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The COROS NOMAD is not actually for “nomads.” A real backpacker spending weeks per 12 months within the mountains wants a satellite tv for pc watch (or handheld) for climate alerts, messaging, and SOSs. The NOMAD’s actual audience? Path runners or weekend hikers: folks keen about health and nature, however who’ll by no means stray too far off the crushed path.
Most adventure-branded watches — the Garmin Fenix 8, Polar Grit X2, Suunto Vertical, or VERTIX 2S — goal severe outdoorsfolk with premium function units and hulking designs. Solely the Garmin Intuition sequence caters to the thrifty, reasonable hiker area of interest, and the Intuition 3 strays into mid-range territory.
COROS NOMAD: Worth and specs
The COROS NOMAD was launched in mid-August 2025 for $349 / €369 / £319 / CA$499 / AU$649. It is obtainable in three finishes: Inexperienced, Brown, and Darkish Gray.
It makes use of the Ambiq Apollo 510 processor, with a Cortex-M55 processor clocked at 250 MHz; for context, the Pixel Watch 4 makes use of the M55 for background duties. A severe pace improve over previous COROS watches, this processor ensures the NOMAD can have the capability for brand spanking new function upgrades over the following few years.
The NOMAD sports activities the identical sensors, GPS commonplace, maps, cupboard space, and coaching software program as COROS’s pricier fashions. Upgrading to an APEX 4 or VERTIX 2S primarily nets you titanium supplies, sapphire glass, and longer battery life.
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Specs |
Coros Nomad |
|---|---|
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Dimensions |
47.8 x 47.8 x 16.4mm |
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Weight |
49g (nylon) / 61g (silicone) |
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Supplies |
Excessive-strength polymer + aluminum |
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Colours |
Brown, Inexperienced, Darkish Gray |
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Buttons |
Digital dial, again button, motion key |
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Safety |
5 ATM, hardened mineral glass |
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Show |
1.3-inch (260×260) MIP contact |
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Battery |
22 days; 50 hours (All-systems GNSS); 34 hours (dual-frequency) |
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Charging |
1.5 hours |
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Sensors |
PPG, SpO2, altimeter, accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, temperature, ECG |
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Monitoring |
GPS (L1 + L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BeiDou, QZSS |
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Smarts |
Mic for voice pins, 32GB for music and panorama/ topo maps, climate, alarm, timer, stopwatch |
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Key health instruments |
EvoLab, working health take a look at, coaching load (advice), restoration timer, effort tempo, coaching plans, exercises |
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Pricing |
$349 / €369 / £319 / CA$499 / AU$649 |
COROS NOMAD: What you may love
The NOMAD’s MIP show checks off the suitable packing containers for hikers. COROS tremendously improved the colour and distinction ratio in comparison with older fashions, making it totally readable indoors whereas trying implausible outside. It really beats the pricier APEX 4 for visibility; the latter’s sapphire glass layer provides a reflective tint that dims the distinction.
I will admit to preferring AMOLED shows generally; anybody with poorer eyesight may profit from an Intuition 3 AMOLED, which hits an analogous three-week lifespan to the NOMAD. However MIP shows are always-on by default, whereas AOD wrecks the Intuition’s battery life. And the latter seems a lot dimmer in direct daylight, because it solely hits 1,000 nits. For fast glances whereas working on tough trails, I might belief the NOMAD extra.
COROS lacks the Intuition’s photo voltaic recharging possibility, however once more, I do not assume the goal NOMAD demographic must surpass its spectacular 34-hour dual-band GPS capability — although it may be nearer to 25–30 hours for real-world utilization, based mostly on my testing. Its thick design is not suited to sleep monitoring, so I at all times discover ample time to recharge it within the uncommon moments that it runs low on energy.
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COROS watches won’t ever win magnificence contests, however the polymer-heavy look fits a mountain climbing watch, particularly because the raised bezel protects the show from scratches. I additionally love how the COROS emblem is etched subtly into the case, whereas it seems cheesy printed in white alongside different fashions’ shows.
At 61g with the silicone band, it is a cheap weight contemplating its measurement, and you should purchase an additional nylon band if you wish to slice off 12g. The strap is comfy sufficient, although the top fastening pin takes some getting used to.
The quick Ambiq processor ensures that turning the crown, or swiping the touchscreen, shortly scrolls by means of your coaching widgets, well being stats, and fundamental apps like Calendar and Climate. The UI is easy, however streamlined.
COROS added a 3rd Motion button for shortcuts like Laps or Voice Pins throughout actions. It is presently underutilized, however promising: I need the Motion button to assist a number of shortcuts (aka faucet, double-tap, and maintain) and to summon apps outdoors of exercises, such because the Compass, Map, or Stopwatch.
The actual NOMAD showstopper is its offline map navigation paired with road/path names and close by POIs like bogs or campsites. Obtain your native area, and you’ll examine which path to tackle impromptu hikes, with near-immediate map loading once you zoom in/out or swipe to pan.
Making a route within the COROS app is easy, auto-following trails to particular waypoints, and it syncs to the NOMAD in seconds. With that, you may have clear turn-by-turn navigation on your hike — with warnings in the event you go off path.
Assuming you pay twice as a lot for a Garmin watch with maps, you may get perks like NextFork warnings at trailheads, ClimbPro knowledge on upcoming hills, or textual content lists of close by or up-ahead POIs you can navigate on to. However the bloated expertise overloads Garmin’s processor, so it is laggy and irritating to make use of outdoors of programs. COROS’s map is less complicated, however works nicely, and we are able to hope for map upgrades over time.
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Maps apart, the COROS OS focuses on conventional cardio monitoring. The EvoLab coaching suite helps 7-day coaching load with HR zone splits, Coaching Standing, cardio and anaerobic Coaching Impact, restoration estimates, VO2 Max, and different important stats for severe athletes. Sleep stats like HRV will assist COROS choose your restoration, although once more, not everybody shall be comfy sleeping with the NOMAD.
Since August 2025, the NOMAD has added a flashlight show mode, music playback controls, voice coaching notes, transfer alerts, a “Resume Later” software, working kind evaluation, and several other different instruments. I count on the NOMAD’s software program to proceed to enhance over time, catching up in areas the place it falls in need of different manufacturers like Garmin.
COROS NOMAD: GPS accuracy
My NOMAD health take a look at again in August confirmed how its dual-band GPS and HR accuracy in contrast towards my Garmin Forerunner 970‘s dual-band GPS.
First, throughout a 12-mile run, I used the battery-saving All-Techniques mode (with out the L5 GPS frequency), matched towards Garmin’s SatIQ mode for accuracy. They solely differed by 50m/ 0.03 miles, a tiny discrepancy for an extended distance; the NOMAD (pink line) continuously drifted off the street whereas Garmin’s (blue) stayed regular, but it surely did not influence the general outcomes an excessive amount of.
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I toggled dual-band GPS on for each watches on a brief hike loop. Within the more difficult situations, each watches matched my expectations, staying in lockstep with the path. My solely qualm was that the NOMAD’s path (orange) confirmed an odd glitch at hike’s finish, warping me to an earlier a part of the hike (first slide). I have never replicated the error on subsequent hikes, fortunately.
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I used the NOMAD for 2 different actions, a 10K jog and a seven-mile hike, each utilizing its dual-frequency mode. For the run, each it and the Forerunner 970 measured the identical 6.21 miles and 159 spm cadence, and the NOMAD’s GPS line largely caught to (or near) my real-world path, solely shedding my path in tunnels or beneath some underpasses.
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For the hike, the NOMAD likewise did nicely. It prevented any elevation discrepancies that you just get with much less correct GPS watches and dealt with any sign points beneath foliage or by steep hill faces.
COROS NOMAD: Coronary heart price accuracy
Throughout the identical actions above, I synced my Garmin HRM 200 as a management group towards the COROS NOMAD. I by no means count on an optical, wrist-based sensor to match a chest strap completely, however the nearer the common and smaller the graphical gaps, the higher.
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In the course of the 12-mile run (first slide), the NOMAD stayed in parallel with the chest strap, at the same time as my HR rose from low to excessive cardio and anaerobic; it ended 1 bpm quick on common, however I used to be fairly proud of the end result.
For the 4-mile hike (second slide), the hole between them was barely extra notable, notably on sudden inclines or declines, with a number of HR crests the place the NOMAD did not sustain. It ended 2 bpm quick on common, so I knew I wanted to double-check these outcomes on one other, longer hike.
For my subsequent two exams, the NOMAD averaged 1 bpm beneath the Garmin chest strap for my 6-mile run (144 vs. 145), however produced the identical 119-bpm common for my 7-mile hike. Because the above graph exhibits, the NOMAD has a number of moments throughout two hours the place it may’t sustain with the chest strap for sudden rises, but it surely finally did not have an effect on the overall outcomes.
COROS NOMAD: Journey Journal
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COROS gave the NOMAD two signature options: Journey Journal with Voice Pins for hikers and distinctive fishing instruments. I can not converse to the latter, however the Journey Journal is tailor-made to social media-savvy path runners desirous to flaunt their nature exploits, but additionally to on a regular basis hikers.
It is easy sufficient to make use of: Throughout a hike, faucet the NOMAD’s Motion button to both place a pin describing the spot — hazard, toilet, trailfork, and many others. — or report a voice pin as an on-the-go mountain climbing diary entry. When you finish the exercise, COROS can have each pin geotagged in your route, along with your recordings transcribed into textual content.
If you happen to take photographs or movies, you may assign them to particular pins throughout or after the hike. Then, as soon as your Journal is completed, you simply faucet the Share button, and you’ll export an information abstract or 3D flyover to put up on-line or share with others.
Some hikers will not care in regards to the sharing side, however it’s useful that pins stay saved in your map; once you construct future routes, you may faucet them to recollect the place you noticed lovely views, tick infestations, or something in-between.
COROS NOMAD: What you will not like
Many COROS NOMAD flaws stem from its value: Severe hikers will need sapphire glass or built-in satellite tv for pc connectivity, however these are tall asks for a $350 watch! Nonetheless, potential Garmin converts will miss the built-in flashlight, contactless funds, official MIL-STD-810H score, and apps like Spotify and YouTube Music.
My complaints are extra about software program than {hardware}. COROS made this for hikers, however most of its coaching software program stays tailor-made to street working greater than path working, mountain climbing, or rucking. VO2 Max is not tracked for path runs, you may’t add pack weight to regulate your estimates, and restoration estimates take cardiovascular tiredness into consideration greater than muscle fatigue or altitude adjustment. Mainly, the NOMAD might cater to hikers extra than it does now.
Anybody used to an Apple or Put on OS watch will discover COROS’s UI painfully rudimentary. I do not thoughts a streamlined health expertise, however I do discover utilizing the toolbox annoying, in addition to the notification submenu. I might desire an choice to swipe left and proper by means of a number of favourite apps, or extra app button shortcuts if that is not doable.
COROS NOMAD: Competitors
The Garmin Intuition 3 is the COROS NOMAD’s foremost rival, with kindred designs, the identical core of coaching instruments and exercise plans, and related battery capability and GPS accuracy. Garmin’s mannequin is available in a number of sizes and consists of an AMOLED possibility, handed the MIL-STD-810H commonplace take a look at, consists of an LED flashlight, and has sure software program perks like every day prompt exercises and a rucking exercise that you’re going to admire. Nevertheless it solely affords breadcrumb navigation, with no offline maps to make complicated trailheads simpler to navigate, and it prices $400–500.
Most different competing journey watches are too costly to be known as “competitors.” An Amazfit T-Rex 3 Professional offers you a rugged design with sapphire glass, as much as 25 days of battery life regardless of the three,000-nit AMOLED show, and features a flashlight, maps, dual-band GPS, and different perks for $400.
COROS NOMAD: Must you purchase it?
You can purchase the COROS NOMAD if…
- You care extra about maps, coaching recs, battery life, and correct outcomes than conventional smarts.
- You are keen to compromise for a lower cost.
- You favor an MIP show to AMOLED.
You should not purchase the COROS NOMAD if…
- You care tremendously about good and apps outdoors of hikes and exercises.
- You are not keen to surrender a lacking function like sapphire glass, a built-in flashlight, or NFC.
The NOMAD is a superb instance of COROS’s capacity to supply nice worth at value tiers that different manufacturers have left behind. If you happen to’re somebody who desires to get extra severely into mountain climbing, however would not need to commit a grand or extra on a fancier watch, it is the start line I might advocate.
Whereas a COROS APEX 4 or VERTIX 2S may be higher suited to extra severe hikers and runners, they’ve a lot of the similar software program compromises at larger value factors. On the NOMAD’s value level, it is extra cheap to simply accept some drawbacks.
FAQ
Does COROS sync with Strava/ Komoot/ my favourite app?
COROS syncs with an extended checklist of area of interest health apps. You’ll be able to obtain TrainingPeaks plans to your COROS calendar, sync your COROS exercises to well-liked apps like Strava and Nike Run Membership, or join it to Well being Join for Android or Apple Well being on iOS. Plus, you may usually bulk import exercises from one other model like Garmin or Polar.
Yow will discover the total checklist right here, together with Adidas Working, Decathlon, Komoot, Journey with GPS, Runna, Stryd, and the apps listed above.
Can the COROS NOMAD import my music playlists?
No, sadly. You’ll be able to join the NOMAD to your pc through your charging adapter, then add private MP3 information and eject the watch. Music shall be performed within the order they had been downloaded, although there is a shuffle possibility. In comparison with different health watches with app partnerships, COROS’s expertise is restricted.
Sure. In 2025, a report indicated that COROS watches could possibly be hijacked to entry your knowledge, spy on notifications, or manipulate settings. The NOMAD and different COROS watches have acquired the required fixes as of August 2025.
How does the COROS NOMAD evaluate to the APEX 4?
The pricier APEX 4 46mm has a number of upsides: Sapphire show glass, titanium bezel, a speaker to allow Bluetooth calling, and an additional two days or 7 dual-band GPS hours. There’s additionally a lighter 42mm APEX 4 with a 1.2-inch show, with the identical {hardware} upgrades however shorter battery life than the NOMAD by seven days or eight dual-band GPS hours. The software program and sensors are in any other case equivalent.
