Customer Reviews

Suunto X6HR Heart Rate Wrist-Top Computer Watch with Altimeter, Barometer, and Compass

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought one 8 weeks ago and Suunto USA Service has had it longer than I have! Watch is terrific and does all that is advertised and does it quite well. The interface is VERY nice -- quite intuitive and easy to learn and use. I previously had a Polar and hated the interface. BUT - connecting teh SUUNTO to a PC is problematic. Mine failed after about a week. It took me four hours on the phone with tech support to convince them there was a problem with their product and that I was not just some computer illiterate. Then it took them 3 or 4 days to provide an RMA so that I could return it. Then four weeks and several emails to look at it and determine that the data cable was bad. They tested the watch and NOT the cable and were ready to return things to me -- again assuming the problem was me, not them. Even though they asked that the return include the data cable, they weren't planning to test it -- they would rather assume that it was user error!! Then it has taken them a full week to ship it!! So -- the total turn-around time was NOT the 2 weeks they promised me, but closer to SIX WEEKS to replace a defective cable. I think this is very low service for a premium priced product. Polar is about to come out with a competing line of products -- the AXN 300, 500 and 700. Writeups look very good and they appear to be a better price. If the interface is good, these could be the ones to buy!!

The Suunto watch is a great piece of gear. It was not a mistake that Outdoor magazine rated it a best watch of the year 2003.
The compass is ulike any other one in a watch it is real time and as you move the watch the compass corrects itself.
Pls the addition of the pc connectivity makes it a must have if you are serious about keeping track of any workout.

The only issue which Suunto is working hard to correct is a glitch in the software that makes the watch blanks out. This is apparently a flau in some watches and the repair is done by suunto free of charge and the warranty is extended by an extra year.

Lastly if you are concerned about the screen t is mineral crystal so it is hard and will take the punishment.

Beautiful looking watch, light weight, menu functions are easy to navigate. HR chest strap worked well (better than my other HR watches from Timex and Sports Instruments)

Software is very buggy and crashes frequently (but no information lost so thats ok).

One big problem - the watch claims to measure both altitude (Hiking Mode) and air pressure (Weather Mode), but can't do both at once. The watch determines your current altitude by using surrounding air pressure - if you sit in one place for hours and the air pressure changes around you the watch thinks you've changed altitude! My watch sat on my desk for two days and when I checked the altitude log, it showed several meters of altitude change - when all that happened was a storm hand moved into the region!

Big Warning - make sure when you buy a 2004 model you're getting the current model. The Suunto website has a 2004 manual for the X6HR that claims there is an Air Pressure Calibration function on the watch (General

State of the art canot start to describe this watch. Now you can read about the compass, altimeter, weather; however, the PC link makes it all come together so you can sit on your couch and see how your heart worked as altitude changed.
The convienece of the newly designed compass where degrees change as you rotate the watch makes this the best electronic compass in a watch I have seen.

If you are serious about keeping track of your health and having a great piece of computer in your wrist while away from civilization, the X6HR is for you. Plus the face is mineral crystal which is very hard to scratch.

Let me warn you that before you find it easy you will have to spend a good hour reading throught the manual familiarizing yourself witht the watch.

Also be advised that there a glitch on some watched that will cause them to freeze. Suunto has fixed the problem and if you happen to get a dud they will replace it and extend the warranty to 3 years. Enjoy

I was looking for a "one watch fits all", this one does the job. The Suunto X6HR is a lot like the Casio G-Shock series of watches but not so bulky. I was afraid the watch would be too big but found it not quite as tall as the G-Shocks and a lot more rounded and ergonomic. As for the display, it is functional but I like the G-Shock format better. The menus on the watch take some getting use to but no big deal. The backlight bothers me a little in the fact that you have to hold the button for 2 seconds before it will light up (normal mode). I also wish the alarm were louder, I'm sure I'll sleep right through the weak beeps. The thermometer, barometer, and compass are very accurate, I like that. I also liked the mineral glass face. I always scratch up my plastic face watches when I am outdoors. The PC interface is easy to use but requires a serial port. The software is well written. Overall, a good watch that does it all. I'd say it is more of a $200 watch than a $450 watch.

I give it five stars. You can find all the advantages of the wrist computer elsewhere (these advantages are real and numerous), I just want to mention several annoying things:
- you can not get a chart in the Hiking mode, it works only in Chrono. (Documentation is kind of vague but it looks like it says X6HR CAN record data in Hiking mode. Without the chart the Hiking feature is much less useful and meaningful).
- Weather mode (i.e. temperature) is not completely useful as you must place the wristop aside from your hand for some 15 minutes.
- Suunto software crashes when you try to shut it down.

- Device is quite bulky.
- Heart rate monitor works fine if you are hiking.
Sometimes it misses heartbeats especially if the refresh rate is set to 2 seconds. I compared the X6HR to Polar watch using the same chestband. Polar shows the heartrate but Suuto looses and catches it again. So the problem is not the band but the receiver in the watch.

I've got to agree with the other reviews about tech support and buggy (and I mean BUGGY) software. The SAM software is quite unstable (Think Windows 2.0 kind of unstable). I like the watch and I like the functions that it provides. The interface on the watch is really nice. It's a shame that their analysis software is so un-reliable. Support on their website is almost non-existent. The last problem I had, I had to solve myself and that took quite a bit of digging to findout what to do. I found the information on a bulletin board that was run by other users of this product.

I'd have been better served with more reliable software. Perhaps I'll pass this HRM on to a needy student and spend another chunk of change on a Polar this time...

Good Luck

I have had this watch for about a year now. Great watch, many functions, all work flawlessly. The only problem and it can be a major one, is that this thing goes through batteries unlike any watch I have ever owned. If you get 3 months out of a battery you are lucky. After going through 2 batteries very quickly, I thought maybe I had bought old or bad batteries. The last 2 I had tested before I installed them. Same problem. I'm now on my way to buy my 5th battery for this watch in about 1 year. If this doesn't bother you I highly recommend this watch, but it can be very frustrating if your battery fails at a bad time.

I bought this watch on March 2.008 primarily for running and trekking !
Just 11 months after, the stop/start button started malfunctioning, needing to be pressed many times before finally working, and a few weeks later the watch just completely died...
Very unimpressed, wish I could send it back but neither Amazon nor its seller will have anything to do with it so I have to deal directly with Suunto.
Cheap, cheap, cheap !

I,ve been using this watch for a few months and really like it.
A great machine that really handle the hard conditions of climbing and give the right information when u need it.