Garmin vs Coros: 3 Reasons I'd Choose Garmin Every Time

Day 58: Garmin vs Coros

Coros makes genuinely decent sport watches. Their GPS accuracy is solid, their battery life is impressive, and their training metrics have caught up significantly. But there are three reasons I'd still choose Garmin over Coros every time.

1. Music

On a Coros, there is no Spotify, no Apple Music, no streaming. If you want music on your watch, you manually transfer MP3 files — like it's 2003. Garmin supports Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer directly. You sync a playlist over Wi-Fi, put your headphones on, and leave your phone at home. For anyone who runs with music, this alone is a dealbreaker.

2. Customisation

Garmin has the Connect IQ Store — a full ecosystem of third-party apps, data fields, and watchfaces built by developers around the world. You can add custom data to your activity screens, install watchfaces that show exactly what you want, and extend your watch with apps Garmin never even thought of. Coros has none of this. What you get out of the box is what you get. Forever.

3. Build quality

This is subjective, but it's consistent: a Garmin just feels more premium. The materials, the weight, the button feedback, the display quality on higher-end models — there's a tactile difference that's hard to describe until you've held both. Coros watches feel functional. Garmin watches feel like gear.

If you're a data-focused endurance athlete on a budget, Coros is worth a look. But if you want music, customisation, and a watch that feels as good as it performs — Garmin wins.