Suunto X9 MI Altimeter Watch with GPS and Electronic Compass (For Men and Women)

altimeter and GPS

Had high hopes for this GPS enabled watch at the attractive price on ST but can't recommend it. Only got a signal about one out of every five times used, trying it hiking, running, & boating. When I did get a signal the watch reset the time eight hours ahead?!. Unreliability means I can't be comfortable even using as a backup. Others seem to have had better success so possibly mine is a defective unit but am returning.

It looks very nice and the red backlight is very cool. BUT it doesn't work for it's purpose. The GPS looses track repeatedly during a normal 5 mile run with CLEAR sky in the city, not even talk about woods, trees... When downloading the recorded track to the PC, these problems with the GPS cause the route to look nothing like the actual one. My 5 miles appeared like they would've been 14, my max speed, 79 mi/h (like my car!), which killed the REAL average speed too. Bottom line: If you want to spend $300/plus in a watch that looks cool but won't work for you as a GPS tracker, buy this. I know that I didn't, so I already returned it. I guess I should have paid attention to the bad ratings too.

I use this watch for tracking weather while outdoors as well as altitude. Most of all I use it as a back up for knowing my location in an emergency situation. Great tool!

I haven't really had a chance to use the GPS, but since the compass works independently of the GPS, I like that feature. With altimeter, barometer, and dual time functions, this watch will fit my needs perfectly.