Suunto X10

Received the x10 as a replacement for an x9i I had bought. The x9i would take almost 20 minutes to get a fix and would promptly lose the fix once I entered the treeline. The x10 was touted by Suunto as addressing these issues. Unfortunately, while the x10 does get a faster fix, it too suffers from issues with tree interference.

I'm a trail runner and the terrain I normally find myself in is heavily wooded. I used the Suunto and a Polar R101 heartrate monitor to log data for my runs, but found I was missing large chunks of real estate as the x10 sporadically dropped its signal at various points in my runs, sometimes for extended periods.

The Suunto software also left a bit to be desired as far as being useful. While the GPS could be set to display miles, the track in the Suunto software was always in kilometers. It also lacked a built-in map, so the track appeared as just a line in space, often with long straight spots where the unit had lost the signal and regained it tens of minutes later.

I have since purchased (and am ecstatically pleased with) a Garmin 305 that combines a GPS with a heartrate monitor for a lot less than the Suunto. It gets a fix in just a couple of minutes and I have yet to lose a signal, even on completely cloudy, stormy days in dense woods. The Suunto's got sharper styling than the Garmin, but it isn't worthwhile if it fails to work.

I might have been happy if I lived somewhere without trees, but that isn't the case for me or for many others. The buttons on the x-10 are just as hard to press as those on the x9i as well, so if you're contemplating the x10, that's something else to keep in mind.

I have been researching this watch since the X9i (first model). I guess I expected too much.

The first watch that I had was sent back because the barometer went out as well as the face steaming up. All I exposed it to was a car wash and normal shower. Not what I expected for $400+ watch. Sent it back and got another one.

Within a week the coating used on the black part of face is flaking off. I looked at every review and still ordered the watch. I love the look of the watch and make no mistake it is very cool. I wanted it to wear everyday because of the large face and it looks cool.

I would just like to caution everyone else. It is not very durable, and this was a lot of money for me. I really thought because of the high price and the rugged look, I would not have to worry about it. That is not the case. I find myself constantly checking it after it gets wet to make sure it is not fogged up. I like the watch it just lacks some durability issues for everyday wear.

If you are a gadget guy or girl you will like the watch, just be aware that it is not a Timex and does not handle be bumped and beat around very well. I also foresee some issues with the seals, they do not fit well.

If you are even remotely hard on watches, I would not purchase this watch if you are looking for an everyday watch. Hope this helps someone else.

I recently bought a Suunto X10 from Amazon for use in the UK. For the price I expected something that would work out of the box. I've followed the instructions and find it pitiful. I've trawled the internet to no avail. I've reset the watch and tried many times.  It totally fails to get a satellite signal. No signal strength bars shown.

I've tried an open space with clear sky aspects for over thirty minutes and still no signal. I wanted something really portable but this device is useless.

In contrast, my Satmap Active 10 and an old Garmin ETrex both get full signal strength in under two minutes. My in-car Garmin gets a similar signal in a fraction of the time.

Any suggestions would be welcome, otherwise this device will be returned to Amazon as not fit for purpose. IMHO this device is a complete waste of money.

For skiing, my Suunto X10 has worked flawlessly for four years with the only issue being condensation under the face.

For hiking, I just started using it, and honestly don't seem to be able to get it to work accurately. We have been taking day hikes around northern CA for the last month, and I have worn it on a daily basis. 

Some days it works well — particularly above the treeline — but on most hikes it is off by at least 25% on the distance covered in the Activity setting. The GPS often flips itself into manual mode. I have to start it at checking GPS position every 1 sec., then back it off to 1 min. after it gets a signal. Find Home fails about 90% of the time. 

After years of successful use skiing, it's pretty frustrating to have this watch fail so miserably for hiking.

I love my Suunto X10. I bought it because on my annual hike of about 400 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail last year, I had to be rescued. Rescue was delayed several hours while they figured out where in Oregon to find me. Detailed info from the PCT guidebook was not enough. I did not carry my old Magellan Meridian GPS because it is too heavy. Now I will wear my wristwatch/altimeter/compass/GPS on every hike, so I can report my coordinates if I ever need to again. (I rent a satellite phone for the PCT.)

The X10 is a little faster and more effective at finding and using GPS signals in forest cover than my heavy Magellan, so the X10 is more accurate. Amazing for a wristwatch. On day hikes I set it for 1 sec. or 1 minute fixes, and at the end of the hike I see total elevation gain, mileage, etc. Plugged into my computer I see my track, elevation profile, speed, etc., and I can upload my track into Google Earth and email the image to friends.

I'm no techie, so I printed the full online manual and some of the help info. I plan to lay out routes with at least one waypoint for each day so I can use the X10 for navigation a few times each day for 6 days at a time on the PCT. I'll recharge the battery on my day off, as I don't want to carry a solar charger.

OverTheHill Jim

I have a Suunto Vector (yellow and orange) with positive and negative face, and the only thing that miss is the GPS, the others things are really fantastic.

Now I also have this Suunto X10 (not mil) and the look is really very good. It has all the things that make Vector the real one. But the X10 has some problems, that are the buttons press, the buttons broke, and in some old models the bezel, but i think that the bezel's problems are on old models.

Really good product. Only hitch is that the gps received is very sensitive so easily block by the tree. Good precision though. Great for trip and expedition. Has a compass that works without the gps so need least battery.

Small operating time on the GPS mode only about 8 hours in sec mode that give a better speed average. So if you think replacing a real GPS with it don't. It give indication about the next point but you cannot see farther then the next check.