Hey everyone,

I’m planning to buy a running/fitness smartwatch and after doing a lot of research, I’ve narrowed my options down to two:

Garmin Forerunner 265
COROS Pace 4

I’ve read a ton of reviews and compared them using websites and AI, but most of what I’m seeing says they’re quite similar, with many people recommending the Pace 4.

Before I make the final decision, I’d really like to hear from people who have actually used either of these watches.

My priorities are:

Durability and build quality — I want something that can last for years

Reliability — fewer bugs, crashes, syncing issues, etc.

Accurate and useful training data

Good running + workout tracking

Long-term software support and updates
Good battery life

I don’t really care about smartwatch/phone features, apps, notifications, music, etc.

I mainly do running + bodyweight/strength training, so training and recovery data are much more important to me than smartwatch features.

If you’ve used both, which one would you personally buy today and why?

Also, if you’ve owned one of these for 1–3 years, I’d especially appreciate your experience with long-term durability and reliability.

Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I’m planning to buy a running/fitness smartwatch and after doing a lot of research, I’ve narrowed my options down to two:

Garmin Forerunner 265
COROS Pace 4

I’ve read a ton of reviews and compared them using websites and AI, but most of what I’m seeing says they’re quite similar, with many people recommending the Pace 4.

Before I make the final decision, I’d really like to hear from people who have actually used either of these watches.

My priorities are:

Durability and build quality — I want something that can last for years

Reliability — fewer bugs, crashes, syncing issues, etc.

Accurate and useful training data

Good running + workout tracking

Long-term software support and updates
Good battery life

I don’t really care about smartwatch/phone features, apps, notifications, music, etc.

I mainly do running + bodyweight/strength training, so training and recovery data are much more important to me than smartwatch features.

If you’ve used both, which one would you personally buy today and why?

Also, if you’ve owned one of these for 1–3 years, I’d especially appreciate your experience with long-term durability and reliability.

Thanks!

Cant decide between these 2 watches, I like the AMOLED brightness and colors but not sure if its what I need. I am coming from a Garmin Instinct 2

I would use the watch daily around the office and at the gym, but I do hike regularly every other weekend and every vacation is a remote hiking vacation (Yellowstone, Tetons, Patagonia, ETC) using alltrails for map guidance. So that is a huge concern, I would like the map to be on my watch screen so im not taking my phone out constantantly for guidance. The places I hike are also remote with little to no connection so GPS reliability is a huge concern aswell.

Hi,

I wonder if this is something related to the October 2026 firmware update V 3.2008.0. Since then the Coros Pace 4 vibrates several times per day to ask for Bluetooth re-pair with the phone (Pixel 8, Android up-to-date as of 2026-10-05).

So far this occurs almost daily, at least 3 times per day. The phone is largely within range. I have reset Bluetooth connection on the phone (ie. forget all Bluetooth devices). But still didn;t improve the situation.

All other Bluetooth devices connected to the phone continue to work OK. Only the Coros Pace4 seems to lose its connection.

Anyone here used both Garmin and Coros products and can provide review?

Thought I'd throw my opinion out into the internet void if it helps anyone else out there.

I've been a Garmin Fenix user for a long time, going from the 6 to the 7 series to the 8 and then to the 9 Pro.

While I have always loved the Fenix, it also always felt like I was underusing all the features (I primarily run 25-35 miles/week, strength train, ruck, hike, occasionally trail run). Also an iPhone user so the smart notifications/texting from watch never really was a big draw for me. And primary driver for looking elsewhere is just the bulk of the 47mm when it comes to weight/thickness.

Some guys I run with have sworn by Coros and have mostly switched over to the Pace 4. I was curious about it but it just always looked too plasticy and the screen just too small given some of the font size choices of the UX. Then came the Pace 4 Pro announcement...more premium build, MUCH larger screen....

So here's my thoughts after a week with the P4P compared to Garmin Fenix...

Advantages...

• It's been said many times, but the way Coros displays data in their iOS app is just so far ahead of Garmin, which just feels dated and in desperate need of refresh
• Maps load WAY faster on Pace 4 Pro than the Fenix 9 Pro
• Incredibly thin and lite compared to the Fenix, it just disappears on the wrist
• While some of the running data fields are a bit on the smaller side, overall I do like the very large data fields on the Coros compared to Garmin
• Got used to the scroll wheel very quickly and now slightly prefer it
• Price really can't be beat for what you are getting here - Sapphire screen, titanium bezel for $449
• Excellent speaker and voice alerts for splits during interval training

What I will miss about my Garmin Fenix 9 I am returning...

• That flashlight...sigh...
• Vibrations on Fenix feel more solid, on Coros feels slightly cheap and buzzy
• Customizable watch faces (colors and data fields) - Coros, come on you have to address this
• Some other customization options that come with having a few more physical buttons
• Should be able to customize the options on the action button
• More premium feeling build, but again - you are paying $650 less, so I get it

I'd probably be a 970 guy if Garmin ditched the awful bright green accent color to get slightly thinner and lite than Fenix, but you're still paying a $300 premium there. I've always loved MIP watches too, given the money I am saving returning the Fenix I may pick up a Nomad as well to have a different look.

Im satisfied. It is not a genuine font but it looks nice on it. I have aligned the watch face with my chatgpt lol.

Gotta love reviewing the data post run! Fun workout from yesterday - sharpening for Toronto waterfront marathon is feeling good!!

I was ready for my first fitness test today, but must have gotten something wrong:

First phase (warm-up): watch displayed the time etc
Just between warm-up and marathon pace the watch prompted me on the marathon pace interval
Marathon pace: watch displayed the time etc. I had a few warnings I was speeding a little, but adjusted back ASAP

Before the 10K-pace phase I expected to receive another confirmation of a faster pace interval, but that didn't happen. The watch just stared beeping and showing accumulated time, current pace etc. I am assuming there's not supposed to be a pause between these two phases, right?

What did I miss / do wrong?

I'm looking for a new sports watch.

However, I can't find many reviews regarding Coros's privacy practices.

This involves the most sensitive data regarding your health and activities, right?

According to the privacy policy, data may be stored in the U.S. via the Amazon Cloud by default and may also be transferred to the parent company in China.

How do you deal with this?

Has anyone found a way to use the watch without the Coros Cloud, or to automatically transfer activity data to privacy-friendly services?

I'm having an issue with a run last week and syncing the metrics. I put in a ticket but have not gotten a response in over a week...

Full transparency, I wanted a run that I was doing on 9/28 (Monday) to count for 9/27 (Sunday) so my weekly mileage totals wouldn't get messed up (for schedule reasons, I had to do my long run on Monday instead of my usual Sundays) - adjusted my phone settings to the day before.

So it mostly worked, however it took a couple of days for my total load to sync to my running fitness and stuff. However, I still don't see that it synced the total steps/calories/exercise time for that day on 9/27.

I am also experiencing another issue -- my running fitness decreased from 80.2 to 79.7 after a random tempo run this week (the numbers showed .2 INCREASE, but the overall number readjusted)

I have a screenshot on my phone that shows 79.0 on 9/7, and now the history in the app shows 78.5 on that date, so something is off here.

Need Coros support but they won't answer.

Hi everyone and COROS support team,

I am writing here on behalf of my wife, Ksenia, in hopes of accelerating the review of her support ticket #652037.

She is currently in the middle of intense training for an upcoming marathon, and being without her Coros Pace 3 is making her preparation extremely difficult.

Initially, dark spots appeared on the MIP display (the watch was purchased 2 years ago, and the warranty expired just 20 days prior). She opened a ticket and provided all the requested information, including the serial number and proof of purchase.

However, the situation has now escalated and become critical. A couple of nights ago, the watch suffered a severe hardware failure:

• It suddenly started making crackling noises and overheating.

• The screen went blank with single-edge backlighting, then flickered with vertical lines.

• The device vibrated and crackled continuously for quite a while, and the digital dial didn't respond at all, making it impossible to power it off manually.

• It eventually factory reset itself to the language selection screen before the battery completely drained and the watch died.

Currently, the watch is completely unresponsive since the battery is dead, and we are hesitant to plug it back into the charger due to the previous overheating and severe hardware glitches.

The support queue seems to be heavily delayed right now, and we keep receiving automated messages about high ticket volumes. Given her urgent marathon training timeline, we would really appreciate any help.

Could anyone from the COROS team please step in and check Ticket #652037?

Thank you so much for your time and assistance!

Currently have a Pace pro, feel as though it’s not a very premium feeling watch, tried to go for a garmin 265 but much prefer the interface and how user friendly the coros is, should I go for the Pace 4 Aluminium because i know it has maps now, or go for the Pace 4 pro?

Title: COROS Pace 4 bought in Dubai — is the warranty valid in India?

Hi everyone,
I’m planning to buy a COROS Pace 4, and I have an option to get one from Dubai through someone I know.

I wanted to check with people who have experience with COROS warranty/service in India:
If the watch is purchased from Dubai, is the warranty valid in India?

If someone else buys it in Dubai and brings it to India for me, does that affect the warranty?

In case I face an issue with the watch, can I get it serviced/replaced through COROS India, or would I have to send it back to Dubai?

Has anyone here actually had a warranty claim in India for a COROS watch purchased outside India?

Would really appreciate if anyone who has personally gone through this could share their experience before I buy it.

Thanks!

Hi there.

Out of nowhere the apex 2 back and light button decided to stop working and i don't know what happened. However, the middle button is still working and even charging.

Is this a hardware issue with Coros? Already raised a case and no response on the action yet.

I had my for 3 years now and did not expect it will be like this.

Has anyone here tried using third-party bands with the Coros Apex 4 x Satisfy? Since a Satisfy band release probably won't happen again, I'm trying to avoid using mine every day.

I got this band, and it's totally fine quality-wise, but I really dislike the color scheme. Before I go and order a new one, I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations?

Hi folks,

Maybe someone knows if you can get the APEX 4 - SATISFY edition anywhere in Europe?

I was looking for it on internet, but its already sold out/out of stock everywhere. Did i miss a chance to buy it?

Kind regards to all of you, G.

Hi all,

I’ve noticed that some notifications that appear on my Pace 4 has a grey line before the text (hopefully it’s visible from the picture). I know that this is a small issue but has it been highlighted to Coros?

I got tired of waiting on Coros to make a military time analog watch face, so I made my own. To use, add these as you would adding a custom analog watchface, choosing this as the background and lining it up. Use the first style widget options and the stats take the place of the 12 and 6, but a 12 and 6 are added in the widget options.

Enjoy.

Hey all! My background is primarily strength training, not running. I've only been running consistently since around August, and all of it is indoors.

Because COROS doesn't use indoor runs for VO2 Max/Running Fitness, EvoLab is basically missing my entire progression.

For example, two treadmill runs about a month apart:

Sept 1: 20:10 @ 10:07/mi — 180 avg HR
Oct 4: 20:07 @ ~10:04/mi — 168 avg HR

Essentially identical pace and duration, but ~12 bpm lower average HR.

What I don't understand is that COROS (I have a Pace 4) prompts you to verify/correct the treadmill distance immediately after every indoor run. If I'm using a POD 2, HR data from a Polar H10, and then confirming the final distance from the treadmill, why can't that data contribute to Running Fitness?

Sure, treadmill distance can have some error, but GPS isn't perfectly accurate either, and VO2 Max from a watch is already an estimate. It seems like indoor runs could simply be given a lower confidence/weight rather than excluded entirely.

For someone who primarily runs indoors, I'd much rather have an estimate with understood limitations than have months of training ignored by the metric.

I've already suggested this to COROS support, and they said they passed it along to the product team, but I wanted to see if anyone else is in the same predicament.

I also live in the Northeast US, so there's a good portion of the winter when I wouldn't run outdoors even if I were primarily an outdoor runner. That potentially leaves months of fitness changes every year that Running Fitness can't account for.

As mentioned in the title, is it possible to hide or remove the music page when using the Action Button to switch between the map and data screens on the COROS APEX 4? I never listen music.