Suunto T6 Watch

by Suunto

Product Description

Suunto t6 accurately records how your body performs during exercise, enabling later analysis and planning with Suunto Training Manager. By measuring your exercise load and relating it to your personal fitness level, Suunto t6 tells you if the session improved your condition or not. Suunto t6 provides laboratory accurate information on seven key body parameters including EPOC*. By understanding how your body responds to exercise, you can better plan your own personal training program and, most importantly, monitor its effectiveness. The technical features of the wristop computer, combined with the PC interface developed for more graphical representation of your performance, and our Internet Community, where you can share information with other like-minded athletes from around the world, make Suunto t6 the device of choice for every true athlete and fitness enthusiast. Product Features Time mode; includes functions such as time, date and alarm. In addition to time and date, displays either day, seconds or dual time Alti/Baro mode; displays data on either altitude and related parameters in Alti or weather data such as barometric pressure and temperature in Baro Training mode; stopwatch functions, such as lap time and interval time, and heart rate data. Offers control functions as well as logbook Speed/Distance mode: available for use with an external speed and distance sensor. Displays speed and distance information and offers control functions and alarms Heart rate belt uses error-free ANT transmission technology Compatible with wireless Peripheral Observation Devices (PODs)*) Foot POD, attached to the shoe, measures speed and distance while running. Combined with the heart rate data, it gives you all the info you need from your run - Sold Separately Bike POD combines speed and distance functions with the detailed heart rate analysis of the Suunto t6, making it one of the most advanced training tools ever developed for biking - Sold Separately PC POD is a wireless USB

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B004K863H2
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #125,642 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ironman Triathlete, Ultra-distance runner/cyclist Review, January 9, 2007

By 

D. D. Gabrielson "d2g" (USA - Navy) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Suunto T6 Watch (Apparel)

I have raced bikes and triathlons for over 20 years, and used heart rate monitors since the early 1990's when they were 'brand new' to sports. After buying and using at least 6 different systems, most of them Polar-made, I have come to the conclusion that there are two paths worth taking in HRMs- you can keep it simple and buy a low-cost, quality device that gives your average and training time, or you should go high-end and buy a device that you can download to your PC and thoroughly analyze the data. The gear in the middle provides little added value in my opinion.

I have been sponsored by other companies in the past but never by SUUNTO, so this review is completely based on personal experience.

I have used this HRM system for over a year and it is hands-down one of the best training aids I have ever spent money on. It is expensive, but see my comments above. And the software you get coupled with SUUNTO's Olympic-level research into the science of EPOC and physiology make this an invaluable training tool. Why? Because the hardest thing to know when you have an HRM is how hard to train, and what impact the time you spend training at a given intensity level has on your fitness. It's like having a tachometer on an engine but no speedometer or fuel gauge-- you don't know how fast to go or how far to go to get the most out of a tank of gas. EPOC makes a big difference and you'll be surprised at the improvements in your training efficiency. Wasted miles are the bane of a working athlete's existence and this tool helps reduce them.

I've used the T6 with a running pod for nearly two years, and it's at least as accurate as my Garmin Etrex GPS unit. I do take the time to check the calibration every now and then, and even during a race if it's off, it's never off by much and it's consistent so I can mentally compensate for any differences. I've used the shoe pod to pace marathons on roads and ultra-marathons in the woods. I was first aware of the technology in 1999 when a team I was part of was given a similar system to test in the Himalayas during an adventure race- it was OK then, but now it works. We used my T6 and shoe pod during an adventure race in the Great Smokies in 2006 as a navigation aid (not by itself) by measuring distances at night in a major snowstorm. It was probably not perfect but it definitely helped keep us from getting lost. Handheld GPS wouldn't work in that kind of environment of heavy cover and falling snow.
The bike pod for my T6 hasn't been as good a story, but there are new versions out now that appear to have addressed the issues- the biggest one lies in the distance between the pod and the watch- the transmission range was not long enough to make it work well, you had to mount the watch on the bike as opposed to keeping it on your wrist. I believe that the new pods have improved this but I haven't tested them myself.
The other complaint I'd offer is that you have to send the T6 to SUUNTO for software updates. I had a watch go bad early on, and the replacement had an older software revision in it that I have yet to update because of the mail-in requirement-- but I'll do it sometime soon as my training schedule permits. The good news is that updates are free, and you don't really need them unless you want the new features they offer which are usually pretty minor changes. To be fair, last time I checked, Polar requires you to send them an HRM for new batteries, with the SUUNTO gear you can change them all yourself, including the HR strap. The HRM will NOT work in a pool though, and my Polar HRMs are spotty in the water but sometimes work.
I've used my T6 to train for an Ironman triathlon, multiple ultra-distance road and MTB events, a couple of ultra-distance runs, and other events noted above-- with the exception of my newly-acquired power training gear for my bike, my T6 is absolutely the most effective piece of training gear I have ever owned, and I wish I'd had this ten years ago when I was really competitive. It's an amazing piece of gear and I'm a better athlete because of its use- you have to spend some time learning about EPOC and exercise science but the T6 more than pays it back.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Best HR Monitor, but still not perfect, January 19, 2007

By 

D. Blum - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Suunto T6 Watch (Apparel)

I used Polar HR monitors for years before switching to the Suunto t6.

Suunto advantages:
1 - large display that can be somewhat user-specified;
2 - more accurate FootPod than Polar's s1 footpod for measuring distance;
3 - availability of even more accurate (though bulkier) GPSPod, which needs no calibration (unlike footpods of any brand);
4 - user can change battery in chest band and watch.
5 - don't need an IR interface to upload running data to computer.

Polar advantages:
1 - significantly better software;
2 - compatible for use with third-party software (e.g. PC Coach);
3 - user can change ALL lines of display.
4 - a little cheaper because s1 footpod is included in the Polar 625.
5 - I suspect Polar's latest model, the rs800sd that has a new s3 footpod, is equal to Suunto's, but the cost is greater.

As you can see, Polar's got the edge in extras, but Suunto wins when it comes to functionality and that's what counts most.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome but not perfect, July 7, 2006

By 

bayareakirk (Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Suunto T6 Watch (Apparel)

This watch is for running and biking and training in those sports. If you buy it for other reasons, you are more likely going to be frustrated. I have trained with it for over a year and love it.
Pros:
1.Easy to use, even intuitive. Easy to read as well.
2.Provides more data and more accurate data than any watch out there (instant speed, avg speed, instant altitude, rate of climbing or decending, heart rate, accurate distances in running and biking (with foot pod for running and bike pod for biking), and more.
3. Quality build. does not break or show wear. Crystal does not scratch. batteries last long.
4. Hooks up to computer and downloads, analyzes, and saves all work out data.
5. Good support from Suunto. good warranty. Good online user groups as well.
Cons:
1. Have to get used to resetting altitude before a workout as it only stays accurate while barrometric pressures are fairly steady.
2. Computer software is great but could easily be much better. Suunto is trying, but slowly and imperfectly, to improve software.
3. Bike pod will not fit on one of three of my bikes. (new pods are coming in the fall and look to solve this).

Other people may have a different list of pros and cons, but this is what stands out for me.

It is expensive. for me it is worth it.

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