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COROS vs Garmin Watches | Best Smartwatch 2022 Comparison

Coros vs Garmin? We compare some of the best smartwatches from these two brands.

APEX Pro vs Forerunner 945, VERTIX 2 vs fēnix 6 Pro, and PACE 2 vs Forerunner 55

What is the best smartwatch when it comes to Coros vs Garmin? That depends on you and what you want out of a GPS smartwatch. Are you training for a triathlon? Do you lead a very active lifestyle? Are you known to disappear into the backcountry for days?

Both Garmin and Coros are brands that are brilliant at creating GPS smartwatches geared toward specific activities like running, hiking, golfing, and much more!

The COROS brand focuses on training in the outdoors, mountain altitudes, and for sports performance. Garmin watches are engineered to help everyone from amateurs to athletes pursue their passions and personal best.

In this article, we compare the features of GPS smartwatches in three categories from both COROS and Garmin. Read on to find out which premium running watch, outdoor GPS watch, or multisport GPS smartwatch is the one for you!

Features to Look For in a GPS Smartwatch

Training Features

A smartwatch should have the special features that align with how you want to use it. For example, if you want to train for a triathlon, it should provide profiles and metrics for running, cycling, and swimming.

Health Monitoring

Any mid-range to high-end fitness watch should include basic health-monitoring, such as heart rate and oxygen saturation. Brands like Garmin and COROS offer exciting advanced health features.

GPS and Navigation Tools

COROS and Garmin GPS watches provide even more navigational tools beyond GPS. They often include multiple satellite imagery navigation along with maps, compasses, and other real-time route-tracking features.

Smart Features

Get the convenience of your phone on your wrist. Garmin and COROS GPS Watches provide smart notifications when paired with a compatible phone.

Style

Because you shouldn't have to sacrifice style for even the most durable GPS wearable, loaded with advanced technology.

Battery Life

 The GPS smartwatch you choose should have the juice to power you through every challenge.

 

Shared Features for Each Brand

 

 

 

 

Shared Features of the COROS Models in This Article

The COROS APEX Pro, VERTIX 2, and PACE 2 all come with:

    • Satellite navigation: GPS, QZSS,
      GLONASS, and BeiDou
    • Altimeter, barometer, compass
    • UltraMax Battery Mode
    • Advanced training analytics
    • Smart notifications
    • Water resistance
    • Wrist-based heart rate
    • Recovery time
    • Interval, triathlon, multisport training
    • Training plan
    • Strength training
    • Running power from wrist
    • Swimming heart rate
    • Sleep monitoring
    • 3rd Party Integration
    • (Strava, TrainingPeaks, etc)
    • Digital Dial

Shared Features of the Garmin Models in This Article

The Garmin Forerunner 945, fēnix 6 Pro, and Forerunner 55 all include:

    • Color, sunlight-readable display
    • Wrist-based heart rate
    • Body Battery™
    • Advanced sleep monitoring
    • Multi-GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo)
    • Accelerometer
    • Smart notifications
    • Controls smartphone music
    • Safety tracking features (LiveTrack, Incident Detection, etc.)
    • Basic activity tracking (step counter, calories burned)
    • Basic training features (interval training, advanced workouts, VO2 Max, etc.)
    • Basic running features (running profiles, GPS-based distance, time, and pace, PacePro, etc.)
    • Basic cycling (cycling profiles, goal alerts, etc.)
    • Water resistant

COROS APEX Pro vs Garmin Forerunner 945

The COROS APEX Pro Premium GPS Running Watch

What makes the COROS APEX pro multisport watch an amazing running partner? It has the endurance and durability to go with you anywhere. With 40 hours of FULL GPS battery life, you can run that 100 miler through the mountains—no sweat! (At least for the battery!)

Speaking of which, if you do like to run in extreme conditions like the mountains, this is the watch for you. It has Altitude Mode, with hourly acclimatization evaluations. The Apex Pro sports a titanium frame, sapphire glass for scratch resistance, and is waterproof to 100m.

This COROS GPS smartwatch model also has a touchscreen and digital dial, giving you options and making it even easier for you to adjust your navigation track up/down or zoom in/out.

COROS watches are tested and approved by athletes and coaches. In training mode you can download their workouts, as well as create and share your own. Paired with the COROS app, you'll find you can build limitless workouts for running, cycling, swimming, and more!

This premium running watch has also fined-tuned GPS tracking on a standard track and has a night mode for a backlight your eyes can adjust to. The COROS APEX Pro is the GPS watch for the athlete who runs and trains in all environment and conditions.

The Garmin Forerunner 945 Premium GPS Running Watch

The Garmin Forerunner 945 is an elite GPS running watch designed to help you train. It's loaded with performance metrics including Running Dynamics, which shows you cadence, stride, contact time, balance, and more, to offer insight on your form, allowing you to adjust and improve.

It includes Training Status, a metric that evaluates your recent exercise history and performance indicators to let you know if you’re training productively, peaking, or overreaching. Training Effect shows you how your workouts are affecting endurance, speed, and power. And Training Load is a stat that measures your 7-day exercise volume and compares it to the optimal range for your fitness and recent training history.

The Forerunner 945 premium running watch also offers recovery time that factors in all-day stress, sleep, and daily activity outside workouts.

For extra navigation, it provides features like full color mapping, ClimbPro, Turn-By-Turn navigation, and roundtrip routing.

It has a high battery life, with up to 2 weeks in smartwatch mode, 10 hours in GPS mode with music, and 36 hours with GPS and no music.

Speaking of music, if you are the kind of athlete who needs their jams, the Forerunner 945 let's you store up to 1,000 songs—no phone needed!

There's a ton of additional training and advanced performance analytics available with this Garmin watch from Firstbeat metrics. If you're a runner who wants serious training and feedback paired with music and style, this Garmin is the wearable for you!



Garmin fēnix 6 Pro vs COROS VERTIX 2

Garmin fēnix 6 Pro GPS Adventure Watch

 The Garmin fēnix 6 Pro has many of the same advanced features as the Forerunner 945, including Running Dynamics, Training Status, Training Effect, Training Load, and more!

Where this GPS adventure watch stands out is in size, ruggedness, and power. Yet it thoroughly maintains sophistication with advanced technology and convenience as an everyday watch with smart features like emails, alerts, texts, paying from the wrists, and storage for up to 2,000 songs.

Also, the fēnix 6 rugged multisport watch has several model options, which we will touch on with each specialized feature. Prices vary between models.

For display size, it's always optimal to have a large color touchscreen on your wrist when your GPS watch is loaded with features. The fēnix 6 has a 1.3" screen, while the fēnix 6S has a 1.2" for smaller wrists, and the fēnix 6X has a 1.4" for those who want the largest touchscreen. Keep in mind that with a larger display comes a larger case size, which means more battery power (and more cost). We'll get to that in a moment.

For ruggedness, all Garmin fēnix 6 Pro watches are tested to U.S. military standards for thermal, shock, and water resistance. You can opt for the fēnix 6 Pro Sapphire edition, which adds a scratch-resistant sapphire lens and premium materials.

And finally, let's talk battery life. You can really extend the power in your adventure watch with the fēnix 6 lineup that has Max Battery mode and solar-charging options. With the Garmin fēnix 6 Pro, you get up to 14 days in smartwatch mode, 72 hours with Max Battery GPS mode, and 28 days in Expedition GPS Activity. When you opt for the Solar edition, you get up to 16 days in smartwatch mode, 93 hours with Max Battery GPS mode, and 36 days in Expedition GPS Activity.

Whether you take it surfing, backcountry skiing, or mountain biking, the Garmin fēnix 6 Pro adventure watch can perform wherever you roam!

The COROS VERTIX 2 Ultimate GPS Adventure Watch

The COROS VERTIX 2 monster outdoor endurance watch, is loaded with ultra-helpful features for serious trail runners, cyclists, hikers, and rock climbers.

First, let's talk battery, because this is where COROS shines. The COROS VERTIX 2 battery life is extreme—even for a COROS watch—which will earn it a check with outdoor, endurance, and extreme sport athletes. Here's what it looks like:

  • Up to 60 days in watch mode (compared to 45 days in the original VERTIX)
  • Up to 140 hours in Standard Full GPS (GPS/QZSS) (compared to 60 hours in the original)
  • Up to 240 hours in UltraMax GPS mode (compared to 150 in the original)
  • Up to 50 hours in All Systems + Dual Frequency On

This brings us to the next awe-inspiring feature: impressively improved GPS tracking. VERTIX 2 lets you access all 5 major satellite systems—GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, and QZSS—with Dual Frequency satellite communication. This was previously only available in aviation products and means that whether you're deep in tall buildings, forest cover, or rock walls, you'll get the best GPS plotting available on a GPS watch.

Runners will also get advanced training analytics; interval, triathlon, and multisport training; recovery time; and sleep monitoring. Not to mention specifics like winter sports mode, mountain climb mode, and acclimation mode.

If you like to record your conquests with an Insta360™ action camera (Insta360 Go 2, One X2 and One R), you can now control your camera from your VERTIX 2. This means you can also place your camera out of arms’ reach to get the best shots.

The COROS VERTIX 2 has a titanium alloy bezel and high-grade fiber watch body with silicone quick release 26mm Quick Fit watch band—making this adventure watch durable and sexy. A 1.4-inch 64-color display, 280 x 280 pixels, touchscreen always-on memory LCD made with diamond-like coating sapphire glass—means it's tough enough to go where the adventure takes you.

Now for the music side of things. You get music on-watch and Bluetooth headphone connectivity for offline listening—but storage is in the form of MP3s onto your watch from your computer. No music service like Spotify is available.

Lastly, triathletes should be aware that there is no ANT+ on the COROS VERTIX 2. So, if a smart trainer is a part of your training program, along with third-party platforms like Zwift/Trainer road, you will not have the connectivity for both.



COROS PACE 2 vs Garmin Forerunner 55

The COROS PACE 2 GPS Multisport Watch

Keep it super light and ultra fast with the easy to use Coros Pace 2 premium GPS sport watch. There's no fat on this feisty wearable at just 29g with the Coros nylon band.

Despite its ultra featherlight weight, it boasts a 1.5x more powerful processor, offers 5x more RAM, and 4x more storage than the original Coros Pace.

Even more impressive, the COROS PACE 2 still has room for a battery life that last 30 hours in full GPS and 20 days in daily use.

And while this premium GPS multisport watch has an attractive price, it doesn't skimp on training features. It's packed with sports modes for running, biking, swimming, strength training, and has an impressively accurate track mode!

This mighty and lightweight sport watch is available with a breathable nylon band, and the COROS DIGITAL DIAL makes it easy to use. You can also count on it to auto-detect your body movement and monitor heart rate and calories burned.

If you want a premium multisport watch that won't weigh you down and will raise you up to your personal best for an attractive price, you want the COROS PACE 2 as your new personal trainer!

The Garmin Forerunner 55 GPS Multisport Watch

The Forerunner 55 is an easy-to-use running watch perfectly designed for new runners. At an ultra attractive price, it's loaded with tools that will help you achieve your fitness goals, take your training to the next level, and keep you in tune with your health and wellness.

But don't get us wrong—the simplicity of this watch is in the user experience. It's still loaded with features that runners at every level will love, like:

  • Built-in tracking for how far, how fast, and where you run. Includes multi-GNSS (GPS, Galileo, GLONASS) for tracking in the most challenging environments, like tall buildings and heavy tree cover.
  • Wrist-based heart rate provides data all day and night
  • All-day activity tracking counts steps, calories, sleep, and more
  • Daily Suggested Workouts take the guesswork out of training by offering personalized run workouts tailored to your training history, fitness level, and recovery time
  • Garmin Coach training plans offer on-screen guidance from expert coaches and free 5K, 10K, or half marathon training plans that adapt based on your goals
  • Safety features let you send a message with your location to family and friends
  • PacePro provides guidance to help you tailor your efforts to a selected course or distance
  • The finish time estimator lets you select a run distance and get an estimated finish time right on your wrist
  • Cadence alerts let you know when you’ve gone outside your target cadence range, helping to improve your running form
  • Built-in activity profiles, including track or virtual running, pool swimming, Pilates, HIIT, and more
  • Built-in recovery advisor lets you know how long to rest before your next big effort
  • Body Battery™ energy monitor tracks your energy levels to find the best times for activity and rest
  • Women can track their menstrual cycle or pregnancy and log symptoms, receive exercise and nutrition education, and more through the free app
  • Receive text messages and view social media updates, emails, and more
  • Automatically upload activities to Garmin Connect (a free app and global community of Garmin users), and you can download custom watch faces, data fields, and apps from the Connect IQ™ Store.


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