Brilliant battery life

Coros Apex 2 Pro £ 499

It’s been a few years since I owned a GPS outdoor sports watch, for one simple reason – I just got sick of charging my old one. But then along came the new Coros Apex 2 Pro, boasting 75 hours of battery life in standard GPS mode. So I’ve been sucked back into the world of wearable tech.

I was lucky enough to receive one of the early testing models and can confirm that I went more than 3 weeks before recharging it, despite using it on plenty of local walks and runs, and spending countless hours fiddling with its features. Many outdoor enthusiasts look at Coros as a slightly more affordable alternative to Garmin, but you get plenty for your £499 here. Firstly it looks great, with a lightweight and comfortable nylon strap, 1.3in sapphire glass screen, plus chunky buttons and a titanium dial you can operate while wearing a pair of thinnish gloves. In terms of functionality, the Coros 2’s redesigned dual GPS antenna feels reliable and the offline maps are decent (if not particularly detailed). It isn’t fully waterproof but can withstand water up to 50m and temperatures ranging from -30°C to 50°C. In terms of nice extra touches, you also get a touchscreen, MP3 music player, night mode, blood oxygen sensors and heart rate monitors, plus much more I haven’t found yet. If you want a stronger endorsement than mine, this is also the watch brand of choice for mountain-running Superman Kilian Jornet, so it must be good!

Verdict

Early impressions are very positive. Head to livefortheoutdoors.com for a more detailed review as I get to grips with it more over the winter.

USED BY Oli Reed, Trail editor

USED FOR 2 months