The Coros Nomad is presented as an adventure watch featuring GPS, offline maps, and activity tracking capabilities, including yoga and bouldering. It includes an “Adventure Journal” for logging various outdoor experiences. Targeted primarily at outdoor enthusiasts, the watch retails for $349, aiming for a market that is growing, particularly among participants earning over $100,000 annually.
While the Nomad performs well in areas like battery life—with the ability to track activities for extended periods without frequent charging—its design appears more tailored to casual weekend users rather than serious adventurers. Users have reported limitations, particularly in how well the device accommodates specific outdoor activities like hiking and trail running, compared to road running features.
An issue identified is the watch’s reliance on a smartphone for certain functions, including weather alerts and emergency SOS capabilities, which can hinder its utility in remote locations without cell service. Despite features like customizable watch displays and tracking for various sports, many users expressed frustration over the lack of usability for hiking-related metrics and the interface’s unintuitive navigation.
The app functions to estimate training loads based on heart rate and duration, but this may not apply well to other activities, leading to unreliable recovery metrics. Notably absent is support for “rucking,” or hiking with a weighted backpack, a key aspect of many outdoor training regimens. The competition, such as Garmin’s offerings, has started to include dedicated modes for this purpose.
In summary, while the Coros Nomad shows promise in battery life, build quality, and some software functions, it falls short in meeting the needs of more serious outdoor sports enthusiasts. Improvements could include a more dedicated focus on trail running, hiking-specific features, and enhanced safety tools, which are important for backcountry adventures. The current iteration does not fully deliver on its marketing claims of being an all-purpose outdoor watch.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/tech/798613/coros-nomad-thru-hike-rucking