I have tested Coros high-end model, the Coros Vertix. In this review, I will be testing the watch from a runner’s point of view, so you get a review of the features that are useful for a runner. If you want a comparison of the different watches from Coros, you can read more here.
ADVENTURE! It’s like the watch is screaming at me. I have never worn anything on my wrist that is aimed at the adventurous outdoor, ultra-running, or trail running types. The Coros Vertix is made from hard and lightweight titanium with scratch proof sapphire screen, and that is truly appealing for those who like gadgets that can withstand any challenge.
Let me be frank. I do not climb mountains. I am not a diver. Parachuting is not a big thing in my repertoire either. I run most of my kilometres in cities on regular asphalted roads, or forest paths. I am not an ultra-runner – the longest I’ve run is a marathon. I am probably not the biggest adventurer.
Even though I am like most people and i don't perform extreme sports or ultra-run, I have started to quite like the Coros Vertix, which I have been testing for the past month.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE COROS VERTIX
Simply by looking at the box of the Coros Vertix you know that Coros means serious business. The watch arrives in a box that looks like something the military would use to transport military equipment. And inside the box is the watch with the message #exploreperfection. Let’s go! If this won’t wake your inner action man or adventurous soul, then I don’t know what will. The watch looks like something Rambo would be wearing. In other words, it is a macho watch.
But what can this Rambo watch do? It has all the features you would expect of a adventure watch and Coros has removed superfluous features. But all the features in the watch works extremely well.
The GPS has been working like a dream in the time I have been using the watch, and the battery life is without a doubt the best I have ever experienced. The wrist heartrate monitor works great – however, the watch has to be placed rather high on the underarm to get an accurate measurement. I would still opt for a heartrate belt if I was stringently following my heartrate.
Coros Vertix – A true multisport watch
The Coros Vertix is the high-end model from Coros. And the watch can do EVERYTHING the Pace 2, Apex and Apex Pro do – and more. In this article, you can compare the Coros watches: Best Coros GPS running watch – See the features and differences here
The watch is packed with features! Run, Indoor Run, Trail Run, Track Run, Hike, Bike, Indoor Bike, Pool Swim, Open Water, Triathlon, Gym Cardio, GPS Cardio, Ski, Snowboard, XC Ski, Ski Touring, Multisport, Strength training, speedsurfing, windsurfing, rowing, indoor rowing, whitewater, flatwater - you name it! The point i am trying to make is that this watch has many different activity profiles. It has activity profiles for activities I hadn’t even heard of before – I didn’t know what whitewater was (if you don’t know either, I can tell you that it’s kayaking on wild water – i.e., where there is white foam on the water, hence the name whitewater).
In addition to all the activity profiles, the watch also has a sensor for almost anything. It has an Optic Heart Rate Oximeter, so you can measure the oxygen saturation in your blood. The Optic Heart Rate Monitor allows you to monitor your heart rate without a heartrate belt. The Barometric Altimeter measures the air pressure, so you can see your altitude, or whether the weather is likely to change. The Accelerometer and the gyroscope give you exact running measurements, even without a gps signal. Further, the accelerometer is also crucial for precise power estimates, but you can read more about that further down in the review. The compass allows you to know where each corner of the world is. The thermometer alerts you if you are getting too cold or hot.
You might be thinking that the watch already does way more than you’ll ever need. And to be honest, there are a lot of features I’ll never need. BUT(!) all the sensors are cool to have. They ensure that the watch is always working. If I happen to be running through a tunnel without a working gps signal, I know my watch will still give me exact pace estimations. And when I’m running uphill, I get more precise altitude estimations, compared to my old watch that doesn't have an altimeter.
It all gives the impression of a solid rugged watch that will give you the exact data without any nonsense.
Easy setup
The setup of the Coros Vertix is only possible via the smartphone app. It works brilliantly. The app is easy and intuitive to use, and it has the features you need and easily connects to the watch. When I turned on the watch for the first time, it showed me a QR code I needed to scan in the app. After this, I populated some data, like height and weight and what wrist I’d prefer to wear the watch on (if you wish to use it on your right hand, the watch will mirror the display so it is readable for the right-hand wearer – pretty cool). In addition, I had to enter my max and resting heartrate. Not everyone will know this exactly, but the watch gives some fair estimates that will fit most. Finally, I had to enter my threshold value (i.e., the heart rate per minute and pace I can keep for an hour of running). This is where it gets a bit geeky, but again, the watch gives some reasonable suggestions if you do not know this value already. Once it’s populated, the watch is up and running.
Track feature
The feature I have looked most forward to testing on the Coros Vertix is the track function. Coros was the first brand to introduce such a ”track run” feature on their watches and, at the same time, made the GPS measurements and estimates for track running obsolete. This was the first time I tried the feature and my impression is good.
Before testing it, I was a bit sceptical. This is because my local track is a bit different. For some reason there is no lane 1 and 2, so the inside track is number 3. Anyway, one round is 415 meter, and I thought that might confuse the otherwise smart machine.
But no. The watch asked me what lane I was running on. I answered 3. And after two easy rounds on the track, the watch had calibrated and from there the measurements were spot-on (with a deviation of less than 3 meter per kilometre). Very impressive! This way, I could always check my pace on the watch instead of checking the split time on the watch and then calculate the pace. Really cool, especially when your local running track, like mine, is a bit archaic and odd which makes the mental arithmetic tricky.
Maps of the Coros Vertix
I was also excited to see how the features of the built-in maps would work. You can add a so-called gpx-file to the watch, which will work as your sat nav in uncharted areas. On the Coros Vertix it is displayed as a so-called ”Breadcrump” format. Imagine that Hansel and Gretel have walked your route before you and laid breadcrumbs, so you can follow the same route. The breadcrumbs are on the watch, so you can follow the route there. That’s how it works.
You cannot see a map with topography, but instead a lot of points that make up the directions. I won’t lie, it would’ve been nicer too look at if you could download a real topographic map, but that would’ve compromised the battery life and that is why this didn’t make the cut.
I struggled a bit to get the proper gpx-files onto the watch. Coros can only be connected to your smartphone, and therefore it might be a bit complicated when you need to import maps. I learned that the easiest way to do this is to make a map on your computer and email it to your own mail. From your phone, you then download the map from your inbox and export it to the app.
I used the feature for the first time when I was in my family's summerhouse. I made a new route and was able to run places I had never been before. The map worked brilliantly, and I now have a fantastic supplement to my other watches. If you don’t feel like mapping out your own map, there are plenty of hiking maps available as gpx-files on the internet. It only takes a couple of google searches to find some from your local area.
I think the feature is great for when you want to try running in new areas but are worried you might get lost. Besides, it is easy to run according to the navigations of the watch, as the watch will make a beeping sound if you are straying too far off from the navigations and tell you how to get back on track. It is not a feature I’ll be using every week, but when I’m on holiday abroad or in the summerhouse I will definitely be using this map a lot.
Fitness level
Like other sportswatch brands, none mentioned none forgotten, Coros also has a so-called Fitness Index, which calculates the level of your fitness. The more data the watch is fed, the more exact the calculations will be. Thus far, it gives me some reasonable measurements. But if you, like me, sometimes run with a jogging stroller, it will affect the fitness level because my heart rate is higher when I am pushing the stroller. There are other things like temperature and wind that can affect the heart rate, and therefore the fitness level provided by the watch should be taken with a grain of salt. At the moment, the system feels underwhelming, but Coros is developing a new system, Coros EvoLab, which will give even more and better calculations of your fitness, your training load, recommended work-out, and training zones etc. To this end, Coros will also develop a race-predictor with a specific marathon category. At the time of writing, it is still in beta, but you can sign up as a beta tester on their website and try out the features. Further, the watch is fully compatible with Stryd, so if you have a Stryd pod you can get all your data on your watch in real-time.
Even without a Stryd Power meter, it is still possible to know the watts, as Coros has made some pretty accurate algorithms to make a reasonable estimate. This feature has surprised a lot because it works way better than I had expected. I can go for a run in the forest and if I am running according to my watts, I can see how much I’ll need to slow down when I run up-hill. Before I had this watch, I trained using running power and I probably was a bit sceptical to this phenomenon, but it actually works great and I get some fairly consistent calculations to follow in my training.
Battery life
The thing that has surprised me the most about the Coros Vertix, is the watch’s incredible battery life. I have had the watch for a month now. I run daily and sometimes a couple of times a day. I have only needed to charge the watch once (!!!) in the month I have had it (in comparison, I used to charge my old heart rate watches a couple of times a week). Coros say that the battery will last up to 60 hours of use in GPS mode, and 150 hours of use in the so-called UltraMax mode, which uses less GPS signals and instead relies on algorithms to calculate where you’ve been running. On top of this, Coros claim that you only need to charge it every 45th day with regular use of the watch. That is extreme. And all of this is only possible because Coros has cut to the bone and done away with all the superfluous features, like watch payment or topographic maps. So, if you don’t use those features anyway and want a watch with an incredible battery life, then you should get the Coros Vertix.
Final remarks on the Coros Vertix
Even though the watch seems to be made specifically for extreme athletes, it’s not the whole truth. It is also great for the person who wants a no-nonsense watch and don’t need a watch for storing music or paying with. The incredible battery life also makes the watch great for ultra-runners (or runners that sometimes forget to charge the watch), as it will last for many days with the GPS mode on. The watch is also more durable, compared to other watches. In fact, Coros calls it ”The most durable GPS Watch on the planet”. It can withstand several knocks, operate in cold temperatures and high or low altitudes. So, if you’re like me and appreciate when things are able to withstand everything, then this watch is for you.
