Coros Tempo 3 GPS Watch Evaluate

Backside Line

The Coros Tempo 3 is the proper light-weight GPS watch for many who need premium efficiency with out the premium price ticket.

Weighing simply 30 grams and that includes a smooth 11.7mm profile, it’s designed for all-day consolation and won’t weigh you down throughout prolonged actions. Its enticing worth and excessive efficiency make it a standout choice on our checklist of prime GPS watches.

The Tempo 3 comes loaded with options, together with coronary heart price monitoring, sleep monitoring, and oxygen saturation measurements. It additionally affords quite a lot of exercise modes and the choice to create customized exercise varieties. Navigation instruments like breadcrumb routing and route syncing through the COROS app are nice for hitting the path and staying on route.

With its inexpensive worth, the one concession in efficiency we discovered within the Tempo 3 is the touchscreen watch face. With a naked hand, manipulating the face requires a heavy contact, and with touchscreen-enabled gloves, the display screen responds about fifty % of the time. When the watch face turns into moist from sweat or precipitation, it barely responds in any respect, requiring using the scroll wheel and choose button. We ultimately resorted to turning off contact display screen capabilities and utilizing the buttons solely.

Nonetheless, that was actually the one bummer we had with this watch. It’s exhausting to discover a higher-performing watch than the Tempo 3, and one we suggest for entry-level hikers on the lookout for a well-designed and excellently constructed watch.

How We Examined

We put the Coros Tempo 3 GPS watch by way of its…properly, paces! We examined in a spread of real-world situations, from path operating and backcountry snowboarding to each day smartwatch use, to find out their strengths and weaknesses.

Over a two-month interval, we repeatedly drained and recharged every watch to evaluate battery efficiency, wore them for prolonged intervals to judge consolation and usefulness, and examined their GPS accuracy throughout numerous terrains. Through the use of the Tempo 3 in our each day routines, we guarantee our critiques are thorough, sensible, and grounded in firsthand expertise.

Accuracy

For a budget-priced watch, the Coros Tempo 3 tracks extraordinarily properly. It’s one of many most cost-effective watches in the marketplace that’s nonetheless dual-band GPS-enabled. This improves accuracy and supplies a few of the most dependable GPS knowledge no matter terrain.

Whereas we did discover some straying within the monitor whereas in steep, hilly terrain and canyons, the precise distinction in distance amounted to being lower than a tenth of a mile on our recognized distance loop. The sort of terrain challenges virtually each watch, and the Tempo 3 was no exception. We even used it on an indoor monitor and have been amazed to see it virtually similar to our recognized distance.

Total, the Tempo 3 has glorious accuracy and is dependable whatever the circumstances.

Battery Life

The Coros Tempo 3 has one of the best battery lifetime of any watch underneath 300 {dollars} that we examined.

With a claimed GPS battery lifetime of 38 hours, it packs a powerful punch. We used this look ahead to each day use and each day GPS train for 10 days earlier than needing to recharge. Whereas the GPS battery life could also be barely lower than claimed, it’s nonetheless greater than sufficient for repeated use and lengthy outings with out recharging.

The Coros Tempo 3 doesn’t come outfitted with UltraMax mode, which higher-end Coros fashions have that nearly doubles the battery life. Even with out this operate, the Tempo 3 has greater than sufficient batteries for all-day endurance occasions or each day coaching.

Consolation & Wearability

With an similar measured and said weight of 39 grams, the Tempo 3 is the second-lightest watch in our lineup. It barely feels there on the wrist and is comfy to tighten down totally to get correct coronary heart price and blood oxygen saturation readings.

The watch comes with a silicone band, however an aftermarket nylon band from Coros makes the watch each lighter and extra comfy when tightened. The silicone band can also be closely aerated, so our wrists by no means felt sweaty and sticky.

The Tempo 3 is extraordinarily skinny, with a thickness of lower than half an inch. Its 1.2-inch show dimension and 1.65-inch whole width give it a great stability of a giant display screen however smaller total dimensions. Those that favor smaller watches or have slender wrists will really feel proper at residence sporting the Tempo 3.

Options

With a number of exercise varieties, the Coros affords progressive methods to trace and document actions regardless of the game. If the watch doesn’t have the game you’re doing or doesn’t show the metric you want, create a customized exercise kind inside the app, after which sync it to the telephone. That is nice for not solely creating distinctive exercise varieties but additionally for creating customized layouts and knowledge shows.

Whereas the Tempo 3 can’t obtain offline maps, it will possibly sync offline routes from the app. Breadcrumb navigation and the flexibility so as to add factors are different nice options for backcountry use.

Nonetheless, the Tempo 3 lacks many options of devoted smartwatches for each day use. It makes for an amazing each day coach and is sweet sufficient for mild backcountry outings, however it’s most likely not our first alternative for each day smartwatch use.

Ease of Use

The Tempo 3 continues Coros’ confirmed historical past of streamlined consumer expertise each on the watch and within the app. The companion app is certainly one of our favorites for planning routes, creating customized exercise varieties, and knowledge evaluation. All of the menus and shows are simply accessed on the watch with the scroll wheel or again button.

Nonetheless, the contact display screen does go away some room to be desired. It requires a heavy contact and solely works about fifty % of the time whereas sporting touchscreen-enabled gloves. It turns into virtually unattainable to make use of when the watch face turns into moist, whether or not by perspiration or precipitation. We discovered ourselves as a rule selecting to show off contact display screen capabilities and utilizing the scroll wheel for extra exact choice.

We suggest utilizing this watch with auto lock on, because it’s very simple to unintentionally pause actions by bumping the scroll wheel with a glove or hand.

Ought to You Purchase the Coros Tempo 3 GPS Watch?

With its attainable worth level, the Tempo 3 is the proper choice for these new to GPS watches, whereas its excessive efficiency is certain to impress seasoned veterans alike.

Whereas it lacks some options in devoted smartwatches, it’s the proper streamlined look ahead to each day coaching and use in lengthy endurance occasions. Its spectacular battery life defies its small dimension and is good for these heading out on day-long adventures needing to trace each second. Its small dimension, low weight, and luxury on the wrist make the Tempo 3 extraordinarily comfy. It matches slender wrists properly and lacks the majority of many different extremely featured watches.

The Tempo 3 is greater than a budget-priced watch; it’s a high-value performer match for the devoted endurance athlete or weekender alike.

What Different Watches Ought to You Contemplate?

Under are extra of one of the best GPS watches just like the Tempo 3 from our GPS watches gear information.

Coros Apex 2 Professional Evaluate: One other stand-out performer from Coros, the Apex 2 Professional has extra options for backcountry adventures like offline maps and prolonged battery life.

Garmin Forerunner 165 Evaluate: With the identical display screen dimension and related weight, the Forerunner 165 is one other trim watch whose efficiency punches above its weight.

Garmin Vivoactive 5 Evaluate: For those who beloved the smooth profile and low weight of the Tempo 3, the Vivoactive is even smaller and lighter for smaller wrists or those that favor a light-weight watch.