Triathlon Sport Watches Review: Suunto 7

We continue our Triathlon Sport Watches review series this week with a watch that balances between the smartwatch features of Wear OS and the versatile sports features seen in other Suunto watches – the Suunto 7.

Here’s the list of reviews we’re doing in the series:

• Suunto 9
• Garmin Swim 2
• Suunto 7
• Garmin 945
• Polar Grit X
• Apple Watch Series 5

Suunto’s been aggressively working its way into the triathlon world with its multisport watches over the last few years and the 7 is another example of how the Finland-based company is making its mark. While the Suunto 9 we reviewed last week serves as the company’s flagship multisport watch when it comes to straight-out endurance, the 7 offers the best of two worlds – this is a fully-functional training watch that also offers the kind of smartwatch functionality people like to have on their wrist throughout the day.

On the sports side of things a press of a button gives you access to one of the more than 70 sports modes, GPS tracking and the wrist-based heart rate data. Once you’re done your workout its easy to connect to Strava, Training Peaks or use the Suunto app to share and track your data. There are free offline maps you can use while you’re training, or simply getting around town, too. The built-in heat maps will also show you the most popular routes. The watch will keep track of your daily steps and keeps you on track with activity targets.

Using Google’s smartwatch features, its easy to check your calendar or to do list, monitor phone calls and emails and even make payments from the watch. You can listen and control music through a connected headset, which will keep you entertained during workouts or as you’re moving around town.

It all comes in a shock-, water- and dirt-proof package protected with scratch resistant Gorilla Glass. It’s really easy to navigate through the different menus through either the physical buttons or the high-resolution touch screen – having the physical buttons is great when you’re wearing gloves or in the water, adding another welcome dimension to the 7’s “training” benefits. The battery provides more than enough power to get you through a full day of smartwatch activity and a workout – you’ll get up to 12 hours in GPS tracking mode and up to two days of smartwatch use. The 7 also uses combined GPS and barometric data for accurate altitude measurements. Bluetooth Smart connectivity means you’ll be able to connect to compatible power meters and other accessories, too, if you want to expand on the watch’s tracking capabilities.

The Wi-Fi connectivity makes workout updates automatic, and you’ll find Suunto is one of the most active companies when it comes to system updates, which can be done automatically, too.

If you really want an Android-connected smartwatch, but also want all the benefits of a high-end multisport watch, the 7 is definitely worth a look. You really do get the best of both worlds with this powerful watch that’s both stylish and a tough-as-nails sportster.