Why the COROS APEX 4 Could Be Their Best Trail Watch Yet
We test and review the COROS APEX 4 for trail running, climbing and anyone needing a mountain ready watch.
(This review originally featured in Trail Run Magazine #58, 2026)
The APEX is Coros’ mountain sports watch, pitched at trail runners, climbers and skimo athletes, and the new APEX 4 features significant spec. upgrades from the previous model.
The end result is a Kilian Jornet-approved watch that feels purpose-built for big days around Kosci, the Tararuas, or anywhere vert and weather have a tendency to tag-team you.
It looks and feels like a proper mountain watch, but even with the built-in microphone and high-def speaker allowing voice memos and hands-free phone calls, this doesn’t feel like a dainty smartwatch in athleisure cosplay.
You also get a titanium bezel, sapphire glass and a reinforced case that shrugs off rock scrapes and face plants.
There are two sizes (42mm and 46mm) and both sit flatter and lighter on the wrist than you’d expect from something this capable.
The APEX 4 retains the memory-in-pixel (MIP) screen rather than switching to the prettier, but arguably less versatile AMOLED screen you find on the Coros PACE 4. On trail, in harsh Aussie sun or glary snow, the always-on MIP panel is clear, conservative on power, and doesn’t need babying.
Battery anxiety is a non-issue with the 42mm offering up to 42 hours of battery life with full-fat GPS and mapping, and the 46mm giving 65 hours on a single charge.
Navigation functionality is the APEX 4’s big-ticket upgrade. You get full (and free!) offline topo and landscape maps with trail and street names and turn-by-turn directions, rather than a simple breadcrumb trail.
The Coros APEX 4 lands exactly where it should: competitively priced, tough, capable, and genuinely mountain-ready.
VITALS
42mm/46mm
RRP 42mm $779 AUD / $889 NZD
RRP 46mm $879 AUD / $999 NZD
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