Coros Vertix 2s Review
Unboxing Video
Key Features
Our product page for the Coros Vertix 2s has a full list of all of the specifications, below is a list of what I was looking for myself when changing to this new watch, some of these features I did already have in the Coros Apex 2 pro that I have been using prior to putting the Coros Vertix 2s on my wrist.
- Battery Performance
- Accurate GPS with quick lock
- Large screen viewable in bright sunlight
- Clear route navigation line, off course alerts & track back function
- Tough Robust construction with easy to use controls
- Simple transfer of routes for navigation
- Simple to follow fitness, wellness data along with clear and detailed information from Activity recordings.
I have been using the watch now for a few weeks as I write this review, I will discuss below in more detail how the features above have worked for me.
- Battery Performance
As I personally embark on new challenges taking part in multi day events such as the Montane Spine, Windermere Lap ultra events etc, I was looking for a watch that would potentially go the full distance without the worry of regular charging.
I have been using my Coros Vertix 2s the last few weeks set as the 'All Systems On' Satellite mode and have been very pleased with the battery life, I have also listening to music during my activities which I know has a bigger drain but I can see already from my results that my Coros Vertix 2s watch will achieve and potentially exceed the battery life figures quoted by Coros, which is great to see.
Also when taking part in multi day events where you might come into a checkpoint for a rest there is a great feature on the Coros Vertix 2s watch, where from a single button press you can pause your recording & select resume later , this will take your watch back to a standard watch face and turns of Satellite recording to save battery but with a databox set to total activity time, when you come out of the checkpoint a simple press of the start button takes you back to a Resume option and your total activity time will show your total event time.
Manufactures Battery figures below:
Standard Connects to GPS and QZSS
118 Hours
32 Hours (With Music)
All Systems On Connects to GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, QZSS
73 Hours
27 Hours (With Music)
Dual Frequency Connects to GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, QZSS in Dual Frequency
43 Hours
22 Hours (With Music)
Daily Use
40 Days - With daily and sleep tracking
36 Days (With Daily Stress) - Monitors your stress level throughout the day
Charging Time
Less Than 2 Hours
What is great from the Coros Vertix 2s Toolbox menus you can access a battery screen which shows your expected battery life left and you can also scroll back on days to see what functions have used the battery on certain days.
The screens below were with my Coros Vertix 2s set as 'All Systems On'
- Satellite Accuracy & speed of lock
My first test for the watch was taking part in an off-road trail marathon that went through a lot of forest areas.
Locking onto the satellites using the all systems setting has been very quick, during my last couple of hikes and the Marathon that I took part in Satellites locked on after approx 4 - 5 seconds of selecting an activity to start.
On the Coros Vertix 2s watch you can view a Satellite screen showing an overview of the orbiting Satellites and also how many are visible and that you are locked onto.
The screen technology is A Memory in Pixel (MIP) display, this type of screen works brilliantly outside and especially well in bright sunlight.
For your activity data boxes there is great flexibility in setting up the layout size and information that you would like to see.
I wear reading glasses and have found by using the 3 x databox layout and also changing the background colour of the 2x mains box to black and then the bottom smaller box will change to a white background, but this works great for me and I can read the data without my reading glasses.
I have some examples below of the data boxes I am using, when I go into the navigation screens you will also seed how clear the map and elevation screen are to view as well.
From the app there is also a very large choice of watch faces that you can put on your Coros Vertix 2s watch, I personally prefer the Digital faces but I have also shown an example of a Analogue watch face below.
With your Coros Vertix2s watch you can using the Coros App to download Coros Topo / Landscape Maps for anywhere in the world to your watch, the Coros Vertix 2s has a large internal storge of 32gb, as an example mapping for all of Europe would take up approximately 7gb of memory.
The off-course alerts work really well, if you deviate of your route approx 80 feet you get a clear vibrate on your wrist and tone alert also your Coros Vertix 2s will display the distance that your are off-course at the bottom of the map and a red line pointing back to your route.
I find the scroll wheel works really well for the Zoom in and out function on the map, the scroll wheel can also be used to zoom in and out on the elevation graph screen, you can also have the touch screen enabled for moving the map screen around easily.
As well as viewing a map screen with your route line, elevation graph and any databox screen that you have setup for your activity there is also a additional screen when navigating a route that shows distance to destination & elevation to destination.
You can also mark checkpoints on your route using the Coros app, name them and set proximity distance alerts for them, you will then also have an additional screen showing distance along your route to these checkpoints.
- Tough Robust construction with easy to use controls
The Bezel Material is a Grade 5 Titanium Alloy With PVD Coating and the Cover Material is Titanium Alloy With PVD Coating, the watch has a very tough feel about it and personally I like the rugged styling and feel of the watch.
Water Resistance 10 ATM
Suitable for surface water activities and not for diving
Working Temperature -22°F to 122°F (-30°C to 50°C)
Storage Temperature -22°F to 140°F (-30°C to 60°C)
I find both bands comfortable, although my favourite would be the Nylon band for my trail runs and hikes as very lightweight, very precise adjustment, the most comfortable, it is quick drying and easy to wash>
The buttons are a good size and easy to use, especially the scroll when which personally I find great for unlocking the screen and then using it to move the through the various menus and screens.
- Simple transfer of routes for navigation
I have found importing GPX routes into the Coros app and then transferring over to the Coros Vertix 2s watch very straightforward and quick process.
Once your GPX file is opened in the Coros App you can change the name of your route if required, add checkpoints with proximity alarms, view the route on a Topo or Satellite map, zoom in on your route on the map and also view the elevation profile of your route before a simple sync to your watch.
When the route comes into the Coros app if the Route lines up with trails. paths, roads shown on the Coros Topo map, turn by turn arrows will be added and can be used when navigating, currently turn by turn routing is only for running & hiking activities not cycling.
It is also very easy once you have synced an activity recording with the watch to turn it into a route and sync to your watch as a Route to follow again.
- Simple to follow fitness, wellness data along with clear and detailed information from Activity recordings
For my Trail Running & Hiking Activities I have been very happy with the HR data recorded so far, I do tend to find when doing Gym activities such as Hiit classes that I use my Coros Vertix 2s to recorded that a Coros armband HR or a 3rd party Chest HR strap tends to be better , although making sure my watch is not worn to loose my reading from my Hiit classes have not been okay.
As well as Step count, calorie burn, daily exercise times, please find some information below regarding some of the fitness and wellbeing data that your Coros Vertix 2s can also record and display information about.
Heart rate
The watch has an optical heart rate monitor with an electrocardiogram sensor that can automatically measure your overnight resting heart rate and HRV. You can also perform a manual wellness check to get an average of your heart rate, HRV, stress, breathing rate, and SpO2.
Training load
The watch calculates a training load score for each workout based on the duration and intensity of your training. You can compare your training load to similar activities in the past to gauge how your training is progressing.
Base fitness
The watch tracks your base fitness and intensity trend. You can see how your base fitness changes over time, such as when you increase training intensity or take a rest period.
Running metrics
The watch tracks distance, pace, heart rate, calories, cadence, stride length, and running power. It also has an effort pace metric that estimates what your pace would be on flat ground based on the terrain you're running on.
Efficiency score
The watch calculates an efficiency score for each workout. A low score means your body had to work harder than normal, so you might need more time to recover or adjust your future workouts.
As well as this information being able to be viewed directly on your watch, the Coros app is the best place to view all of this information as per some of the screen shot examples below:
The Coros app also displays lots of detailed information from your activity recordings as per some of the screen shot examples below:
Conclusion
From my first few weeks of using my Coros Vertix 2s Watch, which has included a number of Hikes, a Marathon run and some Gym Hiit sessions.
I have been very pleased with the battery life which is exceeding my expectations, GPS accuracy has been great and the large screen has made viewing the data boxes during my activities very easy.
I was not looking for all of the smart watch features which can be found on other watches but a tough reliable watch, with my main focus being accurate activity recordings, clear easy to read data , great battery life, easy route navigation and a simple to use uncomplicated watch / app.
Regarding Smart features, the Coros Vertix 2s does alerts me and show text messages coming through from my phone or phone calls, but you cannot reply or answer them but this is still a handy alert if your phone is tucked away.
I do listen to music with paired Bluetooth headphones which works well, but music can only be transferred to your Coros Vertix 2s watch using MP3 files and a USB cable connection to a computer.
If you are looking for a robust watch with a quality Sapphire screen, great battery life & accurate GPS recording, easy to use without all the bells and whistles but does a good job, I would definitely consider the Coros Vertix 2s as an option, it is the watch that I am now using myself and it will get some thorough tests on some ultra events & marathons that I will be taking part in next year.
Review by Andy Ayre - GPS Training October 2024
Further reading
3. Walk and talk - Coros Apex 2 pro