Suunto is a brand with almost a hundred years of experience in making activity watches that are used by hikers, runners, cyclists, and swimmers. The Ambit3 Peak is the culmination of their craftsmanship and it offers everything you might need during a workout. In this review, I will go over the features of the Suunto Ambit 3 Peak and show you where it really shines and where it struggles to catch up with its competitors.
My verdict: If you are looking for a tracker that can do it all but also won’t cost you an arm and a leg, then the Ambit3 Peak is definitely something worth considering. It is perfect for any type of sport but is still slightly more optimized for cycling thanks to the variety of additional sensors and features you can get that will take your cycling workouts to the next level. The chest strap can sometimes fluctuate a lot in its readings and the interface will need some getting used to, but as a whole, this will be a good budget addition to your training gear.
Table of Contents
Overview & Features
Before I dive deeper into this model, I wanted to let you know that I will be reviewing the standard black version with the heart rate strap included. There is also a version not including the chest strap and a sapphire version which I will briefly mention further down…
Product Rating:
- Great battery life
- Easy to read display
- A full array of sensors
- Accurate GPS signal
- Durable construction
- Comes with a chest strap
- Provides detailed cardiovascular data
Tracking
The tracking on the Ambit3 is quite precise thanks to its array of sensors and easy calibration. It has a compass which allows route navigation and the track-back feature. It also has the patented FusedAltiTM altimeter that gives you an accurate data on your altitude and altitude changes throughout your workout. For cycling, it will measure your speed, pace, distance traveled and heart rate metrics with or without the chest strap. Still, the chest-strap offers a more accurate approach to measuring your heart rate and also does a good job at tracking oscillations when you’re running or strokes when swimming. In fact, you can use this watch easily fo triathlon training thanks to its complex log which can integrate more than just one sport in the data you’re getting on the display. It also has a barometer and weather monitor functions that track the sea level pressure and can also give you incoming storm alerts, which are vital if you are out cycling on the country roads.
The GPS tracking has a few unique features which allow it to work over an extended period of time. In fact, this is the watch with the longest run-time with GPS turned on thanks to the 1-minute signal detection. I will touch on that when we talk about battery life. The GPS also gives you an altitude graph and your ascent and descent speeds (based on air pressure changes).
Heart Rate
To measure the heart rate you will need either the chest strap or the wrist heart rate monitor. The chest strap is fairly accurate, although some people had trouble with its fluctuations, especially during high-intensity training. With it, though, you can measure almost any aspect of your cardiovascular’s system current status, such as:
- RR intervals
- HR (in % of your HR max)
- EPOC & VO2 Max
- Calories burned
The sensor can also display an HR graph if you want to track and analyze your heart’s performance over the course of the workout.
Design & Build Quality
In terms of its design and build quality, the Ambit3 Peak is certainly one of the best fitness trackers for cycling. It is robust and everything from its display menus to the buttons is laid out perfectly.
The materials are decent all-around. The bezel is made out of steel and the glass is made of mineral crystal which is hard to scratch and less prone to breaking compared to normal glass used for screens. The casing is made out of polyamide in order to cut weight, even though the watch is still on the heavy side weighing 3.14oz (89g). The strap is made of elastomer which has a nice feel to it, although I personally prefer silicone straps.
Swimming with this watch is also a no-issues activity since it is waterproof up to 100m. It can withstand temperature ranges from -20 to +60 degrees Celsius (-22 to +140 Fahrenheit).
If this level of durability and quality doesn’t satisfy you, there is a Saphire version that offers a sapphire display glass which is far more durable and scratch-resistant. It also comes with a chamfered aluminum bezel which adds to the rigidity of the watch’s body.