Witness the fitness

Not all fitness watches are created equal. Metropol’s gadget guy Ian Knott looks at Suunto’s impressive flagship model, the 9 Peak.

If I were a betting man, it’d be a fairly safe wager that as you are reading this you are either wearing, or at least own, a fitness watch of some sort.

There would also be good odds that your watch is a Samsung Galaxy Gear, Apple Watch, Fitbit or perhaps a Huawei or Garmin.

Few, especially in New Zealand would have considered, or even heard of, Suunto as a brand, but if you’re serious about your fitness tracking and outdoor pursuits then it’s a brand you should definitely be looking at for your next purchase.

Made in Finland, their flagship model, the Suunto 9 Peak is the watch you need if you want to dial right into your heart rate, optimum weightloss zones and blood oxygen levels, no matter what activity or sport you’re involved in.

The 9 Peak recognises 80 different sports and training activities, so unless you’re into some obscure activity such as cheese rolling, then you’ll be able to pick an accurate depiction and track all the important readings.

It was great to be able to choose tennis, for example, rather than a generic cross-training or outdoor mode.

Speaking of outdoors, the 9 Peak has you covered if going bush is your thing. With built-in GPS, compass, barometric altometer, 100m waterproofing and being built tough as nails, this is the digital companion you need.

Of course the watch still does the basics such as displaying phone notifications and calls, and controlling music etc. But if pretty graphics and watch faces are what you’re about, then the 9 Peak is not for you. Suunto keeps things clean and simple, with a small selection of face displays designed to deliver information rather than match your outfit.

With normal (non-GPS) everyday usage, the battery life is superb, boasting a full seven days. So if you’re serious about your fitness, then consider the Suunto 9 Peak. It’s like a personal trainer on your wrist.