Suunto T6 Watch

Dont' bother with the t4, t1 or t3 for that matter...I broke two before switching to a t6. The t6 has held up great...lots of use. The computer software that comes with the t6 allows you to see your entire workout, not just the summary, really a great training tool! I had a GPS pod but it broke after only a few uses too. Suunto seems to be going more for design lately than durability or performance...too bad.

The T6 had some difficulties finding the HR belt. When it synched the T6 was great.

I'm quite pleased with the T6. It's less bulky than the Suunto vector altimeter and you get more functionality. I've found the interface to be user friendly and easy to adjust. If you need a this type of functionality then you won't be disappointed. The software that comes with is decent although I'd love to see Suunto come up with an online application to house my workout data.

Simply put this is a quality piece of gear. I have been searching for a good HRM for about a month. T6 was well worth the wait. Pricey but only for the serious athlete.

I bought this sleek watch for my dad a couple months ago. He has lost 15 lbs using the heart rate monitor. He LOVES it! If you are looking for a suave watch with functionality, check this out. You heart will thank you.

I've been running and biking with a T6 for a couple months now, and I find it's way easier to use than I initially though. There is a ton of information that it gathers, but when it's put into the software and graphs, it's easy to take it all in. Can't wait for snow so I can record my season's total vertical, and see my heart rate spike with face shots!

After reading the scientific background and articles on which the software is based (FirstBeat) one can find that the T6 apparently does not measure 7 variables, but rather measures heart rate, and estimates the remaining variables. EPOC is a real "factor" in training, but again is "estimated," and not calculated. FirstBeat speculates that their software does this, and Suunto agrees apparently. The system works "OK," but could use cadence, power and other features on the bike. As a heart rate monitor alone, I have never had a problem. No crosstalk, etc. The T6, after reading the literature, does not seem to do what I expected based on all the adds.

Here's what's great about it: the connection to the software- from a USB cable- is solid. The watch is ligher and less clunky and smaller than previous wristop HRM/altimeters. It is very easy to operate. The software gives pretty good information about some physiological parameters not found in other software. What's bad: I wish you could see rate of ascent/descent, altitude, and HR, all on the same screen- something that some other Suunto and Polar watches have. Also, the first version of the software seems better, less clunky, than the second version. I downloaded the second version from the Suunto site but it is buggy (as of 7/17/06). For training it is excellent- for mountaineering or other outdoor applications it is good, but for both (flatlander training and mountain use) it is not as good as the Polar XN500. The problem with the XN500 is that the IR connection to the computer is clunky, whereas the Suunto connection is rock solid.

This is a solid piece of gear in my book. Here are a few notes. Some have mentioned issues with the HRM. First off, the chest strap is definitely comfortable. It seems that the center section of the HRM strap (where the battery is located) is not as flexible as some other manufactures. So if you have a boney/protruding sternum it causes the electrodes to be further away from your chest which could be a reason for intermittent data. This is pure speculation on my part from observing how the chest strap fits on a friend. I have had no major issues. Although I do try to sleep with it occasionally and have notice that there are occasional drop outs during the course of a night. Given that my body is not sweating and the electrodes need to be moist/wet for good contact I tried using some Vaseline and this seemed to stop the drop outs. I purchased the foot pod (see review under product) as well as the bike pod with the unit and everything is functioning spot on. A Suunto rep told me that they're working on a cadence option as well. I'm still investigating the software a bit more in terms of what specific graphs mean and how to make them useful. While initially it's great to see workout data on the screen it takes some time to collect and observe the data and understand what's going on from that perspective. So maybe I'll write a review in a few months with more specifics pertaining to the software. Thus far I'm stoked with the new setup.

I am really happy with my T6. It looks and performs great.

I purchased a T6 with the optional foot pod (to measure speed while running). The system takes quite a bit of getting used to. The menu system on the watch is very different to most sport watches, but pretty easy once you've got used to it. The analysis software is also quite idiosyncratic: for example, it took a phone call to Suunto tech support to explain how to download the data from the watch. However, once I had become familiar with it, I found that the system worked very well indeed. Unlike another reviewer here, I've had absolutely no problems with the HRM strap (whereas I've had mixed luck with Polar and Timex monitors). And the foot pod works amazingly well too: I just completed a marathon wearing it, and without any re-calibration it showed my total distance as 26.3 miles. I also found the Suunto tech support to be excellent. To summarize, the device is very expensive; the software is rough around the edges; and the watch's user-interface could do with some fine-tuning too. But I still give the product five stars, because the system provides amazingly detailed performance data that you just can't get anywhere else. Not only does it continuously log your heart-rate and speed (with the foot pod). But it also records your altitude throughout the workout, your breathing-rate, your power output/calorie consumption, and calculates other performance metrics like EPOC. (And allows you to export them.) This is the closest thing you can get to taking a complete exercise physiology lab with you when you run.

You can't ask for more. The real deal with this wrist-top computer is it capability to measure other physiological parameters that can't be measured by competitor brands. The software isn't dumb-proof but additional research will give you the tools for understanding the data presented and be more conscious when planning your training. The wrist-top computer only catches heart rate and based on that information, the other physiological parameters are calculated. I tried to find if was possible to use other wrist-top to get the HR info and use Suunto T6 software to crunch the data. Seems that T6 is the only wrist-top in the market that records the information in intervals small enough to extrapolate the rest of the parameters (EPOC, VO2 max, etc.) Don't get overwhelmed by the information you will get from the T6, but don't expect it to be easy for interpretation.

More than I expected, easy, very easy to use. Know I uderstand why it was named best outdoor gear of 2004

It’s a great watch! I’m kicking myself for not purchasing a heart rate monitor years ago.

Bought my T6 from Backcountry. Works great. No problems at all with heart rate monitor. The HRM is much faster at picking up beat changes than the Polar. Since they use different wireless transmission protocol, I tried them side by side at the same time. The T6 updated more frequently. It seemed as if the Polar was always trying to catch up. The displays are easy to read and easy to navigate. Suunto really gives you a lot of flexibility in what you read in each mode. Big thumbs up for that! The only problem is the temp reading is not accurate when the watch is on my wrist. Well, that is where I want it, on my wrist so I wish they would fix this. It always reads about 88 degrees F indoors when the temp is closer to 72. It must be picking up too much body heat to be accurate. I have only played a little with the software so far. It seems easy to use and the downloading is a cinch. Getting my workouts loaded onto the PC is very user friendly and straight forward. Overall, a great piece of gear. Highly recommended!

I also had a problem with my T6 when I first purchased it, My heart rate would work some times and not 5 seconds later. Suunto were very helpful and sent me another one in the post from Finland about a week after I first contacted them. Since then I have had no problems and I think it's great. It's helping me train for the Appalachian Trail next spring.

Watch works perfectly. Make sure you read the manual on how to get the heart rate belt and monitor working properly. Great service from backcountry.com

I have been using the T6 for about 6 weeks now. I moved up from an X6. Basically the general watch functions are very similar, and training software seems very good. My only complaint is that chest strap does not pickup my heart rate very reliably. It seems to go through blank patches on nearly every use when riding my bike or using a rowing machine. My old unit was more reliable, and my solar is better than either of the Suunto units in this regard. Matt

I've really liked the T6 functionality so far; it's great being able to compare both altitude and heart-rate (and conditioning) aspects of my runs each day. I also have not had any problem getting the watch to link to the heart-rate monitor; it worked great from the get-go. The only thing missing is some sort of distance measuring capability (which I guess Suunto will be coming out with in the near future). The only reason I gave it four stars rather than 5 is that the software is a bit rigid (e.g., there's apparently no way to modify the graphs easily, other than exporting them to Excel or other spreadsheet). Also, the documentation of what some of the analyses mean (and how they're calculated) is lacking. What is EPOC again and how does the watch calculate it? Good service from Backcountry.com. No problems there at all.

No issues with the heart rate monitoring aspects of the watch I received. Just make sure the band is a little wet and I have had not issues with synching with the watch. Great watch, a lot lighter than the earlier heart rate monitor watches. Has good range as well. Have been using it to measure EPOC and it does a good job motivating you to push harder during workouts. The software still needs some help and it is not a replacement for an overall training plan/schedule. But it is a nice tool to add and it records a lot of useful information about workouts.

I thought the advanced training analysis features of the T6 watch would be great. Ordered the watch and received it promptly from Backcountry. But the heart rate function (the basis of the whole watch) would not display on the watch screen. Called Suunto tech support, we did all the diagnostics, checked transmitter belt, etc. They asked me to return it so they could look at it. I promptly ordered a second T6. Same problem. Called Suunto tech support again. Technician couldn't diagnose the problem but said an expert would call me back in a few minutes--but never did. I sent a message to Suunto tech support online including a digital photo showing the watch displaying the "receiving heart rate signal" icon, but not the heart rate. No response. Returned second watch. Suggest not buying T6 until Suunto fixes the problem.