Garmin -> Coros, why people switch away from the market leader to the challenger brand
I recently examined why people leave the Garmin watch ecosystem to move to Coros. Here are the reasons I found people gave, plus my opinion next to each reason to say whether or not I think it’s justified.
Key Reasons for Switching to Coros
- Battery Life – especially for endurance athletes and ultra-runners. Coros is perhaps the overall leader for better battery life, but Garmin comes close and maybe even wins if you add solar to the mix. OPINION: What battery life do you need? I suspect the right Garmin watch will meet just about everyone’s needs.
- Lightweight Design & Comfort – Coros certainly have some featherlight watches like the Pace 3. OPINION: Garmin Forerunners are pretty light. I’d accept that some may say Fenix is too heavy, but the same could be said of Coros Vertix.
- Simpler & More Focused Features – essential training metrics without Garmin’s perceived “data bloat” (e.g., Body Battery, Endurance Score). OPINION. This is true. However, Coros are actively trying to add and expand features…they want the bloat, too!
- User-friendly watch interface – OPINION: I would say that the Coros menu system is easier to navigate, especially with the digital crown, and usability could be why Coros is perceived as more straightforward.
- Better Pricing – Coros is seen to have better hardware at a lower price. OPINION: This certainly has been the case historically, but Pace 3 Pro showed that Coros is actively looking to raise prices to the point that its features and hardware spec might not justify only a modest discount to a similar Garmin. Put another way, you get more from buying a similarly priced Garmin, even though you might not need more.
- More Trail-Running Focus – Some feel that Garmin caters more to road runners, while Coros provides better support for trail runners. OPINION: I don’t understand why someone would say this. Coros have marketed heavily at trail runners; their watch weights are low, and battery lives are high. Garmin has more trail features and a more extended pedigree with maps.
- Faster, Smoother OS – Users mention Coros’ operating system is snappier and smoother in day-to-day usage. OPINION: I would generally agree with this to the point where I would even say that Garmin artificially lowers device speeds to keep battery life high. A simple Garmin example is that it can take tens of seconds to save a workout or several seconds to fully render a map after zooming.
- Better GPS Accuracy – Some ex-Garmin users prefer Coros’ GPS tracking, especially in challenging environments. OPINION: On a like-for-like basis, I’d say Garmin and Coros are similarly accurate. Both are good enough and unlikely to improve more in the future.
- User-Friendly App Interface: clean and intuitive design. OPINION: This is probably true, but Garmin has improved and has more information to show us, making achieving greater usability more difficult.
- Integrated Power Metrics: Coros provides built-in running power metrics without additional accessories. OPINION: Mostly False. Both Garmin and Coros need a Stryd pod for power values that are more likely to be accurate. However, both power calculations are performed on the wrists without external accessories. What Coros, Suunto and Polar have over Garmin is that running power is native to the ecosystem and appears naturally alongside other data. Garmin requires Stryd power data to be partially separated.
But it’s a 2-way street, and some people moving to Coros miss these Garmin features.
Things Users Miss from Garmin
- PacePro & Race Planning Tools – Garmin’s PacePro is highly valued for pacing races, especially by trail and road runners on hilly courses. OPINION: True
- Garmin’s Training & Coaching Tools – Features like Daily Suggested Workouts and Garmin Coach are seen as more advanced than Coros’ offerings. OPINION: True
- Music & Smart Features – Coros still lacks built-in music support and contactless payments. OPINION: True…this might soon change!
- More Button Controls – Some dislike Coros’ scroll dial and prefer Garmin’s button layout. OPINION: I disagree and find Coros crown/button layout is very efficient. Digital crowns don’t look good on any watch (Apple included)
- Better Ecosystem & App Integration – Garmin’s longstanding ecosystem (Garmin Connect, bike computers, sensors) is better. OPINION: True. That’s why you pay more for a Garmin.
Take Out
Not everyone wants every possible feature or has feature FOMO. If that describes you, Coros is a good brand to research when upgrading. You might miss your data history in Garmin connection, but if you’ve always relied on an external ecosystem like Strava, the manufacturer’s app will be irrelevant primarily to you.
March 2025 – What should I buy? Garmin or Coros
It’s a tricky time to make an informed purchase.
Coros prices tend to be stable and rarely discounted. Garmin prices tend to be initially high but very favourably discounted in sales. The point is that if you look to buy around the usual sale periods, you will likely find a good Garmin deal on a year-old or two-year-old model.
Spring will almost certainly see a new generation of Garmin Forerunner watches, and September(ish) will see the next generation Fenix 8 Pro/8 microLED models. Those new models will be more future-proofed with an extra feature or two – however, they will also be preceded by retailers clearing out stock of older models for reasonable prices.
Coros will also add a new watch or two this year. Most likely, it will be a refreshed Pace 3 Pro in a more premium case – this will be called Apex 3. Later in the year, we will probably see two new Vertix models, one based on an MIP display and the other AMOLED.
More: Buy a Coros here
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Garmin’s HR PRO is enough to get running power. No need for Stryd.
for sure, but it’s additional device 😉
Your point about the COROS Pace Pro makes no sense. They haven’t ’upped’ their prices. They made a watch that competes directly with the Garmin 965 and the COROS Pace Pro is still hundreds of dollars cheaper than the 965 while still offering the same if not better specs and user experience. COROS is better priced by a huge margin. My COROS Pace 3 is arguably as good as the Garmin 265 and is far better priced.
“My COROS Pace 3 is arguably as good as the Garmin 265”. I have the 965 (basically the same experience as the 265) and my nephew has the Pace 3. I’ve played with it and seen what it does and the 265/965 are so clearly products on a different level. Not to mention the HR measurement on the COROS is practically useless, the one n the Garmin is very good 90% of the time.
“Pace 3 Pro showed that Coros is actively looking to raise prices to the point that its features and hardware spec might not justify only a modest discount to a similar Garmin. Put another way, you get more from buying a similarly priced Garmin,” Seems correct to me.
This is from my pace 3 pro review from a while back “For example, Coros TOPO maps are visually appealing but lack functionality such as rerouting or creating routes on the fly, which Garmin Epix gen 2 ($419 on sale) provides. Even Forerunner 265 ($349 on sale) has maps via dwMAPS. ”
Pace 3 pro is $349…even worse in the UK at GBP349. it’s good but just not as good as the Garmin for similar money.
I think it’s not healthy to where a smart watch all the time. The hole day there is electrical puls on your arm on the samen spot. Is have seen poeple whit smal red spot on the place of the watch. It wil make you sick. Don’t you think. And wen you are a sleep you don’t need electric things around you.
Once you take sale prices into account Coros loses much of its attraction. Makes very little sense to spend more on the Pace 3 than on the FR255.
I found the garmin OS totally unreliable and flaky. Moved to Coros Pro, love it.
The HR readings are stable with the arm strap, unlike garmin which would be all over the place for the 1st 10 minutes.
Coros is much better at predicting race times, and has a VO2 max reading that is genuine. Garmin reading are absolute junk.
I do miss the music and payments, however, not a big issue has usually run with phone.
Otherwise the vibration could be stronger on the coros when doing workouts.
Extremely happy to have left behind garmin, wish had done so earlier.
Garmin has far too many SKUs and the simplicity of the Coros range against the wearying complexity of Garmin’s range and continuously sold model-years.
From a capability perspective it is not much of a challenge: Garmin wins easily. However most of the advanced features are arguably mostly superfluous.
Coros realistically competes with Garmin at one or two generations old for capabilities and those Garmin devices are still sold and discounted to a point that Coros doesn’t have an advantage. Older generation Garmin firmware are also stabilized at this point.
With Garmin you have your choice of bleeding edge and expensive or stable and competitively priced.
Like for like comps Amazon US today:
Coros Pace Pro: $350
Garmin forerunner 265: $340
Garmin f256 music: $440 (edited)
Coros Vertix 2s: $699
Garmin Enduro 2: $600
This is similar battery range but Garmin has Garmin Pay, streaming (caching) audio, maps with routing and POI, etc. The Enduro 3 is $900 but it’s a minor upgrade.
Coros Apex Pro: $450
Garmin Fenix 7 47mm: $450
Garmin Fenix 7 sapphire 47mm: $550
Yes you can get a fenix 7 pro (and a fakakta fenix 8 MIP) but the fenix 7 has more capabilities than an Apex Pro so they are comparable.
Coros doesn’t even compete with the Epix, Epix Pro, Fenix 8.
Garmin is more competitive with older generations of Garmin than with Coros I think. I suspect if we had sales numbers broken out that would bear out in reality.
I think one point that was missed is platform reliability. When I was in the Garmin ecosystem I feel like there was always an issue (Bluetooth syncing on my 965 music, my forerunner taking FOREVER to sync, network outages, etc) my coros just works. Always. Never had any issues.
I tried a Coros for a bit.
It was really cheap, half the price of the Garmin.
But I really didn’t get on with the bezzle thing, I much prefer buttons.
So I got a Fenix, which is epic.
If Garmin could make out how to calculate cycling power from the wrist…
then they would also be able to help triathletes walk on water. 🙂
you either have to measure the force or work it out from opposing forces (like velocomp Aeropod – mayeb that is what Wahoo eventually intends to do)
Some explanations here
https://www.runningwithpower.com/runpowermodel
those explain the different ways to calculate running power: basically work done from a physics perspectives vs the physiological cost of doing it.
for cycling power its the former that can be done in two different ways ie with a strain gauge vs calculating opposing forces.
And maybe the most important reason is that flagship watches don’t get abandoned after 2 years… I’m looking at you Epix2.
I have a. Suunto Race and a Garmin Forerunner 255 Music. Personally I like the MIP display for glaring sun and I think a solar option would be great. Keeping my head up for a new Suunto release, Vertical 2 with NFC, flashlight, improved maps, heart rate sensor, but truly what makes Garmin better more fun is they allow developers to create what their watch software. If Suunto did that they would crush on both. Suunto watches have more style, don’t get me wrong a Tactic 8 is sexy, but your also spending like $1200. I personally like Suunto UI setup, yes lacking some features but it does what it’s supposed to do, doesn’t crash like Garmin. If I had been out in the middle of nowhere and my Garmin watch crapped out like they all did a month ago, I would have been extremely pissed. Every week Garmin has a beta, fix this, fix that, Suunto just chugs along Also, I think Garmin phone app, looks like a hot mess and Sunntos is clean and easier to understand .
check out the suuntoplus apps – there are LOTS
Plus Suunto Vertical solar for solar (it’s mip solar but garmin has no amoled-solar combo either)
https://www.suunto.com/en-gb/Content-pages/suuntoplus/
i generally agree with your other commens
Interesting. I’d throw in the mix the Coros footpod instead of Stryde – it’s regarded as giving accuracy on par. there is also the arm strap (which works with any platform).
I’m on a Pace 3. I purchased with both the footpod and arm strap as I wanted best accuracy and NO watch can match a chest/arm strap and a footpod. All-in, it cost €450. I was coming from an Apple Watch also – I miss contactless payment, music/podcasts, and many other features.
My own philosophy is Garmin/Coros are the Nokia of the world. Stuck in an old paradigm. Sure, battery life is wonderful but long life I only need for two ultras each year. Everything else can be covered by 10 hour battery life.
Umm COROS pod isn’t power based, nothing like Stryd or Stryd ecosystem.
actually it is/was but that functionality encroached on stryd’s patent so they had to disable the power part!
Garmin’s fully-functional maps keep me firmly in the Garmin game. If and when the others roll out some street and trail names at the least, only then I will consider switching.
COROS does TRIMP-based training load and it works so much more accurately for my case, almost 1:1 to session-RPE. Garmin’s is so far off as to be unusable. This would be one reason to migrate.
Meanwhile, Suunto’s hardware looks appeal to me (looking at you, Vertical.)
For now, I think Garmin absolutely nailed the Enduro 3, and if they ever do a 47x13mm edition I will upgrade in a heartbeat.
Garmin has been driving me crazy lately….
I have tried the Pace 3 in the past and, despite its cheapness, it worked very well. I eagerly await the new Apex 3 for pulling the trigger.
Garmin doesn’t have native power in their watches? It has since the last 2 gen.
What is lacking for watches with native power is app integration that use that metric to provide useable data (CP/FTP and associated target zones and races targets) like Stryd does. If they did it would a huge value add and really surprised no one has. Yes, you can use intervals.icu but cumbersome as it’s not integrated.
With regard to COROS how useful/accurate is their evolab metrics for training and race prep? Same, better, worse than just using tss, etc alas Suunto and training peaks?
i think that’s what i say i nthe artcile , the list is what people give as reasons
Reason no. 11: too many lies and deliberate misinterpretation post made in Garmin forums by Garmin reps and their secretly rewarded “non-Garmin” forum mods.
But as stated by Sasha, my switch will only be realistic if maps would have the same functions at the competitors of Garmin. And I have too many ANT+ sensors to be abandoned, so Suunto, Polar and Coros will have to wait for me even if they had 3D maps on their watches :-).
Jeez,
…misinterpretatiNG postS..
… if maps had ….
etc
Thinking I’ll make the switch soon as well. Got a 7 pro and am fed up that Garmin abandoned a almost 1000 dollar watch after a bit more than a year and instead decided to roll out features to older / much cheaper devices. Really made me lose faith in the brand