Coros Apex 4: Battery life, features, where to buy

If you participate in long-lasting sporting events over several days, a fitness tracker with good battery life is essential. And we’re not talking 11 hours in GPS mode before reaching for the portable charger. We’re talking days of continuous monitoring, going through sleep deprivation and all kinds of terrain.

This is where the Coros Apex 4 comes into its own. This is an endurance fitness tracker designed for endurance athletes. It offers everything from detailed GPS tracking to advanced heart rate and workout metrics, not to mention battery life that will get you through any multi-day event. But what really is the benefit of battery life?

Can battery life give you a competitive advantage?

There are many ways a long-lasting battery can help you during training and racing. For one, many ultra events now require you to have the race course downloaded to your watch’s maps (not to mention that if it’s an off-road course, you’ll really need it). By having a watch battery that lasts multiple days, you not only meet the demands of racing, but you also avoid the interruptions and stress of recharging mid-event.

Navigation is definitely a major problem. Losing track of your route, whether in training or on race day, can cost you hours. It can also be dangerous if you don’t know exactly where you are. With a watch that can stay on for several days, you can keep your maps charged the entire time, following the course or your planned route. Strong battery life means you’re less likely to take a wrong turn or miss a checkpoint or aid station. And after miles of cycling or running, you don’t want to miss your boiled potatoes.

The long battery life also means you can leave your watch on during your workouts, so every run or ride is fully tracked. You can track your progress over training hours. In a racing environment, especially in a multi-day event, this can help you adjust your effort without worrying about running out of juice mid-run. Continuous data can help you put sustainable incentive strategies into practice.

Multi-day events are very hard on your body. Keeping your watch on for several days at a time lets you track heart rate trends and early signs of fatigue, allowing you to adjust your strategy based on your body’s response.

And the Apex 4 more than meets the requirements for reliable autonomy. This watch can run up to 65 hours in full GPS mode. According to Coros, that’s long enough to cover races like the Grand Traverse or a full loop around Mont Blanc.

Other cool features of the Coros Apex 4

Battery life isn’t the only thing that makes this Coros watch a great choice for endurance athletes. It has built-in dual-frequency GPS with advanced vertical algorithms, which means you’ll get extremely precise positioning even when you’re in dense forests or surrounded by mountains. So you can always trust your pace and route, regardless of difficult or remote conditions.

It also has a built-in microphone and speaker, allowing you to record voice pins to capture route notes or reminders for yourself during a long run. The speaker also lets you make hands-free calls or hear activity alerts out loud.

Sports tracking is also impressive, and it has everything you want in a fitness tracker, with a few added extras for trail running, ski touring, alpine climbing, and steep vertical training.

Where to buy the Coros Apex 4

The Coros Apex 4 is available for purchase on Amazon. The 46mm watch costs $479, while the 42mm option costs $429. Both are available in black or white colors.