COROS NOMAD GPS Watch Review: Battery Life, Accuracy and Features Tested
We trail test the COROS NOMAD GPS watch on accuracy, battery life and features.
Designed for multi-sport adventure, the COROS NOMAD GPS watch isn’t your typical running watch. Built with durability, long battery life and strong GPS accuracy in mind, it’s aimed at runners and adventurers who spend long hours off-grid.
You’re more likely to see a flannel-wearing woodsman in the marketing copy than Kilian Jornet, but just as a jack of all trades is often times better than a master of one, you’ll appreciate the NOMAD’s obsessive engineering when you’re deep in the wild.
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COROS NOMAD GPS Watch: First Impressions
The first thing you’ll note with the watch is just how substantial it feels. At 61g it’s hefty, but it sits gently on the wrist. The offset positioning of the rotary dial and buttons means I actually find the NOMAD more comfortable than the slightly smaller Apex Pro.
Build Quality and Design
The housing is a fortress of aluminium and fibre-reinforced polymer, rugged enough to survive the sort of scrapes you’d expect in trail running: navigating switchbacks, wrestling mandatory gear and crushing endless croissants in the Haute-Savoie.
Battery Life: How Long Does It Last?
Battery anxiety need not apply. Even with all positioning systems and continuous tracking enabled, the 50-hour battery life laughs at multi-hour missions and barely blinks after back-to-back long runs.
GPS Accuracy on Trail
The GPS is quick to lock, unfazed by dense canopy or the roof of your car on the drive to the trailhead. GPS Accuracy is A+ and the best I’ve seen thus far in a Coros watch, while the MIP screen and upgraded processor produces an interface that is smooth, fast and clear even in bright sunlight.
Features: Voice Pins and Navigation
Now for a party trick: voice pins. The NOMAD has a built-in microphone, allowing a voice memo to be recorded, automatically transcribed to text and pinned to the current location. A quirky, albeit well-implemented feature, the voice pin has any number of uses. Aspiring folk wanting to turn musings into digital bookmarks, recording first aid patient observations, stashing info about a sunrise or capturing delirious song lyrics on the third night of your 200mi.
Final Verdict: Is The COROS NOMAD GPS Watch Worth It?
For those who prefer over-spec to under-prep, the NOMAD is a competitively priced, premium watch. Distinctive styling means it probably won’t be the first pick for minimalists, but for missions calling for uncompromising accuracy, absurd battery life, and the kind of data-rich storytelling few wrist-worn devices allow, the NOMAD is pretty hard to beat.
Available in Green, Brown, and Dark Grey.
VITALS
RRP $649.99 AUD
