Coros Comparison – 2019

 

Coros is a very new company to the sports GPS watch scene. They have attracted a lot of attention due to entering the market with very competitive pricing whilst producing a watch comparable to the big names (ie Garmin and Suunto). Of note is their superior battery life, being particularly appealing to the ultra running community.

Making Their Mark

With the Coros Pace first hitting the stores in early 2018, the company has come a long way in a very short period. They followed the Pace with the release of the Coros Apex, a sleeker, more durable model. In early 2019, they released their flagship model, the Coros Vertix. This watch is aimed at the serious adventurer who requires the durability and tracking capabilities over days not just hours, in extreme conditions.

And now, with the latest release of the Apex Pro, they really have a well-rounded fleet in their line-up. Aimed at the serious trail and ultra runners, the Apex Pro is a versatile update on the Apex with a new design, even more battery life and an appealing price point on its competitors.

Impressive Features

Price and battery life are the stand-out features of the Coros watches in comparison to competitor brands on the market. It is easy to see that Coros wants to dominate the trail and ultra running scene. They now have an impressive line-up of professional runners using their watches.

All four types of Coros watches have long battery life, on wrist heart-rate monitor, barometric altimeter and are water-proof with multi-sport functions.

So Which Should You Buy?

When deciding on which watch is the most suitable you need to take into consideration what your specific needs are and also what your budget allows. Let’s take a closer look at the different features of each model.

The information below will give you a quick guide to the differences between the models followed by a more thorough look at each model.  The full specs are extensive, if you’d like to check them out you can visit the Coros website here.

Model Comparison

Display Size

PACE, APEX 46mm, APEX PRO, VERTIX –  240 x 240 (64 colours)

APEX 42mm – 218 x 218 (64 colours)

 

Screen Material

PACE -Aluminosilicate

APEX 42mm and 46mm, APEX PRO, VERTIX –  Crystal Sapphire Glass

 

Bezel Material

PACE – N/A

APEX 42mm – Ceramic

APEX 46mm – Titanium

APEX PRO – Titanium

VERTIX – Titanium

 

Quick Release Band

PACE – N/A

APEX 42mm – 20mm

APEX 46mm – 22mm

APEX PRO – 22mm

VERTIX – 22mm

 

Physical Size

PACE – 47.2 x 47.2 x 11.8

APEX 42mm – 43 x43 x11.75

APEX 46mm – 47 x47 x 11.9

APEX PRO – 47 x 47 x 13.4

VERTIX – 47 x 47 x 15.6

 

Weight

PACE – 49g

APEX 42mm – 50.8g

APEX 46mm – 55.3g

APEX PRO – 59g

VERTIX – 76g

 

Waterproof

PACE – 5ATM (50m)

APEX 42mm – 10ATM (100m)

APEX 46mm – 10ATM (100m)

APEX PRO – 10ATM (100m)

VERTIX – 15ATM (150m)

 

Battery

PACE – 30 days regular/  25hrs full GPS/  50hrs UltraMax

APEX 42mm – 25 days regular use/  25hrs full GPS/  80hrs UltraMax

APEX 46mm – 30 days regular use/  35hrs full GPS/  100hrs UltraMax

APEX PRO – 30 days regular use/  40hrs full GPS/  100hrs UltraMax

VERTIX – 45 days regular use/  60hrs full GPS/  150hrs UltraMax

 

Charging Time  

All models take less than 2hrs to fully charge

 

APEX PRO Additional Features

Pulse Oximeter

Altitude Advisory

Touchscreen Technoloy New Engineered Digital Knob –for easy single finger controlling (even with thick gloves on)

 

VERTIX Additional Features

Altitude Acclimation Assistance

Full Corrosive Free Titanium Frame

New Engineered Digital Knob –for easy single finger controlling (even with thick gloves on)

Touchscreen Technology

Virtually Scratch Proof Screen

24/7 Blood Oxygen Monitoring With Altitude Mode

Can withstand extremely cold conditions (21hrs in full GPS mode under -30 degrees)

 

COROS PACE

For a competitive price on AMAZON click here 

For AMAZON Australia Click Here

The Coros Pace is an excellent choice for all runners and triathletes looking for a lightweight multisport watch with the longest battery life in its class. For the athlete that wants to go fast, with minimal weight, the Pace is packed with loads of data for you to analyze post workout/race. Whether it be advanced statistics for your running, swimming and cycling activities, the Pace will have you covered.

As with all of the Coros watches, the Pace has on-wrist heart rate capability that can be used while running, swimming or cycling. The Pace is available in three different colours.

While being a well made watch, I would suggest putting a Coros Pace screen protector on this model for added proction

Although the Pace has got less navigational options than the other three models, it is focused primarily to the ultra road runner or triathlete. The Coros Pace multisport is a great lightweight watch at an extremely good price.

For AMAZON prices click here

For AMAZON AUSTRALIA click here

 

Standout Features

Great battery life

Waterproof 50m

Lightweight

Great price

Upload to Strava or Training peaks via Coros App

 

COROS APEX

For a competitive price on AMAZON click here

For AMAZON AUSTRALIA click here

For the runner that loves technical data in a sleek, durable, lightweight watch, the Coros Apex will tick all the boxes. Offered in two different sizes, there is a 42mm for those that have a smaller wrist and like a small watch face. While the 46mm for those that like a bigger screen to view their data on the fly. I will note that some reviewers found it a little hard to read the text of the 42mm. So if you have trouble reading small print, I would take that into consideration.

The Apex has a very stylish look that could be worn to work or out and not look at all bulky. It is very durable with a sapphire crystal glass screen and a ceramic bezel for the 42mm and titanium bezel for the 46mm.

The digital dial on the Apex is a different designed knob to that of the newer PRO and VERTIX. With that said, some reviewers said the knob took a little getting used.

When you have finished your activity the Coros App will give you a complete graph analysis of your training including VO2 max, recovery advisory, threshold pace, last 7 days training load and plenty more. Like the Pace it can be uploaded straight after workout to Strava or Training Peaks via the Coros App.

An added feature to the Apex is the navigation features. You can upload routes that are displayed on a grid as breadcrumb trail with real-time information like direction and elevation. It can also alert you if you go off course, and get you back on track. With a battery life of up to 80 hours (42mm) and 100 hours (46mm) in UltraMax, this is a great watch for trail and ultra runner.

Available in 5 different colours.

Standout Features

Great battery life

Waterproof 100m

Lightweight

Very durable

Sleek and stylish

Great price

 

APEX PRO

For competitive price on AMAZON click here

 

With all the great features of the original Apex, combined with the added Pulse Oximeter, Altitude Advisory and Touchscreen, the Apex Pro is a very versatile watch for the serious athlete in mind. With 40 hours of full GPS battery life (14% increase over original Apex) you can now get through a 100 miler without switching to UltraMax mode.

When high in the mountains this watch will alert you to when you should keep climbing or head back down to a lower altitude via the hourly acclimatisation evaluations. It also boasts 24/7 blood oxygen monitoring with Altitude Mode.

Coros has introduced touchscreen to the Apex Pro, taking the already easy to use functionality of the Apex and making it even easier. Along with touchscreen, a newly engineered digital knob is featured, where you can move the navigation track up/down, left/right and easily zoom in and out. The new digital knob also makes for easy single finger controlling, even with thick gloves on. This latest edition from Coros is a great watch for the serious trail and ultra runner that demands the best.

Available in black or silver

Standout Features

14% more battery life in full GPS mode

Waterproof 100m

Very durable

Touchscreen

Pulse Oximeter

Altitude advisory

New engineered digital knob

24/7 blood oxygen monitoring

Hourly acclimatization evaluation

 

COROS VERTIX

For a competitive price on AMAZON click here

For AMAZON AUSTRALIA click here

The Coros Vertix is a total GPS Adventure watch with durability and extremely long battery. The watch has been designed for the most adventurous mountaineer/runner who needs the most battery life available in a watch. It is capable of functioning in the coldest conditions (21hrs in full GPS mode under -30 degrees), while hiking or running in the mountains on a single charge.

This model has set new boundaries in the GPS watch world with its 45 days with regular use on a single charge. The battery will last 60 hours in GPS mode and 150 hours in UltraMax which is quite incredible. Not to mention a waterproof rating of 15ATM (150 meters).

Its lightweight corrosion-free titanium frame and bezel are tough. Along with its scratch-proof sapphire crystal screen with a diamond like coating, it is designed to take on the harshest conditions.

If you are looking for a watch that can do it all and is built to last, this watch would fit your needs.

Available in 4 different colours.

Standout Features

Huge battery life

Waterproof 150m

Very durable

Corrosive-free titanium frame and bezel

Virtually Scratch Proof Touchscreen

24/7 Blood Oxygen Monitoring With Altitude Mode

Altitude Acclimation Assistance

Can withstand extremely cold conditions (21hrs in full GPS mode under -30 degrees)

New Engineered Digital Knob –for easy single finger controlling (even with thick gloves on)

 

COROS watches FAQ’s

how does APEX work for indoor run/treadmill?

APEX is equipped with machine learning capability. The more you run outdoor with GPS on, the better the readings will be generated in the indoor run / treadmill mode. If you have limited or no outdoor run history with APEX watch, more than likely you won’t get a satisfactory result for indoor run. During outdoor run, APEX learns your running habits and gathers related information like GPS, cadence, gesture, pace, heart rate, and more to build up and improve an individual running model. Whenever you are running with limited or no GPS signals, motion sensors and the running model will kick in to provide best possible running metrics.

 

What is UltraMax and how does it work?

The reason behind this unreal battery life in UltraMax mode, is because of our unique algorithms and mechanism. For every 2-minute period, the GPS data is recorded for 30 seconds. APEX relies on motion sensors, machine learning algorithms and individual running model for the remaining 90 seconds. Not only can APEX provide nearly accurate GPS tracks and running metrics compared with normal GPS modes, the battery life is also much increased to be used in the toughest conditions.

 

Does COROS provide a PC or web based platform?

At least in the near future, the COROS app on smart phones and 3rd party platforms like Strava and TrainingPeaks are the only customer facing portals for analyzing and exporting your workout data. We work hard to provide a streamlined, user-friendly, convenient yet powerful app that is beneficial to all COROS users. If you wish to view your data on PC or web, we offer the option to export your workout via up to 5 different file types by email. You can also link your COROS account with 3rd party platforms to utilize their more than adequate functions. We try our best to display raw data on these platforms for your complete training analysis.