Everything from a single source: wearables from Coros

Wearables is the generic term for electronics that can be worn on the body. And this technology is still very much in vogue. According to a forecast from September 2020, around 630 million smartwatches and fitness wristbands will be in use worldwide by the end of this year. And the trend is rising.

In the beginning was the bicycle helmet

Coros is today primarily perceived as a running and outdoor brand with its watches. However, the first product of the company, which is headquartered in Shenzhen, was a smart bicycle helmet. The brand has now come full circle with its first bike computer, the "Dura", which it recently launched.

Two other features are typical of Coros: the distinctive crown, which makes the design of the products unmistakable. And, of course, the very long battery life. A feature that makes the wearables particularly interesting for extreme athletes.

Coro's "Pace Pro"

The latest member of the Coros product line is the "Pace Pro", which has been on the market since this autumn. I have reported about it:

In the meantime, I had the opportunity to try out the new sports watch. The most important innovation: the "Pace Pro" is the first watch from Coros with an Amoled display. The company is thus responding to the trend towards high-contrast displays and rich, vibrant colours and closing a gap in its portfolio.

The "Pace Pro" impresses me with a battery life of around three weeks in normal operation, a 1.3-inch display with touchscreen and a weight of just 37 grams in the version with the silicone wristband. The downloadable global offline maps are accurate, but I miss the street names. Other watches, such as the new "T-Rex 3" from Amazfit, are more user-friendly in my opinion.

The sports and health functions of the watch, in combination with the Coros app, meet today's technological standards. One cool feature is the charging adapter included in the scope of delivery. With this small item in the form of a key fob, all Coros watches can be charged on the go using a USB-C cable.

Sports watches + Smartwatches

Coros Pace Pro

46 mm, Polymer, One size

3

Sports watches + Smartwatches

Coros Pace Pro

46 mm, Polymer, One size

3

Coros "Dura"

As already mentioned, Coros is closing the circle with the "Dura" and returning to the company's beginnings with its first bike computer. In 2018, the brand launched the "Omni" smart bike helmet. Coros is known for launching new products on the market even when the software is not yet 100 per cent mature. However, the brand is also known for delivering updates for its products at a high rate.

When the "Dura" was launched in the summer, it was criticised almost across the board for not yet being fully developed. However, thanks to several software updates, the teething troubles have now been resolved and the product does what it is supposed to do. You can find my detailed test report here:

Bike computers

EUR369,–

Coros Bike GPS computer DURA - Black

1

Bike computers

EUR369,–

Coros Bike GPS computer DURA - Black

1

Coro's "Heart Rate Monitor"

And finally, the Coros ecosystem is complete with the heart rate monitor. In contrast to the standard chest strap sensors from Garmin and others, Coros uses an optical multi-channel sensor that can be connected to up to three Bluetooth-enabled devices. What's more, you don't wear the "Heart Rate Monitor" around your chest, but on your upper arm around your bicep. This makes the sensor interesting for climbers, for example, as the chest strap often gets in the way when climbing.

The "Heart Rate Monitor" does not come with a battery that needs to be replaced at the end of its life, but with a rechargeable battery that should allow 38 hours of full operation or 80 days in standby mode on a single charge. Here it is again, the main feature of Coros: long battery life. I have been using the belt regularly since the end of October, fully charged it for the first time and have used it for around ten hours since then. The battery currently still shows around 50 per cent.

With the integrated usage detection, the heart rate monitor switches on and off automatically depending on when it is worn. And automatically connects to the paired devices each time.

The Chinese company answers the question of why Coros has developed an optical sensor for the upper arm on its website as follows: "Optical heart rate sensors work with light to measure blood flow in the capillaries under the skin. The top of the wrist is a convenient place for a watch, but even for the best sensors this is a difficult position. Wearing it on the arm provides our optical sensor with an optimal amount of blood flow to capture heart rate data with an accuracy equivalent to a traditional chest strap."

And indeed, the data I get with the "Heart Rate Monitor" is almost identical to that of the Garmin "HRM-Pro Plus" chest strap I have been travelling with so far.

Heart rate belts

Coros Heart Rate Monitor

15

Heart rate belts

Coros Heart Rate Monitor

15

Good price-performance ratio, outstanding runtime

Overall, with the new "Pace Pro" and "Dura" products and the heart rate sensor, Coros optimally covers my needs for gravel and mountain biking as well as strength training. In my opinion, the value for money is right. I can overlook the flaw that the brand often launches new products that do not yet appear to be 100 per cent mature. I know from experience that the shortcomings will be rectified within a very short time via the corresponding software updates.

The battery life of the products is generally good to very good, with certain watches, such as the Vertix 2, even fantastic and unrivalled by the competition. The combination with the good value for money makes Coros a brand to keep an eye on for me.