Coros Dura review: astonishing battery life, but there's one area that needs improvement

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The Dura is the maiden bike computer from Coros, a brand that made its reputation with running and multi-sport devices.

Its excellent battery life is a highlight, but there’s more to it than that. All the fundamental functions are present, correct and operate well overall, it works with the major third-party apps and it’s cheaper than many rivals.

It still needs refinement – the screen size is a flaw – but there’s much to be enjoyed about the Dura.

Coros Dura specs and details

Like many of the best cycling computers, much is made of the Dura’s 'crystal-clear colour touchscreen' and dual-frequency GPS navigation, aimed at the full gamut of riders. The Dura has road bike, electric road bike, gravel, MTB, eMTB and indoor-riding options.

But the headline-grabbing feature is the battery life – a claimed 120 hours from a single charge. Coros cemented a foothold in the sports-watch market thanks to this massive battery life (with products such as the Pace smartwach), so it’s perhaps not surprising that it's a major selling point here.

The claimed battery life is down in large part to its solar composition, although 70 hours (also claimed) without solar help is not too shoddy, either.

The screen measures 2.7in, or 69mm, with the solar coming in at around 30mm. It’s also 60.8mm wide and 15.7mm deep, resulting in a shape that, when viewed from a certain angle, looks like a wing mirror.

The screen resolution is 400x240 pixels and it features 64 colours.

The Dura weighed 99g on my scales, with an extra 44g for the out-front handlebar mount.

The other aesthetic standout is the digital dial that you rotate to change functions (and press to activate those functions). It’s hardware seen on many of Coros’ watches, albeit larger.

The Dura also has touchscreen operation, plus there’s a sole button in the right-hand corner, primarily to turn the unit on and roll back through features.

It’s loaded with features, including its navigation capacity where, via the Coros app, you can either create your own routes or download from popular third-party platforms such as Ride with GPS and Strava.

The Coros Dura also comes with a swathe of features for the performance-oriented cyclist.

Log into the FTP test function on your indoor trainer and you’ll receive an estimate of your functional threshold of power on which to hang training zones; sync workouts from the Coros app or via a third-party provider; discover your training load to reflect on how your body handles each ride; and create or receive training plans through the app that then connects to the Dura.

It’s fair to say none of these features are revolutionary, but it brings the Coros Dura onto the same playing field as rivals from Garmin, Wahoo and Hammerhead, broadly speaking.

The unit features ANT+, Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity. If you’re a sensor polygamist, you can connect up to 12 of them at once.

Coros Dura performance

First up, the battery life proved good to its word and I didn’t have to recharge it once. That’s incredible because I racked up many a mile and hour riding around hilly West Wales (holiday) and the Somerset Levels (near home).

Many of my test rides took place on particularly sunny days, but I have no evidence to dispute the claim of immense longevity.

Understandably, 120 hours could prove ambitious in the midst of a dull winter (colder weather can tax batteries more too), but still, the battery life is impressive, especially when you compare it to more expensive competitors such as Wahoo’s Elemnt Roam V2 (claimed 17 hours) and a claimed 20 hours for the Garmin Edge 1050.

On the evidence of early BikeRadar testing, Wahoo’s new Elemnt Ace is around 25-30 hours. Rather neatly, after every recorded ride, you’re shown the remaining battery life and how much recharge was derived from the solar recharging.

The payback of that impressive battery life is the 2.7in screen. Although it’s the same size as a computer such as the Elemnt, it feels smaller because of the solar panel on the outer face.

That said, as time and miles rolled by, my perspective acclimatised to the solar impingement, but I’d still prefer a little more size. The screen’s also a little duller than some, failing to match the visual acuity of a computer such as the Hammerhead Karoo 2.

Will you choose the touchscreen or the dial as your scrolling implement of choice? It’s an interesting question, because habit initially sent me to the touchscreen. But, as the weeks rolled by, I increasingly employed the dial.

Both are intuitive, however, and result in swift reactiveness when scrolling through the features.

GPS pick-up is swift and sustains a signal well, even in built-up areas.

On a basic level, you have a blue arrow (you) that follows a rudimentary (but detailed enough to be useful) map. It’s easy to follow; you can zoom in and out via the touchscreen and move the map around, again with the touchscreen.

You then have next-level navigation via routes. Creating your own is easy via the Coros app. Just drop the pin on Start, drop the pin on End and it creates a route. Uploading routes via Strava proved equally simple following the initial pairing of accounts.

Syncing between your smartphone (in my case, an iPhone) and the unit is incredibly impressive, sending data over almost instantaneously. You then click on ‘Navigation’ on the unit, choose which mode of cycling you’ll undertake for said route and start.

When riding an uploaded route and hitting a climb, about the bottom third of the screen displays the ascending profile, with the severity of the climb indicated by the colour – similar to Garmin’s Climb Pro and Wahoo’s Summit features.

Red is steep, yellow moderate and green flat or downhill. It’s a nifty feature seen on an increasing number of bike computers, albeit the average gradient didn’t always match my sensations or the known gradient in real time (often showing as easier than they are).

Rerouting has been a bugbear at times – there’s a slight lag when I stray off-route and the device must be connected to the Coros app for rerouting to happen in the first place. Note, too, that rerouting doesn’t display the climbing profile – this only works if you’re on the route you originally planned.

Back home, stopping a ride results in the swift syncing seen before. Analysis of sessions on the Coros app is easy thanks to clear presentation of data through graphs.

How much data you have to analyse depends on how many sensors you had connected, of course, but all the major ones are covered (including heart rate, power and cadence).

With at least the heart-rate data acquired, I could tap into the training load feature. This is seen on many bike computers and highlights physiological feedback such as the split between aerobic and anaerobic demands. Many won’t use this feature, but it offers an indication at a glance (in addition to how you feel, of course).

The workout option proved fruitful. I tried a couple that are pre-loaded in the Coros app (including Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee’s bike workout). As with all zone-based workouts, it’s best to take an FTP test first (there’s one pre-loaded) if you don’t know yours, because it taps into this via your profile.

Of course, you’ll need to factor in a power meter or smart trainer to make the most of this.

I also appreciated the auto-pause function – especially at traffic lights – and a neat little screw on the mount that can add extra security if you know the route’s particularly rough.

How does the Coros Dura compare to similarly priced bike computers?

At £250, the Coros Dura is the same price as Garmin’s Edge Explore 2. I’m similarly impressed by many of the features seen on the Dura, such as its swift pick-up and retention of GPS.

However, the screen of the Explore 2 is slightly larger at 3in, and it’s crisper and clearer. The rerouting is sharper, too, although I’d hope Coros accelerates and sharpens this feature with further updates.

The Coros Dura is also the same price as the Wahoo Elemnt Bolt V2, which like the Coros, is extremely usable.

Its battery life is incomparable, however – the Dura has it well beaten.

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Coros Dura bottom line

Where does that leave us? Well, you can’t argue with the Dura's battery life, which is remarkable. Those of you heading on bikepacking holidays in far-flung corners of the world should take note.

However, also take note that on-the-fly viewing isn’t as crisp as it could be because of that solar feature. I’m certainly hoping for a more sophisticated integration of solar technology down the line.

Then again, there’s a lot to like here for both recreational and more committed riders. It’s not perfect but it's a strong debut from a company that seems to react and improve very quickly. On this evidence, I’m excited to see what Coros has in store for the future.

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