With the Outdoor Retailer tradeshow in full swing, I’ve got my schedule chock full of appointments to see all the latest products from many of the top outdoor gear manufacturers. While I can’t possible see them all, I’m doing my best to cover some of the latest and greatest products.
My first stop was the Suunto booth where I received an update on the new styles and product enhancements for 2009. For Suunto, the majority of the releases were in the form of new colors and designs with a few internal or software-related product updates. As the most trusted name in altimeter and training watches, I was impressed with the new X10 GPS watch and the T4c training watch.
Suunto X10 GPS Watch
Six years ago, I was one of the first people to get my hands on the new X9 GPS watch. It had its kinks, but that’s to be expected for a brand new product of this complexity. Fast-forward to the present… Suunto has introduced several enhancements to the watch, completely updated the firmware, changed the name and dropped the price. Now the Suunto X10 GPS watch is one of the most robust and full-featured all-in-one GPS watches on the market. And, it’s still a wearable watch for daily use (yeah it’s big, but you’ll get used to it). It also comes with PC-compatible software (PC only… bummer for me) to view your activity in Google Maps and manage up to 500 waypoints. MSRP is $599.
Suunto T4c Training Watch
I flogged the Polar FT60 last fall and loved how well it tracked my workout progress and kept me on track with my fitness goals. The direct competitor to the FT60 is the Suunto T4c with it’s equally-adept training functionality, but with Suunto’s twist. Built with a coaching program built-in that can determine your proper workout intensity and frequency to meet your fitness level and goals. Combine that with a Comfort Belt heart rate strap and a myriad of external speed pods (GPS, footpod, bike skewer sensor, etc.), the Suunto T4c aims to guide you through a quality workout every time. PC software can help you further manage your workouts, but is not Mac compatible. MSRP with the heart rate strap is $220. Read my Suunto T4c watch review…
