Suunto Spartan Sport Wrist HR Baro: Built for outdoor adventures and everyday use
Suunto’s 2017 Spartan Sport Wrist HR Baro added wrist heart rate monitoring and barometric altitude measurement, alongside new navigation and skiing features.
In September 2017, Suunto announced the Spartan Sport Wrist HR Baro, a GPS sports watch with wrist heart rate monitoring and an air pressure sensor for more accurate altitude readings. A software update for the Spartan collection also introduced sleep tracking, improved route navigation, sunrise and sunset times, and features for alpine sports and skiing.
Made from premium materials, the Spartan Sport Wrist HR Baro was designed to be comfortable and practical for everyday wear as well as a robust, reliable companion for outdoor activities and training. It used GPS/GLONASS to track speed, pace and distance, with wrist heart rate technology from market leader Valencell. Daily activity tracking included steps, calories and the lowest heart rate recorded over a 12-hour period.
Accurate altitude readings matter outdoors. The new watch used Suunto’s FusedAlti™ technology, combining GPS and barometric data for precise altitude information. It also displayed sunrise and sunset times and triggered a storm alarm when air pressure dropped sharply.
Suunto quoted battery life of up to 20 hours with one-second GPS fixes and power-saving options, or up to 40 hours with one-minute GPS fixes and power-saving options.
Better navigation and new skiing features
The software update improved navigation with estimated arrival time and remaining time to the destination. Point-of-interest navigation gained an alert, with a clear on-screen message when approaching a preset point. Sunrise and sunset times were available in both the standard display and sport modes to help users plan wilderness outings. The Spartan Ultra and Spartan Sport Wrist HR Baro also offered storm alarms based on changes in air pressure.
The alpine sport modes provided skiers with more information on screen, including a run counter, run distance, vertical descent and maximum downhill speed.
Suunto heatmaps updated with new Moves
Launched in June 2016, Suunto’s heatmaps helped users find training locations and routes, whether they wanted popular spots or places away from the crowds. Millions of new Moves had since been logged in the Suunto Movescount database. At the end of October 2017, data from those activities was due to be added to the heatmaps for all 16 sports, expanding the network of routes and training locations.
The heatmaps were available to everyone without registering for Suunto Movescount. Users could choose a location and one of 16 sports, then zoom in to see popular places for trail running, cycling, open-water swimming, skiing and more. Suunto Movescount also let users create routes from the heatmaps and transfer them to a GPS watch for navigation.
Ready for longer outdoor adventures
Battery life across the Suunto Spartan family had improved over the previous year. Suunto’s flagship Spartan Ultra offered up to 35 hours of GPS tracking with one-second fixes and power-saving options. With one-minute fixes and power-saving options, battery life could reach 140 hours, making it suitable for extended hiking trips.
The other Spartan models also received longer battery life:
- Spartan Sport: 25 hours with one-second GPS fixes and power-saving options; 80 hours with one-minute fixes.
- Spartan Sport Wrist HR: 20 hours with one-second GPS fixes and power-saving options; 40 hours with one-minute fixes.
- Spartan Trainer Wrist HR: 16 hours with one-second GPS fixes and power-saving options; 30 hours with one-minute fixes.
The software update introducing the new outdoor features was scheduled for October 17, 2017, alongside the launch of the Spartan Sport Wrist HR Baro at a recommended retail price of SEK 5,250.
