X6 HR

I have owned the Vector for about 2 years and thought it was ok but it was difficult to use. The X6 has all the features of the Vector plus feet/meters ascended per minute, second, or hour and a killer log book that can be accessed anytime during the log. The new interface for the X6 is also much easier than the Vector. Sell your Vector on Ebay and get the X6 you will not regret it. Plus you can download the log book into your PC.

I’ve had my Suunto X6HR for a year and have been fairly satisfied. About the best thing I can say is that it’s lightweight. You hardly notice it’s on your wrist. I’ve run several ultramarathons wearing the X6 and appreciate how unobtrusive it is.

The following is a breakdown on my experiences with the X6HR:

Display: Large and easy to read, however the LCD fades out and is unusable at temperatures below 20F.

Compass: Will display to 1 degree and is accurate once calibrated.

Altimeter: While the altimeter is very sensitive to changes in pressure (shows vertical speed and altitude change by just raising and lowering your arm), the actual altitude displayed can be off by more than 200’ (versus actual altitude) with the proper barometric pressure set.

Temperature: Reliable, however this function is somewhat useless since the temperature is read near your arm. You have to take the watch off and give it some time to stabilize before you can accurately measure air temperature. Since the LCD fades out below 20F, forget about using the X6 for snow temperature readings or documenting an icy cold night in a tent.

Heart Rate Monitor: Reliable. Uses a standard HR monitor. At the starting line of a race once when I wasn’t wearing my HR monitor, my X6 picked up the HR of another runner who had 122 bpm standing still?!

Charting Software: This is neat and works well. Watch datalinks to your PC and graphs time:altitude:HR, and data can be further analyzed. At least it was neat the first few times I used it before the novelty wore off.

Chrono, Alarms, Backlight work fine.

Complaints: The five control buttons all have a poor ‘feel’ to them when pressed and are sometimes unresponsive. Managing and erasing memory is non-intuitive (a pain). Battery is short-lived.

I still highly recommend this watch. Despite being lightweight, it’s solidly built. I’ve hit the crystal many times while rock climbing with no sign of damage. The watch band is also durable.

This is the best piece I have seen. I had the Suunto Advisor until it saved my wrist from a rock and stopped working. I will continue purchasing Suunto watches. This one inparticular has no downside to it other than the steep price.

with the reviews above. There is not much that could be improved on with this tool. I wear it everyday and use all the features when I'm in the hills. The instruction book says the battery lasts about 1 year - which is a very accurate estimate. I've had the watch since 2004 and have changed the battery 3 times. I have to order them on line since they are not carried at REI anymore, so they cost me about $20 including shipping. Not cheap, but certainly worth it.

Suunto makes top quality gear and this watch does everything well. Good computer interface - easy to use software for altitude and heartrate logs. Very durable. Battery life is about 1 year and best to get certified watch guy to replace and test waterproof seal.