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Comparison Suunto 9 Baro vs Suunto Spartan: the differences, which one to choose?

Comparison Suunto 9 Baro vs Suunto Spartan: the differences, which one to choose?

April 09, 2020

Suunto 9, Suunto 9 Baro, Spartan Ultra, Spartan Sport Wrist Baro: how to get there?
Comparison Suunto 9 Baro versus Suunto Spartan Ultra: the differences
Our opinion: Suunto 9 Baro or Suunto Spartan Ultra? Which one to choose ?
Price and availability

Buy Suunto 9 Baro

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599 € 529

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599 € 549

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599 € 549

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€ 456

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€ 640

Buy Suunto Spartan Ultra

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649 € 319

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Suunto released a new watch in 2018, the Suunto 9, which is an improved version of the Suunto Spartan Ultra. The characteristics are very close. The manufacturer has mainly worked on the autonomy of its watch, in particular on the reliability of the measurements in the energy saving modes. Here is a watch with very long autonomy and whose measurement accuracy remains good even in energy saving mode or when the GPS signal picks up. Suunto 9 also incorporates intelligent battery management, which lets you know the remaining usage time at any time and allows you to switch from one mode to another as needed. In return, the Suunto Spartan Ultra sees its price drop and is a real opportunity for those on a budget or who do not need to use energy saving modes. All the details in this file.

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Suunto 9, Suunto 9 Baro, Spartan Ultra, Spartan Sport Wrist Baro: how to get there?

Suunto offers several versions of its Suunto 9 and Suunto Spartan watches. We must be clear about the differences between these models which are intended for different uses.

Suunto 9 or Suunto 9 Baro?

The Suunto 9 and Suunto 9 Baro both offer record autonomy with good measurement accuracy and intelligent battery management. This watch will appeal to athletes traveling long distances (trekking, ultratrail, long hikes, etc.)

Unlike the Suunto 9, the Suunto 9 Baro has a barometer and a thermometer, like the Suunto Spartan. These instruments offer advanced weather functions. Thanks to the barometer, the watch is able to measure variations in atmospheric pressure and generate thunderstorm risk alerts. Altitude measurement is also more precise than with GPS. The combination of GPS altitude and that provided by the barometer (FusedAlti function) allows even greater precision, thanks in particular to the correction of altitude errors linked to rapid changes in atmospheric pressure.

The Suunto 9 will appeal to long distance runners who are looking for a long range and precise measurements but who do not need weather functions or precise altitude measurements. However, this model is less suitable for hiking, trekking or running in the mountains. It is lighter than the Suunto 9 Baro and it is cheaper by 100 €. A boon for athletes interested in autonomy and precision but who do not want to pay more for a barometer.

Spartan Ultra or Spartan Sport Wrist HR Baro?

Suunto has also declined its previous model, the Suunto Spartan, in several versions with different options and incorporating some improvements. The idea is to seduce the most buyers by offering compromises and a lower price.

comparison Spartan Ultra and Spartan Sport Wrist

The most complete model, Spartan Ultra, is offered with a titanium bezel, has an ultra-resistant sapphire crystal and offers great autonomy. However, he does not have a heart rate monitoring on his wrist. This model is suitable for runners or hikers of very long distance and backpackers who need a watch resistant to any Review.

The Suunto Spartan Sport Wrist HR and Suunto Spartan Sport Wrist HR Baro (with barometer) is a little less robust, with its stainless steel bezel and a mineral glass. Its autonomy is also significantly lower (2 to 3 times less! See our comparison tables below) but it will be enough for most athletes. The watch has an optical cardio on the wrist for activity monitoring. The Baro version includes a barometer for weather functions and greater accuracy in altitude measurements. The Spartan Sport Wrist has almost the same functions as the Spartan Ultra. So here we have a good compromise for people who do not want to pay more for autonomy and / or a barometer they do not need.

Comparison Suunto 9 Baro versus Suunto Spartan Ultra: the differences

Although the 2 models are very close (same sensors, functions, software, widgets), the new features of the Suunto 9 make a big difference for fans of long distance (more than 18 h) and demanding sportsmen looking for the accuracy of the measurements. in energy saving mode. For the others, apart from the addition of an optical heart rate sensor, the new Movescount application and an interchangeable bracelet without tools, the interest of this last model remains limited, knowing that it costs more. That said, Suunto brought some new features to its watch at the end of 2019, via a software update: the Suunto 9 now offers an assessment of the VO2max for running (useful for assessing progress), the assessment of the level of stress, recovery and quality of sleep.

In our comments, we refer to the Suunto 9 Baro (with barometer) and the Suunto Spartan Ultra, the other two models mentioned above being "light" versions. However, we consider the 4 models in our comparative tables.

Design and structure

The 2 watches have the same screen (size, definition), a reinforced polyamide case and an ultra-resistant sapphire crystal glass (anti-scratch). The Suunto 9 has a stainless steel bezel (titanium for the Spartan Ultra) which gives it a different look. It is a little thinner (0.2 mm) but heavier by 8 g (81 vs 73 g) and its buttons are a little bigger.

Autonomy and precision of measurements: Suunto 9 stands out!

Suunto has gone to great lengths to offer a watch that stands out from the competition. The Suunto Spartan Ultra already offered record autonomy (up to 140 hours in Ultra mode). With the Suunto 9, the range increases further in the Performance and Endurance modes and above all, the accuracy of the measurements (GPS track, distance, speed) is improved in the energy saving modes.

With the Suunto 9, the autonomy goes to 25 h (instead of 18 h) in Performance mode (Best), 40 h (instead of 35 h) in Endurance mode (Good) and 120 h (instead of 140 h ) in Ultra mode (OK) but with much better precision.

The novelty of this model is twofold indeed:

Offer better autonomy in Performance mode (1 GPS reading per second). The watch still offers 7 hours more autonomy than the Spartan Ultra, almost 40% more!
Provide better precision in Endurance and Ultra modes thanks to an innovation: the function FusedTrack .

Note that in endurance and performance mode, GPS readings are less frequent on the Suunto 9 to save battery (1 reading per minute instead of 1 per second but with reduced accuracy in Endurance mode. 1 reading every 2 minutes instead of every minute in Ultra mode). But thanks to the FusedTrack function, Suunto guarantees greater measurement accuracy.

FusedTrack combines GPS data with accelerometer, compass and gyroscope data to reconstruct a more precise track or "guess" the track when the GPS signal is lacking. For more information, see our article Suunto 9: record autonomy and precision even without GPS.

Intelligent battery management

Suunto 9 provides indications of the battery status, including the remaining usage time. It generates alerts inviting the user to change modes if necessary. Its analysis is based on the history of activities. The watch therefore learns to manage the battery better over time.

The great interest of the model is to allow the user to switch from one mode to another and thus extend the autonomy of the watch, knowing that the accuracy of the measurements will be little affected.

Features: wrist heart rate and activity tracking

The 2 watches have almost the same functionality. We find the same functions for running, cycling, swimming. Suunto has added here and there, on the Suunto 9, some functions but this is not the main objective of this new model. Since an update in November 2019, Suunto now offers new physiological measures on the Suunto 9 that will interest athletes, including the assessment of VO2max, stress level and recovery. The watch also offers more detailed sleep monitoring with calculation of the sleep score.

It is especially the optical heart rate sensor which brings an additional advantage to the watch. It allows a permanent measurement of the pulse and an activity monitoring 24/24. It will be of interest to athletes who do not like to wear a belt or who are looking for daily monitoring (calories burned, heart rate, etc.). Note that the accuracy of measurements on the wrist is less good than with a belt. The Suunto 9 is however compatible with a chest belt.

GPS: compatibility with GPS? GLONASS, QZSS and Galileo

The Suunto 9 is compatible with the main satellite systems: American (GPS), Russian (GLONASS), Japanese (QZSS) and European (Galileo). We can mix networks (GPS + GLONASS for example) but this reduces the battery life.

The bracelet: interchangeable without tools

The strap of the Suunto 9 remains interchangeable, like on the Spartan Ultra, but without tools. Suunto has also adopted this system on the newer Spartan Sport and Spartan Sport Wrist HR.

A new Suunto app

The Suunto 9 is compatible with the new Suunto app which allows you to keep a log (history) of the workouts performed, daily activity, hours of sleep. It also allows you to share your data and performance with other members of the community. The new app is available in the Apple Store and Google Play.

The price

Suunto lowers the price of its Suunto Spartan following the release of the Suunto 9, reducing its previous model to an attractive price. If you don't need a lot of autonomy, this model will be more than enough.

Our opinion: Suunto 9 Baro or Suunto Spartan Ultra? Which one to choose ?

For demanding athletes covering long distances (events of more than 18 h), the Suunto 9 is clearly the model to choose for its record autonomy combined with high accuracy of measurements (distance, track) thanks to the brand new FusedTrack function. . It is very suitable for ultra-deep and ultra-racer races. We recommend it without hesitation for this type of use.

It is also useful for keeping accuracy even when the GPS signal fails (cuts).

The presence of the optical heart rate sensor is also a plus for people who do not want to bother with a chest belt or who wish to use the activity tracking function. The accuracy of the reading is however much less precise and can even be quite poor depending on the type of skin, the outside temperature, the hairiness. In cold weather, the blood vessels at the wrist are not very open so that the sensor may not work during the first minutes of running.

That said, investing in Suunto 9 is not necessarily worth it depending on your goal. If your sporting activity is limited to outings of less than 6 p.m., the Spartan Ultra will do just fine. It will be just as precise and cheaper following the price drop. For short outings, the Spartan Sport Wrist may even suffice. However, you will not benefit from the new functions such as the evaluation of VO2max (to monitoring its progress), the level of stress and recovery or even the quality of sleep.

For athletes who do not need a barometer and weather functions (racing on flat ground for example) but who wish to benefit from great autonomy and the precision of measurements in energy saving modes, the Suunto 9 (without barometer) is perfect for an attractive price. The watch does indeed offer the innovations brought by Suunto (autonomy, measurement accuracy, intelligent battery management) but without the barometer, the thermometer and the associated measurements.

Price and availability

Suunto 9 Baro is available in specialized stores and on the Internet in 2 colors: Suunto 9 Baro Black (black) and Suunto 9 Baro White (white) at the recommended price of € 599. The watch is also available with or without a cardio belt. Count 50 € more for the model with belt. Suunto also offers a cheaper Suunto 9 without barometer (from € 499), lighter but less suitable for adventurers and hikers.

The Suunto Spartan titanium has seen its price drop with the release of the Suunto 9.

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Philippe Baudoin