Comparison Coros Pace, Apex, ApexPro, Vertix: which one to choose?

Coros is a new player in the sports watch market. The Chinese company, which specializes in connected bicycle helmets, presented its first entry-level triathlon watch in 2018, a complete model with an excellent price-quality ratio, competing with the market leaders. Since then, Coros has offered 3 other multisport and triathlon watches, two of which are dedicated to outdoor sports.

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Coros Series: 4 multisport watches. Alternative to Garmin, Polar and Suunto.

Coros Pace: the triathlon watch at a low price

New in 2018, the Coros Pace is a thin and lightweight multi-sport and triathlon watch offering the basic tools for running, riding, swimming (swimming or sea) or triathlon, all at a relatively attractive price. It can also be used indoors on carpets or indoor bicycles (spinning). It carries all the useful and rare tools for a watch of this price: GPS, cardio optics on the wrist, barometric altimeter, gyroscope, accelerometer, compass, color screen. It follows your activity 24 hours a day (steps, calories, high floors). Its autonomy is remarkable (25 to 50 hours in GPS mode and 30 days in watch mode!). Be careful, it only works with a Smartphone (no software or web application available for computer).

Coros Apex: the Coros Pace in a significantly improved version

The Coros Apex is an improved version of the entry-level model, the Coros Pace. It is therefore a multi-sport watch designed for triathlon and its activities. Its materials are of high quality (sapphire crystal, ceramic and steel or titanium bezel, aluminium case back). It is more robust and elegant. Its autonomy is greater and it has a completely revised user interface. A digital crown (knob) makes it easy and convenient to use even when wearing gloves. Like all Coros watches, it only works with a Smartphone (no software or web application available for computer).

Also new, this model is available in 2 case sizes to stay elegant and thin even on the thinnest wrists.

Coros Apex Pro: a versatile premium watch for sport and outdoor

The Coros Apex Pro is the latest watch released by Coros in 2019. It is a versatile model for endurance athletes who train both on the road and in the mountains. It is a compromise between the Apex and Vertix, offering the tools and functions of the Vertix and features located between the 2 models (weight, range, material quality, operating conditions, diving depth). Like the Vertix, its touch screen and wheel button make it easy to use even with thick gloves.

It is suitable for both performance (triathlon, trail, running) and outdoor activities, especially high altitude sports such as mountaineering. In particular, it offers a new function that evaluates acclimatization to altitude and gives recommendations for ascents. It predicts the weather and alerts you if there is a risk of a storm. It also has advanced tools for athletes (guided training, physiological measurements, endurance evaluation, race time prediction, etc.). Its autonomy is similar to that of the Apex 46 (the larger model).

Coros Vertix: the top of the range for outdoor

The Coros Vertix is a premium multi-sport and triathlon watch designed above all for outdoor, mountain and mountaineering. It is designed to withstand extreme conditions (-30/+70°C and 150 m underwater). Its materials are of high quality: titanium for the bezel and case back and sapphire covered with a layer of synthetic diamond for the watch glass. It offers the same user interface (touch screen and digital crown) as the Coros Apex Pro and similar functions. It is heavier, stronger and more resistant, but also more expensive than the Coros Apex Pro.

It is ideal for high altitude sports such as mountaineering. Like the Apex Pro, it assesses acclimatization to altitude and gives recommendations for ascents. Its autonomy is unequalled to date (150 hours in GPS mode and 45 days in watch mode). Be careful, it requires a Smartphone (no PC/web app).

Coros Pace, Apex, Apex, Apex Pro and Vertix watches compared: the differences in brief and our opinion

New in the field of sports watches, Coros now offers sports watches that rival the market leaders and represent an alternative to Garmin, Suunto and Polar. Coros offers 4 models of multisport watches. We compared them. Here is a brief summary of the differences to help you choose the right model for your objectives. A more detailed description is provided in the following section.

Note that Coros does not offer any PC interface. It is therefore necessary to have a smartphone to use the watch.

Main features	Pace	Apex 42	Apex 46	Apex Pro	Vertix

Prices	199 €	299 €	349 €	499 €	599 €
Weight	48 g	49 g	55.3 g	59 g	76 g
Case size	46 mm	43 mm	47 mm	47 mm	47 mm
Screen size	1.2"	1.1"	1.2"	1.2"	1.2"
Definition	240 x 240 px	218 x 218 px	240 x 240 px	240 x 240 px	240 x 240 px
Touch screen display				•	•
Digital crown		•	•	•	•
Glass	Glass	Sapphire	Sapphire	Sapphire	Sapphire and diamond-like coating
Bezel material		Ceramic + steel	Titanium	Titanium	Titanium
Cover material	Plastics	Aluminium	Aluminium	Aluminium	Titanium
Wrist HR	•	•	•	•	•
GPS	•	•	•	•	•
Barometric altimeter	•	•	•	•	•
GPS navigation		•	•	•	•
Return to departure		•	•	•	•
Oximeter				•	•
Altitude mode				•	•
Waterproof	5 ATM	10 ATM	10 ATM	10 ATM	15 ATM
Autonomy	30d/25h/50h	24d/25h/80h	30d/35h/100h	30d/40h/100h	45d/60h/150h
Ideal use	Running, trail, cycling, swimming (sea, swimming pool), triathlon, hiking	Running, trail, cycling, swimming (sea, swimming pool), triathlon, hiking	Running, trail, cycling, swimming (sea, swimming pool), triathlon, hiking	Performance and outdoor. Running, trail, cycling, hiking, skiing, high mountain, mountaineering.	Outdoor. Trail, hiking, skiing, high mountain, mountaineering
Elegance	+	++	++	++	++
Robustness	+	+++	+++	+++	++++
We liked	Low price (difficult to find cheaper in triathlon watches), manually calibrated barometric altimeter, high autonomy	Quality of materials, elegant, 2 bezel sizes, more complete functions than Pace, significantly improved user interface	Quality of materials, elegant, 2 bezel sizes, more complete functions than Pace, significantly improved user interface	Complete, versatile (performance and outdoor) for a better price than the Vertix	Record battery life (up to 150 hours), very complete for outdoor and high mountain use.
We liked less	Sporty and cheap look (all in plastic), few sports profiles	Few sports profiles	Few sports profiles	Only one size of case. Few sports profiles.	A little expensive, no maps for the price, few sports profiles. Less adapted to performance.
Our opinion	Ideal for people with a small budget who are looking for a complete watch for sport, especially triathlon.	A complete triathlon watch with an excellent price-quality ratio. Better quality of the materials and more practical user interface compared to the Pace. This model is suitable for small wrists.	A complete triathlon watch with an excellent price-quality ratio. Better quality of the materials and more practical user interface compared to the Pace. This model is suitable for standard to wide wrists.	The compromise between Apex and Vertix for those who evolve between land and mountains. A versatile, chic and complete model combining the advantages of the Apex (performance) and the Vertix (outdoor and high mountain) but at a lower price.	A compromise between Apex and Vertix for those who work between land and mountains, this versatile, chic and complete model combines the advantages of the Apex (performance) and Vertix (outdoor and high mountain) but at a lower price.

Detailed comparison of the 4 Coros watches

A Coros watch for what use?

The 4 watches Coros Pace, Coros Apex, Coros Apex Pro and Coros Vertix are multi-sport watches, managing the transitions between activities (running, swimming, cycling). The first 2 models are designed for sports performance use. The Apex Pro is designed for mixed use (performance and outdoor). The Vertix is designed for outdoor use.

Technical characteristics and price

Coros offers 4 sports watches, all multi-sport, designed for triathlon, from entry-level to top-of-the-range. Between the Pace, made entirely of plastic, and the Vertix, designed with quality materials and resistance to extreme conditions, there is the Apex, available in 2 case sizes, and the Apex Pro, the versatile, robust and chic watch.

Main features	Pace	Apex 42	Apex 46	Apex Pro	Vertix

Prices	199 €	299 €	349 €	499 €	599 €
Weight	48 g	49 g	55,3 g	59 g	76 g
Case size	46 mm	43 mm	47 mm	47 mm	47 mm
Thickness	11.8 mm	11.75 mm	11.9 mm	13.4 mm	15.6 mm
Screen size	1.2"	1.1"	1.2"	1.2"	1.2"
Definition	240 x 240 px	218 x 218 px	240 x 240 px	240 x 240 px	240 x 240 px
Touch screen display				•	•
Color display	•	•	•	•	•
Glass	Glass	Sapphire	Sapphire	Sapphire	Sapphire and diamond-like coating
Bezel material		Ceramic + steel	Titanium	Titanium	Titanium
Cover material	Plastics	Aluminium	Aluminium	Aluminium	Titanium
Interchangeable bracelet	•	•	•	•	•
Width of bracelet		20 mm	22 mm	22 mm	22 mm
Waterproof	5 ATM	10 ATM	10 ATM	10 ATM	15 ATM
Min/max temperature	-10°C/60 °C	-10°C/55 °C	-10°C/55 °C	-10°C/60 °C	-20°C/70 °C

Autonomy

Coros offers watches with a high autonomy thanks to the use of a Sony GPS chip, which uses little energy, a recent and still uncomplicated firmware but also a special algorithm ("Intelligent Stride algorithm"). The latter analyzes the stride over several outputs to extrapolate missing GPS data in Ultra mode. It also seems that Coros records the data only every 2 seconds by smoothing the curve by extrapolation. On the Vertix, we are thus reaching values that are still unmatched by the competition.

Each model can be recharged during the activity, i.e. without stopping the watch. The only problem is that charging is done via a connector on the back of the watch. It must therefore be removed from the wrist to be able to recharge it.

Model	Pace	Apex 42	Apex 46	Apex Pro	Vertix
Watch mode	30 d	24 d	30 d	30 d	45 d
GPS mode	25 h	25 h	35 h	40 h	60 h
UltraTrac Mode	50 h	80 h	100 h	100 h	150 h
Rechargeable during the activity	46 mm	43 mm	47 mm	47 mm	47 mm

Sensors

Coros takes on board the best of today's watches: GPS, heart rate monitor, ABC sensors (barometric altimeter, barometer, compass), thermometer, accelerometer, gyroscope and, on the Vertix and Apex Pro, a pulse oximeter.

It is also possible to connect external ANT+ sensors, a protocol that tends to disappear. However, Bluetooth should be supported in future versions.

Model	Pace	Apex	Apex Pro	Vertix
GPS systems	GPS, GLONASS (Galileo & Beidu to come)	GPS, GLONASS (Galileo & Beidu to come)	GPS, GLONASS (Galileo & Beidu to come)	GPS, GLONASS (Galileo & Beidu to come)
Barometer	25 h	25 h	35 h	40 h
Barometric altimeter	50 h	80 h	100 h	100 h
Manual calibration of the altimeter	46 mm	43 mm	47 mm	47 mm
Cardio on the wrist	11.8 mm	11.75 mm	11.9 mm	13.4 mm
Underwater wrist cardio system	1.2"	1.1"	1.2"	1.2"
Power consumption	With external sensor	With external sensor	With external sensor	With external sensor
Compass	•	•	•	•
Gyroscope	•	•	•	•
Accelerometer	Glass	Sapphire	Sapphire	Sapphire
Pulse oximeter			Titanium	Titanium
Thermometer	Plastics	Aluminium	Aluminium	Aluminium
Weather functions		•	•	•
Storm alerts		20 mm	22 mm	22 mm
Compatibility of external sensors	ANT+	ANT+	ANT+	ANT+

Functionality and physiological measurements

Coros offers some interesting sports functions such as race time predictor, endurance evaluation, guided training (to achieve a Training Effect objective). Physiological measurements are proposed. Coros does not use Firstbeat's algorithms but works with an external company that produces them. The reliability of these data is questionable. The exploitation of heart rate requires a certain expertise that few players on the market have today.

Model	Pace	Apex	Apex Pro	Vertix
Number of sports	11	11	12	12
GPS track		•	•	•
Return to departure		•	•	•
Triathlon	•	•	•	•
Interval training	•	•	•	•
Training follow-up
Physiological measurements:
- VO2max	•	•	•	•
- Predictor of Running Time	•	•	•	•
- Training effect	•	•	•	•
- Lactic threshold	•	•	•	•
- Recovery time	•	•	•	•
- Training load	•	•	•	•
- Training status	•	•	•	•
- Stress level
- Level of endurance	•	•	•	•
Running dynamics (e. g. cadence, stride length...)	•	•	•	•
Acclimatization to altitude			•	•
Altitude mode (assesses risks to climb higher)			•	•
Activity monitoring	•	•	•	•
MP3 player
Contactless payment
Cartography

Other functions

Coros watches offer classic activity monitoring including sleep analysis. Be careful, the evaluation of energy expenditure only includes calories burned during activity and intensive minutes. Unlike most sports watches, basal metabolism (calories burned throughout the day at rest, including at night) is not taken into account.

As for connected functions, Coros only offers classic notifications (Smartphone, social networks, etc.). There is no mp3 player, no remote control of devices (camera, etc.), no remote monitoring functions like at Garmin.

Our opinion: Coros Pace, Apex, Apex Pro or Vertix: which one to choose?

The choice between these 4 watches depends above all on the intended use. For performance and endurance sports, including trail, Coros Pace and Coros Apex will be perfect. For outdoor and high mountain use, the Vertix is excellent. Too bad it doesn't include the cartography for the price displayed. For mixed sports (endurance, outdoor, trail), the Apex Pro is a good compromise.

Regarding price and materials, the Coros Pace will delight people on a tight budget. It is a very good multi-sport and triathlon watch. But if you don't have a budget constraint, it's better to invest 100 € more and benefit from the Apex. It offers quality materials (you need at least 100 € more from the competition to get them) and a more practical user interface. It is more robust and its elegant look allows it to be worn in the city and at work. In addition, its 2 case sizes allow you to finally wear a watch of a size adapted to your wrists.

Finally, autonomy is also a criterion of choice. For very long trips (ultra-trail and trekking for example), the Vertix is unbeatable with its autonomy reaching 60 hours (150 hours in Ultra mode).

Main features include	Pace	Apex 42	Apex Pro	Vertix

Triathlon	•	•
Endurance	•	•	•
Hiking			•	•
Outdoor Outdoor			•	•
Mountaineering			•	•
High mountains			•	•
Autonomy	++	+++	+++	++++
Quality of materials		++	++	+++
Prices	+++	++	++	+
Interface	+	++	+++	+++
Weight	+++	+++	+++	+

Prices and availability