With regards to choosing the proper look ahead to operating, the choices can really feel overwhelming. There’s no one-size-fits-all reply as a result of the watch is dependent 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 shade 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 monitor 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 couple of years I’ve educated with the wide 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, but it surely 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 have the ability to face up to the temperatures and tough terrain. As COROS described it, the Apex 2 Professional balances sturdiness and performance.
This watch might be an awesome 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 last resolution.
Customary Apex 2 Professional Options
The COROS Apex 2 Professional actually does supply all the bells and whistles doable, so right here’s a fast overview of what to anticipate.
As at all times, you should have simply the one dial on the aspect 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 commonplace 4 aspect 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
- Waterproof
- Treadmill calibration
- Skill to program exercises and threshold zones
- Evening mode
- Altitude Mode
- Touchscreen-enabled map management
COROS Options
There are plenty of coaching options which are accessible throughout all COROS gadgets. The Apex 2 Professional being on the upper finish of their watches does have just a few additional 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 can assist 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 fee monitor in order that it’s constantly correct.
This is among the massive 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 want the Polar HR Armband, so it’s actually a private choice. 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 operating, to triathlon to out of doors climbing, the checklist goes on.
You possibly can even create a customized exercise to trace all your 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 may’t use GPS and it’s going to use your stride fee or arm actions however even that’s only a guess.
There are just a few choices when utilizing the Apex 2 professional:
- Calibrate characteristic to replace your last distance earlier than hitting save
- Setting the pace in your watch earlier than hitting begin. You can even hit the pause button and alter all through the run. The one damaging factor about that is that it solely improve each .5 mph
- Including a foot pod to assist get a extra correct studying
Additional time for those who use the calibrate characteristic 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 prime of my favourite checklist. I don’t have to fret about needing to cost my watch every day and even weekly.
For the Apex 2 Professional you possibly can anticipate:
- 21 days of normal use
- 66 hours of full GPS
I’ve gone via marathon and triathlon coaching cycles with their watches and am at all times impressed with how far I can stretch the time between expenses.
Coaching Options
There are two newer options to the COROS ecosystem that can assist you prepare and even carry out higher on race day and they’re each accessible on the Apex 2 Professional.
Digital Pacer
In the event you’re concentrating on a objective time for a distance that’s 5k or longer, you possibly can arrange the Digital Pacer earlier than you toe the beginning line.
You’ll have the ability to 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 finest is that the watch will not be going to consistently beep at you for those who’re in or out of vary. I’ve had a structured exercise arrange up to now throughout races and that fixed beeping simply made me an increasing number of anxious!
Extender Function
As a substitute of getting to look down on the small watch face throughout a exercise, you possibly can have actual time knowledge in your telephone display to maintain monitor of the place you might be. That is tremendous useful when indoor coaching on the bike, rower and even a power exercise!
Customise Information Screens
In the event you love knowledge, you’ll admire the limitless 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 possibly can customise your watch face to maintain it easy, exhibiting solely the small print that matter most to you.
It’s tremendous simple to customise the information in your screens by totally different exercise profiles and even your every day knowledge.
- Distance and Elevation
- Tempo, Lap Tempo, Effort Tempo, Velocity
- Coronary heart Fee, Avg HR, Max HR, Lactate HR
- Energy
- Working Kind (cadence, stride, floor time)
- Coaching Load
- Time
When you end a exercise, you possibly can pull up your post-run knowledge and see what your Effectivity Rating, Coaching Load and different metrics had been. It’ll even present you what your finest mile and common tempo was for the complete exercise.
You possibly can 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 awesome possibility for newbie runners however understand that all the additional options and metrics might be overwhelming.
Because of this we regularly advocate the $149 entry stage watch to a ton of parents. Paying additional gained’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 feel that’s going to be the case with no matter watch model you employ.
In the event you’re a multi-sport athlete, triathlete or an adventurer this will likely be an ideal watch alternative!
On the flipside, for those who’re actually used to utilizing a Garmin or Polar with the 4 aspect buttons, it may be actually tough to change to only a dial on the aspect. 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 aspect by aspect 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
- In depth 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 could actually love that tremendous light-weight really feel. It may make it extra snug for all day put on, together with sleep.
They’re actually each nice watches but it surely comes all the way down to what you want. I do know that there was plenty of data above so listed below are the short notes for who’s the best person.
COROS Apex 2 Professional: Best for path runners, ultramarathoners, and out of doors lovers who want superior navigation and an prolonged battery life
COROS Tempo 3: Appropriate for highway runners, newbie athletes, and people searching for 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 concerning the COROS Apex 2 Professional and the way it compares to the Tempo 3. We hope that this helps together with your resolution if you’re on the fence about what watch to get!
Nonetheless excited about your choices? Right here some additional information to assist: