Question 1

Is Suunto Race 3S better than Garmin Forerunner 970?

Accepted Answer

Forerunner 970 has more training guidance, ANT+ sensor support, live tracking, music services and Garmin Pay. Race 3S has more than twice the multi-band GPS battery life (45 hours vs 21), free worldwide maps, a 2-year warranty, and a price £215 lower.

Question 2

Does Garmin Forerunner 570 have maps like Suunto Race 3S?

Accepted Answer

No. Forerunner 570 has no onboard maps and no ClimbPro. Race 3S has free worldwide offline maps with Climb Guidance and costs £25 less in the UK.

Question 3

Which has the longest battery life?

Accepted Answer

Race 3S records up to 45 hours in multi-band GPS mode. The Forerunner 970 lasts 21 hours, and the Forerunner 570 lasts 14 hours. Forerunner 970 lasts the longest in daily use at 15 days.

Question 4

Does Suunto Race 3S support ANT+ sensors?

Accepted Answer

No. Race 3S connects to sensors over Bluetooth. Both Forerunners support ANT+ and Bluetooth.

Question 5

Does Suunto Race 3S have music and contactless payment?

Accepted Answer

Both arrive after launch. Suunto says offline music will come in a software update, and NFC is also coming later. Both Garmins have music services and Garmin Pay today.

Question 6

Is Suunto or Garmin the better company to buy from?

Accepted Answer

Suunto gives a 2-year warranty worldwide, runs a battery replacement service and charges nothing for maps. Garmin works with more third-party services than any other brand and has the larger ecosystem of sensors and apps, with a 1-year warranty in the US and no battery service.

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