On the subject of choosing the proper look ahead to working, the choices can really feel overwhelming. There’s no one-size-fits-all reply as a result of the watch depends upon your particular person preferences and coaching targets. I’ve been loving the COROS Apex 2 Professional, and I’ve to confess, it’s dusty pink coloration is what first caught my eye. However is it the improve you want?
Past the aesthetics, what actually stands outs about this watch is it’s spectacular battery life and the totally different metrics it gives to maintain me on observe with my coaching. As a marathon runner, who every now and then will prepare for a triathlon, the Apex 2 Professional helped me to do all of the issues.
Let’s check out the COROS Apex 2 Professional after which we’ll soar in do a comparability of the Apex 2 Professional vs Tempo 3.
COROS Apex 2 Professional Evaluation
Over the previous few years I’ve educated with the big selection of COROS watches from price range pleasant all the way in which to excessive finish, which has given me a vergy good sense of the totally different options and match.
The Apex 2 Professional is taken into account the final word out of doors sports activities watch, nevertheless it doesn’t have that tremendous cumbersome or heavy look like different multi-sport or journey watches (i.e the Garmin Enduro which we do love, however is a hunk!).
This watch was constructed to go on adventures within the mountains and be capable of face up to the temperatures and tough terrain. As COROS described it, the Apex 2 Professional balances sturdiness and performance.
This watch could possibly be an incredible match whether or not you’re hitting the roads for a marathon or the paths for an extremely. However let’s dive extra into the options earlier than you make that ultimate determination.
Customary Apex 2 Professional Options
The COROS Apex 2 Professional actually does provide all the bells and whistles doable, so right here’s a fast overview of what to anticipate.
As all the time, you’ll have simply the only dial on the facet for controlling entry to screens and knowledge. I personally discovered this simple to make use of, however as famous I’ve worn a ton of Coros watches. Others discover it complicated to not have your normal 4 facet buttons for begin, cease, laps, and so on.
- GPS for run, bike, swim, path run and extra
- Choices to trace different forms of exercises
- Twin-frequency GPS
- Step monitoring, sleeping monitoring
- Wrist based mostly HR monitor
- Music controls- play offline music when paired with Bluetooth headsets
- Water-proof
- Treadmill calibration
- Means to program exercises and threshold zones
- Evening mode
- Altitude Mode
- Touchscreen-enabled map management
COROS Options
There are loads of coaching options which can be accessible throughout all COROS units. The Apex 2 Professional being on the upper finish of their watches does have a couple of further options like an extended battery life, an even bigger exercise library and an additional button.
Right here’s a breakdown of some of the options that will help you make the choice about that $449 price ticket.
Wrist Based mostly HR
This has been fairly correct however I did discover that within the colder months right here in Colorado cadence lock was extra prone to happen. I nonetheless will pair my watch with both a chest strap or arm coronary heart charge monitor in order that it’s constantly correct.
This is without doubt one of the huge drawbacks for Coros, they haven’t nailed HR readings. Not that any watch is ideal, however their tech appears to be fairly far off. So if you wish to prepare by HR, you completely want an exterior monitor.
I’ve used the Coros Armband a ton and really feel actually good with it, Coach Amanda tends to desire the Polar HR Armband, so it’s actually a private desire. They’ll all sync as much as nearly any watch.
Exercise Modes
This watch was designed with the athlete who desires to do all of it in thoughts. There are alternatives for something from working, to triathlon to out of doors climbing, the checklist goes on.
You may even create a customized exercise to trace your whole exercises for extra correct metrics.
Treadmill Mode
It doesn’t matter what watch you might be utilizing it’s by no means going to be correct on the treadmill. It will possibly’t use GPS and it’s going to use your stride charge or arm actions however even that’s only a guess.
There are a couple of choices when utilizing the Apex 2 professional:
- Calibrate function to replace your ultimate distance earlier than hitting save
- Setting the pace in your watch earlier than hitting begin. You too can hit the pause button and alter all through the run. The one unfavorable factor about that is that it solely enhance each .5 mph
- Including a foot pod to assist get a extra correct studying
Additional time in the event you use the calibrate function the watch ought to begin to get nearer to being extra correct together with your treadmill runs.
Battery Life
Like with all the COROS watches, they’ve an unbelievable battery life. Whereas there are such a lot of options on the watch, the battery life might be on the high of my favourite checklist. I don’t have to fret about needing to cost my watch day by day and even weekly.
For the Apex 2 Professional you may count on:
- 21 days of normal use
- 66 hours of full GPS
I’ve gone via marathon and triathlon coaching cycles with their watches and am all the time impressed with how far I can stretch the time between prices.
Coaching Options
There are two newer options to the COROS ecosystem that will help you prepare and even carry out higher on race day and they’re each accessible on the Apex 2 Professional.
Digital Pacer
Should you’re concentrating on a objective time for a distance that’s 5k or longer, you may arrange the Digital Pacer earlier than you toe the beginning line.
You’ll be capable of see in your watch face all through your race how you might be doing together with your pacing to hit your objective goal.
- Open Run mode in your watch
- Choose Digital Pacer
- Set goal distance and time
The factor I like greatest is that the watch shouldn’t be going to always beep at you in the event you’re in or out of vary. I’ve had a structured exercise arrange prior to now throughout races and that fixed beeping simply made me increasingly anxious!
Extender Characteristic
As a substitute of getting to look down on the small watch face throughout a exercise, you may have actual time knowledge in your telephone display to maintain observe of the place you might be. That is tremendous useful when indoor coaching on the bike, rower and even a power exercise!
Customise Knowledge Screens
Should you love knowledge, you’ll respect the infinite metrics accessible proper in your watch throughout any exercise. But when an excessive amount of knowledge feels overwhelming and takes away from having fun with your runs, you may customise your watch face to maintain it easy, exhibiting solely the main points that matter most to you.
It’s tremendous simple to customise the information in your screens by totally different exercise profiles and even your day by day knowledge.
- Distance and Elevation
- Tempo, Lap Tempo, Effort Tempo, Velocity
- Coronary heart Fee, Avg HR, Max HR, Lactate HR
- Energy
- Operating Kind (cadence, stride, floor time)
- Coaching Load
- Time
When you end a exercise, you may pull up your post-run knowledge and see what your Effectivity Rating, Coaching Load and different metrics had been. It can even present you what your greatest mile and common tempo was for the whole exercise.
You may scroll via the abstract screens instantly after your exercise or go to your exercise historical past to assessment a earlier exercise from that month.
Who’s the Apex 2 Professional Finest For?
This watch goes to cater to a variety of runners. It may be an incredible choice for newbie runners however remember the fact that all the further options and metrics could possibly be overwhelming.
This is the reason we regularly advocate the $149 entry stage watch to a ton of oldsters. Paying further received’t make you a greater runner. 😉
The watch is fairly simple to make use of proper out of the field however the app or coaching hub could take a while getting used to. However I believe that’s going to be the case with no matter watch model you utilize.
Should you’re a multi-sport athlete, triathlete or an adventurer this will likely be an ideal watch selection!
On the flipside, in the event you’re actually used to utilizing a Garmin or Polar with the 4 facet buttons, it may be actually tough to modify to only a dial on the facet. Coach Amanda has examined a variety of GPS watch and simply by no means fell in love with Coros as a result of navigation on display and HR monitoring.
COROS Apex 2 Professional vs COROS Tempo 3
The standout distinction between the watches is the value tag, what the watch is made out of and battery life. However here’s a facet by facet comparability to place it on paper for you!
Apex 2 Professional
- GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, QZSS
- Sapphire glass display and titanium alloy cowl (making the watch heavier and sturdy)
- 1.3 inch show, touchscreen
- 21 days smartwatch mode
- 66 hours in GPS mode
- Intensive checklist of exercise modes
- $449
Tempo 3
- GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, QZSS
- Mineral glass display and fiber bolstered polymer cowl (making the watch extra light-weight)
- 1.2 inch show, touchscreen
- 15 days smartwatch mode
- 38 hours in GPS mode
- $229
The Tempo 3 is just 30 grams whereas the Apex 2 Professional is 53 grams, so you might actually love that tremendous light-weight really feel. It will possibly make it extra comfy for all day put on, together with sleep.
They’re truthfully each nice watches nevertheless it comes all the way down to what you want. I do know that there was loads of info above so listed below are the short notes for who’s the perfect consumer.
COROS Apex 2 Professional: Excellent for path runners, ultramarathoners, and out of doors fanatics who want superior navigation and an prolonged battery life
COROS Tempo 3: Appropriate for street runners, newbie athletes, and people in search of a light-weight, high-performing watch at a extra reasonably priced value level
The place to purchase the COROS Apex 2 Professional and Tempo 3?
Discover the COROS Apex 2 Professional right here >>$449 at each REI and Amazon
Discover the COROS Tempo 3 right here >> $229 at each REI and Amazon
There may be our assessment in regards to the COROS Apex 2 Professional and the way it compares to the Tempo 3. We hope that this helps together with your determination if you’re on the fence about what watch to get!
Nonetheless fascinated by your choices? Right here some additional information to assist: