Suunto Spark Headphone Review

The Suunto Spark is Suunto’s open-ear sport earbud designed for running, training, and everyday movement. Unlike Suunto’s bone conduction options, the Spark uses an open-ear air-conduction design, so the earbud sits near the ear canal instead of sending sound through the cheekbone.

The idea is better sound than traditional bone conduction while still keeping your ears open enough to hear traffic, people, bikes, dogs, and whatever else is happening around you. Suunto lists the Spark at $179, with a claimed weight of 9.7 grams per earbud, Bluetooth 5.4, IP55 water resistance, and up to 7 hours per charge with up to 36 hours total playback from the charging case.

Are the Suunto Spark headphones the best headphones for running? Well, let’s see.

Quick Facts

• Price: $179
• Weight: 9.7 grams per earbud
• Battery life: Up to 7 hours per charge, up to 36 hours with the charging case
• Water resistance: IP55
• Bluetooth: 5.4
• Audio codec: SBC and LHDC
• Charging time: 60 minutes or less for the headphones, 100 minutes or less for the
• charging case
• Best use: Running, walking, cycling, gym use, errands, and everyday listening
• Colors: Black, White, and Coral Orange

Before Trying the Suunto Spark, I Had a Few Questions

Are the Suunto Spark headphones good for running?

Yes, the Suunto Spark headphones are designed for running and outdoor sports. The open-ear fit helps you hear your surroundings, while the ear-hook design, IP55 rating, app controls, and running-specific features make them more sport-focused than standard earbuds.

Are Suunto Spark headphones bone conduction?

No, the Suunto Spark headphones are not bone conduction headphones. They use open-ear air-conduction audio, which means small speakers sit near your ears while keeping the ear canal open.

How long does the Suunto Spark battery last?

Suunto lists up to 7 hours of battery life per charge and up to 36 hours total playback with the charging case. The headphones charge in 60 minutes or less, and the case charges in 100 minutes or less.

Can you wear Suunto Spark headphones in the rain?

Yes, the Suunto Spark has an IP55 rating, which is designed for sweat, dust, rain, and snow. They are not made for swimming or submersion.

Are the Suunto Spark headphones worth it?

The Suunto Spark is worth considering if you want open-ear running headphones with better audio than many bone conduction options, plus Suunto App features, EQ settings, dual-device connection, and running feedback with compatible Suunto watches.

Now, let’s get into an honest Suunto Spark headphone review. 

Suunto Spark Headphone Review:

Fit and Design

The biggest difference between the Suunto Spark and a standard pair of earbuds is the open-ear design. Nothing goes inside your ear canal, which is helpful if you hate that plugged-up feeling during runs or if regular earbuds always work themselves loose once you start sweating. (Looking at what gets caught in Airpods…is a choice…gross). The Spark wraps around the ear with a silicone-coated memory-titanium loop, and Suunto says the design follows the shape of the ear to help lock the fit in place while moving.

That is the tradeoff with this style of headphone. You avoid the pressure of an in-ear bud, and you get more awareness than a sealed earbud, but the con here is that you add hardware around the ear. For runners who already wear sunglasses on nearly every run, you may notice it’s just annoying to have “all the things” on your ear.

Suunto Spark Sound

Anyone expecting sealed-earbud bass from an open-ear running headphone is going to be disappointed because the ear canal is not blocked but we know that is also why they work well outside. You give up isolation so you can still hear the world around you.

Suunto is trying to make the Spark sound better than old-school bone conduction headphones. To get technical on you, the Spark supports LHDC 5.0 hi-res audio up to 96 kHz, uses a hybrid multi-driver open-ear system, and includes preset EQ modes plus custom EQ through the Suunto App. The preset modes include Legendary, Bass Boost, Treble Boost, Vocal Boost, and Customized.

For runners, the Vocal Boost setting may end up being more useful than the bass-focused options because many of us listen to podcasts, audiobooks, guided workouts, or race coverage while running. Bass is fun, but clarity is what keeps a podcast from becoming annoying when wind, cars, and footsteps are already in the mix.

Running Features

Suunto built in several features in the Suunto Spark aimed directly at runners, including cadence settings from 120 to 200 steps per minute, Sport Mode for cadence, ground contact, and vertical oscillation, plus voice updates for pace, heart rate, distance, and laps when paired with compatible Suunto watches. I don’t think I’ve seen this in other headphones.

If you are already using a Suunto watch, the Spark fits into that training ecosystem better than a random pair of headphones from Amazon. You can also the movement controls, including shaking your head to skip a song or answer a call, along with neck monitoring that tracks flexibility, activity, and fatigue. I won’t lie–I’ve accidentally paused music before because I aggressively shook my head LOL.

I am a little skeptical of how many runners need their headphones to track neck mobility, but I can see the appeal for people who spend all day at a desk and then run with tension through the shoulders and upper body. The cadence and metronome features feel more directly useful for running, especially for runners who are trying to smooth out form without staring at a watch every few seconds.

Battery Life and Charging

The battery life is competitive for open-ear sport earbuds. Suunto lists up to 7 hours per charge and up to 36 hours total with the charging case. The headphones charge in 60 minutes or less, while the case charges in 100 minutes or less.

Seven hours per charge is enough for most runs, long runs, gym sessions, and travel days. (If your daily run is over 7 hours…well I already have questions).

The case uses USB-C, which is what I want to see now. I get annoyed with anything that doesn’t have that. What do you mean I need to bring another cable. Proprietary charging cables for headphones are one of those small gear annoyances that become ridiculous once you travel with a watch, phone, laptop, headlamp, massage gun, and whatever else needs charging.

Water Resistance

The Suunto Spark has an IP55 rating, so it is designed for sweat, dust, rain, and snow. That should be enough for most running conditions, including summer sweat and bad-weather training.

It is not a swim headphone, and I would not treat it like one. If your main use is pool swimming, open water swimming, or triathlon training where you want audio in the water, this is the wrong Suunto product. For running in weather, though, IP55 is reasonable.

App and Controls

The Suunto App gives you EQ customization, device control settings, Find My Suunto Spark, firmware updates, and access to some of the more sport-specific features. The Spark also supports Bluetooth 5.4, dual-device connection, and a Bluetooth range listed at more than 10 meters.

The head gesture control is the feature that will either feel useful or gimmicky depending on how you run. In theory, being able to skip a song without touching the earbud is nice. In practice, I would want to see how well it works during harder running, windy conditions, and normal head movement before calling it a major selling feature.

My Experience with Suunto Spark Headphones: 

Running in the Mojave Desert is interesting. I’m less worried about people and car safety and more worried about animal safety. Now that it is summertime, it’s also Mojave Rattlesnake time. I’ve been happy with the Suunto Ecosystem from their Run Watch to the  Suunto Wing Headphones. 

The Suunto Spark has been a great addition for me. I’m able to hear surroundings while still listening to music. I’ve also used them at work occasionally and I can hear people around me.

I was a bit worried: would the Suunto Spark fall off or stay on my ears during runs? I’ve had no issues with the Suunto Spark headphones staying on my ears. I’ve done very hard workouts at race pace as well as longer trail derps with no issues. I don’t think they’ve fallen off once.

The only downside I’ve found is that it’s a lot on your ears if you have sunglasses and maybe even a headband. I can do it, but I don’t know if I would do it for hours (but I also have a very small ears).

Suunto Spark Cost: $179

At $179, the Suunto Spark headphones are comparable and at some points cheaper than other brands. I’ve been using them for a couple months with no issues.

Suunto Spark vs Shokz: Which Open-Ear Headphones Are Better for Running?

Most runners comparing the Suunto Spark to Shokz are trying to figure out one thing: which pair makes more sense for running outside?

The closest comparison is the Suunto Spark vs Shokz OpenFit 2 because both are true wireless open-ear earbuds. The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 is different because it uses the classic Shokz neckband-style fit.

Note: after the OpenFit broke within 3 months of me owning the headphone…I have not tried news versions of Shokz. 

Suunto Spark vs Shokz OpenFit 2

The Suunto Spark is better if you want:

• Suunto watch compatibility
• Voice updates with compatible Suunto watches
• Cadence and metronome features
• Head gesture controls

The Shokz OpenFit 2 is better if you want:

• Longer battery life on paper
• Less interest in watch pairing or training tools

For daily running, the Shokz OpenFit 2 has the better battery. Shokz lists up to 11 hours per charge and up to 48 hours with the case, while Suunto lists the Spark at up to 7 hours per charge and up to 36 hours with the case. As someone who never needs more 7 hours of charge in one go…this makes no difference to me.

Suunto Spark vs Shokz OpenRun Pro 2

The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 is not a direct one-to-one comparison with the Suunto Spark because the fit is different.

The Suunto Spark gives you:

• Two separate earbuds
• Charging case battery
• No neckband
• Open-ear air-conduction audio
• A fit that may work better with some hats and collars
• More Suunto-specific training tools

The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 gives you:

• A neckband-style fit
• Up to 12 hours per charge
• USB-C charging
• No charging case

Which One Should You Buy Suunto Open ear or Shokz OpenFit 2 or Shokz OpenRun Pro 2?

Pick the Suunto Spark if:

• You want running-specific features
• You like app-based controls
• You want cadence or metronome tools
• You prefer true wireless open-ear earbuds
• You do not want a neckband

Pick the Shokz OpenFit 2 if:

• You want true wireless open-ear earbuds
• Long battery life is very important
• You want something simple for running and everyday use

Pick the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 if:

• You want the classic Shokz neckband fit
• You want longer single-charge battery life
• You are worried about losing a separate earbud

Conclusion:

The Suunto Spark is a strong option for runners who want headphones for working out. The specs are competitive, the 9.7 gram weight keeps them light, the 36-hour case battery is useful, and the Suunto ecosystem features make them more compelling for anyone already training with a Suunto watch. I’ve been really happy with them and I haven’t had any issues.