With a 1.4-inch touch screen, it’s a monster of a watch and feels heavier in the hand than other, “regular” GPS watches. The Coros Vertix 2 is quite light in comparison to watches its size. It is extremely enormous on the wrist, which is good if you have large hands, but if you’re not as lucky as we are to have large hands, you could think this watch looks a little odd. It’s as close to the ideal adventure watch that we’ve ever worn, after you get used to wearing it. You probably picture a multisport fitness watch from Suunto, Polar, or Garmin when you think about multisport fitness watches. However, if you prefer outdoor activities and spend a lot of time online, you may also be familiar with Coros. The firm is a relative newcomer to the market, but we’ll admit that we were intrigued when we noticed it appearing more regularly in active forums, TikTok, and running subreddits during the pandemic. In this group, the most committed athletes are already familiar with what they enjoy and dislike about their GPS watches.
Design
The Coros Vertix 2 is a remarkably reliable, tough, and well-made item. Due to the usage of a 1.4-inch touchscreen display with 280 x 280 pixels, it is slightly larger and heavier than its predecessor, measuring a hefty 503 x 503 x 15.7mm and weighing 89g. This has an extremely durable sapphire glass screen enclosed in a scratch-resistant titanium housing with a thin film coating for increased corrosion resistance. On our test sample, the textured silicone rubber band was a dull orange colour and was fairly wide. On the wrist, it’s large. very large This updated version runs in low temperatures (down to -22°F/-30°C) and is waterproof down to 100m/328 feet, interestingly a third less than its predecessor. The Coros Vertix 2’s all-satellite dual-frequency GNSS chipset, which uses either/or GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, and QZSS to determine your precise location, is the largest difference. That ought to finish it. There are numerous sensors inside, ranging from the standard sensors found in navigation watches, such as a barometric altimeter, accelerometer, compass, gyroscope, and thermometer, to the more activity-focused optical pulse oximeter, optical heart rate sensor, and an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor. Additionally, the Coros Vertix 2 has a cute and remarkably sturdy flying case. We don’t really understand why it needs more protection, but it’s a beautiful addition and gives the vehicle a more robust appearance. Isn’t it already difficult enough? We adore how it is managed. The user must fully rotate an excellent large digital dial on the side to gain access. It is sandwiched between two other buttons, one of which automatically dims the screen. The magnetic charging cable can be attached using the slot on the back.
Coros Vertix 2 review: Display
To further protect that display, there is a sapphire glass screen and a raised titanium alloy bezel. The Vertix 2 has a 10ATM water resistance rating from Coros, which is lower than the original’s 15ATM rating. It does, however, imply that this watch is secure to wear while swimming and engaging in other water-based activities. 26mm quick-fit straps, which are really simple to put on and take off if you want to switch them out for something else, are paired with that case. We chose one of the textured silicone straps because testing revealed no discomfort or irritation. The overall weight of the gadget can be made lighter by using a nylon band, which is another alternative. The Vertix 2 is 10g heavier than the original, weighing 89g with the silicone band. While it may not seem like much, wearing something like this for a while may cause a noticeable weight difference. We can’t say that wearing it all day and while exercising made it feel heavy, but wearing it to bed makes the weight a little more apparent. A 1.4-inch, 280 × 280 always-on memory LCD screen that is front and centre offers some touchscreen support for the functions. It now matches the screen size and resolution that Garmin offers on the Fenix 6X. Although it isn’t the brightest or most vibrant screen in terms of quality, it is made for outdoor use and mainly succeeds in that sense. Although it isn’t the brightest, there is also a backlight here. To allow you to keep the backlight on while working out, Coros has also added the night mode from its other watches. Although there is some touchscreen capability, you will primarily use the physical buttons, which are all located on the right side of the case, to interact with the device. The bottom button allows you to easily cycle through some of your daily numbers and can also launch a different settings menu, while the top button is mostly responsible for turning on the backlight. The digital dial is located between those two buttons and can be used to select items and scroll through screens by tapping or twisting it. You do have the choice to turn off the digital dial, which by default is used to lock the watch screen.
Setup and app
The Coros Vertix 2 is simple to set up after a neat unboxing from the flight case; all you have to do is download the Coros app and scan a QR code that appears on the watch itself. After pairing is complete, you must enter some personal information, including heart rate zones, and then you can begin to run, walk, swim, etc. In actuality, the Coros Vertix 2 supports an astounding variety of activity modes. We counted 27, including swimming in pools, indoor and outdoor rowing, windsurfing, open water, and flatwater. also you will learn our article on Coros Vertix 2 review. The Coros EvoLab page, adding GPX files (a standardized file format containing latitude and longitude coordinates), setting up which app notifications appear on the watch, and basic data for steps, heart rate, sleep, etc. are all found on the app’s front page. Numerous third-party fitness apps, including Apple Health, Strava, TrainingPeaks, Running Quotient, Adidas Running, Relive, Final Surge, Runalyze, and WeRun, can be used to store all the collected data. Additionally, it can be connected to the Stryd Sensor “footpod” power meter. Before the software automatically synchronized data with our watch over Bluetooth, we discovered that it took roughly 10 seconds. To upload its data to the cloud, you can connect it to your home Wi-Fi network as an alternative (you enter the Wi-Fi password via the Coros app). Before the software automatically synchronized data with our watch over Bluetooth, we discovered that it took roughly 10 seconds. To send its data to the cloud, you can also connect it to your home Wi-Fi network. MP3 playback and the ability to (stupidly) easily pair some Bluetooth headphones are two additional new features. Although welcome, the Coros Vertix 2 only has 32GB of internal storage, and most users won’t find the drag-and-drop method of manually adding and refreshing MP3 files to be very appealing. However, the presence of Wi-Fi here suggests that streaming services might be accessible soon.
Coros Vertix 2 review: Tracking
It’s safe to assume that the Vertix 2 has a few features to offer. There is a lot going on here, including tracking activities, gaining better training insights, and acting more like a wristwatch. The tracking of sports will come first. Around 25 different types of activities are available here, including running, mountain climbing, hiking, open-water swimming, rowing, skiing, and whitewater rafting. Triathlons can be followed as well. In addition to those sports modes, you can also add workouts to follow and follow training schedules. You can access the Coros EvoLab in addition to the core metrics to view additional training insights like your VO2 Max, Training Load, and Fatigue. We were generally happy with the accuracy of the Vertix 2 for indoor cycling and rowing, open water swimming, gym cardio, and outdoor running. The Vertix 2 continues the Coros watch brand’s reputation for dependable sports tracking performance. Coros wants to emphasize the precision of their GPS system here. This is due to the fact that you can communicate with all five major satellite systems simultaneously. That includes GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and Beidou systems. In addition to communicating with all of those systems, it also introduces dual frequency satellite communication, which allows it to pick up signals faster than the previous Vertix. Additionally, Coors is enhancing GPS plotting for tracking through notoriously shady environments, such as large structures, dense forests, or while scaling rock faces. In comparison to the two watches (Garmin Fenix and Polar Grit X) that we tested the Vertix 2 against, I’d say there wasn’t enough of a difference in how much these features boosted GPS tracking. The GPS paths still need some smoothing in a few spots, but overall they work well.
Other features
Other features are what you would anticipate from a premium sports gear. The Coros Vertix 2 can detect blood oxygen content and is waterproof to 10ATM (100m). It also has an optical heart-rate monitor that continuously measures your heart rate. It can also take ECG readings, but all that does is provide you with a general idea of your recovery progress. It doesn’t try to identify potential AFib in your heart-rate rhythms like other ECG-capable watches do, like the Apple Watch Series 7. You can monitor your everyday activities and sleep with the Vertix 2. It contains onboard maps with route synchronization through Strava and Komoot, and it allows audio playback. Although the selection of sports profiles isn’t quite as broad as it is on Garmin’s multisport watches, it still includes most of the key disciplines, such as triathlon, track running, and swimming in pools and open water. you can read our article on Coros Vertix 2 review.
Coros Vertix 2 review: Battery life
The battery life is the main benefit of upgrading to the Coros Vertix 2. The Coros Vertix 2 can operate in full GPS mode for an astounding 140 hours, compared to the original Vertix’s 60 hours. It’s crucial to comprehend the distinctions between the three GPS modes available on the device: Standard GPS, All Systems On, and All Systems + Dual FREQ On. By connecting just with GPS satellites, standard GPS promises a staggering 140 hours. Battery life is reduced to 90 hours by All Systems On, which is slightly longer than the Garmin Enduro. All Systems On communicates with all five satellite constellations (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, and QZSS). The accuracy is increased with All Systems + Dual FREQ On (also known as GNSS), but the battery life is reduced to 50 hours. While it only functions in Run, Trail Run, Mountain Climb, and Hike modes, UltraMax mode extends battery life to 240 hours by turning on GPS for only 30 seconds every 120 seconds. The Coros Vertix 2 will operate for 60 days on a single charge, according to Coros. The Coros Vertix 2 was still showing a 60% charge after a week of tracking at least one activity per day, including several runs and many hikes in standard GPS mode. There is a battery page that, based on how you’ve used it since the last charge, estimates how many hours of GPS use are left as well as how many days are left until it needs recharging. It took 15 days for ours.
Price and configurations options
A startling $699 can be paid for the Coros Vertix 2 on the company website. Obsidian and Lava are the two basic silicone band colours available. Additional silicone or nylon bands are available for $29 apiece. We were impressed with the Vertix 2’s sturdy packaging right away. The new Garmin Fenix 7 is without a doubt a competitor here, with prices starting at $699 and going as high as $999 for the Sapphire Solar Edition. There is only one model of the Vertix 2, which has a case diameter of 50.3mm, an increase from the original Vertix’s case diameter of 47mm. This contrasts with the Fenix 7, which has multiple “editions” and three different diameter options (42mm, 47mm, and 51mm) to suit different budgets, fitness needs, and wrist sizes. The Coros Vertix 2 does not come in a solar edition.
Conclusion
A significant upgrade over the Coros Vertix, the Coros Vertix 2 offers great tracking accuracy, a wealth of training insights, and long-lasting battery life. There are still certain things that could be done better, such as mapping and software adjustments, and that monstrous watch casing won’t appeal to everyone. Expect this outdoor watch to get better over time because Coros has already demonstrated a desire to make software improvements.
