DC Rainmaker Review
-
@raven I think the appropriate comparison is with the Ti version of Race S, that makes the difference only 50 euros. This has been stated several times. I suspect Suunto opted for better materials this time around. When Race S was released there was only a steel version, the Ti version came later. I tested a steel version and found the Ti version much more comfortable. I think DCRainmaker used the wrong version of the S for price comparisons.
I agree if one wants to compare based on materials, features, etc.
However, if one is just looking at entry prices, that doesn’t matter. Let me bring up the Apple TV comparison again:
Apple TV (3rd gen) 2022
$129 for WiFi (64GB) and $149 WiFi+Ethernet (128GB)Same model, June 2026: $199 and $249
October, the 4th gen is released, and there’s only an Ethernet/128GB version at $299.
Someone wants an Apple TV box and doesn’t need a lot of storage. Last year, they could spend $129. Earlier this year, they could spend $199. Today, they’d need to spend $299. (Or look for the older model, which I’ll note for Suunto in a moment.)
Back to Suunto. Someone wants a Race S series as it’s a smaller watch. Previously they could get it for $349. With the Race 3S they need $599.
Now to be fair, Suunto is continuing to sell the Race S, so the answer for the budget conscious person is to buy that model if cost is the fundamental concern. Pointing out that Suunto changed the entry point is valid though, in my mind. It’s a different point than comparing the most similar titanium to titanium models. One can do both examinations; doing one does not deny the other and different people will value different things. If one comes into buying a watch with a demand for titanium, then my “entry point” examination is not a concern. If one does not care about titanium, then comparing to the old titanium is not a concern as the person would have went with steel given a price emphasis.
-
@raven I do see your point on the entry price. I am sure Suunto had reasons to go with premium materials. You might remember in the forums many folks including me wished the Ti version came with a sapphire crystal.
The Run 2 could be seen as the entry level watch. I like the Run 2 a lot…until I want planned workouts from a third party or any other S+. I hope the longer goal is to combine OS somehow so Suunto has an entry level watch. I agree they need it. The 3S seems to be targeted to premium use for smaller wrists.
I bought a 3S for my daughter for exactly that reason, she has a Race 2 from my testing but finds the watch far too big for her. I am happy to have a premium smaller Suunto available.
I believe Suunto needs an entry level watch that is S+ capable but I am not marketing savvy, probably the opposite. -
@raven I do see your point on the entry price. I am sure Suunto had reasons to go with premium materials. You might remember in the forums many folks including me wished the Ti version came with a sapphire crystal.
The Run 2 could be seen as the entry level watch. I like the Run 2 a lot…until I want planned workouts from a third party or any other S+. I hope the longer goal is to combine OS somehow so Suunto has an entry level watch. I agree they need it. The 3S seems to be targeted to premium use for smaller wrists.
I bought a 3S for my daughter for exactly that reason, she has a Race 2 from my testing but finds the watch far too big for her. I am happy to have a premium smaller Suunto available.
I believe Suunto needs an entry level watch that is S+ capable but I am not marketing savvy, probably the opposite.I agree with all of that, and let’s bring it back to the criticism of Ray DCRainmaker’s review, which is where this originates. The focus on “entry price” as we’re showing here is one valid discussion point, but I think it should also have included noting the Run 2, as an alternative for those who might want a steel version of Race 3S. As I recall, Ray doesn’t mention the Run 2 at all, and as of now, still has not reviewed the model. So I do see this as a valid criticism of his review — not that he was focused only on “entry price,” but extending that to noting options for budget people: the Run series and the fact the original Race S still exists.
When I bought my Race S, I did so partially as at the time I preferred a smaller watch, not for my sessions where I’m ok with a larger size, but more in my overall day doing other things. I also appreciated, at the time, it was the cheapest option of the modern watches (the Run series did not exist yet). When I ended up buying, I decided to “upgrade” to titanium when Race S went on a sale, mostly due to the Courtney colorway but also thought I might appreciate a bit lighter a watch. I ended up paying $338.85 USD in April 2025 for it. So I can see both points, being budget conscious and also appreciating better materials.
Here’s proof of what I paid:
cid:F65D15BE-B424-4282-886D-CF8396D88642
Given what I paid, Race 3S would be a pretty significant increase:
Raven’s cost, Race S Titanium $338.85 USD
New Race 3S starting price $599 USD(599 - 338.85) / 338.85 = 0.768, 76.8% increase if I wanted to upgrade. I’ll need to wait for another sale.
-
@raven Are you comparing the price of the R3S one week after it got launched to a R1S which was on sale after launch? Members of Suunto club (I’m not part of it) buy their stuff from the Suunto.com with -30% (at least it was like that the the time when V1 was released). Let’s compare apples to apples.
Also, a side note which might have to do with the pricing of new models: On Telegram channel Joakin mentioned multiple times that Run 2, in spite of the naming, isn’t a successor to Run 1. It’s a part of the new vision how Suunto position their watches. He also mentioned that with their new models everything clicks into its right place. Exactly that’s why in one of my previous posts I wrote you that we don’t know what’s the strategy of Suunto and that Suunto might see the R3S as a premium high performance watch and that’s why there’s not a cheaper version of it released. We know nothing about their strategy.
-
@raven Are you comparing the price of the R3S one week after it got launched to a R1S which was on sale after launch?
No. I never mentioned what I personally paid until my last reply. I only did that to show that I am someone who can understand the value of both “low / entry price” and “upgraded materials.” I certainly would not think it’s fair to compare a just released product with a sale price for the general public. For me personally, if I was motivated to upgrade it’d be a factor, but I’d wait for a sale like I did for the original Race S. So my bringing it up was simply to show why, for me, I’m not going to consider an upgrade at this time.
In a similar vein, I think criticisms of the Race 3S pricing should use the non-American pricing, as the $599 USD is an outlier, and I think Suunto is more relevant outside of America. Of course, for me, I need to consider USD pricing for my personal considerations.
Also, a side note which might have to do with the pricing of new models: On Telegram channel Joakin mentioned multiple times that Run 2, in spite of the naming, isn’t a successor to Run 1. It’s a part of the new vision how Suunto position their watches. He also mentioned that with their new models everything clicks into its right place. Exactly that’s why in one of my previous posts I wrote you that we don’t know what’s the strategy of Suunto and that Suunto might see the R3S as a premium high performance watch and that’s why there’s not a cheaper version of it released. We know nothing about their strategy.
Certainly, it’s hard to know what Suunto is thinking when they don’t give details.
What I can do is consider my own process of evaluating watch options. Typically, I look for a “good, better, best” option within the “same generation”.
Using Apple as the example, that would be the Apple Watch (3rd gen), Apple Watch Series 12, and Apple Watch Ultra 4. Using the Garmin Forerunner as the example, that would be the good (70, 170), better 570, and best 970, when considering the x70 series. I’d consider the Forerunner 265 to be a previous series, despite still being sold, etc. One of my problems with Garmin is they have too many models overall though, with their Venu, Fenix, etc.
So at the time I bought my Suunto, the options I was looking at were Race S, Race, and Vertical. For me those were the three I was considering. If I had waited a few months, I’d also get the Run as an option, and to me that felt “more complete.” So I saw the good / better / best as Run / Race S | Race / Vertical, if that makes sense as of June 2025.
Now it’s more convoluted. With Race 2 / Vertical 2 in Sept 2025, those feel they are of the “next gen” so now the matrix is:
Previous Gen: Run, Race (S), Vertical
Current Gen — , Race 2, Vertical 2That is, I saw “Run” as filling in the “good” part of the previous gen, but it’s awkward as Run has its own OS different from the others. It’s almost like the Run comes from another company.
Now with the Race 3S, and we all assume a forthcoming Race 3, we should ideally have as the “current gen”
Run 2, Race 3S, Race 3,
And now the “missing part,” is a Vertical 3.
I don’t know if other people would think like this, but that’s how I’d make initial comparisons. Suunto is starting to get like Garmin though, keeping around older models (in the US the Suunto 9 Peak Pro is still in the store as a new model) and making comparisons confusing.
-
@raven Yes, I agree, all that huge choice is pretty much confusing. I don’t know if such small companies like Suunto should stick to less models. I guess people at Suunto know better their market.
Imagine if a person wants to pick their first watch: Suunto, Garmin, Huawei, Samsung, apple, Coros, Polar and what not… -
I wish Suunto would state their strategy with regards to the OS so we can make an appropriate decision.
I wouldn’t touch the Run 2 due to its lack of third party and Suunto+ support but I also wouldn’t buy the Race 3S as it’s too expensive.
Watch: Suunto Race S
-
@raven said:
Let’s do it in USD too, why not?Entry price Race S: $349 USD
Entry price Race 3S: $599 USD(599 - 349) / 349 = 0.716 (71.6%)
The US dollar price hike isn’t Suunto’s fault but due to your moron in office.
Suunto t3c | Suunto Ambit 3 sport | Tomtom runner 2 | Garmin forerunner 935 | Garmin forerunner 965 | Suunto race s
Stryd | Bryton Gardia R300L | Polar H9 | Polar oh1+ | Wahoo bolt v2 | 4iiii precision 3 -
@Steven-Hambleton I returned my Run 2 precisely because of some of the software limitations and was waiting for the new Race 3s but it is quite expensive in CAD…
For reference,
Suunto race s titanium: 500 cad
Suunto race 3s: 800 cad
Suunto race 2 titanium: 800 cad
Coros pace 4 pro: 650 cad
Suunto run 2 (64gb): 550 cadIf the “S” version of the race 3 that just released is at the same price point as the suunto race 2 Ti, does this mean that the regular Race 3 or Race 4 will be even more expensive? I am quite confused by what this pricing means for the future
-
@raven said:
Let’s do it in USD too, why not?Entry price Race S: $349 USD
Entry price Race 3S: $599 USD(599 - 349) / 349 = 0.716 (71.6%)
The US dollar price hike isn’t Suunto’s fault but due to your moron in office.
You’d think so. That was certainly my first thought, and I’m more than willing to blame the moron in question. Ray thinks otherwise though, in these comments from the YouTube review.
-
It’s not as simple as Ray claims. Apple may have an exception, but that doesn’t mean all brands have the same exception. It’s a bit more complicated than that.
On the other hand. Apple products are relatively expensive in Europe. A deliberate strategy Apple uses. We pay high prices so Apple can use lower prices in their main market.
Fact is, if you buy in the USA it’s relatively expensive. If you don’t need titanium bezel, saphire glass and 65 gig of storage… bad luck.
Suunto t3c | Suunto Ambit 3 sport | Tomtom runner 2 | Garmin forerunner 935 | Garmin forerunner 965 | Suunto race s
Stryd | Bryton Gardia R300L | Polar H9 | Polar oh1+ | Wahoo bolt v2 | 4iiii precision 3 -
If the “S” version of the race 3 that just released is at the same price point as the suunto race 2 Ti, does this mean that the regular Race 3 or Race 4 will be even more expensive? I am quite confused by what this pricing means for the future
Not necessarily. For instance, the 42mm garmin forerunner 570 is the same price as the 47mm variant. (Well, in Europe that is.)
Maybe Suunto does the same, or maybe not.
-
@elbee I presented Ray’s claim as I recalled seeing it, but I haven’t bothered to try to research whether he’s correct or not, as it simply does not matter to me. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that’s the price of it for me in the US. I also think for most people here, this isn’t relevant, as the US is more a minority for Suunto users, so I’d use the euro pricing for more fair comparisons which removes the question of US tariffs.
Assuming the “all non-Apple watches are affected by tariffs” position is true, then Suunto’s higher price shouldn’t matter to some extent, as other watches would be similarly affected. However, the Coros Pace Pro 4 is $449 USD, which is well under the $599 for Suunto Race 3S. Or did Coros manage to get an exception from tariffs that Suunto couldn’t get?
-
@elbee I presented Ray’s claim as I recalled seeing it, but I haven’t bothered to try to research whether he’s correct or not, as it simply does not matter to me. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that’s the price of it for me in the US. I also think for most people here, this isn’t relevant, as the US is more a minority for Suunto users, so I’d use the euro pricing for more fair comparisons which removes the question of US tariffs.
Assuming the “all non-Apple watches are affected by tariffs” position is true, then Suunto’s higher price shouldn’t matter to some extent, as other watches would be similarly affected. However, the Coros Pace Pro 4 is $449 USD, which is well under the $599 for Suunto Race 3S. Or did Coros manage to get an exception from tariffs that Suunto couldn’t get?
If you couldn’t bother to research, why should I?
Suunto t3c | Suunto Ambit 3 sport | Tomtom runner 2 | Garmin forerunner 935 | Garmin forerunner 965 | Suunto race s
Stryd | Bryton Gardia R300L | Polar H9 | Polar oh1+ | Wahoo bolt v2 | 4iiii precision 3 -
@elbee I presented Ray’s claim as I recalled seeing it, but I haven’t bothered to try to research whether he’s correct or not, as it simply does not matter to me. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that’s the price of it for me in the US. I also think for most people here, this isn’t relevant, as the US is more a minority for Suunto users, so I’d use the euro pricing for more fair comparisons which removes the question of US tariffs.
Assuming the “all non-Apple watches are affected by tariffs” position is true, then Suunto’s higher price shouldn’t matter to some extent, as other watches would be similarly affected. However, the Coros Pace Pro 4 is $449 USD, which is well under the $599 for Suunto Race 3S. Or did Coros manage to get an exception from tariffs that Suunto couldn’t get?
If you couldn’t bother to research, why should I?
I didn’t ask you to do so? I offered the idea tariffs are to blame for the additional cost might be wrong, but whether you care about that or not is up to you. If you agree, like me, that for an American “the cost is the cost” and trying to figuring out the reason is a waste of time, then neither of us needs to research.
Additionally, if you want to continue to claim “the tarriffs are the reason,” without having actual proof of that, then that’s on you.
You’re the one who made the claim of why the increase is more in America. Therefore, you’d be the one to present proof, I’d think, if required. But again, as I don’t care, I’m not asking you to provide proof. I’m happy to assume the moron is the reason. I’m just not going to assert that idea to others though, as I don’t know for sure, and I’ve heard from at least Ray that is wrong. I’d be happy to say “some people think it’s tariffs, some people think that’s not right,” as I can point to you for the first and Ray to the second.
As I noted elsethread, Suunto’s price raises (and taking out a low tier) are not unique, as I showed some pricing on Apple TVs, and things like PlayStations have increased in price since first released. Many call this a factor of “RAMagreddon,” prompted by the increase of AI and data centers. Even if the moron were to somehow vanish tomorrow and a new administraton happened, and we could be certain tarrifs were not a factor, I’m not sure it would mean we’d see lower prices. In Suunto’s case, it may be they sell so little in America compared to Europe they need an additional markup to make it worth the effort.
I should also point out another reason I’m not motivated to research the tariff thing is due to the fact the moron in question is mercurial, and even if it can be proven there are no additional tarrifs to explain Suunto’s pricing, that could easily change tomorrow, or even later today, or may have changed by the time I completed this sentence. It’s like trying to hit a moving target and again, what will that change for me?
-
@raven said:
Or did Coros manage to get an exception from tariffs that Suunto couldn’t get?You did ask
But I think we mostly agree on the end result.
You say the entry level price increased dramatically. I see it as the entry level vanished.
End result? If we want a race 3s we pay a lot more.
And leaving the moron out of the equation, there could be dozens of reasons we can come up with. Maybe the race s entry level didn’t sell well (the argument you hear why apple killend the iPhone mini) or just because they can (doubt it. Suunto is not Apple). Or stockholders demand more revenue.
Don’t have the answer. And I do like my iPhone 12 mini. And my entry level race s. So, I don’t think it’s a good development.
-
@raven said:
Or did Coros manage to get an exception from tariffs that Suunto couldn’t get?You did ask
But I think we mostly agree on the end result.
You say the entry level price increased dramatically. I see it as the entry level vanished.
End result? If we want a race 3s we pay a lot more.
And leaving the moron out of the equation, there could be dozens of reasons we can come up with. Maybe the race s entry level didn’t sell well (the argument you hear why apple killend the iPhone mini) or just because they can (doubt it. Suunto is not Apple). Or stockholders demand more revenue.
Don’t have the answer. And I do like my iPhone 12 mini. And my entry level race s. So, I don’t think it’s a good development.
“Entry price vanished” doesn’t make sense as a phrase. For many things, there’s a base price. You go to buy a specific car, there’s a minimal price for it, then you can charge more for upgrades, etc.
I get what you mean, something like “steel Race S got cancelled,” and I’m sympathetic to that point of view. At the same time, I think Ray’s point in his review is if people previous considered/bought the Race S, and are now considering the Race 3S, the entry price is much higher. Yes, it is not titanium/sapphire, etc. The price is still higher.
Oh, as for the Coros question, it was more rhethorical and/or a general “what do you think” the reason was, not a serious request for you to figure out the differences. My overall point is for the American audience, if they are considering both Coros and Suunto, that price delta is enough to be considerable. For myself, I’m not too keen on Coros designs (which is a separate conversation), so I’m not looking too closely at the deltas between them, but checked to see Coros does have titanium and sapphire screen, which it does unless I messed up that minor research.
Additionally, I should note I’m personally not upset at Race 3S pricing. I didn’t think I was going to get it anyway; I typically don’t want to get every upgrade and having the Race S, I’d need a lot of motivation to get the Race 3S. Even if it was the same price I paid for the Race S, I wouldn’t be rushing to upgrade. Maybe I’ll get Race 5S (assuming they skip 4, haha).
-
“Entry price vanished” doesn’t make sense as a phrase
That might be because I didn’t say that. I said:
You say the entry level price increased dramatically. I see it as the entry level vanished.
And I said enough about it.
-
“Entry price vanished” doesn’t make sense as a phrase
That might be because I didn’t say that. I said:
You say the entry level price increased dramatically. I see it as the entry level vanished.
And I said enough about it.
You’re correct; my brain mapped it a bit differently. Apologies. The point is similar though. There’s still an entry level. It’s simply the only level. It’s both the entry level and the ultimate level.
-
@raven said:
. The point is similar though. There’s still an entry level. It’s simply the only level. It’s both the entry level and the ultimate level.So, there isn’t an entry anymore that is only the entry level.
There is only an entry level that is also the ultimate level. Well, there is a strange phrase
If we don’t have to specify we normally leave out the adjective. Hence, there isn’t an entry level anymore.
Next you’re going to try to convince me the iPhone mini still exists because there is always a smallest model. (I think you can take a bit of joking)
Hello! It looks like you're interested in this conversation, but you don't have an account yet.
Getting fed up of having to scroll through the same posts each visit? When you register for an account, you'll always come back to exactly where you were before, and choose to be notified of new replies (either via email, or push notification). You'll also be able to save bookmarks and upvote posts to show your appreciation to other community members.
With your input, this post could be even better 💗
Register Login