Suunto Race 3S vs Race S specs comparison
The Race 3S is the better choice unless the Race S is selling at a substantial discount. It keeps the compact format but adds sapphire glass, more storage, offline music and stronger GPS battery life. The Race S still offers very similar core training and mapping features for less money, so value remains its main advantage.
Full comparison
The full record
74 specifications across 6 areas, with 14 genuine differences.
1. Design & display No clear edge
Fact
Suunto Race 3S
Suunto Race S
Release date
2026-10
2024-06-25
Physical size
46 x 46 x 11.4 mm
45 x 45 x 11.4 mm
Weight
56 g with silicone strap; 38 g watch head
60 g (stainless steel); 53 g (titanium)
Material
Titanium bezel and case-back; glass fibre reinforced polyamide case; sapphire crystal; silicone strap
Stainless steel or titanium bezel; Gorilla Glass; glass-fibre-reinforced polyamide case; silicone strap
Water resistance
5 ATM
5 ATM
Color options
Black, Orchid, Feather
Stainless steel and titanium variants
Display type
AMOLED
AMOLED
Display size
1.32 inch
1.32 inch
Display resolution
466 X 466
466 x 466 pixels
Display protection
Sapphire crystal
Gorilla Glass
2. Battery & charging Suunto Race 3S
Fact
Suunto Race 3S
Suunto Race S
Battery
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery (silicon-carbon)
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Battery life
Up to 12 days smartwatch mode; up to 38 h All-Systems GNSS + Multi-Band (32 h AOD); up to 45 h All-Systems GNSS + Single-Band (40 h AOD); up to 120 h power-saving GNSS modes
Up to 9 days with daily heart rate; up to 13 days without daily heart rate; up to 30 hours best dual-band GNSS; up to 120 hours Tour mode
Charging
Provided USB charging cable; fast charging supported
Magnetic USB charging cable
3. Sensors & positioning No clear edge
Fact
Suunto Race 3S
Suunto Race S
GNSS type
Built-in dual-band L1 + L5 GNSS
Built-in dual-band GNSS
GPS
Yes (dual-band L1 + L5)
Yes
GALILEO
Yes
Yes
GLONASS
Yes
Yes
QZSS
Yes
Yes
Beidou
Yes
Yes
Accelerometer
Yes
Yes
Barometric altimeter
Yes
Yes
Compass
Yes
Yes
Ambient light sensor
Yes
Yes
Optical heart rate
Yes (6 LEDs + 4 photodiodes; Valencell technology)
Yes
Electrical heart rate
No
No
SpO2
Yes
Yes
Temperature
Yes
Yes
Galvanic skin response
No
No
Microphone
No
No
Speakers
No
No
Vibration motor
Yes
Yes
4. Health & activity Even
Fact
Suunto Race 3S
Suunto Race S
Steps
Yes
Yes
Distance
Yes
Yes
Calories burned
Yes
Yes
Floors
No
No
Sports tracking
Yes (120+ sports modes)
Yes (115+ sports modes)
Sleep
Yes
Yes
Heart rate
Yes
Yes
HRV
Yes
Yes
Stress
Yes
Yes
Blood oxygen
Yes
Yes
Respiration rate
No
No
Skin temperature
No
No
ECG
No
No
Blood pressure
No
No
Body composition
No
No
Glucose
No
No
Hydration level
No
No
UV exposure
No
No
Calorie intake
No
No
Hyperglycemia risk assessment
No
No
Arterial stiffness detection
No
No
Pulse wave arrhythmia analysis
No
No
No significant differences in this area.
5. Smart features Suunto Race 3S
Fact
Suunto Race 3S
Suunto Race S
Smartphone compatibility
Android and iOS
Android and iOS
Operating system at launch
Proprietary
Proprietary
Storage
64 GB (maps + music)
32 GB
Bluetooth
Yes (Bluetooth LE)
Yes
Wi-Fi
Yes (802.11 b/g/n, 2.4 GHz)
Yes (802.11 b/g/n, 2.4 GHz)
NFC / connected pay
No
No
UWB
No
No
Cellular
No
No
Smartphone notifications
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth calling
No
No
Smartphone music control
Yes
Yes
On-board music storage
Yes (offline music playback; post-launch OTA update)
No
Voice assistant
No
No
6. Navigation & safety Even
Fact
Suunto Race 3S
Suunto Race S
Maps
Yes (free global offline maps)
Yes (free global offline maps)
Offline maps
Yes
Yes
Navigation
Offline maps, route navigation, breadcrumb trail and points of interest
Offline maps, route navigation, breadcrumb trail and points of interest
Emergency SOS
No
No
Satellite SOS
No
No
Fall detection
No
No
LED flashlight
No
No
Diving
No scuba diving; freediving/snorkeling depth meter to 10 m
No scuba diving; freediving/snorkeling depth meter to 10 m
No significant differences in this area.