Coros pushes the limits with light, long-lasting Vertix adventure watch

By Kelly Hodgkins May 14, 2019

Coros last year became the company to watch in the fitness smartwatch market thanks to the surprisingly good performance of its first fitness smartwatch, the Pace. and its followup watch, the training-focused Apex. Its newcomer status isn’t stopping the California company from jumping headfirst into new categories with watches that push the boundaries. Such is the case with the Vertix, Coros’s third and most adventurous smartwatch. The Vertix is a behemoth that targets the adventure seeker looking for a watch that goes to the extreme and back.

Coros targets the Vertix to explorers and equips the watch with a pulse oximeter for 24/7 altitude acclimation monitoring and impressive battery performance even at extreme temperature. Not too many watches, if any, can claim to last for 21 hours in GPS mode at -22 degrees Fahrenheit, but the Coros Vertix does. For those explorers who keep to moderate temperatures, the Vertix promises to deliver an impressive 45 days of battery life under normal usage.

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For ultra-athletes, the watch boasts 60 hours in regular GPS mode and an astounding 150 hours using the low-power UltraMax GPS mode. No matter how it does it, the ability to record more than six days of continuous tracking is mind-blowing. That’s longer than any other adventure watch on the market and more than enough for most Ragnar and similar multi-day races. And if that isn’t enough, you also can leave your maps in your bag as the watch includes wrist-based navigation.

There are three buttons and a digital crown for moving through the menu system on the watch. The Vertix collects detailed training metrics and analyzes your performance to help keep you at top fitness. It’s packed full of sensors such as a heart rate monitor, compass, and a barometric altimeter for accurate elevation readings.

The Vertix is tough both inside and out. It will stand up to rugged treks in the outback thanks to its durable titanium frame and bezel. And the watch’s color touchscreen display is overlayed with scratch-resistant sapphire glass to prevent unsightly blemishes. When it rains (and it will), the watch is waterproof up to 150 meters so you don’t have to worry about getting it wet.

The Coros Vertix costs $600 and is available in four colors, including an Icebreaker option that has a clear, see-through casing. Coros will begin shipping the Vertix on or before June 4.

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