Recombu

Coros Pace 2 Review

Is the Coros Pace 2 the all-singing, all-dancing running watch of your dreams? Or is it just a one-trick pony rather than a true thoroughbred?

What we love – Full of fitness functions, with a gargantuan battery life

If you’ve got a one-track mind for beating your track times, this is a great choice of watch to help you train. The Coros Pace 2 is physically lightweight and water resistant to 5ATM of pressure, and your only input method is via a push button and a rotating crown (avoiding the inherent difficulties of wet or sweaty fingers on a touchscreen) which worked very well in our testing.

When it’s time for your run, your GPS location hooks up very quickly and reliably. Once you’ve finished there’s a wealth of data to consult if you want to improve; the heart rate tracker is one of the most accurate we’ve ever tested, and there’s plenty of info about the pace, acceleration, and cadence of your running as well. If you prefer pumping iron to pounding pavements, the strength training portion of the app is also incredibly helpful, giving you tips on correct form and devising a heat map of your body to show areas for improvement.

On top of all that, the battery life is heroic, lasting 15-20 days on a single charge. That’s down to the always-on Memory LCD panel – it’s perfectly legible under sunlight, but requires backlight activation to read in the dark.

Related: Best Smartwatch

What we don’t like — Steep learning curve for beginners, and lacks smart features

This is a pure fitness watch, so naturally you’ll find the smart features to be lacking in comparison to the likes of the Apple Watch and Wear OS devices, but we were nonetheless disappointed at the omission of offline music from this device, and even more so by the occasional Bluetooth connectivity issues we experience.

While the fitness features are incredible, they’re not all that encouraging for a beginner – don’t expect the hourly reminders and encouragements to move that are used by the likes of Fitbit. If you’re just starting out on your fitness journey, then there are more forgiving options out there that place a greater emphasis on smaller but consistent changes to your routine.

Verdict

The Coros Pace 2 is a truly excellent wearable for fitness fanatics looking to get the most out of their running and weightlifting exercises, but it’s not ideal for rookies who are just finding their feet, or people who are looking for an all-round smartwatch.

Our Recombu reviews are created using data collected by Trusted Reviews Labs, utilising their testing expertise to bring you an easy-to-read, short-form review.

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