The Coros Pace 4 has been named the best overall running watch by The New York Times Wirecutter, beating established heavyweights from Garmin, Apple, and Polar to claim the most influential recommendation in consumer running technology. The accolade caps a remarkable 18 months for the Chinese-American brand, which has gone from niche ultrarunning favourite to mainstream contender with a product that prioritises simplicity, accuracy, and value.
Wirecutter's recommendation cites the Pace 4's "unmatched balance of lightweight design, highly accurate data recording, and accessibility for runners of all levels" — a description that captures why the watch has resonated so strongly with the running community. At 37 grams, the Pace 4 is lighter than most running watches by a significant margin, and its GPS accuracy has consistently ranked among the best in independent testing. Battery life of up to 38 hours in GPS mode makes it viable for ultramarathon distances without the bulk of larger watches.
The Coros platform has matured significantly since the brand's early days. The Coros Training Hub now offers structured training plans, recovery monitoring, and performance analytics that rival Garmin Connect, while the EvoLab platform provides accessible metrics like threshold pace, VO2max estimates, and training load management. The app interface remains cleaner and less cluttered than Garmin's, which can overwhelm new users with data they do not yet understand how to interpret.
At $299, the Pace 4 undercuts the Garmin Forerunner 265 ($350) and Apple Watch Ultra 2 ($799) while delivering comparable or superior running-specific features. The watch's success reflects a broader shift in the GPS watch market away from feature bloat and toward focused, well-executed running tools. For Garmin, which has dominated the running watch category for over a decade, the Coros Pace 4's Wirecutter crown represents a genuine competitive challenge — and a signal that the running watch market is no longer a one-brand race.