Garmin continues to lead the running watch market, although newer competitors like Suunto and Coros offer appealing alternatives. Long loyal to Garmin, I tried Coros watches over six weeks, swapping out my Garmin Forerunner 265S for the Coros Pace 3 and Pace Pro. While I didn’t switch allegiance, the experience taught me a lot.
### How I Made the Switch
Normally, I store my running data with Garmin but decided to exclusively use the Coros app for the test. After transferring shoe mileage data, I set trail and road shoes as defaults for trail and regular runs respectively, a feature Garmin lacks. I synced Coros to Strava and explored the Coros training hub for data analysis, which is quite similar to Garmin Connect.
### Comparing Models
My comparison involved the Garmin Forerunner 265S and 570 against Coros’s Pace 3 and Pace Pro. Key features like GPS and heart rate accuracy performed excellently in both brands. Garmin supports music control on phones, which Coros doesn’t, but Coros offers full-color maps at a lower price, a feature only available on Garmin’s pricier models.
### Likes and Dislikes
Coros doesn’t control phone music, a feature I valued with Garmin. However, Coros provides affordable watch maps, a significant advantage during my many summer trail runs. Coros’s workout completion pause was a minor irritation since it resulted in missed mileage. Yet, I appreciated Coros’s training status feedback, which felt less harsh than Garmin’s. The lack of a Coros app store is limiting, unlike Garmin’s ConnectIQ, which offers useful apps. However, I preferred Coros’s intuitive display lock feature.
### Conclusion
Both Garmin and Coros produce excellent running watches. While returning to Garmin, I appreciated familiar music and workout tracking, missed the Pace Pro’s maps, and found Coros’s training status more compassionate.