A successful training regimen requires tons of information compiled over dozens of weeks before you know all that hard work paid off. While training for the Ragnar Wasatch Back Relay, I’ve been using the Suunto T3d heart rate monitor to keep track of the overall training effect of my workouts. But heart rate and calories burned just isn’t enough info. Thankfully, Suunto makes the Foot POD Mini and GPS POD, each of which provides even more info like speed and distance.
I’ve been using both the Foot POD Mini and GPS POD to calculate my speed and distance, and discovered that each has its benefits and faults, depending on what activity you’re doing. First, let’s take a look at the Suunto Foot POD Mini.
Suunto Foot POD Mini
The Suunto Foot POD Mini is a teensy, weensy little guy that clips on the laces of a running shoe. It measures the speed and distance of a run and transmits the data to a Suunto watch like my T3d. It also pairs with the Suunto t4, t6, or M5 models. Not only is this device tiny, but it’s also so light weight (9 grams) that I don’t even notice it attached to my shoe.
Suunto says the Foot POD Mini works both indoors and outdoors, but I only tested it outside on the roads and trails around Salt Lake City. As far as I could tell, the Foot POD Mini was accurate in telling me how far I went on a run, as it matched the advertised mileage of a lap around Liberty Park.
Through any conditions – rain, snow and deep puddles, the Suunto Foot POD Mini never stopped working. With a battery life of 400 hours and water resistance of 100 feet, there didn’t seem to be much that could stop it from tracking my run over the hills and through the woods.
Plus, I could use the Suunto Foot POD Mini for more than just runs or serious training. Mileage from hiking and even casual walking could be recorded as it adjusted on the fly to my stride. As a result, I look forward to trying it out on backpacking trips to find accurate mileage where none is available on maps.
Tiny size, zero weight, and accurate info make the Suunto Foot POD Mini an essential piece of gear for my daily training.
However, if you want a device that gives you speed and distance data, but works for a wider variety of activities, then perhaps the Suunto GPS POD is a better option. I got out with this magical disk hooked to my pack strap over the winter and here’s how it worked:
Suunto GPS POD
The Suunto GPS POD is exactly what it sounds like – a Global Positioning System that tracks you as you hike, bike, ski, run, canoe, or whatever. The GPS POD is a small disk that can attach either to an arm with a flexible arm band, or to a pack strap with a plastic clip.
A wireless transmission sends the speed and distance data gathered by the GPS POD to a Suunto watch like the T3d that I wear.
In many ways, it functions a lot like the Foot POD in the information it sends to a Suunto watch. But the Foot POD realluy only works for runners/walkers/hikers. Since the GPS POD tracks your location via satellite, you can do any sort of outdoor activity, record your speed and distance, and then upload the info to your computer and Movescount.com.
I used the Suunto GPS POD several times for running and backcountry skiing. It worked very well for both activities. I was afraid that the satellite signal would be lost when I skied into thick pine forests, but it never ceased to work no matter where I was or how fast I was going.
That being said, there are limitations to the Suunto GPS POD. First, the battery life is very short. 10 hours of use, and you’ll be heading to the corner store for another pack of triple-As. Second, it isn’t very water resistant. Suunto says it works down to 3.3 feet of water, which is a far cry from the Foot POD Mini’s 100 feet. Third, it can take its sweet time locating a satellite. Several times I got frustrated while waiting for the red light on the POD to indicate that it was linked up and tracking. Meanwhile, my backcountry buddies were standing in the cold, waiting to go.
Overall, if you’re training and looking for essential data about your workouts, both the Suunto Foot POD Mini and GPS POD work well for the job when paired with a compatible Suunto watch. But for the price and features, I’d give my thumbs up to the Foot POD Mini. Using the GPS system to only track speed and distance seems like overkill to me. In the future, I’d like to see Suunto come out with a GPS POD that also creates a track that you can download to Google Earth. You’re being tracked by a satellite anyway, so why not go all out with the GPS features found on other devices?
For more information about these and other products, visit Suunto online.
Interested in either the Suunto Foot POD Mini or the GPS POD? You can purchase both of them below.
Do you think the foot pod work for cross country sking?
Does it require any kind of calibration, or does it just work?
Thanks for the review!
Doug,
I asked my contact at Suunto and they say the foot pod does not work for cross country skiing. The foot pod can be calibrated with the t-series and the new Quest.
Hope this helps!
Does it even work at all??? Ive spent 2 hours trying to pair it with my M5 and it doesnt work. Do yourself a favor Suunto – lay off making stupid fucking Chinese made crap. I’m taking it back to the shop. Ill ebay the watch and I’ll be honest enough to tell the buyer NOT to get the pod! Useless lump of Chinese made shit!
I’ve the same situation. I’m not able to pair the foot pod with my M5.
Did you solve the problem?
Thanks