Review: COROS PACE 4 is a Lightweight Training Powerhouse

The COROS PACE 4 is almost a year old now and has been making waves due to its more versatile form factor, powerful features and bright screen. Not only is the PACE 4 smaller and more comfortable for daily use, it packs industry-leading tech into a watch that costs a reasonable $249. Let’s dig in.

COROS PACE 4 Features:

• 1.2 inch tapered AMOLED touchscreen display
• Up to 41 hours of GPS battery life and 19 days of daily use
• Advanced performance tracking: Running Fitness, Race Predictor, Virtual Pacer, and personalized marathon plans
• Built-in mic for voice notes and training logs
• Redesigned HR sensor with dual frequency GPS for accurate heart rate and distance tracking
• Waterproof rating: 5 ATM (50 meters) for swimming and water exposure
• Compatibility with Strava, Wikiloc, TrainingPeaks, and other platforms for data sync and analysis
• Long battery life with up to 19 days of continuous daily use and 41 hours of GPS tracking
• Ultralight design: 32g with nylon band, 40g with silicone band
• Available in standard (tested) or aluminum models, including a special Jakob Ingebrigtsen Edition
• MSRP: $249

Getting (easily) acquainted

Over the past couple of seasons, we’ve tested a variety of COROS devices, including: COROS APEX 4, COROS NOMAD, COROS PACE Pro and COROS Dura.  While each has a different target audience, they all share a common interface and operating system. They are also built around the COROS trademark dial button, which allows easy access to menus and settings. With a countless faces to choose from and a solid mobile companion app, COROS knows how to pack a ton of features into their watches.

The PACE 4 is now their entry-level watch and there’s a lot to talk about in a $249 price tag. Foremost, it’s hard to even compare the PACE 4 with the completion. Looking around, the Suunto Run is now $199 and does have a similar feature set — so there’s that. Other than that, there simply is no real competition at this price.

At the heart of the PACE 4 is the bright, AMOLED screen. It is 1.2 inches and features 390×390 resolution — the highest pixel density in the COROS lineup to date. With that, it’s easy to view in the brightest conditions. As far as watch faces are concerned, COROS has a bazillion (literally). I always aim for simplicity and have settled on the above face across all COROS devices I’ve tested. There’s bound  to be something that fits your style and daily function.

Of course, each screen can be customized for daily use or during your activity. Truthfully, the COROS iOS app is excellent and easy-to-use. Again, the only exception is that I still have issues updating over Wi-Fi, so I have to use Bluetooth (which works, it just takes longer). I’m guessing it has something to do with our T-Mobile Internet. Anyway… firmware updates are pretty regular, which is always awesome to see. COROS is absolutely on the bleeding edge of innovation, which is much better than the competition.

I’m a fan of the Wahoo ecosystem for bike computers, but their ELEMNT RIVAL was a bust. A close second is the robust COROS ecosystem. Since COROS is particularly known for their run tracking and training, it’s easy to set up plans for whatever type of race you’re aiming for. After a running fitness test and a few runs under your belt, a personalized training plan can be made. Honestly, I would have loved that capability 16 years ago leading up to the Park City Mid Mountain Marathon. In short, if you want to geek out, the COROS PACE 4 is a great companion.

It’s worth noting that the standard model I tested does feel pretty basic. For $30 more you can get a variety of aluminum models (Including two new colors available today — Ultraviolet and Neon Yellow) or even get the Jakob Ingebrigtsen model at $289. In addition, you can choose a nylon or silicone band or customize it. Heck, you can even use HSA funds to pick one up.

Cycling indoors and out

Again, my single favorite feature of any training watch is its ability to broadcast heart rate. Of course, the PACE 4 does that. You can start an activity and share your heart rate, or just share heart rate alone. I typically start an activity and share with various head units for road or gravel riding, but when riding indoors with My Whoosh, I will often just share the heart rate. The beauty is the Digital Dial, which makes it easy to find common actions and navigate the watch. Of course, the touchscreen also comes in handy for scrolling through the various screens.

One important note — if you do only share HR for indoor training, your activity logs will not be accurate, so any training or health data will be incorrect. I’m realizing this now as I’m looking back through training blocks when I merely shared it with My Whoosh, etc.

I’ve found cycling tracking for road and gravel to be outstanding. All recorded activities are within spitting distance of any Wahoo or Hammerhead unit I’ve used it with. At the end of the ride, the summary data is also excellent. During the rides, it’s easy to see data as well. With its smaller size, the PACE 4 is easier to wear underneath long-sleeve cycling jerseys or jackets too. Buttons and dials are easy-to-use with full-finger gloves on as well.

Trail running and fast hiking

I’m decidedly not a road runner, but the PACE 4 is extremely adept at both running or hiking on trails. I mix things up to keep my body on its toes, so I run or hike — depending on how I’m feeling that day. When running, it’s great to have both running cadence and power data to help normalize my fitness levels and performance. Of course, heart rate is also key in there as I’m watching it creep upwards on long, demanding climbs like Buddy’s Hollow Up, which I affectionately call “A Million Switchbacks.”

I’ve found it easy to view data while running, thanks to the bright screen and customizable data points. The dial or touch screen makes it easy. And, when done, the run recap shows my fitness details at-a-glance.

Of course, turn-by-turn details are also available here — just like on the APEX 4 I tested earlier this year.

Only once did I start running without actually kicking off my run tracking. The one thing I still dislike about COROS is that I have to force start the activity before GPS is acquired. That usually only takes 15 seconds, but it is annoying to have to push the start button twice while it’s finding me on planet earth. I just want it to start tracking and I don’t care if my first 10 steps aren’t tracked. That’s better than losing an entire activity.

Other useful details

I appreciate the locking tab at the end of the strap. For the most part, it has remained in place and kept the PACE 4 securely on my wrist. There have been a few instances where it has become dislodged, but never in any catastrophic way. The silicone band remains comfortable day and night as I use it for sleep tracking. Or, my “lack of sleep” tracking. I do need to be better at getting more sleep, but the PACE 4 and the app do keep me aware of sleep quality — even though I’m almost always sub-7 hours.

A recent feature introduced by COROS is voice control and training notes. I use that feature to find my phone around the house and also to start an activity. Just keep in mind that activity tracking won’t work unless you have the companion app open. It just says “Listening…” but doesn’t respond unless you have the app active on your iPhone.

As the weather cools and I’m running with long-sleeve shirts, the screen basically turns off to save battery. Because of that, it takes a bit for the screen to light up, even after pulling my sleeve up. If you’re anxious to see data, you might want to make sure it doesn’t get completely covered.

If music is your jam, COROS does offer onboard MP3 storage, but who does that these days? I don’t really care about that kind of thing, but what I do care about is battery life. While it doesn’t quite match the monster battery life of the APEX 4, it’s easily reaching 10+ days with daily activity tracking. I typically charge it every week whether it needs it or not. I consider that awesome battery life and capable of going on vacation with a full charge and not worrying about bringing the charger. But, if necessary, the tiny USB-C charging plug packs anywhere.

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