Coros Vertix 2 Review

Larger watches tend to stand out more, and the Vertix 2 makes a rugged statement when you wear it. It feels bombproof and ready for anything you throw at it, but it's heavy and easily noticeable when doing high output activities such as running. The larger screen allows for more data to be displayed, and the topo navigation experience was the best we tested because of the larger size. For some, this case size may be a dealbreaker, but we think it holds a place in the GPS watch market.

Performance Comparison

Features

At this price point, you can expect to get top-of-the-line features, and the Vertix 2 generally follows the market regarding its feature set. It provides standard smartwatch functions such as music controls and notifications and advanced health metrics such as sleep, fatigue, and recovery. That said, while Garmin products provide scores and descriptions about these metrics, Vertix 2 only offers stats that you will have to interpret for your own body.

Similar implementations of widgets and tools are found on this model as other top-tier products, and they work well to allow easy access to all the functions you desire. A unique function the Vertix 2 offers is the ability to control a GoPro or Insta360 camera remotely from the watch.

Thanks to the size, the navigation features found on the Vertix 2 are the best we tested. Topos come preloaded on the watch, and there's 32 GB of storage included for adding music. Unfortunately, you have to manually do this instead of using a service like Spotify. Bottom line: loads of features are found on this watch, and the majority of them all work flawlessly, but they may require a bit more interpretation or work than some of the competition.

The Coros brand has continued to make the news for their substantial firmware updates. In the past, these have provided new features as substantial as fullscreen mapping and navigation. Their latest update has included a few new features which weren't found when we initially published this review so we wanted to touch on them briefly. More advanced health tracking has been added allowing for REM sleep to be detected; this added stage can help provide you with insights about one of the most important stages of sleep. Also added is the ability to find both your phone and watch via the devices. We appreciate that this is an added feature that didn't cost us an upgraded model. For all of the latest firmware updates please visit the manufacturer firmware update page.

Battery Life

The Vertix 2 has unquestionable dominance in battery life compared to the other models we tested — over twice the juice when compared to the Garmin Fenix 7 in multi-satellite mode with all other functions and systems running. A claimed 90 hours is incredible and far surpasses any of the competition. Coros is known for its battery life already, and this model sets the bar even higher. On a four-day backpacking trip, we recorded 15 hours of full GPS while using multi-satellite GPS tracking and got home to a watch still at just over 80%; incredible.

Surprisingly, there are no power modes on this watch, maybe because battery life is so good, you just don't need them. But the GPS modes are hidden in the settings, unlike other models that give you the option right when you start an activity. You also have no battery options in the toolset other than UltraMax mode, which is only available when recording a workout. That said, while it's something we wanted to point out, it's hardly a complaint. With the Vertix 2, the last thing you have to worry about is battery life and battery modes. With one-second recording for 90 hours on all available satellites, why would you? On paper, the fastest racers could ride the entire Colorado Trail on one battery charge with the entire route downloaded while using navigation. Insane!

Ease of Use

This model receives high marks for its ease of use both in regard to the mobile application and the watch's internal interface. The main scroll wheel is easy to use and precise, and the dedicated back buttons make movement through the settings and menus a breeze. The user interface is almost identical to Garmin products. There are a few differences, but they are easy to learn, even if you are migrating from a different brand.

While the scroll wheel is nice when actively operating the watch, we experienced more accidental presses than with other watches. Having to use the lockout feature is one extra step not required on dedicated button models.

Oddly, the touch screen is not enabled for regular usage outside swiping during an activity or when using navigation. Tapping into widgets and accessing the graph also allows for touch gestures, but we are unsure why the decision was made not to enable touch gestures across the device. Most likely, it is because the scroll wheel is more than sufficient, but we still find this a bit strange.

The integrated mobile application is designed well, and we prefer it to Garmin Connect, even though there are no community aspects like a news feed or friend-following. We suspect most people interested in these features use Strava or a similar third-party application and that Coros knows this. We think this is a good move, for now anyway. Adjusting data fields and watch settings is far superior to the Garmin Connect method, and we found the Vertix 2 to be the easiest to set up and configure via the app. Certain items were a bit buried in the menu systems that we wish had more visibility, such as GPS settings and battery controls. Enabling touch via a toolset would also be a valuable addition.

Despite these things, it's hard to argue that there is anything negative with this model in terms of ease of use. It scores very highly, and we think it's about as smooth of an experience you can ask for. We appreciate the dedicated buttons in addition to the smooth scroll wheel, and it's clear Coros is thinking hard about how to provide the best user experience when designing their devices.

Accuracy

Thanks to its dual frequency and MULTI GNSS capabilities, this is one of the best GPS watches we tested for accuracy. We took the Vertix 2 on a 50-mile backpack in a remote canyon in Utah. It performed excellently and had zero issues obtaining satellite reception even in the deepest of canyons. We do wish it was a bit easier to switch GPS modes without going into the settings — the Garmin Fenix 7 easily allows you to do this in the options screen when starting an activity.

We also took the Vertix on a three-mile remote GPS test with all of the other watches in our test group. Each of the watches was within 0.01 miles of the three miles. If you are in technical terrain, dual-frequency will provide the most accurate data, so this watch is an excellent choice if you often find yourself in these places.

Design

Just by looking at this device, you can tell it's made for expedition use and rugged outings. The 51mm case looks commanding in all situations, and the screen size attracts attention. The color screen is vibrant, and the various watch faces pop out with their rich data. Readability is great thanks to this larger screen, but we suspect the size will be a limiting factor for some.

The Coros Apex Pro 2 with its 47mm case size will most likely be what the average user desires, but if you have a larger wrist or desire the beefy look of a 1.4-inch screen, we don't think you can go wrong with the Vertix 2. We loved this design for hiking and activities that have less aggressive arm movement. Due to the weight and being the heaviest we tested, we may recommend a different model if your primary activity is running.

Unfortunately, we experienced more accidental button presses on this model due to the size and the protruding scroll wheel. This mostly happened when wearing jackets or using ski gloves. A few times while ice climbing, the watch unintentionally paused without us noticing. Luckily there is a lock function with the ability to either scroll or long-press to unlock. This is helpful to have but is one more step while running or working out that you'll have to deal with if you want to change data fields or swipe to see your heart rate stats.

Value

If you desire seemingly endless battery life and a design with premium materials, we think this model is worth the cost. However, you can easily pay much less and receive some of the main basic features with a different watch, but the design and feel will be cheaper and less extravagant. The Vertix 2 may be overkill for most people, but it's hard not to argue that your money is being spent on a solid build both internally and externally.

Conclusion