Suunto Advizor Wrist-Top Computer Watch with Barometer, Compass, Altimeter, and Chronograph

The Advizor also doubles as a digital personal trainer, with a heart rate monitor via its included chest strap. We clipped the strap on under a shirt (it will also work through the shirt, but you'll need to get the shirt quite wet), moistened the electrodes, and the Advizor automatically picked up our heartbeat. With the plastic bar on the front, the strap wasn't exactly comfortable, but we were able to forget about it after getting into our workout.

The simple-to-use monitor worked well for setting a target heart rate zone and alerted us by beeping an alarm when we went over or under the range. The heart rate monitor also stores information from past workouts, which let us keep track of average heart rate, maximum and minimum rates, and time spent in and out of the target heart rate zone.

Like other Suunto watches, the Advizor offers a barometer mode that keeps track of air pressure and trends (which let you forecast changes in the weather) as well as temperature. However, as the watch's reading is affected by body heat, using the temperature gauge while working out can be problematic.

It also features a compass, useful for cross-country hiking and running, as well as an altimeter--accurate to within 10 feet. We did have to reset the altimeter rather frequently as it measures altitude using the barometer, so changes in air pressure can affect the altitude reading.

Its outer plastic bezel proves handy in different modes for showing barometric changes or changes in altitude denoted by a segmented digital circle that lights up around the perimeter of the watch.

And hey, get this, it tells time too. The watch functions of the Advizor include three alarms, a stopwatch, and a countdown timer. A bright backlight illuminates the watch face in dark environments, and it's also waterproof to 100 feet. (Note, however, that it's not a diving watch, so you can't use the buttons to manipulate the modes while underwater.)

The Advizor is more expensive than other Suunto watches and other heart-rate monitors. But if you need all these tools packed into one device and are willing to pay for the consolidation, the Advizor definitely does a nice impersonation of a digital Swiss Army knife. --J. Curtis

Pros:

• Accurate heart rate monitor
• Ruggedly designed--great for the outdoors
• Easy to switch between modes

Cons:

• Large size can be unwieldy on wrist

The Advizor looks like a high-end wristwatch, with an ABS plastic body and elastic wristband. The body is gray, with an oversized backlit LCD screen. It is made tough, built to be waterproof even submerged at 100 feet. The watch displays day, time, and date with three programmable alarms and has a stopwatch and countdown timer.

The Advizor's altimeter allows you to view the current altitude with a range up to 29,500 feet and a resolution of 10 feet. Also view your ascent/descent rate in feet per minute. (All measurements are also available in metric units.) The barometer allows you to measure the temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit, absolute pressure, and a difference measurement to follow changes in barometric pressure and temperature. The automatic four-day memory keeps track of atmospheric pressure information. Another feature is the adjustable sea-level pressure function.

The compass shows directional bearing in degrees and cardinal or half-cardinal point. There is a north-douth arrow and a bearing tracking function that displays locked bearing, actual bearing, and the difference between these declination adjustments. The compass's bubble level indicates a level position to ensure reading accuracy within 2 to 3 degrees.

The Advizor comes with a user-replaceable battery, which lasts up to 18 months, and a low-battery indicator. It is covered by a one-year warranty.