In terms of selecting the best 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 determined by your particular person preferences and coaching objectives. I’ve been loving the COROS Apex 2 Professional, and I’ve to confess, it’s dusty pink colour is what first caught my eye. However is it the improve you want?
Past the aesthetics, what really stands outs about this watch is it’s spectacular battery life and the totally different metrics it affords to maintain me on monitor with my coaching. As a marathon runner, who sometimes will practice 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 bounce in do a comparability of the Apex 2 Professional vs Tempo 3.
COROS Apex 2 Professional Overview
Over the previous couple of years I’ve educated with the big selection of COROS watches from funds pleasant all the best way 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 last word outside 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 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 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 determination.
Customary Apex 2 Professional Options
The COROS Apex 2 Professional actually does provide all the bells and whistles attainable, so right here’s a fast overview of what to anticipate.
As at all times, you should have simply the only dial on the aspect for controlling entry to screens and information. 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 kinds of exercises
- Twin-frequency GPS
- Step monitoring, sleeping monitoring
- Wrist primarily based HR monitor
- Music controls- play offline music when paired with Bluetooth headsets
- Water-resistant
- Treadmill calibration
- Capability to program exercises and threshold zones
- Evening mode
- Altitude Mode
- Touchscreen-enabled map management
COROS Options
There are numerous coaching options which can be out there throughout all COROS gadgets. The Apex 2 Professional being on the upper finish of their watches does have just a few 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 Primarily based HR
This has been fairly correct however I did discover that within the colder months right here in Colorado cadence lock was extra more likely to happen. I nonetheless will pair my watch with both a chest strap or arm coronary heart price monitor in order that it’s persistently correct.
This is without doubt one of the large 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 practice 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 favor 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 outside 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’re utilizing it’s by no means going to be correct on the treadmill. It will possibly’t use GPS and it’ll use your stride price or arm actions however even that’s only a guess.
There are just a few choices when utilizing the Apex 2 professional:
- Calibrate function to replace your last distance earlier than hitting save
- Setting the velocity in your watch earlier than hitting begin. You may as well hit the pause button and alter all through the run. The one damaging factor about that is that it solely enhance each .5 mph
- Including a foot pod to assist get a extra correct studying
Extra time for those who use the calibrate function the watch ought to begin to get nearer to being extra correct along with your treadmill runs.
Battery Life
Like with all the COROS watches, they’ve an unimaginable 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 every day and even weekly.
For the Apex 2 Professional you may anticipate:
- 21 days of standard use
- 66 hours of full GPS
I’ve gone by means of 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 will help you practice and even carry out higher on race day and they’re each out there on the Apex 2 Professional.
Digital Pacer
Should you’re focusing on a aim 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’re doing along with your pacing to hit your aim goal.
- Open Run mode in your watch
- Choose Digital Pacer
- Set goal distance and time
The factor I like finest is that the watch just isn’t going to continually 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 increasingly anxious!
Extender Function
As a substitute of getting to look down on the small watch face throughout a exercise, you may have actual time information in your telephone display screen to maintain monitor of the place you’re. That is tremendous useful when indoor coaching on the bike, rower and even a power exercise!
Customise Information Screens
Should you love information, you’ll respect the limitless metrics out there proper in your watch throughout any exercise. But when an excessive amount of information 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 every day information.
- Distance and Elevation
- Tempo, Lap Tempo, Effort Tempo, Velocity
- Coronary heart Price, Avg HR, Max HR, Lactate HR
- Energy
- Working Kind (cadence, stride, floor time)
- Coaching Load
- Time
When you end a exercise, you may pull up your post-run information and see what your Effectivity Rating, Coaching Load and different metrics have been. It would even present you what your finest mile and common tempo was for the complete exercise.
You possibly can scroll by means of the abstract screens instantly after your exercise or go to your exercise historical past to overview 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 choice for newbie runners however take into account that all the further options and metrics might be overwhelming.
This is the reason we frequently suggest 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 employ.
Should you’re a multi-sport athlete, triathlete or an adventurer this can 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 modify 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 because of the navigation on display screen 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 screen 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 screen 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 barely 30 grams whereas the Apex 2 Professional is 53 grams, so it’s possible you’ll 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 actually each nice watches but it surely comes all the way down to what you want. I do know that there was numerous info above so listed below are the short notes for who’s the perfect person.
COROS Apex 2 Professional: Ideally suited for path runners, ultramarathoners, and outside fans who want superior navigation and an prolonged battery life
COROS Tempo 3: Appropriate for highway runners, newbie athletes, and people looking for a light-weight, high-performing watch at a extra inexpensive 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 overview concerning the COROS Apex 2 Professional and the way it compares to the Tempo 3. We hope that this helps along with your determination in case you are on the fence about what watch to get!
Nonetheless interested by your choices? Right here some additional information to assist: