The Coros Pace Professional is a newly minted mid-range powerhouse that’s poised to take on the competition.

The COROS PACE Professional’s most notable feature is its debut of an AMOLED display, complemented by the addition of a novel satellite chipset, a reimagined GPS antenna, and an enhanced watch body design that enables more accurate heart rate tracking compared to previous COROS models.

“I pitted our GPS and HR features against top-tier competitors: a high-end Garmin watch and a Polar H10 chest strap.”

Compared to its predecessor, this device boasts various enhancements, including a faster processor, more prominent controls, expanded mapping capabilities, and significantly extended battery performance. Notwithstanding the significance of accuracy enhancements, I’m particularly concerned about the discrepancy in my PACE 3 data: whereas it significantly affected GPS accuracy, it had a minimal impact on HR accuracy.

I gave the price range PACE 3 a move, but it competes head-on against flagship smartwatches like the Garmin Fenix, Suunto Valencell, and Polar Vantage M3 – all featuring AMOLED displays and niche benefits that COROS lacks, leaving little room for error.

Despite its more modest price tag, the COROS PACE Professional proved itself a worthy competitor to the Garmin Fenix 8, refusing to back down from the challenge.

What are your expectations from COROS PACE?

While testing the Coros PACE Professional alongside other options, I thoroughly evaluated both devices’ performance by completing multiple extended runs in low signal zones, tracking intense workouts at maximum heart rates on varied terrain, and navigating treed hills with significant elevation changes.

For GPS accuracy, multi-band GPS receivers have traditionally delivered outstanding results, consistently exceeding expectations. While the Garmin Fenix 8 delivers predictable accuracy, it falls short of expectations compared to its lower-priced alternatives, such as the Forerunner 265 at $450 and Forerunner 255 at $350. Given that the Fenix 8 is a premium product, it’s reasonable to expect similar performance from the PACE Professional at a lower price point; the question remains whether this device can deliver on its promise of advanced features and accuracy.

To ensure HR data integrity, I utilize my Polar H10 chest strap, which synchronizes seamlessly with my COROS watch via a shared account, and instead pair it with my Fenix 8 for accuracy in testing the PACE Professional. As a result of pairing the COROS HRM with the PACE Professional during several runs, I have fewer factors of HR comparability than GPS when preparing for my Fenix 8 evaluation?

While delving deeply into each aspect, if time constraints apply, my key takeaways are as follows: I’ve observed a notable improvement in GPS accuracy, now on par with Garmin’s capabilities, rendering the gap negligible and unnoticeable to most users. To ensure HR precision, I notably distinguish between options, and I would likely opt for the COROS HRM if seeking the most accurate HR monitoring.

COROS PACE Professional GPS accuracy

On metropolitan streets, the COROS PACE Professional performed exceptionally well for normal runs.

Under the gallery, it’s evident that the PACE Professional () outperforms the Fenix 8 () at accurately tracking my path on sidewalks or bike lanes during a prolonged 12-mile run; however, there are sporadic moments where COROS has me veering off onto lawns whereas Garmin consistently plots my route along the right sidewalk.

On one particular occasion, I found myself drawn to a small park where I stopped to capture a photo of the inspiring John Muir statue before reversing course slightly. While COROS leads me smoothly to the exit, Garmin’s route takes a more circuitous path upon my return. While neither phrase is perfect, they both excel in finding me under the tree canopy without ever losing sight of me for an extended period.

During a typical morning commute on the Orange Line, COROS’s GPS functionality noticeably lags behind Garmin’s precision, consistently showing me slightly off-kilter from my actual route or sidewalk position? Despite its lack of impact on my tracked distance, the connection remained stable and precise, free from the usual issues like wobbly locations or misaligned signs that can occur with subpar connectivity.

In mountainous terrain, hikes pose a significant challenge to accurate monitoring: dense tree cover and nearby hills can obstruct or deflect signals, while misinterpreted data can compromise elevation tracking. Fortunately, all watches performed well during the 8.5-mile hike. Underneath the gallery, one can visually observe how COROS and Garmin trajectories overlap in unobstructed regions, exhibiting parallelism and consistency in obscured areas. Their maximum altitude achieved was a mere 4 meters apart.

Completely evident is the dividend of COROS’ revamped antenna and cutting-edge GPS processor. Coros’ GPS accuracy on previous watches has generally been reliable, but there have been instances where it fell short of perfection. Despite rigorous quality controls, COROS has consistently delivered satisfactory results, ensuring alignment and cohesion even when performance falls short of exceptional standards.

COROS PACE Professional HR accuracy

The latest COROS smartwatches feature an innovative combination of five LEDs and four photodiodes, designed to capture a substantial portion of your wrist, ensuring accurate and reliable heart rate monitoring. Although COROS claims that the PACE Professional’s revamped design enhances its accuracy, the actual performance metrics appear remarkably consistent with those of earlier COROS models.

I wore my Polar H10 chest strap for a fair comparison. Although I’ve previously experienced some issues, I’m hoping this one will provide a reliable foundation.

The accompanying chart illustrates a straightforward 3-mile jogging endeavor. While the COROS PACE Professional closely trails the Polar H10’s performance when linked to my Garmin Fenix 8, a closer examination reveals that the COROS’ optical heart rate monitor lags slightly behind its electrocardiographic counterpart, failing to capture every minor variation and displaying a marginally lower reading. What are the key differences between a conventional camera and one that uses optical flow? ECG comparability thus remains a staple of clinical practice.

During my prolonged hiking excursion, the COROS watch and Polar strap demonstrate remarkable synchronization over extended periods. Occasionally, COROS may record a heart rate that’s 10-20 beats per minute higher than what the chest strap detects. Given inconsistent heart rate readings due to a faulty chest strap, it’s unclear whether this issue stems from COROS or Polar technology. Throughout the 2.5-hour exercise, the general HR common remained remarkably consistent, deviating by only one beat per minute from its expected pace; accordingly, I am inclined to regard this performance as a testament to COROS’ impressive capabilities.

The monitoring exercise is where predictable issues arise. The COROS PACE Professional occasionally fails to accurately track rapid fluctuations in heart rate, resulting in deviations of up to 8 beats per minute (bpm) away from the actual reading.

While some wearables may struggle with lagging responsiveness during intense exercise, I had expected COROS to excel in this regard. For a relatively brisk workout, consider this 2-bpm gap in 4/4 time.

Here’s an alternative that maintains the same message: Since I highlighted potential advantages earlier, it’s likely a good idea to consider purchasing the COROS arband alongside this for optimal results. While regular runners may rely on the PACE Professional for accurate heart rate monitoring, its ability to consistently track heart rate zones and provide reliable data earns it a seal of approval.

While being candid about COROS’ performance, I’ve found that distinct watches I’ve tested during interval training can exhibit a considerable disparity in anaerobic accuracy, albeit not always meeting my expectations?

Consider investing in the COROS PACE Professional.

When choosing among various models, it’s essential to consider their distinct advantages and disadvantages. Despite sporting some notable upgrades, the COROS PACE Professional won’t necessarily win over those who were previously unimpressed by the brand due to the continued reliance on largely unaltered software. The company seeks to further consolidate its dominance by refining its offerings in certain sectors while extending its competitive advantage in other markets.

The long-awaited AMOLED facelift finally arrives, a move that is long overdue and perfectly timed given the recent developments in the industry. While striving for precision is crucial, COROS prioritizes GPS and heart rate accuracy to cater to runners like you who demand reliable data, rather than blindly relying on a watch’s outputs.

Upon entering the COROS software program, users are presented with essential features: a personalized weekly goal aligned with their current fitness level, a monthly breakdown of easy, medium, and challenging efforts, a run health test to determine their lactate threshold, and customizable training plans for download.

Despite some limitations, Coros consistently updates its watches with new features, provided the CPU permits; given that the PACE Professional boasts a latest CPU and enhanced RAM, it should receive support for years to come. Despite the lack of music streaming apps and contactless payment options, which might currently deter some runners from adopting this technology.

Although I’d like another week or two to thoroughly review PACE Professional and assess its performance, I’m already quite enthused about its enhancements. While more expensive than the PACE 3, this watch still offers great value when considering its quality and features against other timepieces in its class. Frugal professionals should carefully consider this.