Cheaper than its rival, the Coros Nomad has a larger display, a different strap mechanism, Coros‘ excellent suite of metrics, and is lighter. It’s got lower battery life and water resistance, though.
The latest in Garmin’s popular Instinct line of rugged outdoor watches, the Instinct 3 has lots of different hardware variants, including different sizes and Solar versions, swapping its AMOLED screen for a duller MIP version with battery-extending Power Glass.
In 2025, the list of the best fitness trackers available to choose from is a long one. However, if you’re an outdoors enthusiast interested in a rugged sports watch, two products have likely caught your eye – the Coros Nomad and the Garmin Instinct 3. Both come with solid GPS tracking credentials, a selection of outdoor-focused features and weeks of battery life in smartwatch mode. However, when you put them side-by-side, which one reigns supreme?
We’ve got you covered with our detailed comparison below to help you pick the right model for you.
Coros Nomad vs Garmin Instinct 3: Price
The Coros Nomad is essentially aimed at customers wanting a Garmin-like experience without necessarily spending Garmin money, and to that end, it’s $50 cheaper than even the cheapest version of the Garmin Instinct 3.
The Coros will set you back $349 / £319 / AU$$649.95, with no extra options for sizes or screens, but the 45mm Garmin Instinct 3 starts at $399 / £349 / AU$829 and goes up from there depending on which size you’re after and whether you want solar charging or a brighter AMOLED screen.
That means the Coros has the advantage out of the gate by being cheaper overall, but you might find that the Garmin has the options you need, such as larger models and solar charging.
A cheaper Garmin Instinct E, a stripped-back version of the watch without many of its features and less reliable single-band GPS compared to the Instinct 3’s multi-band, retails for $299 / £259 / AU$549. Coros acts as a midpoint here, between value and advanced features.
Specs
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Coros Nomad |
Garmin Instinct 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
Price |
$349/£319 |
From $399/£349 |
|
Dimensions |
47.8 x 47.8 x 16.4 mm |
45 x 45 x 14.9 mm (45mm) or 50 x 50 x 14.4 mm (50mm) |
|
Display |
1.3-inch MIP touchscreen |
0.9-inch MIP or 1.1-inch MIP for Solar versions, 1.2-inch or 1.3-inch AMOLED |
|
Battery Life |
22 days in smartwatch mode, 50 hours in GPS mode |
28 days in smartwatch mode, 100 hours in GPS mode |
|
Water Resistance |
Up to 50 meters |
Up to 100 meters |
|
GPS |
Dual-frequency |
Dual-frequency |
Design
At a quick glance, you’d be forgiven for struggling to tell each of these smartwatches apart. Garmin has set a template for its Instinct rugged smartwatches in recent years, and it seems not only is it sticking to it, but some of its rivals like Coros are, too. As a result, there are no slimline bezels here, with each watch feeling pleasingly chunky.
Still, once you go hands-on, there are major differences: the Coros has a touchscreen display, whereas the Garmin Instinct 3 navigate via buttons only. That helps the Instinct 3 hit more battery life on a single charge, but the AMOLED panel on the Coros is a little easier to read in brighter conditions.
The Coros panel is a little larger, too, presumably because it needs the space for users poking and prodding the display. The Coros packs three physical buttons including its Apple-style digital crown, while the Garmin uses its now-classic five-button configuration for navigation.
Coros and Garmin’s straps feel very different, with Garmin’s molded silicon straps creating a camber as you can see in the photos, and they cannot be changed. The Coros Nomad, on the other hand, uses a classic analog watch-style pin system with an easy release, allowing you to lie the watch flat and change straps.
Software-wise, the design is very similar, the main UX being a list of low-power widget previews that expand when interacted with.
Features
With these being rugged devices designed for endurance sports, it’s important to make sure they’ll go the distance, if you’ll pardon the pun. Both have chassis made from polymer, and there’s aluminum reinforcement underneath both, too.
Still, durability goes to the Garmin for us because it can theoretically survive at a depth of 100m underwater while the Coros can only withstand half of that.
They’re both pretty close when it comes to features, too. There’s dual-frequency GPS across both devices, meaning each should be just about as accurate as the other. While we haven’t done a comparative test between both GPS systems, previous Coros watches such as the Pace 3 have compared favorably to the Apple Watch Ultra 2, our standard test unit, as has the Garmin Instinct 3. You can see how we tested the Garmin against the Apple Watch on a hike earlier this year.
There is a tradeoff, however. Do you want more detailed sleep tracking? The Garmin will be ideal for you, but it lacks the ECG sensor that you’ll find on the Coros, allowing it to check for atrial fibrilation and heart rate variability.
The Coros can download navigational data and boasts supports for offline maps to help you find your way home. The Instinct 3 doesn’t have proper maps support, instead relying on its TracBack and basic directional route features as you can see in the picture above.
Workout modes are well stocked, too. There are over 50 activity modes on the Coros, while there are more than 100 on the Instinct 3. The Nomad also boasts a very cool adventure journal feature, including voice notes to capture on the move, and even eight different kinds of fishing activities.
Battery life
The Coros Nomad puts up solid numbers here, running for over three weeks (22 days) in smartwatch mode, or 50 hours with GPS mode enabled.
The Garmin Instinct 3 blows its rival away, though, offering up to 28 days in smartwatch mode and up to 100 hours in GPS mode for its largest model.
The caveat is that this is with the Solar model, and that number goes up or down depending on your model. The standard, non-Solar model, still hits 68 hours or 86 hours, depending on its size, while the Solar 50mm version can reach a whopping 150 hours.
- Battery Life: Garmin Instinct 3
Coros Nomad vs Garmin Instinct 3: Verdict
There are a few key considerations when pitting the Coros Nomad against the Garmin Instinct 3, with each one offering something a little different to the other but with plenty of overlap.
If you need longer battery life, the Garmin is your best bet, and it also has better sleep tracking, but at the cost of a touchscreen display and an ECG scan.
On the flipside, the Coros has fewer workout modes, but it’s cheaper, is lighter, and has a touchscreen that’s likely to be slightly easier for newcomers to fitness trackers. Our early verdict is a tie based on our brief time with the Nomad, but we’ll get back to you once we’ve given it a thorough test run.
