Which rugged, GPS smartwatch is more accurate, the Garmin Instinct 3 or the Coros Nomad? Both arrived in 2025, boasting sporty-meets-tough aesthetics and jam-packed with fitness and wellness tracking tools, but the Coros is $50 cheaper. Does that make it any less reliable? I wanted to find out.
On paper, the Garmin and Coros appear to be pretty evenly matched. Each has dual-band GPS for location tracking, sans smartwatch, and an onboard altimeter for precise elevation data. On the holistic side, an optical heart rate, Sp02, and temperature sensors all come standard.
With no clear advantage, I decided to toss both watches on (separate wrists, mind you) and go for a hearty midday walk around muggy, late-August Seattle. Read on to find out which smartwatch proved more accurate in this showdown of the Garmin Instinct 3 versus the Coros Nomad.
Garmin Instinct 3 vs Coros Nomad: Quick comparison
But first, how do these two watches compare from a big picture perspective? I've already gone into detail, breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of each across eight categories in my Garmin Instinct 3 vs Coros Nomad deep-dive. However, for those short on time, here's the skinny:
As alluded to above, both watches are evenly matched in terms of tech, but the Instinct 3 has double the water resistance (100 meters vs. 50 meters)and a better screen in your choice of AMOLED or less-vibrant Mips; however, the latter boasts solar charging. It also comes in two sizes instead of just one.
Finally, both the Coros Nomad and Instinct offer extremely long-lasting batteries, but the Instinct 3 ultimately has the edge. For example, the Nomad is rated for a respectable 50 hours of use with GPS tracking. The 50mm Solar Instinct 3, meanwhile, is rated for 150 hours.
On the flip side, the Coros Nomad offers users the ability to download and save detailed navigation maps for use when out in the sticks, a super-handy feature you won't find on the Instinct 3. Its Mips display is also touch-sensitive, unlike either of the Instinct 3 display options.
Garmin Instinct 3 vs Coros Nomad: Walk test results
For this walk test, I wore the Coros Nomad on my left wrist and the Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED (in 45mm) on my right wrist. I manually counted my steps as a control, using an old-school tally counter to mark every hundred taken before restarting at 'one.'
As a control for distance, elevation, and pace data, I turned to my trusty iPhone 12 Mini running Strava. Find the results for my Garmin Instinct 3 vs. Coros Nomad walk test below.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Garmin Instinct 3 | Coros Nomad | Control |
|---|---|---|---|
Step count | 5,008 steps | 5,070 steps | 5,000 steps (manual count) |
Distance | 2.68 miles | 2.67 miles | 2.79 miles (Strava) |
Elevation gain | 303 feet | 315 feet | 296 feet (Strava) |
Average moving pace | 17 mins 03 secs per mile | 17 mins 58 secs per mile | 16 mins 29 secs per mile (Strava) |
Average heart rate | 117 bpm | 115 bpm | n/a |
Max heart rate | 155 bpm | 153 bpm | n/a |
Total calories burned | 308 calories | 303 calories | n/a |
Device battery usage | 4% | 2% | n/a |
Before jumping into specifics, across the board, data between the Garmin, Coros, and control lines up quite nicely, meaning that both the Instinct 3 and Nomad performed exceptionally well in this head-to-head. Of course, the Instinct 3 was off by a mere eight steps compared to 70 for the Nomad, but both of those tallies are well within a reasonable margin for error.
Strava, meanwhile, noted a total of 5,014 steps and roughly a tenth of a mile more distance covered than the two wearables. The opposite is true for elevation. The Instinct 3 noted seven more feet gained compared to Strava, and the Nomad calculated a more significant 19 extra feet of climb.
Both Strava and Garmin offer two calculations for average pace, one based on the total time elapsed and the other based on your moving time. I've reported the latter above. While Strava's average is a full 30+ seconds faster than Garmin's, it's nearly 90 seconds faster than Coros' average pace, suggesting that the Nomad is offering an elapsed measurement rather than a moving one.
Heart rate data is pretty similar between the Garmin and Coros, with just 2 bpm separating the averages and maxes, while calorie data is a near match. Finally, the Instinct 3 surprisingly burned through more battery than the Coros Nomad during my afternoon stroll.
Garmin Instinct 3 vs Coros Nomad: And the winner is...
With a step count total almost identical to my actual count, the Garmin Instinct 3 is the winner of this head-to-head smartwatch showdown. However, the Coros Nomad also did extremely well here. Despite not winning, the Nomad proved that it can hold its own against the more established players in the space, namely, one of the best Garmin smartwatches out there (and a personal favorite of mine).
Stay tuned for more testing on the Coros Nomad and more forthcoming complete review. Until then, let me know what smartwatches I should test next in the comments below.
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