Suunto Vertical 2 Review: Best Survival GPS Watch?

In this Suunto Vertical 2 review, I tested the brand new Vertical 2 watch from Suunto.

Suunto is a Finnish company known for its navigation devices. Founded in 1936, they developed the first patented liquid-filled wrist-worn compass. They have been making compasses and watches ever since.

The Vertical 2 is their latest in a line of watches made for outdoor and sports enthusiasts.

I love multifunction devices that I can carry with me every day. This watch combines a smartwatch, a mapping GPS device, health monitoring, and fitness/sports tracking all into one device. It provides navigation anywhere without cell signal, which is critical in remote areas or when building a reliable bug out bag.

Keep reading to find out if it is worth the money and if it is right for you.

Quick Summary

The Suunto Vertical 2 is for anyone who likes to spend time outdoors, wants to improve their health, and wants to be prepared for emergencies.

The biggest standout feature of the Vertical 2 is the built-in GPS navigation with offline maps I can download to it. This means I can navigate anywhere in the world, with a map, without a cell phone signal.

It also tracks my heart rate and a myriad of other health indicators. For those who are active, it has over 115 different sports modes. It tracks my workouts and allows me to see how I am improving over time with objective data.

Since I wear it every day, I never have to worry about finding my way home or to another objective in an emergency.

Key Specs

Weight: 87g (steel) / 74g (titanium)

• Case Size: 49mm x 13.6mm
• Display: 1.5″ LTPO AMOLED, 466×466 px, up to 2000 nits
• Battery life:
  • 40 days – Standby time mode
  • 20 days – Smartwatch mode
  • 65 hrs – GPS Performance mode
  • 250 hrs – Tour mode
• Materials:
  • Glass – Sapphire crystal
  • Bezel – Stainless-steel or Titanium
  • Case – Glass Fiber Reinforced Polyamide
• GPS Navigation: Full offline maps, Dual-Band GPS (L1 + L5)
• Altimeter Resolution: 1 meter, uses combined GPS and barometric altitude
• Sensors: Optical Heartrate, Blood Oxygen, Barometer, Compass, Temperature
• Sport Tracking: 115+ sport modes,
• LED flashlight (white + red)
• Water resistance: 100 m
• Storage: 32 GB
• Price: $599 at suunto.com (stainless steel) / $699 (titanium) – Also here on Amazon

What’s in the Box

The Suunto Vertical 2 comes presented in a nice box with the following:

• Suunto Vertical 2 watch
• Magnetic USB charging cable
• Quick-start guide
• Warranty and safety info

Pros and Cons

Verdict: Best GPS watch for off-grid navigation under $700.

Who Should Buy the Suunto Vertical 2?

The Suunto Vertical 2 isn’t just another sports watch. It’s designed for people who want rugged navigation and real-world tracking without relying on a phone. You should strongly consider it if you fall into one or more of these categories:

• Outdoor adventurers and hikers: If you spend time off-trail, backpacking, exploring backcountry terrain, or bushwhacking far from cell service, the Vertical 2’s offline maps and dual-band GPS can help you navigate without a phone.
• Preppers and survivalists: Offline topographical mapping, compass and altimeter data, programmable POIs (points of interest), and storm-warning alerts make this a practical preparedness tool for emergency kits and survival gear setups.
• Trail runners and endurance athletes: With 110+ activity modes, detailed metrics like TSB, CTL, TSS, VO₂max, and climb guidance, this watch gives you deep insight into performance and recovery without needing multiple devices.
• Everyday users who want more: If you want a daily wearable that tracks sleep, steps, heart rate, calories, and stress (plus smartwatch alerts and a large AMOLED screen), the Vertical 2 is a strong all-around choice, especially for people who dislike small sporty displays.

Even great devices aren’t perfect for everyone. Here is who might not love this watch, based on my testing:

• Casual smartwatch users: If you just want apps and music, an Apple Watch or WearOS device might be a better fit.
• Small-wrist watch wearers: At ~49 mm, this is a larger watch that may feel bulky on smaller wrists.
• Battery-maximizers: If ultra-long battery life through solar charging is a must (like some Garmin users want), this model doesn’t have solar recharging.

Suunto Vertical 2 Review

For this Suunto Vertical 2 review, I wore the watch 24 hours a day for 6 weeks. The goal of this test was to see how it performed as an EDC watch in my daily life. I tracked my workouts, my sleep, my heart rate, and also used the GPS and maps during hikes and simulated emergencies.

This watch has a ton of functions, and I truly was not able to test everything in just 6 weeks. This will be an ongoing test over the next few months, and I will update you here on my findings.

Overall Design

The first thing that stood out to me was the large 1.5” AMOLED color display. Most GPS watches use an MIP display that is not as clear but consumes less energy. AMOLED is superior to MIP since they are easier to read and show more detail.

The interface is simple. It has a touch screen with three buttons on the right side.

The touch screen works great, even with thin gloves on. I can quickly swipe down to get to all of the “widgets” or tools that the watch has, or swipe up to get to the sport tracking modes. Or, I can use the side buttons instead.

I like how I can program shortcuts for the top and bottom buttons. I can simply hold the button, and that function will activate. Currently, I have the top button set to the flashlight and the bottom button set to the do-not-disturb mode.

The watch’s bezel is Stainless Steel on mine; titanium is also available, making the watch slightly lighter. The case is made of reinforced polymer, but I can’t tell it apart from the steel.

I also like the new charger design. It is simply a magnetic disk that fits onto the back of the case. There are no plugs or anything that must be plugged in.

Fit, Feel, and Ease of Use

At first, I thought this was a big watch. But, relatively speaking, the screen is large, and the watch’s overall size is low-profile. It feels smaller than my smaller Garmin Instinct.

The band is different than other watches I have used. At first, I wasn’t sure I liked it, but after using it, I found it very comfortable.

It is made of silicone and bends easily to fit my wrist. Instead of the normal sliding loop that contains the band’s tail, the end of the band has a small metal boss with a rounded tip that clips into the band. This eliminates the traditional loop and makes the band lower-profile.

The ultimate test was sleeping with it. I can’t stand sleeping with a watch on, and most GPS watches are way too big. I was surprised by how comfortable it was to sleep in, and after the first night, I didn’t notice it anymore.

I like that it has a do-not-disturb mode, so when I go to bed, I just activate it, and the screen doesn’t light up when I turn my wrist. Also, any notifications are silenced.

As I mentioned, the screen and buttons are easy to use. I also like the watch face itself.

I keep mine always on. When I relax or do normal tasks, the watch displays a dim, minimal display with the time and date.

When I flick my wrist towards my head, or turn it so the watch is facing up, it changes to the active display that shows the time, date, time until sunrise or sunset, charge level, and current weather and temperature.

In the Suunto app, there are various watch faces to choose from; they even have seasonal ones, such as a Christmas-themed one.

There are a number of others dedicated to training or different situations, but I like the default one the best. I often find myself looking at it to see the time and temperature until sunset. While the watch face is customizable, I wish there were one that included a few more options.

Smartwatch Features

This watch has typical smartwatch features. It will alert me to the same notifications that I get on my phone. Since the display is so large, I can usually see most of the messages I get without looking at my phone. This is convenient when my phone is in my pocket or when I am driving.

Most emojis come through and are in color as well, so it works much better than my Garmin.

It also has a Find My iPhone feature, so if I misplace my phone, I can activate it on my watch, and it will play a sound. I read that it works with Android phones as well.

I noticed some strange notifications on my watch that my phone didn’t display. I get these on my Garmin too, so it must not be a watch issue but rather a phone issue.

Sports/Training Features

This watch offers over 110 activities to track. Way more than I will ever use, everything from 7 types of running to paragliding to snorkeling.

Here is me scrolling through all of them:

Each activity has a special display with info pertinent to that activity. Most have a colored ring around the outside that indicates target heart rate zones. When running, for example, it displays my pace and times, but that can be customized somewhat as well.

I like that once I complete an activity, it moves to the end of the list, where it appears first when I swipe up. This makes it easy to find it again later. I would hate to scroll through every activity every time, since there are a bunch of them.

Before I start an activity, it shows the battery life remaining for that particular mode. For outdoor activities, there are multiple modes to choose from if battery life is a concern.

I have used weight training, treadmill, running, walking, hiking, circuit training, and aerobics mode (I used the aerobics mode when the kids wanted me to jump on the trampoline with them).

When I finish an activity, it stores tons of data. I can view it on my watch, but I usually check it in the Suunto app. It gives me a bit of motivation to stay on track with my workouts since it shows how much I have trained week to week.

It also tracks my TSB, CTL, TSS, and VO2Max data, which are basically indicators of my overall fitness and fatigue. It will even predict race times based on these. These are mainly for endurance athletes, but they are still an interesting measure to check and improve.

Another interesting feature I noticed is useful for trail running. It provides climb guidance for a specific route, so I can see how long and how steep the hills are along my path. This allows me to strategize how hard I push during my run.

There are a ton of other features for biking, climbing, swimming, and other sports I haven’t tried. If you are into outdoor activities, this watch is amazing.

Health Features

This watch has some useful health features that I find interesting.

Keep in mind that this watch can’t replace medical equipment, but it does provide data I can compare over time when I am not feeling well.

In addition to basic heart rate measurement, it uses an array of sensors on the back of the watch case to measure blood oxygen levels. I have mine set to do this every night while I sleep.

It tracks my sleep and shows stages where I was sleeping lightly, deeply, or in REM sleep. When I feel I may not be getting a good night’s rest, I can check by looking at my past sleep patterns.

I did find that it sometimes assumes I am sleeping when I am relaxing in the evenings. While I may occasionally doze off while reading before bed, it sometimes starts tracking before I am actually in bed. Also, strangely, some days it puts time in the evening on the previous day.

It also measures HRV (Heart Rate Variability) every night. HRV is the variation in time intervals between heartbeats. This is a big subject that you can read more about here.

Basically, it tracks my HRV over time, and if I notice it outside the normal range, I could be getting sick, under stress, fatigued, or overtraining. It’s more of an early warning that something may need adjustment.

I also like that this watch tracks my steps. It is more accurate than my phone because I wear my watch and don’t always carry my phone.

It also tracks the calories that I burn and shows a daily graph of my recovery. It recognizes when I am active, stressed, or recovering. If I am feeling tired, I can use this to see if I am not recovering well or if something else may be going on (like getting sick).

Finally, during runs, it calculates my VO2max. This measurement indicates overall aerobic fitness. While this is not a precise measurement, it allows me to compare my current level with past levels to see if I am improving or regressing.

GPS and Navigation

For me, the best features of this watch are the GPS, navigation tools, and full, detailed offline maps.

It has dual-band GPS that works anywhere in the world. When I use mine, it picks up the satellites in a few seconds. On the Garmin watches, I have it sometimes takes a minute or more. It also works great under tree cover and down in some of the steep “hollers” (valleys) we have in East Tennessee.

It also has a built in Altimeter and Compass. So even if the GPS signal is blocked, I can still navigate. Of course, having a physical survival compass is still a good idea.

The most impressive feature is the offline maps. I can download maps for free anywhere on earth to my watch, and they work without a cellular signal.

So, I can be completely off-grid without cell signal and still have full topographical maps. These maps are detailed too. They show buildings, roads, wooded areas, and water features. There is even a small stream near my home that it shows.

I downloaded the entire Southeast US to my watch, and it took about 8 hours. I had to keep the watch on the charger while downloading, since it uses Wi-Fi.

The watch has 32GB of memory, so there is a limitation to the number of maps it will store. The entire US is 43GB, so it can handle quite a bit.

When I plan a hike, I can use the app to plan my route. If I go off course, the watch will notify me and show me where the trail is. I can also see breadcrumbs on the map of where I have been, so it is easy to backtrack if I need to.

I also like how I can program POIs (Points of Interest). I can save my home, campsite, tree stand, where my truck is parked, or anything else that is of interest right into my watch. They show up on the map, I can select them and navigate to them, all without a cell signal.

Outdoor Survival Features

I love multi-use devices, and this watch has plenty of them for outdoor survival. It is the cornerstone of any survival navigation kit.

I discussed the navigation features above. This is the single biggest feature that can save your life. I never have to worry about getting lost with this watch since it has offline maps and GPS. A GPS watch is one of our top recommendations for survival gear.

It has an automatic storm warning feature. When it senses the atmospheric pressure dropping, it will alert me to a possible storm incoming.

While it may seem trivial, it shows me the time until sunset on the main watch face. In a survival situation, knowing how long I have until it gets dark helps me plan and prepare shelter.

I really like the built in flashlight. I have the top button programmed to turn it on. It has variable brightness levels and a White or Red LED. Red is great when it is dark, as it lets me see without my eyes adjusting to the bright white light. I use this feature now quite a bit in my day-to-day life.

Battery Life

The battery life depends on how the watch is used. For example, GPS mode uses more power, while using the watch with no other features active uses much less.

In my experience, I found that I could use the watch normally for 11 days before the battery level would reach 20%. This is wearing it 24 hours a day with the heart rate sensor on 24/7. I tracked a 1-hour workout 5 days a week and used GPS mode on one of those days. I also had the display in “always on” mode and activated “do not disturb” mode before going to bed.

Suunto advertises that the battery will last 65 hours in GPS performance mode and 40 days in standby watch mode. My experience says that under normal use, one could expect 7 to 10 days per charge, possibly less if the GPS is used more than 2-3 hours per week.

Charging time is also quick. I noticed the watch charges from 20% to 100% in about 1 hour.

Suunto Phone App

The Suunto phone app is a companion to the watch that makes viewing all the data it collects easier. I customized the main screen and put the widgets I was interested in at the top.

It shows graphs of my heart rate, sleep patterns, steps, calories burned, training load, recovery, HRV, and a lot more.

My favorite feature is the maps. The app basically shows the maps on my watch, and I can see the same points of interest and plan routes. I can also see “hot zones” for different sports like hiking, biking, and many others, and I can choose from. These zones show where other people have done that activity.

The app will sync with my watch when I open it to get the latest data. It will also sync without opening the app, but the timing seems kind of random.

I have noticed that on my watch, the weather will not be correct sometimes if it hasn’t synced in a while. There doesn’t seem to be a way to set a sync schedule, and the only way I know of to force a sync is to open the app.

How I Tested the Suunto Vertical 2

I’ve been wearing the Suunto Vertical 2 daily for the past several months to see how it performs in real-world conditions, not just during workouts. My goal wasn’t only to test it as a fitness watch, but to see how well it works as an everyday carry device for outdoor use and preparedness.

I wore it 24 hours a day, including during workouts, hikes, normal daily activities, and while sleeping, to evaluate recovery and sleep tracking. I used the GPS navigation and offline maps on multiple hikes and while exploring new areas, along with regularly tracking workouts, heart rate, and recovery data.

I also paid attention to how it performed in practical situations, like battery life while tracking workouts during the week, comfort while sleeping, how quickly GPS locked onto satellites, and how useful features like the flashlight, storm alerts, and navigation tools actually were in day-to-day use.

Even after several months, I’m still discovering features I haven’t fully explored yet. I’ll continue using the watch long-term and update this review as I gain more experience with it in different seasons and conditions.

Suunto Vertical 2 vs. Garmin Watches

A lot of people looking at the Suunto Vertical 2 are also considering Garmin watches. I’ve used Garmin watches for years, so the comparison came naturally while testing this one.

Both brands make excellent outdoor watches, but they focus on slightly different strengths.

Garmin has long dominated the GPS watch space, especially with models like the Fenix and Instinct series. They offer excellent tracking, tons of data fields, and a very mature ecosystem. But many Garmin models either cost significantly more or require compromises in display quality or battery life to stay in a similar price range.

Where the Suunto Vertical 2 really stands out is navigation and usability.

The full offline maps are incredibly detailed and easy to read thanks to the bright AMOLED display. Navigating trails or unfamiliar terrain feels simpler because the map is clearer and easier to interact with than on most Garmin watches I’ve used.

Battery life is also competitive. In real-world use, both brands easily last over a week with normal training and daily tracking, though Garmin still has an edge if you’re doing extremely long GPS events or multi-day tracking without charging.

On the fitness side, both watches track everything most people need. Garmin arguably has deeper integrations and training ecosystems, but Suunto still provides more data than most users will ever need, including VO₂ max, recovery metrics, training load, and endurance metrics.

Smartwatch features are fairly similar as well. Neither replaces a true smartwatch like an Apple Watch, but both handle notifications, tracking, and basic everyday convenience well.

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose the Suunto Vertical 2 if:

• Navigation and offline maps are a top priority
• You spend time off-grid or in remote areas
• You want a big, clear display
• You want flagship features without paying $900–$1,100 for a watch

Choose a Garmin if:

• You’re deeply invested in Garmin’s ecosystem already
• You want solar charging options
• You focus heavily on structured training and performance metrics

For me, the Vertical 2 feels more like an outdoor navigation tool that also happens to be a fitness watch, while many Garmin models feel like fitness watches that also work outdoors.

If your focus is hiking, exploring, hunting, or preparedness, the Suunto Vertical 2 makes a very strong case.

For more information on my favorite Garmin watch, head over to our Survival Watch review, which contains several options.

Our Verdict

After months of daily use, the Suunto Vertical 2 has become one of the best GPS watches I’ve ever used for off-grid navigation and outdoor preparedness. The fact that it has full, detailed, offline maps is amazing for anyone who likes to have fun outdoors and be prepared. It is virtually impossible to get lost in a remote area with this watch.

Plus, since the maps are stored in the watch, no cell signal is needed. Imagine how useful it would be in an emergency if cell towers went down.

I found it comfortable, even for sleeping while wearing it.

The price is great as well. It costs less than most other watches with the same features. Most are over $1000, while the Vertical 2 is under $600. I love devices that have multiple uses that I can carry every day. This one is at the top of my list now.