Ergonomics and design
If the Pace 2 integrates many sensors without blowing up its price, it is at the cost of some sacrifices on the finish. The plastic appearance of the case (42 x 42 x 12 mm) made of fiber reinforced polymer is significant. Its design, however, offers it a nice lightness (26 g), the nylon strap adding only 4 g. The watch is thus quickly forgotten on the wrist, especially since the nylon strap is pleasant and irritates very little when it is wet.
The case of the Coros Pace 2 is thick (12 mm).
The Coros 2 is also waterproof to 5 ATM. It is therefore possible to wear it in the rain or during a swimming session, for example. On the other hand, the box will not support too sudden pressure changes, as is the case during a diving or surfing session.
The back of the Coros Pace 2 case
For its part, the LCD screen of the Coros 2 provides the essentials, namely unfailing readability. Its glass is not very sensitive to reflections and the panel benefits from automatic backlighting that can be activated manually by pressing one of the buttons. The screen spans 1.1 inches and displays 240 x 240 px. As often with entry-level sports watches, the panel is not tactile.
Interface
The Coros Pace 2 is positioned in the purest tradition of sports watches. In addition to its screen favoring readability, its interface goes straight to the point and sports-related functions are in the spotlight. The connected “lifestyle” aspect of the watch boils down to receiving notifications from the smartphone to which it is paired.
The very readable display of the Coros Pace 2.
The screen is not tactile, the navigation of this Pace 2 is done exclusively using the two side buttons. The first is a push-crown. A rotation in one direction or the other allows navigation in the menus, with validation by pressing this crown. The second button is used to go back or, via a long press, to open a menu of shortcuts (night mode, do not disturb, “find my phone” and other settings). So many options that will delight those who plan to wear their Pace 2 on a daily basis.
The different display menus of the Coros Pace 2.
Three consecutive clicks on the push-crown trigger the monitoring of our favorite activity. From the home screen, simply scroll the crown to switch the screens and thus observe different statistics collected by the watch. Note that when the screen has not been used for several seconds, it locks automatically to avoid inadvertent maneuvers. To unlock it, all you need is a few turns of the crown.
Locking the screen, on the other hand, sometimes affects readability.
Finally, the display of notifications is basic, does not indicate the source application and does not prioritize the information, but it has the merit of being clear.
Application
The Pace 2 syncs with the Coros app, available on iOS and Android. Very classic in its interface, it is divided into four main sections and is complete. In a first part, the manufacturer offers an overview of our day, with the calories expended, the duration of exercise, the number of steps, the average heart rate, sleep monitoring… so many data that are always pleasant to peck at to have a idea of his activity. A second part summarizes our activity in a clear and readable way. The various reports are exhaustive and allow you to easily analyze your session. In a third tab, Coros compiles all of its in-house features. There is a race predictor, a muscle heat map, a selection of routes or a list of personal bests.
In this ocean of features with sometimes questionable usefulness, we will retain the Training category which allows you to create a session from scratch. Duration, breakdown, objectives, it is possible to configure your session according to your desires in a few clicks; the operation is easy to handle. Inevitably, this function will bring back memories to Garmin users, even in its presentation. But following all, what does the inspiration matter, as long as the realization is successful. Finally, in a final tab, the user can configure his profile and his watch. This is where everyone can update the software, plan the silent mode or even transfer their training plans to the tocante.
Uses and Accuracy
The Coros Pace 2 has a heart rate monitor, GPS, barometric altimeter, accelerometer, gyroscope and compass. This equipment allows him to follow our outdoor sessions without additional equipment. Note that it is possible to synchronize the Pace 2 with a Stryd power sensor or a chest strap. The results presented below come from measurements carried out with the watch alone.
Let’s start with the GPS. Like most of its competitors, it delivers consistent results. Between the buildings and over 5 km, the difference is around approximately 200 meters. As often with sports watches, it should not be relied on for an accurate count during an official race, but it is a sufficiently reliable indicator in training.
Now let’s talk regarding the heart rate monitor. Overall, the data it presents to the user is consistent. The maximum and average heart rates are thus very close to those indicated by the Polar H10 chest strap which serves as our reference. At first glance, everything seems perfect. Only here, on closer inspection, it is possible to see the watch stall in certain sequences, however innocuous. Below, a running session at a controlled pace. We can see there a dropout of the watch which struggles to grasp the rise in heart rate at the start of the session. Then she fails to spot brief increases in cadence. The average and maximum heart rates are however correct. To limit this kind of unhooking as much as possible, it is better to make sure that the watch is snug on the wrist.
In pink, the heart rate recorded by the Coros Pace 2 during a running session at a controlled pace. In blue, the heart rate collected by the Polar H10 chest strap.
The most amazing thing is that during a second session, at a fixed pace, but with changing elevation, the watch manages to perfectly transcribe the curves without the slightest stall.
In pink, the heart rate recorded by the Coros Pace 2 during a running session with a drop. In blue, the heart rate collected by the Polar H10 chest strap.
Finally, during a split session, the watch delivers mixed results. During a first block of split 4 x 30/30 at the start of the session, the watch proves unable to follow. While the chest strap returns four peaks, the Pace 2 shows a misshapen plateau. The results become much more encouraging in the second part of the session during a 6 x 800 m block, each time spaced out by 3 minutes of rest. This time, the Coros Pace 2 follows well, but sometimes gets carried away for no reason. During the third 800 meters, the heart rate soars to 192 bpm while the belt peaks at 180 bpm.
In pink, the heart rate recorded by the Coros Pace 2 during a running session with interval training. In blue, the heart rate collected by the Polar H10 chest strap.
Finally, the Coros Pace 2 tracks the sleep of its user. We were unable to assess the reliability of this monitoring during this test, but the data seems to correspond to reality, at least in terms of the hours of falling asleep and waking up.
Autonomy
With heavy use, including tracking live heart rate, sleep, daily physical activity, and receiving notifications, the Pace 2 lasted 12 days. GPS tracking for an hour of racing consumed 6% battery life. We can therefore expect a little less than 16 hours of operation in GPS mode.
To gain autonomy, it is possible to limit the functionalities of the Pace 2. Thus, by switching heart monitoring from “real time” to “every 10 minutes”, you can gain a few days of use in connected watch mode. Same thing for the frequency of receipt of notifications which can be spaced out to further extend the life of the watch. It is thus possible to go up to 15 days.
About 1 hour and 20 minutes are needed to charge the Pace 2 with the supplied proprietary charger.
Points forts
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Lightweight (only 30g with nylon strap).
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Fluid and complete application.
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Precise GPS.
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Autonomy of 12 days.
Weak points
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Plastic appearance.
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Few features.
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Heart rate monitor that sometimes acts up.
Conclusion
How does grading work?
This Coros Pace 2 leaves a taste of unfinished. Its application is complete, its autonomy comfortable, its precise GPS and it even offers a sufficient number of sports profiles. However, its heart rate monitor is unreliable, sometimes going off the rails even though it is able to follow most sudden variations in heart rate. The Pace 2 will therefore be able to appeal to a good number of athletes, but will struggle to satisfy the most keen on statistics or progress.
