Running~$249COROS
Launched in November 2025, PACE 4 moved COROS's lightest running watch from a memory LCD to a 1.2-inch AMOLED with 164% higher resolution than PACE 3, per COROS. COROS rates it at 32 g with the nylon band and 41 hours of all-systems GPS, 16 more than PACE 3. An aluminum-bezel version weighs 1 g more with the same battery figures.
Approx. price
~$249
maker's list price, not a live price
Best for: Runners who want a light, inexpensive AMOLED training watch that lasts more than a week between charges
The ring’s outer track is the headline claim; the inner two are the always-on and GPS figures as a share of it. An empty track means COROS does not publish that figure. Why the figures differ
COROS cites no regulator clearance for a health feature on this model. Its heart-rate, sleep and blood-oxygen readings are wellness features.
A clearance says what a feature is allowed to claim, not that it replaces a doctor. Cleared versus wellness features
What the extra money buys: The cheapest COROS running here. 1 pricier sibling in the same line: COROS PACE 4 Pro.
The two lists above are drawn from the maker’s own pages and prices, not from owner reports. Where owner discussion has been read it appears in its own section below, so the two are never mistaken for each other.
From what 50 owners of the COROS PACE 4 reported between July and October 2026. Earlier generations are not counted.
The PACE 4 is a light running watch, and owners find its training app clearer than Garmin's. Owners coming from Apple Watch, Pixel Watch and Garmin models praise the low weight, the multi-day battery and how plainly the app explains load, thresholds and recovery. The September maps update, which arrived first as a public beta that some owners could not join because it filled up, added maps, which used to mean buying a pricier COROS.
Owner complaints cluster around sensors and software rather than the hardware feel. Battery drain after firmware updates, wrist heart rate that some owners trust and others don't, an altimeter that adds climbing that isn't there, and short open-water swims all come up from separate owners. Smaller gripes repeat too: raise-to-wake that feels slow, a screen that turns off after a couple of seconds, a thin choice of watch faces with little customization, and strength-workout rep counting that owners say works for push-ups but not much else.
Three owners find it looks small or toy-like: one moved to a Suunto Run 2 partly for that reason, and two more are weighing an APEX or NOMAD for the bigger case. One owner went the other way, returning an APEX 4 for the PACE 4. When a unit fails, the experience depends heavily on how fast support answers, and owners report waits of a week or two before a reply.
Owners disagree. Some match a Garmin or chest strap closely on steady runs, while others see cadence lock or readings that fall away during hard or sweaty sessions. A strap is the usual fix, though a few owners also report COROS and Polar straps dropping out mid-run when paired with the PACE 4.
Yes. Maps arrived through a public beta in September 2026, and owners who installed it report they work on hikes and runs. Some owners could not join at first because the beta filled up.
It depends on the wrist. An owner with a 16.5 cm wrist found the size fine coming from a Garmin Venu 2, while other owners say it looks small or toy-like and have considered moving to an APEX or NOMAD for the bigger case.
Running · COROS
Best for: Runners and triathletes who want an AMOLED screen without giving up multi-week battery life
Running · Garmin
Best for: A first-time runner who wants adaptive coaching and recovery metrics without paying for payments or music
Running · Polar
Best for: City runners and commuters who want a tough, inexpensive GPS watch with a flashlight