I’ve been impressed by the Coros Pace line of watches ever since the original launched in 2018, and the Coros Pace 4 is the best version yet.
I raved about the Pace 4 in my original review of the watch, and it’s stayed on my wrist for the six months since, while I trained for and ran the London Marathon.
I’ve run over 1,500 miles while wearing the watch now, as well as doing other workouts like bike rides, strength and yoga sessions, and I’ve also used it to record my daily activity and sleep.
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During that time, Coros launched a new version of the watch — the Pace 4 Aluminum — which has a metal bezel and translucent lugs to create a more upmarket feel. I switched to this model of the watch for my final month of testing.
Both the plastic and metal Coros Pace 4s impressed me greatly during testing; here are my long-term pros and cons for what I think is the best value sports watch you can buy.
Like #1: The design is light and attractive
The Coros Pace line has always had lightweight plastic designs that might not be the most premium or durable compared with all-metal options, but I like the look of the Pace 4, and it’s comfortable to wear 24/7.
I’ve also had no problems with scratches or marks on the watch, and Coros has now launched the Pace 4 Aluminum, which has a metal bezel for a more attractive design, though it will cost you a little more than the standard watch.
The AMOLED display is also bright enough to read in all conditions, and the user interface is snappy and responsive, whether you use buttons or the touchscreen to navigate the watch.
Like #2: The GPS and HR accuracy has been reliable
I’ve worn the Pace 4 alongside a Garmin Forerunner 970 throughout testing and checked the GPS tracks after runs regularly, especially when racing with the watch, and the accuracy has been pretty much impeccable.
The Pace 4 offers dual-band GPS tracking, and throughout my runs, the pace and distance stats have been spot on — you can certainly use the watch to judge your pace and effort during workouts and races.
At the London Marathon, the Pace 4 even produced a pretty accurate track through the high buildings in Canary Wharf, and at the Paris Half Marathon, it logged an overall distance of 21.13km, very close to the 21.1km official distance.
I’ve also found the optical heart rate tracking to be accurate when I’ve used it — I normally wear a chest strap for the most accurate results, but I’ve done many runs without the strap using the Pace 4, and it rarely throws up significant errors.
I don’t wear a chest strap for races, and in the events I’ve run with the Pace 4, the heart rate readings have been exactly what I’d expect for an all-out effort like a marathon.
Like #3: It has useful training analysis and race predictions
The Pace 4 doesn’t offer as many training analysis features as the best Garmin watches, but it gives you all the essential information you need regarding your chronic training load in an easy-to-understand way on the watch and in the app.
You get a suggested total training load each week to ensure you’re not overdoing it, while still building on past work to get fitter, plus a recovery advisor and an estimate of your running fitness that includes race predictions for 5K, 10K, half marathon and the marathon.
Most watches offer these predictions now, as do apps like Strava, but I have found Coros’ estimates to be closer to my actual race times — both target times and actual results – than most.
Like #4: The battery life is impressive
Even when using the Pace 4 with its screen always on, tracking outdoor runs each day using the most power-intensive dual-band GPS mode, it lasts me five days on a charge.
When I switched the screen to raise-to-wake outside workouts, it lasted a week, which is impressive for such a small watch with a bright AMOLED display.
I also like that the Pace 4 comes with an adapter to charge it with any USB-C cable, even though the watch has a proprietary charging port.
This adapter has a keychain attachment so you can keep it with you at all times, so you’re never caught short of battery at an inopportune moment. It meant I could charge the watch with a portable power bank while abroad for the race without needing to take an extra cable with me.
Like #5: It keeps getting updated
Coros has a good track record of consistently bringing software updates to older watches, and the Pace 4 has received several useful new features in the time I’ve been testing it.
These include music controls for your phone and Pace Strategy and Hill Alerts, which can help you judge your efforts in races and when climbing and descending during long runs.
Those features also rolled out to the older Coros Pace 3 and Coros Pace Pro models, and I’d expect the Pace 4 to be included in updates for a few years.
Like #6: It’s great value
The Pace 4 doesn’t offer every feature you get on pricier models from Coros and others, but it’s packed with features, looks good and has proved accurate throughout my testing, all for $249.
That’s cheaper than rival models from Garmin, like the Forerunner 165 and Forerunner 265, both of which are also older than the Pace 4.
I expect Garmin to launch an update to the Forerunner 165 this year, but for now I’d say it’s the best affordable sports watch you can get.
Dislike #1: It doesn’t have offline maps
Offline maps are the most notable feature missing from the Pace 4, since they are available on the more expensive Coros Pace Pro and Coros Nomad watches.
I’ve not really missed the maps on many occasions during my testing of the watch, which does still offer breadcrumb navigation with turn–by-turn directions, but if you’re an adventurous runner who hits the trails or travels regularly, the maps are handy.
In general, offline maps are reserved as a feature for mid-range or high-end watches by sports watch brands, but someone will eventually break from this and offer maps on a cheaper model, and it would have been great for them to be on the Pace 4.
Dislike #2: Some will want a more durable design
The Pace 4’s small, plastic design is part of its appeal, but if you want a more premium-looking watch, there are options in its price bracket, most notably from smartwatch brands like Amazfit.
Once again, more adventurous runners might find it lacking because it doesn’t have the metal bezel or sapphire crystal screen, which makes outdoor-focused watches more durable.
As a road runner, the Pace 4 is hardy enough for me and I think it’s good-looking enough to wear 24/7, but not everyone will agree.
Dislike #3: It doesn’t have great smart features
The Pace 4 is very much a sports watch, not a smart one. It does offer music storage for MP3 files and controls for your phone, but it can’t link with streaming services, and there’s no NFC payments.
These are features you get on Garmin sports watches, and if you opt for a true smartwatch like the Apple Watch Series 11, you get a huge app store to call on and a more customizable experience with regard to things like your watch face and widgets.
Dislike #4: It’s easy to trigger the dial accidentally
One regular frustration I have with the Pace 4 was that I’d often hit or turn the digital dial accidentally during outdoor workouts.
I fixed this problem by using the button lock on the watch, but having to deactivate this by holding the dial each time I want to use the Pace 4 is still a mild annoyance.
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