It's all about that battery life. Coros has been nailing it. What are your thoughts on the Coros Apex Pro and Apex? Have you had the chance to use them for yourself?
I got the Apex about 2 weeks ago... Ive only needed to charge it once, and it has been a breeze to use. I also like that it seems to give a more realistic pace on indoor runs since it is monitoring your cadence rather than the dreadmill just tracking belt speed.
Having used the Apex (not Pro) on my first 100 miler I can fully attest to starting the race at 100% battery life and after crossing the finish line, 28 hours later, the battery was at 19%. I was absolutely amazed. Didn’t drop the GPS once and I didn’t have to charge it for another 4 days after the 100 miler...crazy...I’m a big fan.
i have polar h10 and apex 46mm. i ran them both at same time a few times and were +/- 2 bpm between them. i don't know how accurate h10 is, just something to compare.
As a petite woman with tiny wrists, the 42 mm Apex has been amazing!! Finally, a watch I can wear every day that wasn’t “shrinked and pinked” and has the long battery life I want!
I bought the Apex nearly a year ago and was blown away by the battery life. And the speed of charging. Since then there has been a stream of updates, both to the watch and to the app. What started with run, bike, swim has gradually added wild swim, trail run, track events, cross fit, gym and others I may not have noticed yet. Impressive little watch for the price.
Been using the apex for a couple of days now to replace my fenix 5 plus..had 2 short runs of 10km and 8km straight out of the box and still no need of charging..really impressed with that and how simple and intuitive it is getting to use the watch and apps
Awesome review as always Ethan-your watch reviews are what keep me coming back...as in from 2015 (!) on. Really appreciate your honest opinions and expertise in this area. Keep the epic-ness coming!👊🏼
I was/am pleasantly surprised by my apex! Got it shortly after Christmas and ran with it for a 12 hour race. Had 80% battery life after the race and I was shocked by the accuracy GPS wise (recorded 61.8 miles vs 61.5 miles actual). I upgraded from a Sunnto Ambit 3 Vertical and it’s been a solid upgrad. I’ve heard their interpretations of data can be a bit wonky (looking at the VO2 max estimate in particular), but it’s accurate enough to still be reliable. All in all very content with the watch and the brand as a whole!
Thank you for the review! I guess the reason why your APEX Pro syncs slower than APEX is because you had POD connected to your APEX Pro for the workout. So the file gets 3x larger because of the additional advanced data. - From a COROS employee
Lewis, just want to say that I'm very impressed by your customer outreach and time you and your team take to personally respond to questions, including on the FB group.
Been using the apex 46mm for triathlon and marathon training since August 2019 and its been fantastic. My training partner uses a garmin and even on 15 mile training runs we are within .1 miles of each other at the end. His watch adjusts to pace changes a little faster than mine, but the apex does a good job of catching up and adjusting so the average pace of each interval ends up the same, even on quarter mile intervals. I can usually go a little over two weeks on a charge, and that’s using it for daily activities as well as about 20 hours of GPS usage. I’ve only ever had one issue with GPS with the watch, and that was when I hadn’t updated it in over a month and was several updates behind. As soon as I updated to the latest software it was back to business as usual. The build quality has held up exceptionally well also. I haven’t exactly babied the watch and there are zero dings, scratches, or blemishes whatsoever. I can’t say enough good things about the Coros.
I’ve been wearing the Apex for close to a year and absolutely LOVE it! Comfortable, light, long battery life and great technology. Also, your workouts upload to the app and Strava in seconds... I highly recommend these watches!
Happy with my Apex. Aquiring gps is extremely fast. Syncing to the Coros app and Strava is straightforward. As an ultra trail runner and more specifically a back of the pack “adventurer,” the knowledge that you will make race cut-off times before the battery life dies is a bonus. I don't see myself upgrading to a better watch in the next two years. Solid investment.
I have been using Coros for over a year now. I started out with the Apex and loved it. I did realize in time that I was having issues with pace erratic looking and hr would not stay connected and I would constantly loose hr during my runs. I was told it was because of my ink on my wrist. (previously had Fenix 5s and never had an issue with hr) I guessed it was because of the one optic sensor on the back. I eventually moved into an Apex Pro and have not had any issues with hr drops. I do believe its because it has more sensors on the back of the watch and I was told that that would not matter. It finds my hr and stays connected. I do wish there was more customization like you stated. A hot list would be amazing. No matter what Garmin may be the leader in GPS watches but battery life that lack with.
I got the Coros Apex about 2 months ago and have used it for a marathon and 50k and I LOVE the battery life. However, I have noticed that even over the last 2 months, the battery life has kind of shrunken from the initial two weeks that I had it. But I would definitely buy again. I love it.
Using the Apex for a few weeks now, love it. Had to charge it once since then. All features are working as intended. I'd like to add that there are few watches with an included baro-altimeters at this price range. The wrist HRM is inconsistent, but if you want the data accurately, one uses a strap anyway. I can only recommend the Apex so far. Nice review, kudos.
Just came across this video. As a Coros owner myself I love the battery life above and beyond everything else. I've run multiple ultra's with my original Pace without issue. I actually like it more than the new versions due to the fact it uses buttons ala Garmin/Suunto/Polar on the sides of the watch rather than a touch screen. And finding the right activity/menu is super easy. Great video by the way too!
I bought to Coros Apex 42mm about 6 months ago and couldn't be happier with it. The 46mm is just too big for me. The battery life is amazing. I run about 8 hours a week and I charge the watch every Sunday out of habit more than anything else because the battery is never below 40% after 8 hours of use. The optical HR monitor is good. All my training is based on heart rate and I decided to get a chest strap because I wanted the readings to be as accurate as possible. I found that the chest strap is more responsive but there wasn't much difference ito readings from the optical HR sensor on the watch which is good news! The optical sensor did give a couple of odd spikes here and there which prompted me to go for the chest strap but overall I was pretty impressed to see the readings from the strap were very close to the optical sensor. I expected worse given that most people seem to just assume that optical HR sensors are rubbish. $299 for the Apex is great value. I don't think there's anything comparable at that price. Highly recommended. I'd buy it again in a heart beat.
The battery is amazing, no two ways about that. I switched to the Apex 46mm from the Suunto 9 Baro, and while the S9B is undoubtedly a better build quality and has the upper hand in the looks department the Apex just quietly delivers. GPS & vert seem pretty darn good and I love the fact that you can set up more than one alarm at a time. My main gripe is that for whatever reason sometimes the notifications from phone-watch stop working, so what I get on my phone isn't alerting me on the watch. Usually only for a day or less and then it seems to right itself. Hopefully at some point Coros will set give users the chance to add personalised workout types to the app as you can with Suunto - this area appears to be a little limited right now as are a few other areas within the app that could do with some improvements and/or tweaking. It also seems odd that you can't turn off the HR during training... is there a simple button press I'm missing for this? Overall I really like it and can't really fault that much especially when you consider the price point compared to Garmin, Suunto et al, definitely shop around and try to get some money off it as I managed to. Cheers
Spot on review! Been using the Apex for some months now and I agree with literally everything Ethan says here. Super battery life, but has a wonky UI, very sensitive touch crown (sometimes stops and I don’t know until a mile or 2 later), but ultimately a great watch
got a Suunto Ambit 3 peak from your review awhile back. Got tired of it not being able to upload my runs ( suunto has a terrible - read useless - customer service by the way ... ) especially the long one ... now have the apex and I'm living the dream ! no issue uploading my runs . Actually , runs are uploaded to strava before i can remove my shoes !
Good review as always. I use the coros pace and I think it performs well, I recognized most of the features you brought up in the review. It cannot be used för navigation though but it is super good value for your money, I think. Bought mine (in Sweden) for the equivalent of 190 USD.
Ive been running with the garmin 235 for a few years now and looking to upgrade. Looked into other garmins, suuunto, polar and just discovered coros, i may have found my next training watch
I bought the Apex in January. My previous running watch was a Garmin Forerunner. The Apex is astoundingly good. I'm happy to wait for the customisations. COROS updates have fixed issues and they really listen to feedback. As you say, it's all about the battery life.
I have an apex. I am an endurance trail runner. I couldn't be happier with its performance. I ran a 52km sky run in Zimbabwe in December. Whilst a number of competitors had battery and navigation issues, I arrived at the finish with no issues after almost 12 hours and well over 50% battery life left. A great product.
Hi, thinking of getting one. Can't find an answer to this anywhere though but maybe you know: does the backlight stay on while using navigation in darkness or do you have to touch the watch to see the navigation then? I've read it doesn't have night mode which seems unfortunate.
It's awesome they can deliver a watch with 40 hrs of battery at that price point! It sounds like they have a few issues to work out, but they're also very new to the watch game and it sounds like they're already killing it!
Top notch review. I received the Pro for Xmas, I chose it over the Garmin for the battery life. I had an Apple Watch and charging nonstop was a pain, you don't realize the freedom it gives you when it stays charged for weeks until you switch. With the Apple I would start to panic at 50% battery life. I also don't need to be able to have music on my wrist or pay for purchases with a watch. I have not had any issues with the bezel being accidentally depressed, I'm assuming it depends on how tight you wear it and your wrist size.
I have been using the Apex the past couple weeks and LOVE it! Menus do take a little longer to maneuver, but you eventually can find it. Just a learning curve. One potential issue is forgetting where you put the charging cable... I charged it a week ago and have had a few (long) workouts... still at 59% battery life. That should last me at least another week and a half.
I have had my Apex 46mm for 8 months now. It has never let me down, and always exceeds my expectations of battery life and gps accuracy. I am surprised that you never mentioned that both come with a Sapphire crystal. Particularly for the standard Apex, that is a "luxury" feature NEVER found anywhere close to that price point on the Garmin/Suunto/Polar lineups! I have had several die-hard Garmin friends switch over to Coros, after watching mine in action all season. An excellent investment. Thanks for the great review, Ethan!
Totally agree with you Brian. I've had mine for around the same time and have been nothing but impressed. Both the Apex and Apex Pro also has a barometer that you do not find regularly at the same price point (especially at Apex's $350). Super accurate watch and the support from Coros has also been a breath of fresh air. Garmin will definitely lose some customers :)
@@scubadup9151 I am currently using FR245, may upgrade to apex pro lol... tried to download a few faces and have my own workout, but ran out of space... %_%
I looked at both the apex and apex pro and came to the same conclusion as you did in your review. Did I need the few extra features in the pro? No. I went with the apex. Been using it for a few months now and love it. I think I have charged it once!
I've had the Apex Pro for a few weeks now & I love it. It shipped with 68% battery & only filled to 58% after a run that lasted nearly 5 hours. I agree the pack of customization is annoying for a $500 watch, but factoring in the company's age & that it's a fitness watch with smartwatch features lessens that frustration. I'm hoping Coros improves the customization for the watch & app in the next few years, but I'm certainly happy with it's current iteration.
Great review, just wondering if you've used the apex at high altitude such as up a mountain and if it would be okay? And if it would be okay with the colder temperatures? Or would you recommend the apex pro or something else for higher altitude activities? All the best!
I'm using Coros Apex.. another benefits in my opinion is the watch build with titanium bezel & sapphirr glass.. which only can get at expensive group of Garmin watch..
I got an Apex 46 and immediately ditched my Garmin Forerunner 935. As Ethan says, the battery life is a huge plus on these watches, and they charge really quickly. I find the other features to be as good, if not better, than my previously used Garmins; I've had zero issues at all with GPS dropout, the altimeter is more accurate for gauging vert, and it's lighter on the wrist. Winning!
Hey there, I haven't tried any Coros products but I am interested. I currently have 2 Garmins, I wanted a sports orientated watch and I'm not all that fussed about smartwatch features…I find the battery life on the Garmin very reasonable. Both the Garmin Forerunner 645 & 45 (which I am currently running with) have very decent battery life…45 gives at least 3-4 days between charges with around 1 hour of GPS activity per day, with the 645 giving quite a bit more, about 7-8 days…this is with the watch and phone paired most of the time and all activity tracking features turned on, so definitely not in any sort of energy saving mode at all. Sorry for the rant but I just wanted to throw my 2 cents in…happy trails!
Hi ginger man. nice review and very helpful. I ď like to ask have you tested coros apex in the open water ? How was the gps and did it meassured the distance ok ? Thanks for the response.
I've had my Apex for about 6 months and I haven't had any real issues with it other than the Heart rate monitor sometimes having a blip 132bpm then it would jump to 157bmp for 400m on a flat road (happened twice in winter (-5c & -12c) and GPS is about 99% accurate ( i drove the same 10km with my 2 cars. However, battery life is amazing. I've had some small issues with the altimeter. I run the same 10km back to back to back and the altimeter ends up being off by 3-10m. All that being said I do miss some of the Garmin data (looking at my data on the web) Coros only displays it on the app on the phone. However, I think the price, battery life (I run 2 hrs 6 days a week on charge it three times a month) accuracy make it a BUY in my mind. I hope this help :)
I guess Garmin maybe aren't the type of company to send watches out for review but I do think you need to try the Garmin 945, if not already. I bought mine about 6 months ago (previously a happy Suunto Ambit3 user until it died), and I have to tell you I couldn't be happier with the purchase. It is expensive (the Corus isn't exactly cheap though), but the battery life is amazing - I wear it every day, all day, log 100km weeks and only need to charge it once/twice max per week. It can sync Spotify so I can listen to music without a phone. When it's dark, it automatically turns the light on when you turn your wrist to look at the watch face. The app is in a different league to Suunto's Movecount. It is extremely light, not bulky like my old Suunto and very comfortable. Thanks for the great videos!
Switched to an Apex last November after my Garmin died. Very spoiled now by only needing to charge once a week, and the watch charges faster than my Garmin ever thought about.
I just ordered the Coros Apex 46mm and I am stoked about using it. I'm running in a 55k trail race in 8 days and looking forward to using it. Awesome review Nathan. I appreciate it.
@@rossmoore2562 I love it. The battery life is amazing. I charge the thing like once a month and it takes maybe 30 minutes to fully charge to 100%. I'm all in on the Coros brand right now.
I'm a Coros Apex user. It's been awesome since it launched. Unlike all my older Garmin Fenix watches, these things just last with very little battery fade. The software updates are also awesome. :)
This is an excellent review. The biggest turn off about these watches is the fact that the watch won’t try to connect with satellites once a run has begun. I’ve lost about the first half mile in triathlons before because the watch didn’t have time to connect, but at least I had a stop watch and reliable pacing throughout the remainder of the race. I once raced part way through a tunnel at the Edinburgh 70.3 and my Garmin 935 lost a signal l, but somehow the distance was spot on at the finish. The battery life is mind blowingly impressive, but I’m going to have to wait to buy my first Coros.
I am a confused with the night mode. Does the watches have "rise to wake" option , where the backlight turns on when I raise my arm? Or do I need to push a button? Thank you for the excellent review. You have a new subscriber.
Hi, how do you feel on the daily heart rate one minute sampling compare with polar or Garmin which have continues heart rate monitoring? I wonder if the hr resolution might miss capture hr spike ...etc. Or may be it is purposely doing so for different purposes. Thanks!
I am interested to know if the battery life does as well after 8 months or so, or if it drops off significantly. That is the problem we are having with our Garmins. Battery life was great at first, between 25-30 hours on gps, but now that is down to maybe 20+.
I have not tried the Coros watches at this point, If there comes a time when I need to this has been the watch I would try next. I am a Garmin Fenix user and love the watch and have had very few issues with it. The battery life has been very good - I would hate having to plug it in everyday as well I typically, however it does not approach that 30+ hour ranger which is amazing . These watches look very similar even to the running pod there.
Nice review. Really wish they would add a dedicated mountain biking mode so that road rides and MTB could be independently customized. That, and my concerns about the scroll button have me split between the Fenix vs Apex. Shouldn’t that Pliney be in your hands or in the fridge?
I was waiting for this review. Eventually I couldn't wait anymore. I bought the APEX, got it a week ago. I was struggling to decide. I'm happy that I choose right. Until now I had only one problem with the GPS (on a track of all places), you can see that one of the laps is about 20 degree off. besides that very happy with the watch.
Should think about a quick update across the Coros Line. Now there's maps on the OG Vertix and Apex Pro, new features on the standard Apex. Price drops, etc! I feel like Coros does a great job of supporting their products for a long time. The Original Apex is still receiving software updates and new functionality. Ski Mountaineering was added and then greatly improved
I haven't got a Coros watch , instead I have an Epson Runsense SF 810 . At the time of purchase it was approx £230 GBP. I do find I need to charge it up every 4/5 days but at the moment I am only doing short runs less than 2 hours. It is 4 years old now. How much have watches in general improved since that time? Thanks Ethan!
I work at Suunto and always enjoy watching your reviews, always so well planned and explained, another great insight for me, I'd love to review it on my channel, but I'd be a little biased I reckon :P
Anyone know if he did a Garmin Instinct review? Garmin has been advertising hard so some review would be great, but I haven’t seen him post one. Maybe I missed it?
Have a Coros Pace, which is/was $199. Has GPS and barometer as well. Its build quality is lower, but it has all the features I need and a great battery life. It has exceeded my expectations for a watch of this price. If someone is in the market for a GPS watch, especially with relatively accurate gain measurements (and has done well with hearth rate if snugly fit), but doesn't want to or have a lot to spend, I don't know if the Pace can be beat.
I'm an ultra runner who doesn't wear a watch or if I do, don't start it when I run. I'm not one to enter the big scary world of GPS watches as I don't need or require it, but I have been intrigued by the Coros watches in recent times. They look like great watches for sport.
Unfortunately I was only able to afford the Pace, BUT still love that battery!!! If & when I do more than 100k’s I’ll gift myself a “better” one, hopefully one with the breadcrumb feature.
May I suggest that you change the orientation of the watch so the buttons are on the other side so your wrist doesn’t activate the buttons? Then change to using your thumb on the buttons and scrolling.
How is the Apex’s screen brightness? It doesn’t look too bright. I’m considering the Apex and Garmin Instinct. I LOVE the color display in the Apex. While the Instinct has a monochrome display, the screen is bright & clear in direct sunlight; at least that how it appears in DesFit’s review. Wishing someone in YT land does an Instinct vs Apex review soon!
Im not being sacarstic, but definately coros is a win for battery life, but there is not what im looking for the most. Do coros have structured training plan for runner, cycler or triathelete that can be integrated into watch? Other than interval training, do coros can customize training. planning in according to our needs? Soon i hope to see some of the new coros watch using topo maps & music as well and have a very good in battery life. Cheers.
I use the Coros Pace instead of more expensive models since I almost never used navigation features on my Suunto Ambit. 24h in race mode advertised seemed enough for me. Wrist HR isnt very accurate during high pulse activity. Is any watch?
one question please Which of the two do you prefer pace 2 or Apex which is better for off-road running and some more maps of the two has or can add thank you
Hello! I understand that after an update the apex and apex pro also measure running power (without the need for an external sensor) just like the pace 2, is this true? If so, it would be my new watch: D
I bought the Apex 42mm and been using it for 4 months now. I just noticed something weird with buttons. Sometimes it's works with just easy press but sometimes you need press harder. Does anyone else having same issue?
Hi thanks for the great review! I am thinking of buying a Coros but one main concern for me is the fact that you have to either unlock the screen to press a button while running or, if you are in unlocked mode, you run the risk of accidentally turning the knob. My concern is, when you do say 200m splits you don't want to unlock some screen first when taking a lap or, you just want to press a button and go on. I am worried that maybe Coros didn't take the needs of short distance runners' training into account that much, since they mainly cater to long distance and ultrarunners. The other thing is the Coros branding on the watch display. I see that in most reviews of the watch, but in your review there is a clockface-like border on the Apex Pro instead which I like more. Is that because it's an older edition? Or is the Coros branding border removable?
APEX 46. Best watch I've ever owned. Ran Bandera and then wore it for a week at home after before charging. Plus, I'm trail running....rather look at nature than all the amazing features of a Garmin (while charging it mid-race).
any more thoughts on these watches ? what about touch screen ? it mentions it on the site but ... nobody talks about it ... Also.. you have NO maps available on the watch itself ? Its already a few months past the release so any more insights ?
After 3 days of scouring the internet and comparing prices and watching this review at least a half dozen times I just ordered myself the apex 46mm! Crossing my fingers. I left the running community a few years but hope to get back into the swing of things. Thanks Eric! It adds a sense of familiarity watching ginger runner videos during this chaotic time, especially having been away a while 😃
I've been using the Apex for a year. They are recalling my batch. I have a chance to upgrade to the pro. I like the idea of a better HR meter without the inaccuracies or the need for a strap. I also like the longer battery life and the night light. Is that $150 worth of benefit? Seems so. Touch screen for easier navigation seems like a plus, too. I'm not rich, but comfortable and running and multi sport are passions. Opinion?