Struggling to pick a fitness watch – gone full circle (Apple vs COROS vs others)
I’m really struggling to settle on a fitness watch and keep going round in circles, so would appreciate some honest advice.
Here’s my journey so far:
Started with Apple Watch Series 6 → upgraded to Ultra 2
Liked it overall but found it too bulky and got fed up with charging
Moved to COROS Pace Pro
Loved the simplicity and the app (probably my favourite app overall)
Felt a bit “cheap” on the wrist compared to Apple
Switched to Garmin Forerunner 570 (influenced by reviews/social media)
Really didn’t like the Garmin app or ecosystem
Felt like an awkward middle ground between smartwatch and fitness watch
Ended up selling it at a loss
Tried Amazfit Balance 2
Feature-packed but felt worse than both Garmin and COROS
Screen was a fingerprint magnet → returned
Tried Huawei GT6 Pro
Loved the premium feel and hardware
App wasn’t great → returned
Now I’ve come full circle and ordered an Apple Watch Series 11 through Vitality (so it’s basically free if I hit activity targets).
But I’m hesitating again because:
I didn’t like charging my previous Apple Watches
I actually enjoyed moving away from “smartwatch” features
I keep thinking about going back to COROS (Pace 4 or Pace Pro)
For context:
I mainly do spin classes and swim regularly
Getting back into running after a knee injury
I care a lot about the quality of the app and overall user experience
I also like a watch that feels nice/premium on the wrist
So I guess my question is:
Should I stick with the Apple Watch (because it’s free and versatile), or go back to COROS because I enjoyed the experience more?
Would really appreciate thoughts, especially from anyone who’s been between Apple and COROS.
I intent to cross post this as I know most here love COROS. If the Apple Watch wasn’t basically free I probably wouldn’t be considering it to be honest.