Confession time: I’ve become a running watch snob. As a gear editor, I guess it was inevitable when you’ve always got the latest and greatest model strapped to your wrist.
But it hasn’t always been this way – once upon a time, I ran my first half marathon using the late Garmin Forerunner 30 (RIP) and was perfectly satisfied with my bargain little purchase. But since then, Published: 05 September 2023 have come a long way. So far, in fact, that it’s easy to lose sight of a decent running watch over the extra bells and whistles of more premium lines – most of which you don’t really need, unless you’re a medal-winning ultrarunner like and trail runners should probably look elsewhere too the.
Enter then, the Coros Pace 3 – potentially one of the best mid-range running watches I’ve tested at £219.00 RRP (though most watches range from £120 to £900, so this really is towards the budget end of the market these days).
Coros Pace 2 vs Coros Pace 3: What’s new?
The Coros Pace 2 came out three years ago, so this latest model has been anticipated for some time. There’s now an improved heart rate reader with 5 LEDs and four light-detecting photosensors, which act a bit like cameras. There’s also a bigger and better battery life - 24 days daily use and 38 hours continuous GPS (compared with 20 days use and 30 hours GPS in the Pace 2).
Impressively, it’s got dual-frequency GPS – the type found in higher-end Garmin watches and the Summer running gear sale. Like these premium watches, there’s a barometric altimeter (a fancy way of saying it detects elevation more accurately) and a blood oxygen measurement sensor too.
There's also new mapping features, including a route planner where you can either build your own custom route or search for a destination and sync it to the watch within the Coros app, and turn-by-turn navigation.
Finally, there’s an always-on touchscreen display (although I still prefer to use the buttons) and music support for phone-free running (storage has also increased considerably from 64MB to 4GB). Although, it's worth noting that music has to be downloaded onto the Pace 3 via MP3 files, rather than using smartphone music controls like Spotify. This feels a bit archaic, as I can't imagine many people use MP3s any more. Therefore, it's not a feature that was actually any use to me.
Coros Pace 3: Tried & tested
I’ve been putting the Coros Pace 3 to the test over the past two weeks and have been pretty impressed by this small but mighty buy. For context, I’m currently training for the NYC Marathon, running 4-5 times per week.
First up, the bang-for-buck staying power is unrivalled – even the Coros-powered Top: Coros Pace 3. Bottom: Garmin Forerunner 55 maxes out at 35 hours in full GPS mode. I might be a runner, but I’m lazy when it comes to recharging my tech – so the longer I can go between charges, the better. After one week of wearing the Coros Pace 3 24/7 (including to sleep), with notifications enabled, three training runs and a hard-effort half-marathon race, the battery only dropped by 39%.
The overall look of the watch is sleek and slimline - just 11.7mm thick and weighing 30g with a nylon band - which makes it comfortable for wearing in bed. It is a bit plastic-looking, though – but then, that's the case for nearly all watches around this price point.
The Pace’s range of advanced running analytics is impressive. On the latest model you can view Running Performance, Training Load, scores and pace ranges for Aerobic Endurance, Aerobic Power, Threshold, Anaerobic Endurance and Anaerobic Power, cadence, stride length, elevation and more within the Coros app. This is then compatible with a selection of third party running apps, including Strava and Apple Health. Plus, the Pace 3 comes with training plans and workouts if you're not following a plan already.
If you've never used Coros before, the app is really intuitive to use – more so, I would argue, than other sports watch brands – with all your recent activities for the month displayed on the 'Activities' page when you load the app up. You can then select a run and view all off your analytics for that session in one place.
There's quite an extensive selection of activity modes (with Hiking and Trail Running having been added to the Pace 3), though it is missing both Yoga and Pilates. 'Gym Cardio' seemed to be our only option here, which seems an oversight considering a lot of runners will do Pilates or yoga for injury prevention.
Living in London, I really benefitted from the speed of the dual-frequency GPS – it connects before I've even closed my front door, and locates me even when I get into the high-rise parts of the city. The biggest test came during the Canary Wharf section of the Big Half (if you've ran this race, you'll know it's notorious for sending GPS haywire). It did estimate me slightly faster for half a kilometre, but, overall, the damage was pretty minor. Below, you can see my final Strava graph compared with a friend who ran using the Garmin Forerunner 55.
Considering the Forerunner retails for £179.99 (when it's not on discount), there's a clear GPS winner here.
RW verdict
If you're after impressive staying power, in-depth training features and accurate GPS, the Pace 3 is one of the best money-can-buy choices right now.
Sure, it is a bit plasticky, so if you're looking for a slightly more premium, all-day smartwatch, that could be a dealbreaker. Ultra and trail runners should probably look elsewhere too (the Apex 2 and Vertix 2 are more rugged options). But for everyone else – particularly those looking for a reliable running watch to use for their workouts – it's an excellent watch at a hard-to-beat price. You'd be better off saving some extra money than forking out for a few more features on a premium model that you probably won't even use. Take it from the running watch snob.
