We've ran thousands of miles in the best Coros watches — our expert guide
Whether you’re a seasoned runner training for your umpteenth marathon, a new runner reaching for that first 5km or you simply run for general fitness and mental health, there’s a Coros watch to suit your budget – and your run-tracking needs.
Coros is a relative newcomer to the running watch market but in the past five years it’s produced some of the best GPS running watches going and emerged as a serious rival to the likes of Garmin, Polar and Suunto.
Coros’ biggest USP is long lasting battery life, but it crams a lot of tools and tracking capability into often comparatively cheap running watches. It’s also one of the only watchmakers to roll new features down to older models, future proofing your running watch more than its rivals.
The Coros range is conveniently small, with just three main series: the Pace, the Apex and the Vertix. Coros’ line-up doesn’t stretch to the lifestyle fitness trackers or smartwatch-style watches, but there are options to cater for most runners.
The entry-level Pace series tends to appeal to beginner runners, marathon PB chasers and track athletes, with enough run-tracking tools to satisfy most regular runners. The Vertix series sit at the other end of the spectrum with ultra endurance battery life, navigation smarts and durability tailored for wilder, rugged off-grid adventures. This is the best bet for multi-day challenges. The Apex series sits somewhere in the middle, catering for trail and ultra distance with a rugged design but in a lighter-weight package than the Vertix.
If you're still weighing up Coros as a brand, we've also reviewed the best Garmin watches and the best Polar watches on the market too.
Which Coros watch should I buy?
Not sure which model is for you? Here's a brief overview. Below, you'll find our full reviews.
Top tip: If you want to do a quick comparison, Coros has a very handy tool that lets you compare up to three devices from the range.
How to choose a Coros watch
Not sure what to look for in a running watch? Use these pointers.
How we test
We've tested and reviewed all the watches in the Coros line-up, racking up thousands of test miles as a team over years (yes, years), putting the watches through their paces in training, at parkruns, racing marathons and tackling ultras. We’ve lived with them and slept in them, and we always mix up the testing conditions, running through the urban sprawl and remote environments in all weather conditions.
We evaluate the devices based on features, GPS and heart rate accuracy, battery life, connectivity, and what they’re like to use on our daily runs. For this guide, we’ve thought carefully about the benefits each watch delivers, who it appeals to most and weighed up which Coros watch offers the best all-round value for most runners.
Why trust us?
Runner’s World has been vetting and reviewing running gear and tech since 1983. Our essential recommendations are selected based on data and insights gathered by our editors, who put the latest and greatest running shoes and gear through their paces day in and day out. This guide builds on the knowledge of Kieran Alger, who has run over 55 marathons and is never seen wearing less than two smartwatches at once.
The best Coros watches in 2024: Tested and reviewed
> Read our full Coros Pace 3 review <
Bang for buck, the Coros Pace 3 isn’t just the best running watch in the Coros line-up, it’s right up there as one of the best value running watches you can buy from any brand right now. Whatever level you’re running at, this watch is worth a closer look.
The Coros Pace 3 offers a compelling package: impressive staying power, reliable dual frequency GPS and a competitive range of in-depth training, health and recovery features.
The battery life is a big selling point. You can expect 24 days daily use and 38 hours continuous GPS, dropping to 15 hours using the accuracy-boosting Dual Frequency mode. That’s almost double what you’ll get from the pricier Garmin Forerunner 165 and longer than the Garmin Forerunner 265. In testing that lived up to billing, too. A one-hour run in Dual Frequency burned a measly 4%.
The Pace 3’s range of advanced running analytics is impressive for the price. You get the same suite of Evo Lab training tools as the pricer Apex and Vertix. That includes Running Performance, Training Load with a handy week overview, recovery time recommendations, running fitness scores and pace ranges for Aerobic Endurance, Aerobic Power, Threshold, Anaerobic Endurance and Anaerobic Power. Plus training plans and workouts and more within the Coros app.
The design is a bit plastic – functional, not fancy. It’s not troubling the Apple Watch on looks. But the lightweight casing and bezel bring the watch in at just 30g with the nylon strap, making it more comfortable to wear 24-7 to unlock the best of the sleep, stress and health insights. If you want a sharper, brighter screen the Pace Pro is the way to go.
When it comes to GPS accuracy, the dual-frequency mode stays impressively stable, even in high-rise urban environments. The Pace 3 packs Coros’ latest heart rate sensor with five LEDs and four light-detecting photosensors to improve the accuracy. Though like all optical sensors, it struggles at times.
Mapping features stop short of offline maps – you’ll have to go up the range for that. But the Pace 3 offers in-app route planning and breadcrumb navigation with turn-by-turn.
Like all Coros watches, it’s a bit short on smartwatch skills. Garmin does this better. But there’s 4Gb of offline MP4 music storage and playback plus basic notifications.
This is a reliable running watch that covers most of the needs for day-to-day running with good comfort and decent accuracy, all at a hard-to-beat price.
The hero on the Coros Pace Pro is a bigger, brighter smartwatch-style AMOLED display. We’ve seen them land on Garmin, Polar and Suunto watches but this is the first Coros watch to offer AMOLED. However, the Coros Pace Pro offers more than a pretty face.
There’s offline mapping, an ECG sensor and bigger storage for a start, plus dual frequency GPS, Coros’ latest optical heart rate sensor and the same sensor selection as you find on the Vertix and Apex series, including barometric altimeter and spO2 sensor.
Somehow, Coros has also added the punchier screen while offering more max-accuracy GPS run time than you find in the Pace 3 and keeping its nose in front of the similarly priced, AMOLED-toting rivals like the Suunto Race and the Polar Vantage M3.
The Pace Pro boasts an impressive 31 hours GPS run time using dual frequency. That extends to 38 hours using All Systems mode. In tests, a one-hour run max accuracy mode burned just 2%.
The dual frequency GPS also performed well against the pricier Garmin Fenix 8 for total distances and stuck us to tracks accurately. The heart rate was more hit and miss during interval sessions with some big spikes, at times reading 20bpm higher than a chest strap.
AMOLED-aside, when it comes to design, the Pace Pro follows the somewhat cheaper feel of the Pace 3 with a plasticky case and bezel. It’s still light and comfortable but comes in a shade heavier at 37g with a nylon band compared to the Pace 3 at 30g.
The big question is whether all that adds up to the £100 premium over the Coros Pace 3. The marginally bigger but much clearer AMOLED screen and maps will need to be a big priority to warrant paying extra for the Pace Pro.
When it comes to running, the Coros Apex 2 is essentially a lighter, more compact Vertix 2 just without the dual frequency GPS and a significantly shorter battery life.
The running, training and navigation tools offer the same suite of insights and features as the pricier Apex 2 Pro and the Vertix 2. Like the Apex 2 Pro, the Apex 2 also packs an ECG sensor for taking HRV readings.
The Apex 2 uses similar, higher quality materials than many rivals at the price, including a tougher sapphire glass display and titanium bezel and casing. But ultimately, with a smaller bezel, it resembles the Pace Pro more than the Vertix 2.
On paper, the lack of dual frequency GPS is the major omission versus the Apex 2 Pro and the Vertix 2. But even without it, the GPS performance is on par with the pricier Apex 2 Pro.
Across our tests, it virtually matched the Apex 2 Pro for overall distance and real time pace response. During a half-marathon race test, the Apex 2 logged 13.11 miles to the Apex 2 Pro’s 13.3 miles and the Garmin Enduro 2’s 13.19 miles.
The optical heart rate sensor was a good match for the pricier Apex 2 Pro, too. However, like most optical sensors, it sometimes lagged behind on sharp shifts in intensity on interval sessions, and picking up rests.
The Coros Apex 2 battery life offers 13 days daily use, with up to 40 hours in full GPS mode. That drops to 30 hours with All Systems tracking. In testing, a one-hour run using All Systems GPS mode averaged around 4%.
On balance, this is a good multi-sports all-rounder that does the basics well and even matches the pricier Apex 2 Pro for GPS accuracy and heart rate. A reliable lighter alternative to the Vertix 2 and probably a better value bet than the Apex 2 Pro.
However, if you don’t mind cheaper materials and a bigger watch, the Pace Pro probably now offers even better value with a better screen, longer battery life and identical sensors and features – at least for runners.
The Coros Apex 2 Pro is another solid, adventure-ready, multi-sports all-rounder. It’s bigger and chunkier than the Apex 2 but sleeker and more minimal than the hulkier Vertix 2. It also offers a few extra bells and whistles over the cheaper Apex 2.
You’re essentially getting the same suite of training tools, performance and recovery insights but you’ll pay a premium for a slightly larger, higher resolution 1.3-inch display, a bigger battery life and dual frequency GPS that’s designed to improve accuracy. However, in our tests that didn’t outperform the Apex 2.
Looks-wise the Apex 2 Pro is a touch more like the Vertix 2 but at 53g, it’s still light and offers decent 24-7 comfort for a more rugged watch, particularly with the nylon strap. The display is cut from toughened sapphire glass display and there’s a premium-looking titanium bezel and casing. That all stacks up to a good looking watch.
Under the hood, there’s a comprehensive sensor array, including optical heart rate and pulse oximeter, barometric altimeter, 3D compass, gyroscope and thermometer. There’s also a wear detector to weed out rogue heart rate readings.
However, in testing the heart rate sometimes struggled. Like most optical sensors, the Apex 2 Pro had a tendency to lag behind a chest strap on sharp shifts in intensity on interval sessions, and picking up rests.
GPS performance was okay, but not quite up to the multi-band rivals. Even using the highest accuracy mode, the post-run GPS tracks showed the Apex 2 Pro could sometimes wander, particularly in built up areas. There was almost nothing to choose between this and the Apex 2.
Mapping smarts include pre-loaded scrollable maps (you have to download them on the Apex 2) and back to start navigation. The navigation, while useful, isn’t quite as good as you’ll get on rival Garmin watches.
And how about Apex 2 versus Apex Pro 2? Unless you really want a slightly larger screen, a bigger battery life or prefer the looks, the Apex 2 Pro is hard to recommend. The Apex 2 offers a similar performance at a friendlier price.
Despite the S in the name, the Coros Vertix 2S comes in the same size as the Vertix 2. It’s a large, substantial, well-built watch with a Garmin Fenix-esque rugged build. This watch is designed for conquering wilder running adventures.
Welcome upgrades over the original Vertix 2 include improved (but not infallible) heart rate, better GPS accuracy – that’s now solid and reliable for the most part – and increasingly comprehensive navigation tools. That’s all backed by the comprehensive Coros EvoLab which covers all the major insights: training, performance, recovery, fatigue, training load, race predictor, VO2 max and training plans.
In fact, when it comes to features, if Coros tracks it or offers it, it’s on this watch. And what we said about the Vertix 2 remains true: for most runners this watch is like taking a tank to a knife fight.
The Vertix 2S battery life is shorter on paper than the Vertix 2 with 118 hours regular GPS runtime to the Vertix 2’s 127 hours. In dual frequency mode, the difference is just 6 hours. On paper, at least, that’s still very competitive against the main rivals.
In testing, a one-hour run in dual frequency mode burned just 2% and this watch will easily knock out a month of training on a single charge. Excellent for lazy or forgetful chargers.
The screen is the same as the Vertix 2 and understandably not as bright as the newer AMOLED displays on the likes of the Fenix 8 AMOLED. But that less punchy screen is one of the reasons you’re getting a comparatively big battery life versus the rivals.
It’s a shame there’s no flashlight (a killer feature on the Garmin rivals) and though there’s offline music storage, it’s a real faff getting tracks (if you even own those anymore) onto your watch. The lack of Spotify support for a watch at this price/level is starting to look like a big gap.
The Vertix 2S is a small step on from the Vertix 2 but if you’re willing to forgo some of those incremental improvements in GPS and heart rate performance, you might be better off scouting out deals on the Coros Vertix 2.
In terms of features and general tracking capability, the Vertix 2 and the Vertix 2S are identical. Everything you get on the newer Vertix 2S is on the Vertix. There’s not much to choose on design either. The Vertix 2 is another big hulk of a running watch.
The main difference is in the hardware. The Vertix 2 is marginally heavier, has an older optical heart rate sensor and a different GPS antenna set-up. That older heart rate tech uses less juice so the Vertix 2 also has a slightly longer battery life. The Vertix 2S also ships with a nylon and silicone band where the Vertix 2 just comes with the silicone.
When it comes to heart rate, like all optical sensors, the Vertix 2 had some lag and lurch, particularly on the intervals. Average workout readings came within a beat or two of the chest strap but it had a tendency to clock a higher max heart rates.
When it comes to battery life, the Vertix 2 is a beast. On paper it offers 127 hours in GPS mode, 49 hours in the higher accuracy dual frequency mode. In tests, it was wonderfully frugal. On average, an hour’s GPS training burned no more than 3%. During a full GPS dual frequency mode during a 4.5-hour, 26.2-mile run test, the Vertix 2 burned just 7%.
The accuracy of the dual-frequency GPS is better on the Vertix 2S and that in itself might be a good enough reason to upgrade.
However, if you can find a deal for the Vertix 2, you’ll be getting a comprehensive all-rounder with a mind-blowing battery life, solid GPS and heart rate performance plus a competitive suite of training analysis tools with all the important stuff like offline mapping, ECG and HRV.
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