COROS PACE 3 Review and Everything You Want to Know!

Super-Quick Highlights on the 2023 PACE 3 Running GPS Watch:

• New Touchscreen!
• New Extended battery life (GPS only: 38 hours; Smartwatch mode: 24 days)
• New Internal music storage
• New Dual-frequency all satellite GNSS chipset
• New In-app route builder
• New SpO2 sensor
• New Supported workouts (Trail Running, Ski, Snowboarding, XC Ski)
• Louder vibrations and beeps
• Brighter memory-in-pixel (MIP) display
• Built with more rugged materials
• More accurate heart rate sensor
• COROS PACE 3 is still the lightest watch on the market
• More affordable than other mid-range GPS sport watches—by more than $100!
• 1.2” touchscreen display
• Choice of silicone or nylon (lighter) watch bands and 2 colors: White and Black
• COROS PACE 3 is water resistant for swimming and showers
• Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity
• Barometric altimeter for elevation
• Only $229 (Compare to $350 Garmin Forerunner 255)
• Downloadable training plans and workouts
• Free coaching support
• Free training hub

Watch a COROS PACE 3 Review with Dave from Chase the Summit!

What’s the COROS PACE 3 Release Date

On August 29, 2023, COROS released the PACE 3, the next generation of their super-affordable GPS sport watch—packed with training features! 

It’s the lightest running watch (with nylon band) you’re going to find on the market. And for $100 less than the next competitor, it has a surprising amount of advanced features!

With extended battery life, next-gen features and tech, a display that hits the sweet spot, and all the right training tools, this COROS watch is worth taking a closer look at. 

We’re going over all the details below, and be sure to watch the review above from Dave at Chase the Summit—our partner and go-to guy for all things running watch. He’s an ultra runner who’s been testing COROS along with all the other major brands of GPS watches for years. His insights and comparisons are priceless!

We’ll be telling you what’s different on this watch compared to the COROS PACE 2. And feel free to check out our COROS PACE 3 comparison articles in the sidebar to the right—especially if you are price-comparing and shopping around for the multisport GPS watch that has the features that you need to do what you do.

Alright, let’s get to it!

What’s the difference between COROS PACE 2 and PACE 3?

Here’s what’s new on the 2023 COROS PACE 3 

• The Pace 3 is now touchscreen enabled.
• COROS extended battery life on this multisport watch.
• The Pace 2 battery life offered:
• Daily Use: 20 days
• Standard Full GPS: 30 hours
  
• The Pace 3 offers:
• Daily Use: 24 days
• Standard Full GPS: 38 hours

• COROS PACE 3 new offline music. You can download and play MP3 file music directly from your watch and listen on your Bluetooth headphones or speakers. 
• More accurate positioning! A redesigned satellite chipset with optional Dual-Frequency will keep your GPS data accurate, even in high-rise cities, canyons, and anywhere GPS may struggle.
• The new in-app route builder on the COROS PACE 3 lets you easily build custom routes or search for a destination and instantly sync to your PACE 3 GPS watch on the Explore page in the COROS app.
• With the PACE 3’s new SpO2 sensor you can check your blood oxygen saturation during altitude training.
• Get more supported workouts on this new COROS watch, including Trail Running, Ski, Snowboarding, XC Ski.
• More improvements include louder vibrations and beeps, a brighter memory-in-pixel (MIP) display, and the nylon/fiberglass blend used for the bezel and hardware casing increases ruggedness while remaining lightweight.
• More accurate heart rate sensor. The reduced size of the HR sensor bulge on the back of the watch provides a snug fit for more accurate readings.
• The COROS PACE 3 is $30 more than the PACE 3, but with the benefits of all the new features, it’s still the most affordable running watch of its caliber. 

COROS PACE 3 vs Garmin Forerunner 255 — Quick Comparison

Both the PACE 3 and the Garmin FR 255 offer:

• Both have breadcrumb navigation with extensive features, including back to start, elevation profile, distance to destination, and in-app custom route-builders. Neither watch offers full Topo maps.
• Wrist-based running power
• Loads of run, bike, swim, outdoor, and gym sport profiles
• Advanced sensors
• Advanced positioning
• Offline music support
• Coaching and training platforms
• Sleep monitoring
• Blood oxygen saturation checks
• Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity
• Strava
• Water resistant
• Free coaching and app
  

Differences include:

• The COROS PACE 3 has more battery life. 38 hours GPS vs 30 GPS hours on the FR 255. 24 days in smartwatch mode vs 15 days in smartwatch mode for the FR 255.
• The Pace 3 has a touchscreen but the FR 255 does not.
• The Garmin Forerunner 255/255 music offers two sizes (1.2” and 1.3”) and a music or non-music option. 
• The FR 255 offers multi-band frequency GNSS while the PACE 3 uses dual-frequency.
• The way you load music onto  your watch for offline listening: the FR 255 allows you to load your tunes from streaming services like Spotify, Deezer, and Amazon. With the PACE 3 you have to download MP3 files onto your watch.
• The Garmin FR 255 has ANT+ connectivity for accessories.
• The FR 255 has more sport profiles.
• The PACE 3 is lighter at 30g with nylon band and 38g with silicone band; the Garmin 255 is 49g with a silicone band and the 255S is 39g with a silicone band.
• The FR 255 has a few more smart features like smart notifications, Garmin Pay™, and stocks app.
• The FR 255 has more on-watch training tools and data. 

Check out a more thorough COROS PACE 3 vs Garmin Forerunner 255 comparison here. 

COROS PACE 3 Size and Design

The Lightest Running Watch Out There!

At only 30g with the nylon watch band, the COROS PACE 3 is the lightest sport GPS watch out there. Along with its sleek, minimalistic design, it makes it comfortable for running, workouts, and sleeping so you can get your data 24/7. With a snug fit, you can count on the most accurate heart rate data. 

COROS PACE 3 Watch Band & Color Options

This 2023 COROS watch comes in two colors—black and white—and you can choose from the lighter nylon band or a classic silicone watch band.

NEW Touchscreen Display

The COROS PACE 3 now features a touchscreen display like the Apex 2/2 Pro and Vertix 2.

Improved COROS PACE 3 Battery Life

The PACE 3 provides an unbeatable battery life at this price point!

• Standard GPS: 38 hours
• All Systems: 25 hours
• Dual Frequency: 15 hours
• Daily Use: 24 Days (18 days w/ sleep tracking)

More Navigation on this New COROS Watch!

Go beyond your neighborhood run in confidence with a suite of powerful navigation tools including: 

• On-watch Breadcrumb Navigation
• A Route Planner in the COROS app
• Checkpoint
• Back to Start
• Elevation Profile
• Distance to Destination
• GPS Coordinates
• Storm Alert

COROS PACE 3 MUSIC — Listen Phone-Free!

Like most Garmin running and multisport watches—and like the COROS APEX 2 and VERTIX 2—this new affordable training partner offers on-watch music storage. You can download MP3 files onto the PACE 3 and listen with Bluetooth headphones or speakers.

COROS PACE 3 Wrist-Based Heart Rate Accuracy

COROS reduced the size of the bulge on the HR/PPG sensor on the back of the watch case so that it will fit snugly against your wrist and provide more accurate readings.   

COROS PACE 3 FAQs

Is the COROS PACE 3 waterproof?

Yes! This sport GPS watch is rated 5 ATM which means that it withstands pressures equivalent to a depth of 50 meters and is safe to wear during splashes, rain or snow, showering, swimming, diving into water, snorkeling.

Does the PACE 3 support a trail running activity?

Yes! This next-gen COROS watch offers Train Run.

Does the COROS PACE 3 sport watch have a swimming activity mode?

Yes! You can use it for Pool Swim, Open Water, Flatwater, and Rowing. 

Does this running watch integrate with Strava?

Yes! The PACE 3 integrates with many third-party apps, including Komoot, TrainingPeaks, Strava, Relive, adidas Running, Apple Health, Stryd, Final Surge, Runalyze, Running Quotient, Decathlon—and much more!

Does the COROS PACE 3 offer sleep tracking?

Yes! With 24/7 comfort, accurate sensors, and epic battery life, PACE 3 provides detailed data on your sleep recovery night after night.

• Measures each of your four sleep stages. 
• Calculates your Resting Heart Rate to monitor fitness trends.

Does this multisport GPS watch give blood oxygen saturation data?

Yes! It has an SpO2 sensor for regular evaluation of SpO2 and fitness when at high altitudes.

Does the COROS PACE 3 come with a charger?

Yes! This sport GPS watch comes with a charging cable. And when you buy the COROS PACE 3 on PlayBetter.com, you can get a portable charger bundle for just $10 more! 

The Best Running Watch Under $250, Hands Down!

If you are in the market for a lightweight multisport watch that offers highly accurate heart rate, sleep tracking, and GPS positioning, you should definitely consider the COROS PACE 3. 

If you want advanced features, but need to keep it budget-friendly, this workout and running watch is a no-brainer. 

You’ll get training tools on-watch and in the free app and training hub—and now you can even put your most inspiring training tunes right on your watch and pair it with your Bluetooth headphones or speaker.  

At this price range, you won’t get Topo maps, but you will get breadcrumb navigation with nav features that are every bit as good as the Garmin Forerunner 255 that is over $100 more.

COROS has made strides in improving this next-gen watch while passing very little cost on to you. It has the most battery life in its category and everything you need to train for a 5K to an ultramarathon. It’s definitely the contender for best value sport watch of 2023!