Post
by andrewrose » Wed Jul 22, 2020 4:36 pm
I have a Coros Apex 42 mm. I got it slightly used for 200, absolutely would not have paid full price for it as that will put you in range of used Suunto 9 Baros or be money towards something even nicer, like the Fenix 6.
It’s been pretty glowingly reviewed in a lot of places, and MAY be the watch for you. At first glance, it does have a lot of features you’ll find on higher end and more expensive watches (sapphire, barometer) but on the other hand...
-walk is not an activity you can select. This annoys the duck out of me because I take my 5 month old on a walk almost every day. You could track them as a run, hike, or gps cardio, but if you’re wondering what fitness watch doesn’t have walk as an option, it’s Coros.
-since my first few activities were walks tracked as runs, it thinks I am in poor health. Obviously I’m not trying at all when on a walk. There is no way to select what activities you want it to look at to give you feedback. This is also despite my resting hr regularly being in the low 40s and max higher than the theoretical for someone my age.
-along those lines, the metrics don’t make any sense. The daily training load thing... not sure how it works. I’ll complete an activity, get say 100 points. Then when I look at it the next day, it’ll be at 96 points. Which is like saying if I drank six beers yesterday and then zero beers today, yesterday I drank 4 beers. Some days when I literally get out of bed I’ll already have 20 points and I haven’t done anything.
-if you want to use it as a training tool, you will definitely need a chest strap hr monitor. The wrist based one is not accurate at all.
-one of my wants was a long battery life for tracking multi day outings. It does have UltraMax mode. Before my last big one, I put it in UltraMax mode before I started. I ended sooner than planned, 22 hours in. The battery was at 20 percent. So somehow it wasn’t in that mode the entire time. There is no indication while in an activity if you are in that mode or not, and no way to tell after the fact.
-support. Google Coros forums. The forum is a Coros users page on Facebook. Apparently it is monitored by someone(s) from the company, but after initial questions, they have not responded to my inquiry. Now google Garmin forums. There actually is one.
-as far as mapping, you can upload a gpx and it’ll give you a line to follow. Nothing else on the map. It beeps if you go off the track. I used that once. I wasn’t off the track when it thought I was (though with gps connections out there, this issue is probably not specific to this watch/brand). They say it has a go back to start feature but I haven’t seen that or used it. Not sure if it points you in a straight line, or has you retrace your steps.
Other watches I looked at and seriously considered: Suunto 9 Baro, Polar Grit X, Garmin Fenix 6 series. When I can afford it, I will sell the Coros and get a Fenix 6. The Apex isn’t bad and if you can find one used at a reasonable price, it could be the watch for you. The gps tracks I’ve gotten look pretty accurate without getting knots.
Any specific feedback on Garmin Fenix 6?
