First of all, this is completely subjective. I’m not trying to say one is objectively better, and I’ve only recently switched to the Run 2.

I’ve used the COROS PACE 4 Jakob Ingebrigtsen Edition for my training, and I recently moved to the Suunto Run 2. Here’s what surprised me.

🟢 Suunto Run 2

The first thing I noticed: I actually like wearing it.

The PACE 4 always felt a little like a sports toy to me. I often switch between traditional watches and sports watches, and I never really felt comfortable wearing the COROS everywhere.

The Suunto feels much more like an actual watch. The screen is beautiful, even in direct sunlight, and it feels more premium.

But what really interests me is the training experience.

I live somewhere where it gets very hot, so Suunto’s adjusted pace for heat and wind is genuinely useful. I find it much more meaningful than simply looking at raw pace.

The optical HR sensor also seems very good so far, despite I need to try more types of training, I also have a Polar H10 in case this finally disappoints me.

Then there’s ZoneSense. I love the idea that the watch tries to understand how your body is responding today, rather than assuming the same HR always means the same physiological state.

EnergySense is even more interesting. I’ve only tested it once so far, during a Z2 race, so it’s far too early to judge. But its response towards the end of the race seemed surprisingly close to what I actually felt. I want to test it properly during tempo workouts.

The downsides?

I really miss COROS’ web platform. It’s excellent.

Creating intervals on Suunto is also unnecessarily painful, and GPS acquisition seems slower. The Run 2 is noticeably heavier on my wrist too.

And battery life definitely goes to COROS.

🔵 COROS PACE 4

The PACE 4 is probably the best example I’ve seen of simplicity + performance.

It does the things it focuses on extremely well.

The training platform is, in my experience, better than anything else I’ve used. Workouts, planning, analysis, calendar… everything just works.

I followed COROS’ training plans and ran a 44:37 10K, so I know first-hand that they can work.

My main issue was the recovery side.

For me, it felt a little too focused on training load. I spend many hours studying, so mental stress and the overall stress of my day matter too. I wanted something that tried to look at the bigger picture.

And, honestly, I just didn't love the physical watch.

It felt a bit too much like a piece of sports electronics on my wrist.

⚖️ So which one?

If you want the best pure running/training ecosystem, I’d probably still choose COROS.

But if you want something that feels more like a watch, while still taking training seriously and giving you more physiological and environmental context, I’m currently leaning towards the Suunto Run 2.

I’ve only just switched, so I’ll see if I still feel the same in a few months.

For now, though…

I absolutely love this watch.

And maybe that matters more than having the most metrics on your wrist.

Anyone here who has used both? What did you prefer?