I gave the funds PACE 3 a cross, however the PACE Professional competes straight towards extra mainline operating watches just like the Garmin Forerunner 265 , Suunto Race , and Polar Vantage M3 — with AMOLED shows and different area of interest perks COROS lacks — so there’s much less room for error.
Fortunately, the COROS PACE Professional (largely) lived as much as the problem, holding its personal towards the far more costly Garmin Fenix 8.
COROS PACE Professional accuracy take a look at abstract
Since I am reviewing the Garmin Fenix 8 and COROS PACE Professional concurrently, I accomplished a number of lengthy runs sporting each in low-signal areas, monitor runs at near-max coronary heart charges in particular lanes, and tree-occluded hikes with loads of elevation adjustments.
For GPS accuracy, Garmin watches with multi-band GPS have historically executed excellently, profitable my Coros vs. Garmin vs. Polar health take a look at . The Garmin Fenix 8 is predictably correct, however I have never discovered it extra correct than the $450 Forerunner 265 or $350 Forerunner 255. So, the high-priced Fenix 8 is a good GPS baseline for the $350 PACE Professional to match.
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COROS PACE Professional GPS accuracy outcomes
Exercise
COROS PACE Professional
Garmin Fenix 8
10/27 (run)
7.00 miles
7.01 miles
10/31 (jog)
3.02 miles
3.01 miles
10/31 (monitor run)
3,240 meters
3,210 meters
11/2 (run)
12.01 miles
12.03 miles
11/6 (jog)
3.12 miles
3.11 miles
11/6 (monitor run)
3,220 meters
3,240 meters
11/7 (hike)
8.58 miles, 672m ascent
8.60 miles, 676m ascent
For HR accuracy, I sometimes use my COROS HRM as an optical baseline, however because it pairs mechanically to COROS watches on the identical account, I used my Polar H10 chest strap paired to my Fenix 8 to check the PACE Professional. I’ve fewer factors of HR comparability than GPS as a result of I paired the COROS HRM to the PACE Professional for a couple of runs to organize for my Fenix 8 evaluate.
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COROS PACE Professional HR accuracy outcomes
Exercise
COROS PACE Professional
Garmin Fenix 8 / Polar H10
11/6 (jog)
146 bpm / 157 max
146 bpm / 158 max
11/6 (monitor)
172 bpm / 185 max
174 bpm / 186 max
11/7 (hike)
130 bpm / 170 max
129 bpm / 171 max
I will go extra in-depth in each areas under, however should you’re in a rush, listed here are my essential impressions: I see a particular enchancment in GPS accuracy, bringing it functionally in vary of Garmin in order that nobody will thoughts the hole. For HR accuracy, I do not see a big distinction, and I would most likely purchase the COROS HRM if I wanted the very best HR precision.
COROS PACE Professional GPS accuracy
For traditional runs on metropolis streets, the COROS PACE Professional (largely) did very effectively. Within the gallery under, you will see how the PACE Professional (blue ) does higher than the Fenix 8 (orange ) at matching my path on sidewalks or bike lanes throughout an extended 12-mile run — however has a couple of moments in a while the place COROS has me operating via lawns whereas Garmin has my right sidewalk place.
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In a single occasion, you’ll be able to see how each watches captured me operating into a little bit park to take a photograph of a cool John Muir statue earlier than backtracking a bit. COROS has me wandering into the road on the way in which out, whereas Garmin has extra bother on the return journey. In different phrases, neither is ideal, however each do excellently at discovering me in tree cowl and by no means lose me for lengthy.
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Throughout a second metropolis run, COROS (now the orange line) loses extra visibly to Garmin, persistently exhibiting me barely misaligned from my precise path or sidewalk place. It did not have any actual influence on my tracked distance, nonetheless, with no wobbling location or misplaced sign such as you sometimes see with poorer connections.
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Hikes could be probably the most difficult for monitoring: tree cowl and close by hills can block or redirect alerts, and any flawed strains can mess together with your elevation monitoring. Fortunately, each watches did effectively throughout an 8.5-mile hike. Within the gallery under, you’ll be able to see how COROS (blue ) and Garmin (orange ) overlap each other in uncovered areas and keep parallel and on-path in occluded areas. Their total altitude achieve was solely 4m aside, too.
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General, it is clear that COROS’ redesigned antenna and new GPS chipset paid off. COROS’ GPS accuracy on previous watches has been good however not one of the best. With these exams, COROS has executed exceptionally effectively or has executed effectively sufficient to remain in lockstep even when the outcomes aren’t fairly excellent.
COROS PACE Professional HR accuracy
The most recent COROS watches have 5 LEDs and 4 photodiodes, meant to seize a large swath of your wrist for dependable HR knowledge. On this case, COROS mentioned the PACE Professional would have improved accuracy due to a redesigned physique, however the outcomes themselves look pretty similar to previous COROS watches.
I used my Polar H10 chest strap for comparability. Regardless that I’ve had points with its accuracy prior to now , I am hoping it supplied a dependable baseline.
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The primary chart above reveals an easy 3-mile run. The COROS PACE Professional stays pretty near the Polar H10 — which is linked to my Garmin Fenix 8, therefore the label — however should you look intently, you’ll be able to see how the COROS’ optical monitor lags barely behind Polar’s electrocardiogram, not catching each minor change and exhibiting barely decrease. That is regular for an optical vs. ECG comparability; up to now, so customary.
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For my lengthy hike, there are lengthy stretches the place the COROS watch and Polar strap are in close to lockstep with each other. Then you may have moments the place COROS measures a coronary heart price about 10–20 bpm above what the chest strap measures. I’ve had points with my chest strap dropping my sign prior to now, dipping my HR to unlikely lows, so I am unsure if that is the fault of COROS or Polar right here. The general HR common was just one bpm off throughout a 2.5-hour exercise, so I tentatively chalk this up as a stable entry for COROS.
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The monitor exercise is, predictably, the place the issues come up. The COROS PACE Professional struggles to seize fast adjustments in coronary heart price, falling wherever from 1 bpm to eight bpm brief always.
It is a fairly widespread weak level for many watches — a scarcity of responsiveness when operating in a high-aerobic or anaerobic HR zone — however I hoped COROS would enhance on this space. As a substitute, you get a 2 bpm hole in common for a comparatively brief exercise.
That is why, as I mentioned above, I would most likely advocate shopping for the COROS armband to pair with this should you want the very best outcomes. For on a regular basis runners who aren’t doing that many dash actions or simply must know typically what coronary heart price zone you are in, the PACE Professional will get my stamp of approval for being typically dependable for coronary heart price.
And to be honest to COROS, different watches I’ve examined throughout monitor runs do considerably worse for anaerobic accuracy, even when it is not one of the best I’ve seen.
The COROS PACE Professional deserves your consideration
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In the case of choosing a operating watch , each model has its strengths and weaknesses. The COROS PACE Professional will not change your thoughts should you already dislike COROS as a result of the software program is essentially unchanged. It is a {hardware} improve meant to catch as much as the pack in some areas and enhance its lead in others.
The AMOLED facelift aligns with the industry-wide abandonment of MIP , making it lengthy overdue. The accuracy enhance can be an vital one, focusing on the sorts of runners (like me) that do not take a watch’s exercise outcomes on blind religion; we discover when the outcomes are flawed , and so COROS is taking GPS and HR accuracy severely.
On the software program entrance, COROS has the necessities: a goal weekly coaching load based mostly in your present health stage, a month-to-month distribution of simple/medium/onerous effort, a operating health take a look at to find out your lactate threshold, and downloadable coaching plans.
It nonetheless has weak spots, however COROS updates all of its watches with new options as long as the CPU can help them; for the reason that PACE Professional has a brand new CPU and further RAM, it ought to obtain help for years to return. Although for now, the absence of music streaming apps or contactless funds could also be deal-breakers for some runners.
Whereas I nonetheless want one other week or two to completely take a look at the PACE Professional for its evaluate, I am feeling very passionate about its upgrades. It is pricier than the PACE 3 however nonetheless on a budget aspect in comparison with different operating watches. Frugal “professionals” ought to severely think about it.
Giving Garmin a run for its cash
Should you’re in search of a terrific health watch, the COROS PACE Professional is a good match for somebody not trying to spend an excessive amount of on a Garmin watch. It has nice health monitoring capabilities whereas being extra reasonably priced than a lot of the competitors.
