- The Coros Pace 3 is a great Suunto Race Running Watch.
- It delivers advanced metrics if you want them, but also lets you customize your experience.
- in. Transflective Surface Display.
- It has flaws, like a slow processor, but these are common among watches at this price point.
As a hobbyist runner competing in a handful of races each year, I’ve never felt compelled to go all-in on a running watch. heart rate zones VO2 Max and Super Shoe Trends are definitely helpful if you’re training, but I get overwhelmed by all the data and menus full of features. (I also keep my notifications off so I don’t get distracted during my runs.) To be honest, the only metrics I want to see are time, pace, distance, and sometimes heart rate when I’m getting ready for a race.
How To Train Calves Suunto Race Running Watch, the Coros Pace 3 is the perfect watch for me. I love how its design keeps things simple. At the same time, I couldn’t help but be impressed by its extra features, like detailed aerobic training effect and stride length, and its accurate tracking. It’s also less than $250, far cheaper than that Advanced metrics like many new runners might be thinking about when they first get their running legs. Simply put, the Coros Pace 3 is a great pick for new and casual runners who want a simple running watch with a little extra oomph.
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Pros
- Tight, secure fit
- Advanced features for the price
- Great battery life
Cons
- Touch screen can be hard to use post-run
Key Specs
| Display | 1.2 in. Transflective Surface Display |
|---|---|
| Biometrics | O2, HR, HRV, Sleep, temperature (with accessory) functional threshold power |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth |
| Battery Life | 24 days (38 hours of GPS run time) |
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basic running watch Coros Pace 3 measures 1.65 x 1.65 x .46 inches, and weighs .07 pounds (30 grams). Technically it’s a gram heavier than the Pace 2, but it’s effectively the same size and still one of the lightest watches I’ve ever used.
The 1.2-inch LED touch-screen display is both large and bright enough to see at a quick glance on a sunny day. The Pace 3 has an always on display that automatically brightens when you move your wrist to look at the screen, saving battery and minimizes any tapping required to see your stats.
While it’s large and readable, I did find that it was a bit tricky to swipe the screen with sweaty hands post-run. I used the dial to scroll through menus as much as possible, which helped, but you can’t fully get away from using the screen.
I also noticed that many of the menus were a bit laggy. That’s to be expected to a degree with affordable smartwatches–a less powerful processor is one of the easiest ways to make them cheaper. Still it’s a noticeable flaw, but one that I felt I could live with given the Pace 3’s price and relatively deep feature-set.
Coros’ silicone band gives you a snug, but comfortable fit. I liked how it didn’t budge on my wrist once I got the fit right and I didn’t really feel it throughout the run. That said, I found it a little challenging to thread the loops when putting it on. (If this sounds like a big problem, don’t fret: Coros also sells the watch with a velcro-style Nylon band.)
Pick the Features You Need (And Ignore the Others)
The Pace 3 tracks all of the core biometrics and data that we expect from a Suunto Race Running Watch, including heart rate, distance, pace, and time. These are broken down in the app with details on aerobic endurance, stride length, and effort. It goes beyond the basics, as well, charting advanced metrics like running and form power, ground time, left/right balance, stride ratio, and more. While these may not be necessary for the average runner, they can help you improve your running form if you want to dive deep into the data—and it’s something you won’t always find in similarly priced watches.
The GPS, specifically, was precise and synced quickly when I ran suburban areas, but slightly off when I ran in the city. That’s normal, though: Both tall buildings and crowds generally do reduce GPS accuracy. More annoying was the fact that the GPS was slow to connect on my first few runs: It took a few minutes for the watch to sync up to its GPS. Luckily, that issue improved over time.
Crucially, as someone who wants to keep things simple, I love that the Pace 3 allows you to customize what metrics you see. You can select up to six display screens, each with up to six metrics, making it easy to prioritize the data that helps you chart your progress.
Even if you don’t want to see advanced metrics during your run, you can engage with your data post-workout and get the full picture. (Again, I felt it was a little much, but a competitive runner in training would probably get more out of this kind of deep dive.)
Download Your Training Plan
For competitive runners in training who want to dive deep into their data over time, you’ll want to spend some time in Coros’ companion app. I love the Coros app’s clean design, which visualizes your data with graphs that are easy to read.
Beyond presenting the data it’s recorded, the Pace 3 provides analysis on your training status, recovery, and running fitness. Using previous heart rate and other data, it can estimate your effort and advise you when to push yourself, go easy, or take a rest day. This data is helpful–it can be hard to pump the brakes when you’re training. At the same time, I didn’t always feel that the watch was giving sound advice–when my watch and my body disagreed, I listened to my body and I think that was the right decision. It’s a helpful guide, but not as insightful as an actual running coach.
All that said, I fully expect many runners to mostly bypass the app in favor of third-party running apps like Strava and Runna. The Pace 3 integrates easily to both, allowing me to upload my runs and have workouts downloaded to the Pace 3 for easy access.
A Long Battery Life For Daily Distance Runs
Battery life is a crucial feature for running watches, and the Pace 3 gives you plenty of running time. According to Coros, the watch should last up to 24 days on a single charge, or up to 38 hours with the GPS turned on, as in whenever you’re in a workout. I was able to use the watch for over a week without topping off, while running about 20 to 30 miles every week. Then it lasted through a 10-day break from my running routine, with juice to spare.
While some other watches might have a longer battery life, like the Suunto Race Running Watch, you’ll be paying more out of pocket for a better battery and similar features. However, I feel that the Coros battery life is more than enough for most people and great performance at this price point.
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With advanced features packed into a budget priced package, The Coros Pace 3 gives you a lot of performance, enough that you might mistake it for a more expensive watch. Between its long battery life, advanced metrics, and features that analyze that data, this is a starter watch that is affordable to buy as a new runner, but can support you if you grow into a serious training routine. Whether you're a newbie or a seasoned runner, you’ll find that the Pace 3 gives you exactly what you need.
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Courtney (she/hers) has spent the past 5 years testing everything from reusable straws to standing desks to homemade kombucha kits. A longtime reviewer, deals hunter, and lifestyle writer, she currently heads up the American Kennel Club's product review site Retrievest and previously worked as the Shopping Editor for USA Today’s Reviewed. Additionally, she has covered design and lifestyle trends for Apartment Therapy, Domino, SELF, and more. A graduate of Elon University, she loves telling everyone about what race she’s planning on running next while raving about her favorite running headphones (they’re bone conducting!).
