At COROS, we’ve always believed that the only way to truly create athlete-focused products is to live the athlete experience ourselves. From ultramarathons to mountain summits, and 5k's to cycling adventures, every new feature and product design begins and ends with one question: Does this enhance the experience of an athlete in their setting?

While plans and mock ups are designed in the lab or run through simulations, ultimately the great outdoors is where the true feedback will appear. Relying on product testers, professional athletes, and our very own employees, the culture of living our product starts at the top.

A Culture That Trains, Climbs, and Rides

Lewis riding near Lone Pine, CA and climbing in Yosemite National Park

When COROS CEO and co-founder Lewis Wu talks about product testing, he isn’t referencing a checklist. He’s talking about the trail runs, climbs, and rides that fill his calendar.

“My sports are usually a combination of climbing, cycling, and running...sometimes I’ll do others like paddling, but those three are my foundation.”

That variety isn’t for show. It’s the natural result of building a company whose products are used by athletes across every environment imaginable. Lewis says his motivation comes from competing not against others, but against himself.

“I was younger than everyone in my class growing up and couldn’t compete physically, so I learned early on to measure myself against who I was yesterday. That mindset still drives me. I’slm always asking, ‘how much better can I get?”

When Product Development Shapes the Athlete

Lewis' 2025 fitness build while testing products

Interestingly, Lewis doesn’t see his athletic interests as influencing COROS, but the reverse.

“COROS influences what I do...Before launching DURA, I spent more time cycling. Before launching our training software, I ran a backyard marathon to understand how it feels from the user’s perspective. When new climbing features are coming, I’m back on the wall.”

Each project changes his training focus, immersing him in the real-world scenarios customers will face.

“We make products for the broad active community. Each sport requires extensive research to understand how our product may enhance the user's journey. Once we have a beta version ready, I want to experience it firsthand exactly as our customers will.”

Product Design Tested by Sweat

While COROS uses sophisticated modeling and lab validation, Lewis is clear that field testing is what separates good from great.

“What we design on a computer can react completely different in real competition. Humidity, dryness, elevation, temperature... all of these factors change how a product behaves. The real world is where you find the truth.”

Every COROS hardware and software launch undergoes this kind of rigorous real-world validation, not only by the testing team but by employees across the company. “We are our biggest users,” Lewis says. “The process never ends.”

Gongga 100K: Putting the new APEX to the Test

Lewis at Gongga 100k Trail Run  (Photo Credit: Letour Sports - GONGGA 100)

In 2025, Lewis set out to complete the Gongga 100K trail run in China. A high-altitude mountain race that would push both him and the new APEX to their limits.

“I wanted a personal challenge. I’d done the Nose in a Day (NIAD) back in 2020, but I hadn’t achieved anything at that level since. This time, I decided to push my own limits that would ultimately push the product's capabilities as well.”

Shifting his focus away from his bike and big wall climbing, Wu began to ramp up his running volume. The race became both a personal and professional experiment. Wu wore two watches, the new COROS APEX and COROS NOMAD. Both products were set up differently to test both function and navigation.

“I often have a back up watch with me while testing...sometimes up to three. During this race, two watches were perfect as I had one tracking data and another handling voice pins and navigation. Having both gave me real-time insight into how each experience could be improved.”

From Kilian Jornet to Everyday Athletes

Lewis and Kilian Jornet during the States of Elevation project

Lewis' testing extends beyond his own experiences, it includes listening to the world’s best. Recently, he ran alongside Kilian Jornet during his States of Elevation project, gaining new perspective on user experience.

“Kilian didn’t realize how to change a navigation route during an activity. It showed me that even elite athletes don’t always discover every feature. While we continue to build more features, it's important to focus on making them easier to discover and use.”

The takeaway? Ease of use and education are as important as innovation itself.

“It would be a shame if someone bought a product and didn’t get to maximize its potential. We’re focused on making our systems more intuitive and helping athletes maximize their use.”

A Company Built by Athletes, for Athletes

Today, COROS has evolved into a global company with multiple product lines and different sports verticals. As our offerings expand, experts from different fields are brought in to test and validate design, functionality, and ultimately the experience of each user. With that comes growing complexity. Feedback still fuels progress, but the process has matured.

“In the early days, we could make fixes overnight...now we have to prioritize. Every update is weighed by how many customers it impacts. But our mission remains the same...to create products that work in the real world.”

That mission extends far beyond performance metrics.

“Our ultimate goal has always been to help users improve and enjoy the thrill of sports...whether through training, safety, or adventure. Sports can be one of the most exciting things in life, and our job is to make that experience even better.”

Read More about COROS Employees Pushing Their Limits and Our Products:
Community Manager Charlie Sweeney at the Boston Marathon
Social Media Manager Sawna Guadarrama at the Hardrock 100

Built With Purpose

At COROS, every detail from navigation alerts to climbing modes carries intention.

“We’re a tech company, but we’re also a sports company. Whatever we deliver, it has great purpose. We design and test it to ensure it works for real athletes, in real conditions.”

That philosophy runs through the company like an endurance athlete’s pulse: steady, focused, and built for the long run. Even if a feature may not feel relevant to you in your current setting, the focus behind each feature was carefully tested to ensure it holds up when you need it most.

If you'd like to be considered as a future product tester for COROS and share the same values as the brand, visit: https://coros.com/testing