Verdict

Pros

• Comfortable design
• Wrist-based heart rate monitor
• Simple miCoach system

Cons

• Terrible battery life
• Expensive
• Requires a charging dock

What is the Adidas miCoach Smart Run?

The Adidas miCoach Smart Run is the sporting giant’s latest performance tracking gadget and its first attempt at a dedicated sports watch. Based around the already popular miCoach platform, this fitness tracking sports watch has built-in GPS and records a range of data metrics during your runs and cycles, with distances, timings and even heart rate relayed directly to your wrist.

At £350, the Adidas miCoach Smart Run is not cheap, but then a watch with built-in GPS and a heart rate reader was never likely to be. It has tough competition from the likes of the likes of the Nike Fuelband SE, the TomTom Multi-Sport and TomTom Runner, though, and ultimately Addidas’ lack of experience in this market shows.

Related: Best Fitness Trackers

Adidas miCoach Smart Run: Design

The Adidas miCoach Smart Run is big and chunky without being too overpowering. Despite weighing a considerable 80.5g, it’s comfortable for both daily use and as a running aid. The double-width strap and buckle help ensure the metal and plastic body is secure and doesn’t move during exercise. But this comfort and security does come at the price of adjustability – it’s really fiddly to loosen or tighten the watch during a run.

Another irksome issue is how easily the attractive soft-touch rubber design picks up fluff and dirt. This might seem like a small point, but you’ll understand when you find it’s picked up all sorts of detritus from the contents of your sports bag.

Our only other concern with the Adidas miCoach Smart Run’s finish is the lack of ventilation. Due to its size, the Smart Run caused our wrist to become excessively sweaty during runs. To some level this is unavoidable and we experienced no chaffing as a result, but it means a serious clean of the watch is required after every use.

It’s easy to use, though. Controls comprise a touchscreen and a single physical button. The small, rounded control is well placed on the front of the watch and as well as acting as a power control, lets you jump back to the main homescreen quickly and easily.

Adidas miCoach Smart Run: Screen Quality

The Smart Run’s 1.45-inch TFT square touchscreen display features a 184 x 184 pixel resolution, which proves ample for its relatively basic tasks without ever excelling.

It’s utilitarian and basic with relatively weak colours and text that appear slightly hazy at the edges, but it does its basic job fine and the touch control proved responsive.

Even with only a basic array of swipe and tap gestures, the watch is easy to control, even when plodding along on a run. What’s more, the screen is easy to read in most lighting conditions, from brightly lit rooms to gloomy night time runs.