Admittedly, I found it brave of the brand to send me the Coros Pace 3 to review, as I haven’t always been the biggest fan of their watches. But maybe that was the first signal that something was indeed different with this watch.
In this comprehensive review, we delve into every facet of the Coros Pace 3, uncovering its features that can transform a mere run into a meticulously crafted training session.
From its physical design to the precision of its GPS tracking, from the insights offered by its performance metrics to the convenience of its app integration, we aim to leave no stone unturned.
Whether you’re a seasoned marathoner striving to shave seconds off your personal best or a beginner taking those tentative first steps, the Coros Pace 3 asserts its potential to be the running partner you’ve been searching for.
Let’s dig in to my thoughts from testing and some of the new features.
Coros Pace 3 Review
In my Coros Pace 2 review, I started by saying it was a definite upgrade from the original and once again I feel the exact same way. Good on them for taking a solid three years to truly make improvements before releasing the next model. So while some folks have said it’s not worth it to upgrade, I feel differently (mainly because of the HR sensors).
The Pace 2 was close to the Garmin 55s, but I’d say the new Pace 3 is probably more on par with the 265. The Garmin 265 has a much more brilliant AMOLED screen and is a little bigger, but they are close in features.
With the nylon strap I could easily tighten it to my small wrist and the watch did not overwhelm me. That sounds like a small point, but I’m often asked about watch size because it does matter when you want to wear it all day long.
**I’ve got a few more runs I want to take this watch on, including some cooler weather ones. So I will update this article again.
A quick rundown on features:
- Optical wrist based HR
- GPS, GLONASS, BDS satellites
- 38 hours (full GPS), 24 days as watch
- Includes elevation gain (a feature I’ve really come to appreciate)
- Multisport for running, biking, swimming
- Includes maps for navigation (rare in mid-level watches)
- Training plans and structured workouts
- Sleep tracking, recovery advisor (so so accuracy on these)
- Stride algorithm, cadence, VO2 MAX, running power, blood-oxygen readings
- Compass, altimeter
- Smart phone notifications
- Customizable screens for each activity and customizable watch face
- Available in 4 colors
- $229
- Available at coros.com for $229
It covers all the bases for a new runner GPS watch.
Enhanced GPS Tracking
It looks like Coros has made an update that would be similar to what is now in the Apple Ultra (the only Apple worth running with ). This dual-frequency GPS should provide better accuracy when running through cities.
This could be a huge factor to those racing or training in NYC, Chicago and London.
However, I have seen some folks in testing finding that it’s not quite as accurate as some of the top end Garmin’s. So it may not be quite what they say, but it’s still a really good GPS.
Improved Heart Rate Sensor
One of my biggest complaints about every Coros that I had previously tested was heart rate. It was wrong by leaps and bounds, which for me meant it wasn’t a watch I could use for training.
In my first few runs with the Pace 3, I’ve been pretty impressed. I’ve worn it on my right wrist and my notoriously accurate Garmin Enduro on the left. So far the two have matched up really well, but I am curious to see what happens in the colder months.
The Pace 3 has an upgraded sensor which now has 5 LEDS and 4 photoreceptors, which I think is adding to it’s accuracy.
I test heart rate a few different ways.
One is wearing two watches at a time on a run. This time I used my Garmin Enduro, which has historically been very accurate for me. And the other is running with my Polar H9 chest strap to see how the watch compares.
As noted, I was pretty pleased this time around. However, I am curious to see how it performs in colder weather.
Coros Pace 3 Vs Apex 2
If you want to level up or spend a lot of time on the trails, checkout my Coros Apex Premium review.
- Apex is going to be a better trail running watch
- Apex allows for importing maps for on screen navigation and back to start navigation
- Apex is a larger watch
- Apex has winter sports (Pace 3 has ski, snowboard and XC ski
- Apex has sapphire glass making the screen more durable
- Only $120 more, but feels like a more substantial watch
Size
As noted above, this is one of the lightest GPS watches on the market. It comes in at 30 grams and most are 45+.
The watch face is plenty large enough to see all of your data, but is also smaller than many of the higher end or more rugged watches.
And with the nylon strap it seems to more easily fit a smaller wrist. Of course it means that nylon will hold water for a bit after your swim or shower, not a deal breaker for me. I couldn’t get the Apex to tighten down enough on my wrist, so I’m a big fan of this strap.
NOTE: If you do not have small wrists, I would opt for the standard band because you may have trouble getting this watch off over your hand. You can’t fully undo the nylon like you do a normal buckle.
To give you an idea of size here is the Apple Ultra, Coros Pace 3, Garmin Enduro and Garmin 265.
Music Storage
Another addition to the Pace 3 is the ability to store and stream music via bluetooth to your headphones. I’ll say this is a feature I see folks almost never use because everyone now carries their phone due to safety.
New Touchscreen
Again this just isn’t an over the moon feature for me as I find during the winter my gloves constantly change the screen.
Additionally, I never could get it to work in my testing of the Pace 3. BUT it’s something that a lot of you really love, especially with the single dial control.
Using the Coros Pace 3
On the right side you’ll notice a dial and a button. That’s it!
In the app set up, you’ll determine which wrist and which side you want the dial on, which will then orient the screen for you to begin scrolling.
For those who have always used a Garmin, it’s going to take a second to learn to navigate this way. But it’s a favorite feature of many Coros users who find it more intuitive than needing a bunch of different buttons.
- Click down on the knob and you’ll see available activities
- Click run and you can then start or set up a basic interval (or change settings)
- Once it finds your HR and Satellite, you press the button again and boom off to run
- When you’re done, you press the knob again to pause. Then have the option to resume or hold down to finish and save.
There you go the basics of starting a run is really simple!
Using the knob
- I turned off the autolock feature after my first run, realizing it mean I had to scroll a full circle before I could change the data screen while running.
- I also adjusted the direction of the scroll and that made things much easier.
- No confusion about what button to hit to start or stop, you just push the dial.
- After the run, data is easily synced via Bluetooth to their app upon opening it. Which is also where you can change your watch screen or the individual workout screens.
Training with Coros
This multi sport watch will get you through any run, bike or swim.
- You can set HR zones and alerts if you don’t want to go above or below a certain threshold.
- Utilizing the structured workouts, you’ll be alerted when it’s time to speed up, recover, etc.
- Via the app you can create strength workouts for specific body parts or using certain tools – it’s super impressive and a great guide for those needing strength help.
- Start the metronome under run settings to help you work on cadence on certain runs.
- Also provides running power as a training option without needing any additional sensors – I think this might be more valuable than normal since the HR was so off.
Where to Buy the Coros Pace 3?
I’m not sure if it’s because this watch is still newer or simply not as high end, but it’s much harder to find in the places I’d normally look like REI, Road Runner Sports and even Amazon.
At $229 your best bet is to order directly from Coros.
PROS of the Coros Pace 3 Watch
A few of the features that I really love:
- Lightweight and great on a smaller wrist
- Night Mode means I can see my data for the entire run
- It has all the features most of us need to train with a good battery life
- The Coros App provides great detailed info and is easy to use with the watch
- They’re really great at adding features based on user feedback. And they update your firmware, so those features are generally provided to older watches.
Expected feature, but I do love that I can open the app to customize screens on any specific workout type.
CONS of the Coros GPS Watch
I think the biggest one for me is the watch feels flimsy. I know that’s a weird statement, but I test so many watches that’s simply something I noted. I think it’s simply due to how lightweight it is and not having things like the Sapphire screen.
But that’s not a huge reason to not buy a watch.
Unlike Garmin your watch will not sync in the background, it waits for you to open the app.
My only other issue remains that I’m a bit torn on the dial. It’s a cool feature that makes them stand out, but for winter runners it means every time my glove moves it switches the screen…unless I lock the screen and then I’m unable to switch screens to see other data.
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- Best GPS Watch for New Runners
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Great, thoughtful review. Several deal breakers for me. I like to switch arms because wearing a watch all the time here in the ATX I get rashes where the watch sits. Having to mess with an app all the time is also not desirable.