16.3.2022 | 3 MIN
The Suunto 5 Peak saw the light of the day at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, the workload was high, and everybody decided to release something new. That is why we only get to this bomb now.
Without hesitation a phrase from a Czech fairy tale: "I'm small but skillful!" comes to mind, as the sentence perfectly describes the watch. But first, I would like to start by highlighting some of the main differences from the previous version:
Is it not enough for you? I think it is. Now, let's take a closer look.
The older fifth-generation resembled a spaceship. Full of profiling, lots of screws, and robust construction that didn't fit everyone's hand. But Suunto 5 Peak keeps up with modern times, and the design heavily copies the highest Suunto series – Suunto 9 Peak. The case has a decent size of 43 mm, with a height of 13 mm. The plastic construction is complemented by a steel bezel which is the reason for the watch to be twice as light, reaching only 39 g.
Yes, the case is awesome and light, but I consider the Quick Release system strap as one of the biggest plus. Even Suunto realized that rowing against the universal straps tide is not worth it, so now you can "click in" almost any 22 mm strap (the same width also works on Suunto 9 Peak). There is also a version in the model 5 that has a strap made of recycled plastic fished from the sea. Overall, Suunto cares about ecology, and all the watches are made using 100% renewable energy.
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Matrix (transflective) display stays the same, with a resolution of 218 x 218 pixels and a size of 1.1". The most noticeable change happened to the glass, as the engineers used plastics instead of mineral. The plastic glass is lighter and more shock resistant. A small disadvantage is that the plastic glass can get scratched more easily. But that should be fixed by a polishing paste, as it is used for classical watches.
No, seriously, it's not a smartwatch with which you can play music, make a call, and then pay at the cash register. The watch is, as usual, a Finnish, purebred sports tester. Right at the beginning, it's nice to say that the watch has exactly the same equipment as the basic nines, but without the barometer.
In addition to fitness functions such as monitoring all metrics 24/7 (heart rate, steps, sleep, ...), the watch is simply sports-oriented. It has many sports activities (80 modes) and more than 50 measurable values like speed, pace, kilometers, etc. And finally, the fives can already boast the SuuntoPlusTM tweaks, which I described more in an article on Suunto 9 Peak.
People who spend a lot of time in the mountains or unfamiliar environments will enjoy the turn-by-turn navigation, which lets you plan a route either on any map page or directly in the Suunto App by the Heat map (popular). And for sure, you have to appreciate the possibility to control the music on your phone. Another new thing is also the possibility of reversing the colors of the display, ie white for black and black for white.
The whole package is underlined by decent battery life, as in smartwatch mode it is 7 days, and in GPS mode it varies from 20 to 100 hours depending on the scanning frequency.
I see it pretty clearly. It is a beautifully light sports tester, that is worth it. A very light (and cheap) Suunto concept, into which they got almost everything essential. The omission of the barometer, as with the older version, was to be expected. In addition, SuuntoPlus tweaks gadgets, a beautifully readable display, and a fairly decent battery. As I write this, I'm already looking forward to testing it properly.
