I reviewed the Coros Pace Pro watch for triathlon and cycling

Coros, welcome to the AMOLED party. The Coros Pace Pro marks the American company’s inaugural adoption of this increasingly popular crisp, vibrant display. Feedback on my dark off-season runs is simply stunning.

This triathlon watch is also a slightly bigger display compared to the Pace 3, so chapeau for data clarity (1500nits). Here’s my honest review of the Coros Pace Pro and why it’s a middleweight watch that can pack a heavy punch.

Coros Pace Pro tech and features

Further upgrades compared to the Pace 3 (see review) include the processor speed that’s mightily impressive when scrolling through the map feature, which we’ll come on to. It’s not as perceptible when scrolling through the home page and list of features compared to previous incarnations, but that was never an issue in my eyes.

The Pace Pro also benefits from a plethora of new hardware, including updated heart-rate sensor, ECG sensor, and new chipset and antennae. They all contribute to a more enjoyable and nailed experience than times gone by with the heart rate and GPS sensors leading to greater accuracy.

The ECG sensor is useful for taking intentional heart rate variability readouts. This is useful so you can clearly standardise these measurements each day for an accurate reflection of stress levels; then again, this is also measured continuously.

New full-colour maps

You now receive full-coloured maps including the offline TOPO maps seen on the more expensive Coros Apex 2 Pro and Vertix 2 models. They’re clear, crisp and accurate.

But you don’t get the reroutable option like you find on the pricier Garmin Enduro 3, which means if you do wander off-piste, you’ll have to correct yourself by returning to the navigation. That’s not a biggy though, and acceptable at this price point.

While we’re on the navigation theme, I must flag up the Coros’ companion app’s map feature, notably the route creation. It’s incredibly easy to use and then sync to your watch. You can do the same with workouts.

Triathlon-specific modes

Triathletes are well catered for with a range of customisable sport and activity modes, including pool and open-water swimming, cycling, running and triathlon. Usefully, it also features a suite of physio functions plus strength training where you can monitor reps and sets.

Storage is significantly up from the Pace 3, from 4GB to 32GB. That’s to cater for downloading maps and is plenty for all but the Philias Foggs of triathlon.

On the downside, that extra storage and AMOLED screen mean the Pace Pro isn’t a Coros that will run and run forevermore. It’s down to 31h when you tap into the top-notch GPS mode and 20 days in daily use, though that is when awakening through a hand gesture.

Again, I prefer ‘always on’, which is down as six days of battery use, but was more like five. Still good, though, especially for a mid-price sportswatch.

Coros Pace Pro: The bottom line

So, all in all a fine watch but there are several minor irritants. One is the strap, which is now silicone over the Pace 3’s fabric. I’m happy with either but this one does feel, or at least look, a touch cheap. This is personal preference, though.

And when it comes to music, Coros don’t have a link with any streaming service so it’s MP3 only. It’s fine but does seem a tad archaic compared to its rivals. Still, this remains a superb multisport watch, especially for the price.

Are you also after a GPS head unit for your road bike? Well, Coros also makes one of the best bike computers.

Coros Pace Pro specs

Price:	$349 / £349
Weight:	1.3oz / 37g
Screen:	1.3inch AMOLED
Features:	Offline colours maps, HRV measurement, training effect and load tracking, race-time predictor and virtual pacer, triathlon mode, sleep tracking
Battery life:	Up to 31 days