They´re sporty, they´re smart, they´re packed with features and can handle difficult weather conditions. Suunto Core, Suunto Ambit 3 Peak, and Garmin Tactix Bravo. These durable smartwatches have tons of features that will suit those looking to train for a race or those who just want to have a watch that fits for tough conditions.
They all are great, with plenty of positive customer reviews, but which one is the best.
Suunto Core vs Suunto Ambit 3 vs Garmin Tactix Bravo
DESIGN
Suunto Core – Perhaps the most popular computer military watch ever made. This attractive looking waterproof watch comes with a silicone strap, a compass ring around the parameter of the clock face, and a dark display within. Honestly, the display is one of Core´s weaknesses. In a high-intensity light condition, the screen can be difficult to read.
However, Suunto Core comes with a large screen and big and easy-to-read numbers, so under standard conditions, you see what you need. With three main screens for Time, Altimeter / Barometer, Compass, and a smaller sub-screen which can be used to display a variety of other stats, you have also all the important information in front of you.
Suunto Ambit 3 Peak – The overall build quality of the watch is excellent. Peak has a sleek design, is sturdy, durable and on the wrist, the watch feels very comfortable. With a single push of the button, you can also switch between light and dark screens. This helps you see the screen in high or low light. Overall, the ability to customize the display is really helpful. You can easily change the backlight between night and normal, adjust display contrasts, and invert display colors. You will also like its watch faces for the night display.
Garmin Tactix Bravo – This watch looks tough. Not only that, it is tough. Tactix Bravo is built to copy a military-style and it does the job very well. Featuring carbon-coated, stainless steel construction and a highly scratch-resistant sapphire lens, it is designed to withstand different weather conditions and various rough handling.
Plus, the Bravo is designed to be as non-reflective as possible. This is great, because the large screen is easy to read, whether the sun is out of it is dark at night. Unfortunately, the watch is not a touchscreen, so all the navigation is made by buttons on the side.
FEATURES
Suunto Core – This device has all the characteristics and features of a watch designed for intense outdoor activities. For better user experience, these functions have been summarized by 3 modes – Time, Altimeter & Barometer and Compass. Each of these functions has a dedicated display which you can access from the intuitive menu.
The biggest failing with the Core, for some users, can be that it doesn’t have built-in GPS. To be honest, this doesn´t seem like a disadvantage, because the digital altimeter is extremely accurate and with an addition of a map, this is more beneficial than GPS.
What´s more, the Suunto Core is waterproof enough to take down to 100 feet, has sunrise/sunset times, a thermometer and a compass with adjustable declination.
Suunto Ambit 3 Peak – This nice-looking watch with GPS is made for those looking for adventure or for those enjoying a variety of sports. It comes with barometric pressure and altitude readings and features specific to a different activity – running, biking or swimming. Generally, Suunto Ambit 3 Peak monitors distance, pace, duration and heart rate, but each sport has different metrics associated with the exact activity. For example, you can capture a number of laps, time per lap, distance covered while swimming, or monitor cadence, pace, time per mile, distance while running.
Viewing all your details on the watch is a little bit problematic, thankfully there is both a website (Movescount) and a mobile app where you can see all stats on your activities. It is also worth to mention, that Ambit 3 Peak is waterproof up to 100 feet.
Garmin Tactix Bravo – A watch made to fit tough conditions. Tactix Bravo gives you lots of sensors designed to be of benefit to those of you in the field. Yes, the Garmin Tactix Bravo is an updated version of its Tactix GPS military watch and was inspired by the needs of special operations teams. Expect an extremely durable device that can handle different weather conditions and ultimate navigation experience.
You are getting access to the navigation through high-sensitivity GPS, stainless steel omnidirectional antenna which is helping you get better signal strength and basic fitness features for various sports activities. The watch can mark and store up to 1,000 waypoints for navigation back to starting points, and it displays two sets of coordinates at the same time. It also offers daily tracking, advanced workout recording and Bluetooth remote control of Garmin’s action cameras.
BATTERY LIFE
Suunto Core – What is the battery life for Suunto Core? The short answer – impressive 12-18 months depending on usage. If you are frequently using features like a backlight or compass which consumes more power, you will surely decrease the battery life.
The average battery life for the Suunto Core is 12-18 months depending on usage. Features like the compass and backlight consume more power than other features, so using them frequently or for extended periods decreases battery life.
➤ Suunto Core
[su_button url=”https://amzn.to/2RM746e” target=”blank” background=”#0686E4″ color=”#ffffff” size=”9″ wide=”no” radius=”0″ rel=”nofollow”]View on Amazon[/su_button]
Suunto Ambit 3 Peak – This watch comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that should last up to 200 hours. Of course, the battery life depends on how the watch is being used. You know, enabling GPS will drastically drain the battery, so you should expect a much shorter life.
➤ Suunto Ambit3 Peak
[su_button url=”https://amzn.to/2CgZwPd” target=”blank” background=”#0686E4″ color=”#ffffff” size=”9″ wide=”no” radius=”0″ rel=”nofollow”]View on Amazon[/su_button]
Garmin Tactix Bravo – Without using GPS, this Garmin watch should last for up to 2 weeks on a single charge. The battery life with active GPS should be up to 20 hours.
➤ Garmin Tactix Bravo
[su_button url=”https://amzn.to/2CgZAyr” target=”blank” background=”#0686E4″ color=”#ffffff” size=”9″ wide=”no” radius=”0″ rel=”nofollow”]View on Amazon[/su_button]
RECOMMENDED IN WEARABLES
Sources
- Garmin Tactix Bravo Review, RIZKNOWS
- Suunto Ambit3 Peak Review, The Ginger Runner
- Suunto Core All Black Military Watch, Nav San
Main photo by Rafaela Biazi / Images credit: Suunto, Garmin
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by Nechstar team. We aim to highlight products and services you might find interesting, and if you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners, including Amazon. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended.
Clicking the device names, images or check price buttons will redirect you to the product listing on the appropriate Amazon.com (.co.uk, .de, etc.), where you can find the updated prices, customer reviews, and more product details.
*All prices mentioned above are at the time of publishing.
