PRODUCT REVIEW: Living with the COROS Vertix v1
Posted on August 11 2021
I have had a few GPS watches. I started with POLAR, went to SUUNTO with the Ambit 2 and then to Garmin with the Fenix 5.
Of course GPS watches have evolved and will continue to do so, but when COROS arrived, they really changed the landscape.
Not all GPS watches or GPS watch users are the same and we have made an attempt to structure the various product offerings based on the needs of particular users. The best choice for one may very well differ from the next person.
Read our "Which Watch 4 You" BLOG and perhaps one of the categories fits more closely with your particular needs
Here is the link: http://bit.ly/WhichWatch4Me
I am mostly the "Train Hard....." user. In other words, I like a capable watch to support my constant running, I like the data, but I also wear the watch all the time so I like it to look good. I don't run ULTRA's but I really value battery life. I run everyday, average 80 kms a week and I really dislike having to constantly charge my watch.
What COROS brought was a fundamental shift in battery life combined, amazingly at a really affordable price. I started with the APEX 46mm watch but then graduated to the VERTIX.
What a truly phenomenal watch this is. The day-to-day practicality of 60 Hours of battery life on full GPS means I charge the watch probably once every two weeks.
The charge time back to 100% is less than an hour!.
What I look for in a GPS watch is fast hook up to the GPS system, accurate tracking of distance, elevation and heart rate and a watch that looks good. All of this I get for a price of less that $5000 hkd. I could get it for less too with the Apex or the Apex Pro but I really like the look and feel of the watch and find it fits every occasion. Smart or casual.
The watch is capable of so much more. It has a way of calculating the level of oxygen in your bloodstream to see if you have acclimatised to altitude. Awesome if you are in some high mountains in other parts of the world. Tai Mo Shan only just qualifies a mountain so probably not needed there.
It will work in temperatures down to -20 degrees C. Sadly the vodka bar in LKF has closed along with the fridge you were able to sit in. Thankfully it also works in +35 degrees C and monstrous humidity thanks to being waterproof to 150 meters of water pressure so all good in a Black Rain Storm.
Its not particularly heavy at 54g which is 16% lighter than a Garmin Fenix 5 plus, so I can't blame it for the slow times I am running unfortunately.
I know its great for navigation too and you can download GPX files and have it tell you where to go. As I run a lot of laps in Happy Valley only rarely have I lost my way (mostly counting) but I am sure at some point in my life I might use this feature. (Probably along Bowen Road :-))
So why do I have such a sophisticated watch?. Well I am a self confessed techy, the watch feeds the COROS app which is fantastic and stuffed full of analysis telling me 30 reasons why I am running slowly. I love all that stuff.
I also like a good looking watch and the sapphire glass keeps it scratch free and as my limited edition is called The Mojito, the cool earth green colouring makes me feel environmentally friendly and matches the cocktail when its time to chill.
You could choose "Space Traveller", "Mountain Hunter", "Ice Breaker", "Fire Dragon", or "Dark Rock" or one of the limited editions that come out from time to time. Whatever feeds your imagination.
So in conclusion, this does everything I want technically, it makes my life easier, gives me loads of bits of data I can fiddle with when I am bored and looks super chilled when I am not working out and "hard core adventurist" when I am doing my laps of Happy Valley.
What more could you want!!.
Check it out HERE
https://gone.run/products/coros-vertix-gps-adventure-watch
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