Suunto Core Outdoor Sport Watch with Altimeter, Barometer and Compass

Product Information

After three years, we’ve not had a single issue with durability with the Suunto Core. There hasn’t been a single broken button, no wear-and-tear issues with the strap, and the casing looks more or less like it did when it was brand new, despite having been worn for over 1000 days in a row. The only other accuracy issue that we found with the Core has to do with the watch’s temperature readings. If you wear the watch on your wrist like most people, the Core’s temperature readings will generally be much higher than they should be since the temperature sensor is on the underside of the casing. If you thought that you couldn’t ask for more, this top SUUNTO Core Military watch proves you wrong.

The Suunto Core has a clean and straightforward digital display, with a dark aesthetic that can go well with any style or outfit. Its interface is very user-friendly, with a large screen that bears pronounced letters and numerals for better legibility. Its different modes and functions are also all clearly labelled, which makes it easier to navigate this watch. One weakness of the Suunto Core, however, is that the layer of mineral glass used to protect the digital dial is quite reflective. As a result, when the watch is exposed to high-intensity light, this can cause light glares that distort the watch face and make it harder to read. The Core is one of few altimeter watches you can take snorkeling or shallow diving. It is waterproof enough to take down to 100 feet, though it will only accurately tell you your depth to 30 feet. While certainly not a "must have" feature, the Core has sunrise/sunset times. You can access this by selecting your location (or the nearest one out of 400 options compared with the Pathfinder's 48). As a result you can know sunset/sunrise times and set alarms. ThermometerWeather changes can be predicted via the barometer. The weather trend indicator shows data from the barometer recorded over the past three and six hours. The temperature range that can be measured is from -20 to 60 degrees Celsius. Additional features include a countdown timer, a chronograph, four-language menu, alarm, alarm snooze feature and calendar. The watch comes with a rotating bezel. The watch's LED panel illuminates the dial to improve visibility during the night. Scratch-resistant mineral glass crystal adds to the resilience of the timepiece.

In this case, the display will constantly indicate the path with directional arrows. Additional Features Altimeter watches are notoriously inaccurate unless they’re calibrated frequently. However, we found that the Core only really had accuracy issues when it was used in altimeter mode as opposed to barometer mode.This watch also has a built-in thermometer that can be useful in many situations. For an accurate measurement, it is advisable to remove the watch from your wrist at least 15 minutes before measuring the actual environmental temperature. Daily functions include dual time, date, alarm, sports chronograph and predicted times for sunrise and sunset Lastly, the compass mode is a quite straightforward function that allows the use of the timepiece as a digital compass. The actual time is shown on the upper half of the display and below it is shown the moment of the sunrise and sunset.

This function also has a log and on the display, you will be able to view the general pressure trends as well as a summary graph of the last 24 hours.However, if you take the watch off and wait a few minutes, it will give you a fairly accurate reading. We didn’t actually find this to be a problem because we generally just get dressed each day based on the weather outside, not what temperature our watch is telling us.

This watch comes standard with a silicone wrist band which is comfortable against the skin, even when wet. We rarely found any problems while wearing this watch, but occasionally the slight bulkiness of the wristband interfered with typing if we spend a lot of time on the computer. Overall, though, the Suunto Core is average size, lightweight, and comfortable enough for all-day use. Given the current penchant for smartphone GPS apps such as RunKeeper and Nike+ Running that record exactly where you've been on a run, the Suunto Core's habit of logging your altitude gains and losses - and displaying them on a graph - will likely appeal to most users. It works for seven days, which should cover a week's worth of skiing, walking or mountain ascents. The watch can be set either manually to measure the altitude, the barometric pressure or the depth, or it can be set to pass from one function to another autonomously. Elsewhere, there are three alarms (to let you know when you've ascended, say, 100m), a stopwatch and a timer, as well as a thermometer. As you set the watch up, if you tell it where you are it will show sunrise and sunset times, too. Verdict On the sides of the case, you can also find five textured push buttons, which are used to navigate the functions of the Suunto Core. These push-buttons are small and not too long, so they will not dig uncomfortably into the skin of your wrist when you are wearing the Suunto Core.

The watch features a digital display with LED illumination. The screen is fully waterproof up to 30 m, making it perfect for swimmers and snorkellers, and comes with a silicone strap. One downside of this watch is the display. Many users have described it as dark and difficult to read in bright sunlight. The Suunto Core comes with many other features that would be useful to an outdoor sports enthusiast. It has a compass, sunrise and sunset information, notifications of severe weather, temperature, and depth gauge. It also functions as a basic watch with alarm, date, stopwatch and countdown timer. More Options Similar to its competition, the Core has a compass with adjustable declination. You can set it to help you record and follow compass bearings. In all the models we tested, if you are doing more serious off-trail travel we wouldn't bring this as your only compass, but it's fine for people who just need it for a general point of reference. Other cool features Suunto Core features the brand's ABC – altimeter, barometer and compass. It is excellent for outdoor adventurers and travellers because of the numerous useful and accurate survival functionalities. The Core similarly to the new Ambit2 uses a different menu pattern than the older Vector, so people upgrading will have to relearn how to use their watch. Once you get hang of it, the menu on the Core is easier to understand and the menu items are much more clearly labeled. You get three pieces of information displayed at the same time. One upgrade to the Core over the Vector is an extra button to navigate through the menu and function options. Display OutdoorGearLab" praised the altimeter on the watch, deeming it the 'second most accurate' currently available – ideal for climbers and hikers. The Suunto Core measures the altitude in 1 foot intervals; by comparison, the Pathfinder, a competing product, measures only every 20 feet. The barometer is also very sensitive, able to note delicate changes in air pressure and, when used in conjunction with the altimeter, provide very accurate readings.