Is Coros really a credible alternative to Garmin for runners?

Across the reviewers we read, yes, particularly at the value end. Coros watches are repeatedly praised for battery life, lightweight builds, and a cleaner training app, while criticism centers on a smaller third-party app ecosystem and, on the Pace 4 specifically, early durability reports from specialist communities. Garmin still has the deeper feature set and broader sensor compatibility, but Coros is no longer a fringe choice.