Coros Just Released the Nomad “Adventure” Watch
Coros, maker of some of my favorite running watches, has a new model: the $349 Nomad . It’s an adventure watch aimed at the outdoorsy type, with features for hiking and fishing. It’s similar in some ways to the Garmin Instinct, but I wouldn’t go too far with that comparison—it’s truly its own thing.
Main characteristics and features of Coros Nomad
In this highlights list, I’ll focus on the things that set this watch apart from other Coros watches and from competitors like the Instinct.
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Full-color MIP touchscreen display . This is a reflective, backlit display, rather than the AMOLED display found in smartphones that is more popular now. (I wrote an article about the pros and cons of this type.)
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Maps with street names – Pace Pro has maps, but street names seem to be a completely new offering.
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A new “adventure log,” which lets you add a map marker with voice narration. Koros suggests using it to mark campsites, fishing spots, and places where you might have to cross a body of water. (I recently waded through the menu to add and mark waypoints for all the water spigots in my favorite park, and it sounds awesome.) You can add photos and videos to the log from your phone.
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Moon phase and tide data for anglers.
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22 days of battery life (excluding activity ) or 50 hours of activity using all GPS systems (34 hours for both bands). That’s a few days longer than the Pace 3 and Pace Pro, but less than comparable Garmin Instinct models.
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It measures 48 millimeters and weighs 61 grams with a silicone strap , or 49 grams if you swap it for a nylon one. (Coros currently only sells a silicone strap version, but it fits standard 24mm watch straps—larger than the Pace Pro or Pace 3.)
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It’s priced at $349 , the same as the Pace Pro, but cheaper than either of the Garmin Instinct 3 models.
What the Koros nomad lacks
For a watch that’s apparently positioned as a competitor to the Garmin Instinct, there are two huge omissions: the Nomad doesn’t have solar charging or an LED flashlight.
The Garmin Instinct 3 is available with an AMOLED display (a glowing screen like a smartphone) or a MIP display, which can be charged by a solar panel built into the screen. The Coros Nomad uses a MIP display instead of an AMOLED display, but still lacks a solar panel.
The Nomad also only comes in one size, which is typical for Coros. The Garmin Instinct 3 comes in 45mm and 50mm cases. The Nomad has a 48mm case, which makes up the difference, but it’s still a pretty big watch compared to many other models on the market. The Pace 3, for example, has a 42mm case.
For Coros fans who were hoping that today’s announcement would be about a new version of the Apex or Vertix watch, Coros cryptically hinted at the upcoming release in a comment on the Nomad Reddit thread: “While I can’t publicly reveal details, I can tell those who are disappointed that we are currently developing and testing some really cool (and highly anticipated(?)) things that will be released before the end of the year :)”