The second generation Suunto 3 is a simple, elegant, versatile and comparatively affordable sports smartwatch with fitness functions that athletes and active people need for training, everyday life and when traveling. The smartwatch is produced by the manufacturer Suunto in Finland and has personalized, adaptive training instructions and holistic activity recording. The sports watch can be worn around the clock and records all activities and vital signs with pedometer, sleep quality, stress and recovery. The simple design of the sports watch is inspired by Nordic influences. We took a detailed look at the sports smartwatch in the Suunto 3 Gen. 2 test.

According to the manufacturer Suunto, this sports smartwatch is “Nordic by nature”: The Suunto 3 Gen. 2 has the typically simple, elegant Scandinavian design, which has become an export hit all over the world. There are now countless Sports Watches on the market - and a special, striking design of the wristwatch ensures a special recognition value. In addition to a stainless steel bezel, the case is made of innovative plastic materials that make it particularly light: it weighs just 36 grams Wearable.

But the strengths of the sports smartwatch lie on the inside: The Sports Watch features of the model are at a high level and can keep up with the range of functions of significantly more expensive models. The Suunto 3 Gen. 2 is significantly cheaper than many other series - depending on the retailer, the model only costs around 200 euros, which is comparatively cheap. In our Suunto 3 Gen. 2 test we looked at whether this investment is worth it.

Video – The Suunto 3 Gen. 2 in the test

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Model suitable for everyday use

The watch is a model suitable for everyday use that is clearly aimed at athletes and active people and can be worn during workouts as well as in everyday life, for example in the office. Central function of the Heart rate monitor Like many other fitness watches, heart rate measurement on the wrist uses Valencell technology, which forms the basis for many features. The central feature of the Suunto 3 Gen. 2 is the tracking of workouts such as Run, swimming and cycling, yoga, fitness, hiking and many other sports - a total of 70 different sports modes are available. Since it even supports activities such as hiking, the watch can also be counted as an outdoor watch.

In addition to heart rate measurement, wrist-based cadence measurement for measuring speed and distance during running activities (including indoors) is essential for tracking activities. In addition to these features, the most important features of the small and light Suunto smartwatch include the recording of calorie consumption, steps and lowest heart rate, sleep recording of sleep quality and bedtimes as well as the analysis of stress and recovery phases. We took a close look at the sports watch in the test.

Overview – the most important features and functions of the Suunto 3 Gen. 2

• The Suunto 3 Gen. 2 is a small and light sports smartwatch for a wide range of uses
• The highlights are the adaptive training instructions, the recovery monitor and the numerous pre-installed sports such as running, swimming, cycling and many others
• The most important features of the multisport watch at a glance
  • Matrix display with LED backlight
  • High-quality housing made of ABS plastic
  • Cover glass made of polyamide
  • Stainless steel bezel
  • Silicone strap – strap width 20mm
  • Heart rate measurement on the wrist with Valencell technology
  • Tracking workouts such as running, swimming and cycling, yoga, fitness, hiking and many more - a total of 70 different sports modes
  • Wrist-based cadence measurement to measure speed and distance during running activities (including indoors)
  • Record calories burned, steps and lowest heart rate
  • Sleep tracking of sleep quality and bedtimes
  • Analysis of stress and recovery phases
  • Battery life: 30 hours of training with GPS, up to ten days of time display
  • GPS tracking
  • 30 meters waterproof
  • Compatible with common, current smartphones
  • regular software updates of the smartwatch
  • Weight: 36 grams
  • Setup with Suunto app
  • Scope of delivery according to the manufacturer: Suunto 3 Gen. 2, USB cable, quick guide, warranty conditions
  • “Made in Finland”

My impression of the Suunto 3 Gen. 2 in the test

The Suunto 3 Gen. 2 has a surprise in store right from the start: it is small and compact, seems almost delicate and inconspicuous to me, while the heart rate monitor is light as a feather and you can hardly feel it on your wrist. At the same time, the little one does Uhr a valuable and elegant impression. Visually, the sports smartwatch looks smaller than it is. A comparison with a 44mm Apple Watch shows that the case is only slightly smaller at 43mm. The Suunto entry-level model is therefore just right for anyone who doesn't want to wear a huge chunk of sports watch on their wrist, as some outdoor watches in particular do.

Elegant wearable

The elegant wearable can also be easily worn in the office - for example with a costume or suit. However, you have to make compromises when it comes to the display: The Finnish manufacturer has not installed an AMOLED and the bezels, i.e. the black bars around the screen, are comparatively large. There is also no touchscreen. Compared to the also much more expensive Suunto 7 (test) Of course, the Suunto 3 Gen. 2 cannot keep up with the high-resolution AMOLED.

Pretty cheap for a sports watch

But it doesn't have to be, because some online retailers offer the gadget for under 150 euros, which is a fraction of the price you have to pay for many other sports smartwatches. Navigating through the menus, changing settings and starting the numerous pre-installed workouts works straight away. My first impression in my Suunto 3 Gen. 2 test is therefore clear:

The 3 series is ideal for everyone who would prefer not to wear a wristwatch or a thick smartwatch block and still doesn't want to miss out on important sports watch functions. Nobody really needs a sports watch more than the 3 Suunto, that was my thought after a day with the watch. Further down in our Suunto 3 Gen. 2 test we have identified all the strengths and weaknesses of the sports smartwatch.

Who is the Suunto 3 Gen for? 2 suitable?

The Suunto 3 Gen. 2 is small and light, almost inconspicuous Smartwatch, which prefers to shine with inner values ​​and understatement rather than being big and conspicuous on the wrist. Balance is the key word. The sports watch and its wearer have something in common: they have a certain balance within them - the Suunto 3 therefore supports the user in maintaining the balance between activities and rest periods.

For this reason, the smartwatch has been specially designed to be worn at night. The recovery phase during sleep has a significant influence on how productive we are during the day. The sleep summary shows the duration of sleep and the quality of sleep. Because only those who recharge their batteries at night have the power for new adventures and activities during the day.

Even though the Suunto 3 is in many respects a multisport watch, this model is also designed as a smartwatch that can be worn not only all day, every day, but also at night. For this reason the sporty Smartwatch on the road and a reliable assistant for all outdoor activities. The 70 sports modes include numerous outdoor sports such as cycling and hiking, so the watch definitely has a right to exist in this area too - even though it lacks some important functions of large and expensive outdoor smartwatches.

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Strengths and weaknesses of the Suunto 3 gen. 2 in the test

In my Suunto 3 Gen. 2 test, the sports smartwatch showed many strengths and also some weaknesses. While on the one hand there are many advantages, there is still room for improvement in future versions. What convinced me was the compact, light and at the same time elegant design of the sports watch fitness Tracker especially suitable for everyday use. You can easily wear the watch with a suit or an elegant costume. The Suunto 3 Gen. 2's dimmed always-on display with backlighting at the touch of a button is particularly pleasant to use.

Heart rate measurement directly on your wrist

With the heart rate monitor, the heart rate measurement takes place directly on the wrist. It also counts steps and activity calories. With just two presses of the buttons you can Workout start. The operation is therefore very intuitive and very easy using the five buttons available, two of which are on the left and three on the right. I also found the perforated silicone bracelet with medium hardness to be very comfortable to wear. In normal use, if you only do one or two workouts per day, the smartwatch's battery lasts a long time.

Made in Finland

I also consider it a sign of quality that the watch is designed and manufactured in Finland. Synchronization with the Suunto app also works perfectly. The biggest advantage of this sports smartwatch, however, is probably the exciting price-performance ratio - the Suunto 3 Gen. 3 is available from some retailers for under 150 euros (prices vary).

However, the numerous strengths are also offset by some weaknesses. The sports watch does not yet have a high-resolution OLED or AMOLED display. During normal operation, the timepiece showed slight heart rate deviations of up to five beats per minute. It must be worn very snugly and two fingers' width from the wrist to provide good results. In addition, the oxygen saturation is only estimated because there is no pulse oximeter installed.

Unpleasant beeps

As with many other current smartwatches, I find the beeps unpleasant and annoying. Smartwatch functions are also rather limited on the Suunto 3 Gen. 2 and are limited to notifications such as messages and news that are synchronized with the connected smartphone. It would also be ideal if the multisport watch were also operated with Google Wear OS - as is already the case with the larger Suunto 7.

The manufacturer probably still has a few innovations in store for the 3rd generation of the Suunto 3. Until then, the fitness tracker in our Suunto 3 Gen. 2 test has proven to be a rock-solid entry-level model from the Finnish manufacturer.

Power

• compact, lightweight and elegant design
• Darkened always-on display with backlighting at the push of a button and easy to read in sunlight
• Heart rate measurement directly on your wrist
• reliable measurement of steps and activity calories
• Many sports programs pre-installed directly on the smartwatch
• Intuitive and incredibly easy to use with the five buttons
• breathable, perforated bracelet
• long battery life
• “Designed and Made in Finland”
• syncs with the Suunto app
• an interesting price (under 150 euros at some dealers)

weaknesses

• No OLED or AMOLED display
• slight deviations in the heart rate measurement (the watch must fit very precisely)
• Oxygen saturation only estimated
• tinny beeps as signals
• few smartwatch functions
• no Google Wear OS like the Suunto 7

Rating: Suunto 3 Gen. 2 in the test

Processing, materials and optics

Display and operation

Features

Precision of the measurement results

Versatility of application areas

Value for money

overall impression

Average rating 7,7

The evaluation is purely subjective and only reflects my own experience with the smartwatch.

Buy Suunto 3 Gen. 2

Table - Specifications of Suunto 3 Gen. 2

	Technology used
Main material	ABS plastic - housing size: Ø 43 mm
Cover glass material	polyamide
Bezel material	Stainless Steel
Bracelet material	Silicone Sealant
Display	Matrix color display with 218 × 218 pixels and LED background lighting
Touchscreen	No
Color variants of the smartwatch	Black-black, silver-white, black-copper, moss green-black, red-silver
Clock functions	Time, automatic summer time, alarm clock, timer, stopwatch
Fitness tracking	Heart rate measurement, sleep analysis, distance, pedometer, calorie consumption, cadence measurement
Activity features	Stress and recovery, adaptive training instructions, interval training, lap times
Focus	Multisport workouts such as running, swimming and cycling, yoga, fitness, hiking and many more - a total of 70 different sport modes
Indoor tracking functions	Swimming, cycling, running and many more
Heart rate measurement on the wrist	Optical heart sensor with Valencell technology
Pulse oximeter	No
water resistance	30 meters (3 ATM) - suitable for showering, swimming and snorkeling
Battery Life	Time mode: ten days Smartwatch mode: up to five days GPS mode: up to 30 hours
Position tracking	GPS via connected mobile phone
Sensors	Optical heart rate sensor
SmartWatch features	Notifications
Compatibility	iPhone, Android
Connections	Bluetooth Smart
Weight	36 grams

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Suunto 3 Gen. 2 in the test - sports smartwatch for all cases?

My conclusion

I generally really like the Suunto 3 Gen. 2 because it does what it promises - and at a really exciting price. Of course - and it shouldn't be - it's not one of those all-rounders that are real high-performance computers on your wrist with barometric altitude measurement, ECG and pulse oximeter. It shouldn't be that at all.

It is an excellent multisport smartwatch for beginners and regular athletes who want to do their workout a few times a week and also want to keep track of their activities while traveling and on a beach vacation. The Suunto 3 Gen. 2 is more of a sports watch that you can use to go jogging on a beach vacation than to go climbing on an adventure vacation or go on days-long discovery tours in the jungle on an active vacation. I am firmly convinced that this smartwatch is ideal for everyone who would rather not wear a watch but still doesn't want to miss out on essential sports watch functions.

The second generation Suunto 3 is just right because you can hardly feel it on your wrist. Nevertheless, it records the wearer's activities around the clock - even while sleeping. The elegant, timeless design makes the watch an attractive, daily companion in everyday life. Even after my detailed Suunto 3 Gen. 2 test, my impression was confirmed: perhaps no one needs more of a sports watch.

Suunto 3 test: Are you already using a sports smartwatch or are you planning to purchase one? Share your experiences in the comments.

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