A tool for peak performance, whether you're already on the mountain or training to get there. With an altimeter, barometer, electronic compass, and heart rate monitor, you'll have the information you need to make responsible decisions in the great, vertical outdoors.

Average Member Rating:

out of

(2 Reviews) 2

Rating Snapshot (2 reviews)

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

1 out of 2(50%)reviewers would recommend this product to a friend.

Customer Questions & Answers:

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Member Reviews for Suunto Vector HRM

Review 1 for Suunto Vector HRM

Overall Rating:

3 out of 5

Effectiveness:

2 out of 5

Value:

3 out of 5

By:CardinalFlyer

Location: Calgary, AB

Age: 45-55

Gender: male

Gear Style: Performance Driven

Not for lower-light environments

Date:February 6, 2013

I had very high hopes when I bought this unit from the Calgary store. Nice feel, good quality, and absolutely PACKED with features. But, after trying it out, my enthusiasm was somewhat lukewarm.

First the good things.

I absolutely love the capability of this watch. I LOVED that it had a replaceable strap. That's why I chose this over Polar.

I really bought it for the low/high HR detection to pace your workout intensity and it did not disappoint. Maybe the alarm is too quiet, but that appears to be a problem across all brands.

I also liked the interval training and the various timer modes. The compass and barometer modes appeared to work as designed.

Ok, the cons:

On one little thing I found (which wasn't my main gripe) is that when you set up the units on the watch, some of the unit selections are REALLY, REALLY small, like selecting temperature. They were so small that I had to get a magnifying glass to see which I had selected. There was one other unit setting that was so small, I couldn't even see that with a magnifier. Needed the manual to figure out that one. Not a biggie.

I was also very surprised that it did not appear that you could hook this watch up to a computer or their training tracker website. For the price, I expected better.

But, by far, my biggest complaint was the reverse display - it makes the watch far more difficult than it should be to read. All the features in the world don't mean much if you can't easily read it.

I tried out the watch on an indoor bike ride (road bike on a mag flywheel) with regular room lighting. Riding in a hunched forward position, I could not read the watch by just flicking my wrist and glancing, I had to actually leave the aerobar and bring the watch toward my head to read it. Having to tie up another arm to press the backlight is just not feasible. Even if I had both arms free, the backlight itself is still not bright enough to be seriously usable.

Even walking around the house, you can't just glance at this watch and be able to read it. The reverse contrast is just too low. The barometer trend chart feature is near impossible to read in this configuration.

I think the non-reverse display version of this watch would be a all-around better choice. Unfortunately, MEC doesn't carry it. I have not yet tried out the watch in outdoor lighting, and it might be a lot more usable there, but the days are still too short. ;)

Bottom line: I'm sure this watch would get top marks from me with the regular display, not the reverse one. In my case, I need something that i can use both indoors as well in outside.

Pros: Rugged, Lightweight

Cons: visibility

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Review 2 for Suunto Vector HRM

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Effectiveness:

4 out of 5

Value:

4 out of 5

By:Haliskin

Location: Ontario, CA

Age: 18-24

Gender: male

Gear Style: Performance Driven

MEC MEMBER

Suunto Vector

Date:March 28, 2011

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This watch is a classic. Although I have never seen it with the HRM before, the build quality of this watch is indescribably impressive.

I first purchased the Suunto Vector back in 200#, and have used it and abused it more than anything else I've ever owned.

Complaints:
It's a bit thick (around 1cm tall), and the print / degree's on the dial wear off around the 1 year mark. At around the 10'000 feet mark, the levelling bubble used alongside the compass will apparently burst; I've never taken it that high so I really can't comment.

The altimeter works off of the barometer, so make sure to calibrate it before your climb, and take into account changing weather patterns - this has an effect on the atmospheric pressure and thus the altimeter.

The compass is easy to calibrate and works well in the bush. It get's confused as hell when near automobiles, so make sure to recalibrate it when starting a journey.

It has a good backlight (I've used it several times during the night to check my map), and the battery should last you a very long time. I've only replaced mine twice, and I use this watch for all my field craft.

The display is large and clear. It has a stopwatch, 3 daily alarms, a timer, and functions as a 12/24h clock. The alarm is loud, I have used it many times to wake up in the morning, and other times I've left it on in another room and had it wake me up.

Take my advice, get this watch over any Casio or Timex, just be sure to read the manual or you'll be confused as hell. It's easy to navigate, but you'll miss out on all of the great features this watch has to offer.

If all this wasn't enough to convince you, I'll add that I'm a member of the Canadian Forces, and have taken this watch through over 8 months of field training - it's worth the money. (If you don't want the HRM, go to the suunto website for the regular model).

Pros: Rugged, Lightweight, Simple, Good Value, Reliable

Cons: Expensive

1 of 1 found this review helpful.

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