 2018
10
The best thing about the Suunto 9 is the battery life. It can last 120 hours and gives you the option to change the battery mode during an activity. That means you can do a double Ironman with one watch! I love that the wrist heart rate works during the swim function. Suunto is really stepping up the new technology. I have tried 6 watches of various brands over the last 6 years, and the Suunto 9 is by far my favorite for a multi-sport triathlete. *Note: I received this watch free of charge as a Suunto Ambassador.
Jillienne Sanders, backcountry.com
August 27, 2018
10
Where competitor watches focus on bells and whistles, the Suunto 9 focuses on the key elements that really matter: battery life, accuracy, functionality. The ability to select what mode you want for battery usage is key, with GPS tracking functionality for up to 120 hours. Nothing on the market even comes close to comparing. You sacrifice some accuracy in that setting, but the "Performance" setting tracks everything and is extremely accurate while still delivering 24 hours of tracking, that's still a huge number even on its own! The build is exceptional. Sleek and lightweight but strong and durable. The touchscreen is easy to use and responsive and the navigation easy and intuitive. I've used a number of GPS watches from a few different brands and the Suunto 9 has been hands-down my favorite watch. I feel confident I can track my runs at any distance for any length and get accurate feedback all from a super solidly built watch. I would, and do, highly recommend the Suunto 9! *Note: I received this watch free of charge as a Suunto Ambassador.
Landon Faulkner, backcountry.com
August 27, 2018
10
As a Suunto Pro team member that spends a lot of hours in the mountains, it's important for me to have a tool that can last a long time. The improved battery life in this Suunto 9 puts it in a class of its own. The various battery life modes from 25-120 hours, help auto adjust certain settings that effect the battery life, making it really easy to get the best performance out of your watch for the time that you need. I also like to train by heart rate when accumulating a lot of vertical gain to monitor my efforts appropriately. I used to have to be very strategic when I would use my Spartan Sport HR Baro or my Spartan Ultra. Now in the Suunto 9, I have an accurate wrist based HR watch with unparalleled battery life that keeps me training smart in the mountains for a long time!
Cole W., backcountry.com
August 27, 2018

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