Looking for a capable altimeter watch that can help you navigate during your outdoor adventure? Suunto Traverse vs Core are some great options. Suunto is known for making top-class sports watches, so the quality of these products is not to be questioned. However, Suunto Traverse and Suunto Core do come with very different features.
Continue reading below to learn further about:
– The design and durability of Suunto Traverse and Suunto Core
– The display quality and usability of each watch
– The features available on each watch
– Which model that has generally better accuracy
– The battery life of Suunto Traverse vs Core
Suunto Traverse: Design & Display
Suunto Traverse is a good-looking watch as far as design is concerned. It has a smooth metallic bezel with a clear, durable crystal face. It looks really elegant that you may feel comfortable wearing it not only for outdoor adventures but also for daily activities. See also: Suunto Core Vs Casio Protrek.
This watch is also well-made and very durable. It is water resistant to 100 meters, so getting caught in a heavy rain or a temporary dip in a river won’t be a problem. Suunto Traverse is paired with a silicone strap, which is waterproof and quite durable as well.
The face is made from a mineral crystal, and is resistant to scratch and impact. The display is backlit, and the brightness can be adjusted. As a result, the display is easy to see in any situation. There are different modes for day-time and night-time use, and a flashlight mode which will keep the display at the maximum brightness until you turn it off.
Suunto Traverse is easy to figure out. The display uses a fairly large front, and the system is quite intuitive. The buttons on the sides are easy to press, even when you are wearing gloves. Suunto Traverse is also quite lightweight and feels nice on the skin. The only minor issue is that the silicone strap doesn’t provide much room for your skin to breath, so the area may get sweaty after some time, especially if the weather is hot.
Suunto Traverse: Features
In terms of features, Suunto Traverse vs Core are different. One of the most important things to consider is whether you need GPS or not. Suunto Traverse has GPS, while Suunto Core does not.
Suunto Traverse has useful altimeter and barometer features. It certainly has the standard features that you expect from an altimeter watch, including a compass, timekeeper, and temperature reading. It also has some GPS-enabled features. This watch will allow you to add waypoints or points of interest, navigate to the selected points, and monitor your fitness patterns.
The FusedAlti technology of this watch is really cool. It calibrates by using both sea pressure and GPS in order to improve the accuracy. The altimeter and barometer are tied together, and there are three profiles to choose from: altimeter, barometer, and automatic.
In the automatic profile, Suunto Traverse can switch automatically between altimeter and barometer according to your motion. If you are moving up or down, it will show the altimeter. If you are not moving, it will show the barometric pressure graph. This way, you won’t need to fumble with buttons.
Suunto Traverse can connect to both GPS and GLONASS networks in order to get a better signal and improve the accuracy. Meanwhile, the digital compass is tilt-compensated, which is nice. You can calibrate the declination manually. Suunto Traverse also has a data log and trip summary, which will show your total ascent and descent, as well as the speed of your ascent or descent if the GPS is enabled.
As mentioned previously, Suunto Traverse has some fitness features. It can track your steps, burned calories (which resets every midnight), and specific activities like running, biking, swimming, and hiking. It can also show your monthly and yearly step history. These features are quite useful for the fitness-conscious users.
Suunto Traverse: Performance & Battery
Another notable difference between Suunto Traverse vs Core is the battery life. Suunto Traverse has a fairly limited battery life. It can last for up to 100 hours, according to the specs. In normal use without the GPS, you can squeeze two weeks out of the battery. However, with the GPS, you can only get 8 hours, so this watch is limited to short adventures only.
However, Suunto Traverse is quite accurate and reliable. The accuracy of the altimeter may vary a bit from day to day, but it is always within plus-minus 50 feet, which is okay. Just make sure to calibrate the altimeter regularly, otherwise it may go off by 500 feet. That said, the altimeter can still help you navigate and go to where you are going.
The barometer is also accurate and easy to understand. It will show graph plot points to inform you about the rise and fall of barometric pressure. It is really handy for predicting weather patterns and figuring out whether a storm is coming into your area.
Suunto Core: Design & Display
Now, let’s take a look at the sibling, Suunto Core. It is a smart and sporty watch that is packed with great features, minus GPS. However, despite the sporty design, it still looks classy enough to be worn for your daily activities.
The build quality is very good. Suunto Core is also waterproof, although the limit is ‘only’ 30 meters. Nevertheless, it can still withstand heavy rain and temporary submersion just fine. It is also able to withstand extreme temperatures.
Suunto Core also comes with a silicon strap, which is flexible, comfortable, and durable. However, it also does not provide much room for the skin to breath. This may cause the area to get sweaty if the weather is really hot.
The display is pretty wide. It has a black background and a bright font. The contrast between the background and the font is good; you can read the display easily. However, the backlight is not as bright as expected, so it will appear dim at night.
Suunto Core: Features
As mentioned above, one of the main differences between Suunto Traverse vs Core is the GPS. If you don’t want to have GPS which may drain your watch’s battery, Suunto Core is a solid option. Despite lacking GPS, Suunto Core has a very accurate digital altimeter, barometer, and compass.
The digital altimeter of Suunto Core is unique because it can work in any place, including ravines, caves, and sheltered areas. As the effect, it is very reliable in various situations. It can measure altitudes up to 9,000 meters.
The barometer will allow you to predict weather patterns, and it also has a storm alarm. When the barometer detects a sudden drop of air pressure, it will trigger the storm alarm so that you can find shelter before the storm arrives. The compass is also accurate and useful. You can also adjust the declination manually.
Just like Suunto Traverse, Suunto Core has an automatic mode to switch between altimeter and barometer according to your movement. It can also track and calculate your total ascent or descent. Other features include sunrise and sunset times, timer, stopwatch, alarms, and thermometer.
However, Suunto Core does not have any fitness feature. It can’t track your steps, burned calories, or heart rate. Also, there is no activity tracking. This can be a drawback if you want some fitness or activity tracking capabilities in addition to the navigational features.
Suunto Core: Performance & Battery
When you are in the wilderness, having a long-lasting battery on your watch is essential. A watch with powerful features on a dead battery is nothing but useless. This is precisely the advantage that Suunto Core offers; it can last for a year on a regular CR2032 battery.
Of course, Suunto Core can have such a long battery life because it doesn’t have GPS. Having a GPS sensor in a watch can be very taxing to the battery because the GPS sensor will constantly communicate with the satellites. The somewhat dim display may also be a factor that preserves the battery.
Suunto Core is very easy to operate. The wide display will allow you to read the information easily, and it can show three different kinds of information simultaneously. All of the menu items are labeled clearly yet concisely. Navigating through the menu is a breeze.
Furthermore, Suunto Core has superb accuracy and precision. Other watches usually measure elevation in ten-foot intervals. However, Suunto Core can measure elevation in three-foot intervals, and the accuracy is very good. The performance of Suunto Core’s altimeter, barometer, and compass is among the very best in the competition.
Suunto Traverse vs Core
Conclusion
If you want to go on long adventures, Suunto Core should be your choice. It has a much longer battery life. The battery can easily last for a year. Despite lacking GPS, it has a very accurate altimeter, barometer, and compass. On the other hand, Suunto Traverse is good if you need a GPS-enabled altimeter watch with some activity tracking, but this model is limited to short adventures due to the terrible battery life.