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I’ve tested every Coros sports watch — these are my 3 top picks

Coros Nomad, Coros Pace 4 and Coros Apex 4 on a man's wrist
(Image credit: Future)

Coros has gone from a newcomer to one of the most established brands within the sports watch world in an impressively quick time, and having tested every watch Coros has launched since the original Pace in 2018, I’d say it has something to suit most athletes and adventurers.

The Coros line-up is fairly small and easy to understand in general. The Pace series of watches is designed to be small and light, and suits road runners and triathletes in particular.

I’ve selected what I think are the three best Coros sport watches for most people below, but I’ve also covered great alternatives within each section.

Coros Pace 4 — Best for most people

Coros Pace 4

(Image credit: Future)

The newest addition to the Coros line-up is also the best Coros watch overall, in my opinion. The Coros Pace 4 is one of the best sports watches from any brand, in fact, offering all the features runners and triathletes need in a tiny, lightweight design with a bright AMOLED display.

Along with accurate tracking and useful training analysis, the Pace 4 has surprisingly good battery life for a small AMOLED watch, lasting me around five days when running every day with the screen always on, and over 10 days with the screen set to raise to wake.

The other Pace watches still available are also good choices for most runners and triathletes. The Pace 3 is cheaper and some might prefer its MIP display (I like the brighter Pace 4 myself), while the Pace Pro is $50 more expensive but offers offline maps, whereas the Pace 4 only has breadcrumb navigation.

Coros Pace 4
Coros Pace 4: $249 at coros.com

The Pace 4 comes in either black or white and with either a silicone or nylon band — I'd go for nylon to make the watch even lighter. It's perfect for runners and triathletes who want a small, accurate watch with a bright display.

Coros Nomad — Best for adventure

Coros Nomad

(Image credit: Future)

Coros has quite a few adventurous options in its range, but the Nomad is the best value option for those who regularly find themselves in the great outdoors. It has a rugged plastic design that offers a contrast to the sleeker Pace line, and also has offline maps to help with navigation.

The Coros Nomad’s battery life is also highly impressive — it can last up to 22 days in watch mode, and offers up to 50 hours of GPS tracking. Throughout my testing, the Nomad proved accurate, and if you’re a runner or triathlete who loves its design, it’s a great option for those sports as well as more adventurous activities.

If you are happy to spend a bit more, the Apex 4 and Vertix 2S watches are also excellent options for outdoor activities, with their main upgrades being more durable, metal designs.

Coros Nomad
Coros Nomad: $349 at Amazon

The Coros Nomad comes in black, brown, or green and offers great value to adventurers thanks to its rugged design, long battery life, and useful features like offline maps.

Coros Apex 4 — Best for durability

Coros Apex 4

(Image credit: Future)

If you want a more premium Coros watch with a metal bezel and a sapphire crystal screen for extra durability, then I’d opt for the Apex 4, which comes in two sizes — 42mm and 46mm.

While the brightness of the MIP screen underwhelmed me a little during testing, I found the Coros Apex 4 to be accurate and a very practical watch thanks to its durable design and long battery life — it lasted me 18 days, even when running every day using the most accurate and power-intensive multi-band GPS mode.

If you wanted an even more rugged and long-lasting watch, then the Coros Vertix 2S is worth looking at. However, it’s more expensive, considerably larger and heavier than the Apex 4, and lacks the useful Action button on the Apex 4, which you can use to toggle between your map and activity stats during workouts.

Coros Apex 4
Coros Apex 4: $449 at coros.com

The Coros Apex 4 comes in black or white, and there are two sizes to pick between — 42mm and 46mm. It has a more premium design than the mostly plastic Pace and Nomad watches, and is ideal for epic adventures in the great outdoors.


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Nick Harris-Fry
Senior Writer

Nick Harris-Fry is an experienced health and fitness journalist, writing professionally since 2012. He spent nine years working on the Coach magazine and website before moving to the fitness team at Tom’s Guide in 2024. Nick is a keen runner and also the founder of YouTube channel The Run Testers, which specialises in reviewing running shoes, watches, headphones and other gear.


Nick ran his first marathon in 2016 and became obsessed with the sport. He now has PBs of 2hr 25min for the marathon and 15min 30sec for 5K. Nick is also a qualified Run Leader in the UK.


Nick is an established expert in the fitness area and along with writing for many publications, including Live Science, Expert Reviews, Wareable, Coach and Get Sweat Go, he has been quoted on The Guardian and The Independent.

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