drroebuck

Anyone use the Suunto X6 HR? If so, do you like?

DJ1960

I have and use one every day, running, cycling and skiing. This is the second Suunto I have. The first one, Metron, had to be replaced because it did not work very well. This one will go back too, because it does not work very well either. With this one, I keep having problems with the memory. It gives up recording the data after 1.5 hours or so, and it should be good for 4.5 or so. Suunto customer service is very helpfull but there is not much they can do over the phone or e-mail.

The watch itself is only relatively accurate. Altimetar is based on the atmospheric pressure and therefore very inaccurate, at least in Calgary where I live. Slope function does not work at all unless you point at the slope and freeze the reading => not good for cycling. I don't need compas, but it works more or less. HR monitor is OK if you make sure that you have enough moisture between the electrodes and your skin. Temperature reading is useless unless the watch is on the handlebar mount, because it picks your body temperature. It is also very slow and it takes ~ 15 minutes to change and stay stable if you move the watch from say the room to the fridge. The computer interface is a bad designed good idea. Software could be much, much better, but Suunto have decided to not upgrade it at all. Still, you can have all your logs and everything in your PC. Provided the memory of the watch is OK.

Since last week, I also have the Forerunner 201 from Garmin. That one is just sweet. If it had HR, I would almost forget the Suunto. Still, funny enough, I like the X6HR in some ways. The coolness factor on it is quite good

lotek 

between my wife and I we have 4 Suunto dive computers. outstanding
design/functionality. We have absolutely no complaints (other than battery
usage on one of them), on the other Suunto products I really can't comment.
That said, I'd recommend something by Polar, or maybe the Hac4 (forget company).
Seriously, on a HR what do you need altimeter, slope meter, thermometer etc.
Polar (and hac4) have excellent track records (no pun intended) with very little
bad reviews.

just my $.02 worth

Marty

DJ1960

I agree that the design is good and the idea too. Still, they have quite the room for improvement. Also, the question is not only why do you need altimeter, slope meter etc. but if you do have them, do and how all these function work? Well, not so good on my watch and Suunto is not really a cheap watch. Therefore, I agree that Polar and hac might be a better solution.

drroebuck

I actually love what i've seen of the hac, and it has a ton more features than the Polar. But the reviews on roadbikereview.com weren't so great. A lot of people complained that it fell off the handlebar pretty easily (though this might be because they were idiots).

Has anyone had any experience with the HAC?

ExMachina

The X6HR has served me well for the past three months, with the HR monitor proving more reliable than my old Polar.

I haven't experienced any software/hardware problems and found the altimeter to be very accurate (+/- 3 feet during a 12 mile, 3000 ft hike last month!).

When I cycle, I strap the X6 to my handlebars and it works w/o interference w/ my wireless speedometer. The display is big and is easy to read. Functionally, the menus are easy to learn and the PC uplink & software have proven to be stable and quite useful.

I'd say that compared w/ other *cycling* specific, HRM's (based on features and other people's accounts, not my own personal experience) the X6 is on a par, but the X6's additional features really come into their own when you use it for other activities as well (eg, hiking & running)--there's nothing like having an easily accessible altimeter to hearten you during the last 100 feet of a seemingly interminable ascent!