COROS Apex 2 Pro vs. Pace 3 | Save or Splurge?

When it comes to choosing the right watch for running, the options can feel overwhelming. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer because the watch depends on your individual preferences and training goals. I’ve been loving the COROS Apex 2 Pro, and I have to admit, it’s dusty pink color is what first caught my eye. But is it the upgrade you need?

Beyond the aesthetics, what truly stands outs about this watch is it’s impressive battery life and the different metrics it offers to keep me on track with my training.  As a marathon runner, who from time to time will train for a triathlon, the Apex 2 Pro helped me to do all the things.

Let’s take a look at the COROS Apex 2 Pro and then we’ll jump in do a comparison of the Apex 2 Pro vs Pace 3.

COROS Apex 2 Pro Review

Over the last few years I’ve trained with the wide range of COROS watches from budget friendly all the way to high end, which has given me a vergy good sense of the different features and fit.

The Apex 2 Pro is considered the ultimate outdoor sports watch, but it doesn’t have that super bulky or heavy appearance like other multi-sport or adventure watches (i.e the Garmin Enduro which we do love, but is a hunk!).

This watch was built to go on adventures in the mountains and be able to withstand the temperatures and rough terrain. As COROS described it, the Apex 2 Pro balances durability and functionality.

This watch could be a great fit whether you’re hitting the roads for a marathon or the trails for an ultra. But let’s dive more into the features before you make that final decision.

Standard Apex 2 Pro Features

The COROS Apex 2 Pro really does offer all of the bells and whistles possible, so here’s a quick overview of what to expect.

As always, you will have just the single dial on the side for controlling access to screens and data.  I personally found this easy to use, but as noted I’ve worn a ton of Coros watches. Others find it confusing not to have your standard 4 side buttons for start, stop, laps, etc.

• GPS for run, bike, swim, trail run and more
• Options to track other types of workouts
• Dual-frequency GPS
• Step tracking, sleeping tracking
• Wrist based HR monitor
• Music controls- play offline music when paired with Bluetooth headsets
• Water resistant
• Treadmill calibration
• Ability to program workouts and threshold zones
• Night mode
• Altitude Mode
• Touchscreen-enabled map control

COROS Features

There are a lot of training features that are available across all COROS devices. The Apex 2 Pro being on the higher end of their watches does have a few extra features like a longer battery life, a bigger activity library and an extra button.

Here’s a breakdown of a few of the features to help you make the decision about that $449 price tag.

Wrist Based HR

This has been pretty accurate but I did notice that in the colder months here in Colorado cadence lock was more likely to occur. I still will pair my watch with either a chest strap or arm heart rate monitor so that it’s consistently accurate.

This is one of the big drawbacks for Coros, they haven’t nailed HR readings. Not that any watch is perfect, but their tech seems to be pretty far off. So if you want to train by HR, you absolutely need an external monitor.

I’ve used the Coros Armband a ton and feel really good with it, Coach Amanda tends to prefer the Polar HR Armband, so it’s really a personal preference. They’ll all sync up to just about any watch.

Activity Modes

This watch was designed with the athlete who wants to do it all in mind. There are options for anything from running, to triathlon to outdoor climbing, the list goes on.

You can even create a custom activity to track all of your workouts for more accurate metrics.

Treadmill Mode

No matter what watch you are using it is never going to be accurate on the treadmill. It can’t use GPS and it is going to use your stride rate or arm movements but even that is just a guess.

There are a few options when using the Apex 2 pro:

• Calibrate feature to update your final distance before hitting save
• Setting the speed on your watch before hitting start. You can also hit the pause button and change throughout the run. The only negative thing about this is that it only increase every .5 mph
• Adding a foot pod to help get a more accurate reading

Overtime if you use the calibrate feature the watch should start to get closer to being more accurate with your treadmill runs.

Battery Life

Like with all of the COROS watches, they have an incredible battery life. While there are so many features on the watch, the battery life is probably at the top of my favorite list. I don’t have to worry about needing to charge my watch daily or even weekly.

For the Apex 2 Pro you can expect:

• 21 days of regular use
• 66 hours of full GPS

I’ve gone through marathon and triathlon training cycles with their watches and am always impressed with how far I can stretch the time between charges.

Training Features

There are two newer features to the COROS ecosystem to help you train and even perform better on race day and they are both available on the Apex 2 Pro.

Virtual Pacer
If you’re targeting a goal time for a distance that is 5k or longer, you can set up the Virtual Pacer before you toe the starting line.

You’ll be able to see on your watch face throughout your race how you are doing with your pacing to hit your goal target.

• Open Run mode on your watch
• Select Virtual Pacer
• Set target distance and time

The thing I like best is that the watch is not going to constantly beep at you if you’re in or out of range. I have had a structured workout set up in the past during races and that constant beeping just made me more and more anxious!

Extender Feature
Instead of having to look down at the small watch face during a workout, you can have real time data on your phone screen to keep track of where you are. This is super helpful when indoor training on the bike, rower and even a strength workout!

Customize Data Screens

If you love data, you’ll appreciate the endless metrics available right on your watch during any workout. But if too much data feels overwhelming and takes away from enjoying your runs, you can customize your watch face to keep it simple, showing only the details that matter most to you.

It’s super easy to customize the data on your screens by different activity profiles and even your daily data.

• Distance and Elevation
• Pace, Lap Pace, Effort Pace, Speed
• Heart Rate, Avg HR, Max HR, Lactate HR
• Power
• Running Form (cadence, stride, ground time)
• Training Load
• Time

Once you finish a workout, you can pull up your post-run data and see what your Efficiency Score, Training Load and other metrics were. It will even show you what your best mile and average pace was for the entire workout.

You can scroll through the summary screens immediately after your workout or go to your workout history to review a previous workout from that month.

Who is the Apex 2 Pro Best For?

This watch is going to cater to a wide range of runners. It can be a great option for beginner runners but keep in mind that all of the extra features and metrics could be overwhelming.

This is why we often recommend the $149 entry level watch to a ton of folks. Paying extra won’t make you a better runner. 😉

The watch is pretty easy to use right out of the box but the app or training hub may take some time getting used to. But I think that is going to be the case with whatever watch brand you use.

If you’re a multi-sport athlete, triathlete or an adventurer this will be a perfect watch choice! 

On the flipside, if you’re really used to using a Garmin or Polar with the 4 side buttons, it can be really tricky to switch to just a dial on the side. Coach Amanda has tested a wide range of GPS watch and just never fell in love with Coros due to the navigation on screen and HR monitoring.

COROS Apex 2 Pro vs COROS Pace 3

The standout difference between the watches is the price tag, what the watch is made out of and battery life. But here is a side by side comparison to put it on paper for you!

Where to buy the COROS Apex 2 Pro and Pace 3?

Find the COROS Apex 2 Pro here >>$449 at both REI and Amazon 

Find the COROS Pace 3 here >> $229 at both REI and Amazon

There is our review about the COROS Apex 2 Pro and how it compares to the Pace 3. We hope that this helps with your decision if you are on the fence about what watch to get!

Still thinking about your options? Here some additional info to help: