Buy Suunto 5 Peak
Commercial links. Prices are not contractual. Please visit the merchant site.
After the Suunto 9 Peak released in 2021, the brand's top-of-the-range model along with the Suunto 9 Baro, Suunto is offering the Suunto 5 Peak, a multisport and triathlon watch replacing the Suunto 5 released in 2019. This new version, which is significantly lighter and more compact but also more elegant, is aimed at occasional to regular sportsmen and women looking for an easy-to-use watch that incorporates the essentials for sports and GPS navigation while offering full health tracking and a few connected functions.
Suunto 5 versus Suunto 5 Peak: what's new?
This new model has all the features of the Suunto 5 but with a more elegant design, a more compact size and a significant weight saving (27 g less, i.e. 41% lighter!). As for the functionalities, the changes are minimal. Note that the Suunto 5 Peak offers almost the same functions as the excellent Suunto 9 Peak except for the functionalities dependent on the barometric altimeter (absent from this model), the absence of a compass and a non-touch screen, a water resistance of only 30 m and a weaker autonomy.
Here is a summary of the new features of the Suunto 5 Peak:
- An improved, elegant, sleeker and more compact design (43mm case size instead of 47mm, 12.9mm thickness instead of 14.6mm)
- Lighter weight: 66g instead of 39g, a 41% gain
- An additional battery mode (Tower) offering up to 100 h of battery life
- A new 22mm strap that is interchangeable without tools and compatible with the Suunto 9 Peak
- Automatic wireless update of the software via bluetooth
- An optical heart rate monitor that works underwater
- A 30 m waterproofing instead of 50 m (sufficient for swimming)
- A slightly less robust model: plastic watch glass instead of glass and plastic case instead of fibre-reinforced polymer
The Suunto 5 Peak also benefits from the recent additions to the Suunto 5 last summer (2021):
- Turn by Turn guidance along a route
- Snap to route GPS: aligning GPS data to the programmed route for high reliability of, among other things, speed/altitude calculations
- Ghost Runner: a virtual running partner
- Energy expenditure tracking: estimation of fats and carbohydrates consumed during the ride
- Music control from a smartphone (but still no MP3 player)
- New sports profiles: Enduro mountain biking, downhill mountain biking with vertical turns (automatic calculation of descents), triathlon racing with power, paddle
- New dials (watchface)
- Notifications improvement: the ability to send, from the watch, predefined messages in response to smartphone notifications (on Android only)
Suunto 5 Peak Overview
The Suunto 5 Peak is an improved Suunto 5 with very few new features, but a more compact, elegant and lighter design. Its sleek case is reminiscent of the elegant Suunto 9 Peak, a model that won us over with its sleeker, more compact look.
An elegant design
With a case diameter of 43 mm instead of 47 mm, a thickness of 12.9 mm instead of 14.6 mm (11% thinner) and a light weight of 39 g instead of 66 g (41% lighter), this compact and light watch is designed to be comfortable to wear on the wrist and is more suitable for slim wrists. The bezel is made of steel. The watch crystal, which was made of glass on the Suunto 5, is now made of plastic (as is the case) and is therefore less robust and more prone to scratches, but at the same time lighter.
The GPS antenna, which used to extend onto the strap, is now completely integrated into the case. The 22 mm strap is now interchangeable without tools. Suunto offers 6 colours and compatibility with all 9 Suunto 9 Peak straps.
The Suunto 5 Peak's display is relatively small. It measures 28 mm in diameter " and offers a resolution of 218 x 218 px. This is a bit small for a sports watch these days, especially for GPS navigation or displays with 8 data points.
Sensors
On the sensor side, there is an optical heart rate monitor that now works underwater, a GPS chip compatible with the main satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and Beidu), an accelerometer and a gyroscope. However, the watch does not have a pulse oximeter (for measuring blood oxygen levels, used in particular in sleep analysis), nor a barometric altimeter (more precise than GPS for measuring altitude and especially altitude differences), nor a compass. The waterproofness, which was 5 ATM, is reduced to 3 ATM, which just allows the watch to be used for swimming.
The watch is compatible with the main external sensors: cardio belt, cadence and power sensors for cycling, foot pod, Stryd power sensor for running
Sports features
On the functional side, all the functions of the Suunto 5 are present, including the recent additions introduced by software update in 2021. These functions are sufficient for most sportsmen and women to train, progress, monitor their performance and also evaluate their physical condition.
In particular, the watch offers complete sports profiles (more than 80 including running, trail, cycling and swimming). This means that almost all sports are accessible. The Suunto 5 Peak can display up to 8 data fields (including the time).
It evaluates the level of fitness (VO2max), the training load including recovery, the Body resource (level of available energy), the energy expenditure (calories burned including the proportion of carbohydrates and fats). It offers assistance for split training (cycling, running, swimming). It provides adaptive workouts with personalised cardio activities for training: an ideal tool for people who want to progress or maintain a level but don't know how to do it.
A Ghost Runner function allows you to run with a virtual partner, making your runs more motivating.
GPS navigation
The Suunto 5 Peak is first and foremost a watch designed for outoor use, which is Suunto's speciality. It displays the route in real time (Petit Poucet track), offers a return-to-start function and route tracking with turn-by-turn guidance.
This model does not offer a barometric altimeter or compass, which limits its use for outdoor and trail riding. Altimetry from the GPS is not very accurate, which can be a problem when measuring height differences or when finding your way around a map based on altitude. As for the compass, it is useful for orienting a map.
Suunto recently introduced Snap to Route GPS, a function that matches the GPS track to the programmed route. Very useful in places where GPS is not very good, it allows you to obtain a high level of precision in the data deduced from the distance travelled (the pace in particular).
The Suunto application allows you to view the route on a 2D or 3D map and also to create routes. Suunto offers heat maps for sports profiles12. Heat maps display the most popular routes used by the Suunto community. They make it easy to find a route around you, even if it's off the trail.
Activity and health monitoring
Suunto offers several tools and metrics such as stress level, body resource, heart rate, calories burned per hour, number of steps taken, and a basic sleep analysis. The watch displays graphs of these values over the last few hours. Finally, it estimates physiological age (a revised estimate of real age relative to the average user based on activity level, resting heart rate and BMI.
Connected functions
Suunto still provides few connected features on its watches. This model offers smartphone notifications and, for Android phones only, the ability to reply to incoming messages from predefined messages. The Suunto 5 Peak can also control music from a smartphone. This means that you can listen to music with headphones connected to the phone or via Bluetooth earbuds without having to take the phone out of a bag or armband attached to the arm. It's a shame that the Finnish manufacturer still doesn't offer a built-in MP3 player.
Autonomy
The battery life of the Suunto 5 Peak is excellent for a mid-range watch. Like the previous model, it lasts up to 20 hours in Performance mode (recordings every second) or 7 days in connected mode with 24/7 activity monitoring. But you can go up to 40 hours in Endurance mode (1 recording every minute) with relative reliability thanks to FusedTrack, Suunto's own algorithm that uses the watch's internal sensors to extrapolate the missing points as best as possible.
Suunto introduces the Tour Mode, already available on the Suunto 9 / Suunto 9 Peak, which allows for up to 100 hours of battery life by recording data every hour.
| Mode | Suunto 5 | Sunto 5 Peak | Suunto 9 Peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watch | 14 days | 14 days | 14 days |
| Connected watch + 24/7 tracking + mobile notifications | 7 days | 7 days | 7 days |
| GPS (*) | 20 h / 40 h / 100 h | 20 h / 40 h / 100 h | 25 h / 50 h / 120 h / 170 h |
| Intelligent battery manager | • | • | • |
| FusedTrack | • | • | • |
| Rechargeable during activity | • | • | • |
The application
This new model works with the Suunto app to be installed on your Android or iOS smartphone. Suunto does not offer a computer app. The app, which is rather intuitive and clear, allows you to access data from your outings, view your route in 2D or 3D, share it on social networks, build and load routes on the watch and much more.
Data synchronization is automatic and wireless via Bluetooth, as are the watch's software updates (a new feature) which are done automatically overnight. Suunto does not offer Wi-Fi. It is therefore necessary to keep your phone switched on to benefit from these synchronisations.
Our opinion on the Suunto 5 Peak
The Suunto 5 Peak is an evolution of the Suunto 5. It offers almost no new features, except for a new optical sensor that works underwater and the automatic update of the watch software wirelessly. All other recent features, such as smartphone music control, Snap to Route GPS, Ghost Runner, calorie expenditure assessment and turn-by-turn guidance were already added to the Suunto 5 in 2021. This model, however, has a much more elegant, compact and lightweight design while retaining the same battery life, all at the same price as the Suunto 5 at launch.
The Suunto 5 Peak is an affordable watch that covers almost all sports and offers the essentials for both beginners and regular athletes. It offers a clear, intuitive, easy-to-use interface. Its screen is a little small for GPS navigation and 8-data displays and it's a shame it doesn't offer a barometric altimeter for the price, especially for a watch designed for outdoor use. It is therefore not the best choice for mountain outings (hiking, trail, etc.). In addition, its glass and all-plastic case make it less robust than the old model. It is also less waterproof. Nevertheless, it will satisfy many sportsmen looking for a simple to use sports watch that offers the essentials in a compact and elegant enough case to be worn on a daily basis. For more advanced functions or for use in the mountains, you will have to turn to the Suunto 9 Baro or the Suunto 9 Peak. For a connected model or one that offers mapping, opt for the Suunto 7.
Suunto 5 or Suunto 5 Plus: which one to choose?
The Suunto 5 Peak replaces the Suunto 5, so the old model will disappear. You can still benefit from the available stocks and the lower price of the Suunto 5. However, we recommend the new model, which is much more compact, light and comfortable to wear, especially for people with thin wrists. Apart from its slightly less robustness, it also benefits from more recent components (CPU, memory, optical cardio) making it more durable.
- Compact, light and elegant
- Easy to use and clear interface
- Turn-by-turn guidance
- Adaptive drives
- Underwater optical sensor
- Controlling music from a smartphone
- Less robust (glass, housing)
- Waterproof to 30 m only
- Screen size and definition a little small
- Few connected functions
Price and availability
The Suunto 5 Peak is priced at 299€. It is available in 3 colours (Black, Cave Green and Ridge Sand) and strap colours6. Discover it at our partners and take advantage of discounts on our site.
Buy Suunto 5 Peak
Commercial links. Prices are not contractual. Please visit the merchant site.
Photo credit : Adobe Stock. This article contains commercial links.