The latest sportswatch from Finland's Suunto, which made our selection of the best smartwatches of 2021, not only boasts the rugged adventure-ready build expected of the premium brand, but is also the first from the company to have its lifecycle carbon footprint offset.
The Suunto 9 Peak Pro is hand-made in Finland using 100% renewable energy, a fact that contributes to its total lifespan carbon footprint being just 7.5 kg CO2e, which the company equates to about the same as a fossil-fueled car traveling for 44 km (27.3 miles). This Suunto offsets via a reforestation program courtesy of Verified Carbon Units.
Beyond its green credentials, the Pro stacks up as one of the thinnest and lightest GPS multisport watches in its class, at 10.8 mm (0.43 in) thick and 55 g (1.94 oz) for the two Grade 5 titanium models or 64 g (2.25 oz) for the stainless steel versions.
It's a tough cookie too, having been tested to MIL-STD-810H standards – with Suunto saying that it "threw everything at it to test its mettle - ice, sand, drops and shocks, pressure and salt."
There's a 43 x 43-mm (1.69 x 1.69-in) sapphire crystal up top that's home to a 240 x 240 resolution matrix display rocking a new interface. A new chipset architecture promises a more responsive user experience, while a new font should make stats easier to read on the wrist. The smartwatch is wrapped in a polyamide case reinforced with glass fiber and sports either a titanium or stainless steel bezel.
It tracks heart rate, blood oxygen (SpO2), calories burned, sleep, stress, and a bunch more fitness and health metrics, and comes with 97 sports mode to pick from, plus the ability to create custom modes. A new snorkeling mode can track activity down to 10 m (33 ft), though the Pro is waterproof to a depth of 100 m (328 ft).
For deeper data dives as well as route planning and access to a host of partner services, a mobile app for iOS/Android is available (which is now also compatible with iPad and Android tablets). The device is also reported capable of connecting with up to four satellite systems, and up to 32 individual satellites at the same time, for pin-point accuracy when training in challenging locations like deep mountain valleys.
Wearers can look forward to up to 21 days of per-charge battery in daily smartwatch use, or 40 hours in Performance mode, 70 hours in Endurance mode and 300 hours in Tour mode. And after only 10 minutes on charge, users can head off for 10 hours of training or leave it topping up for an hour for a full charge.
The four stainless steel watches are each priced at US$549, while the two titanium models come in at $699 apiece. They're all up for pre-order now, with availability pegged for October 25.
Product page: Suunto 9 Peak Pro
