Coros Pace 3 review: The perfect budget sports watch?

Three years after the launch of its well-respected previous iteration, the Coros Pace 3 arrived. But does it hit the heights of its predecessor and deserve recognition as one of the best triathlon watches? Let’s hand over to former 220 features editor Matt Baird to find out…

Ladies and gentlemen, I have a confession to make. I’m a technological idiot; a man who has yet to successfully transfer a GPX file or change a microwave’s clock.

I long applied this digital dizziness to our tri training, until the arrival of the original Coros Pace in 2018.

Here was a sports watch that was easy to use, lacked superfluous features and excelled in both its GPS pick-up and battery life.

That original Coros Pace is still giving us a host of metrics (VO2 max, running fitness, predicted race times…) today.

Hardware

But here comes the Pace 3, which, like 2020’s Pace 2 ($199 / £179), continues with a single button and dial but adds a touchscreen for swiping through the modes.

You can pick a silicone or nylon strap, with early testing of the latter suggesting that heart-rate data is more reliable as it sits flusher on the skin to prevent light impacting readings (chest straps are still the best heart-rate monitors, however).

What’s less clear, however, is when that nylon starts to smell like our trusty tri-suit…

The 1.05oz / 30g weight (the equivalent of two compact discs) and small 1.2″ / 4.19cm displyay is barely noticeable on the wrist.

Battery life, display and features

Coros also again blows the competition away in the battery life stakes, with 38hrs in GPS activity mode and 15 days in normal tracking mode. Ultra triathletes take note.

The LCD screen is adequate in terms of display and brightness, but there’s an array of fun faces you can choose from on the app, including doughnut-themed backdrops. Custom data screens are available, too.

Again, there’s no music streaming, but both MP3 playback and an on-device 4GB music storage are now present.

Worth noting is that the Coros Pace 3 only supports connections over Bluetooth and not ANT+, unlike some of the brand’s watches.

Navigation and activity tracking

Following an update, the Pace 3 offers now turn-by-turn instructions and breadcrumb navigation on the watch screen (when I tested the watch, these features were only available via the mobile app).

You can also create routes on the app, which isn’t the most intuitive and struggles when planning trail runs.

There are now 20 sport profiles, again including triathlon and swim, bike and run sessions both indoor and out, although sadly there’s still no MTB option.

Swim metrics include stroke rate data and a SWOLF score; running has stride length, cadence and more (the Coros Pod offers further data for £100); and training plans can be uploaded from the brand’s website.

Coros Pace 3 final thoughts

If you’re already happily embedded in the Garmin, Polar or Wahoo ecosystems (Coros does now make one of the best bike computers), for example, then it’s admittedly hard to make the case for a Pace 3 switch.

However, if you’re starting (a)fresh there’s much to admire in a unit that offers usability, a wealth of metrics, incredibly quick GPS syncing and monster battery life.

And it comes in at $100 / £80 cheaper than its chief competitors – the Forerunner 255 or Elemnt Rival – too.

Coros Pace 3 specs

Price	$229 / £219
Weight	1.05oz / 30g
Connectivity	Bluetooth only
Battery life	15 days everyday use / 38 hours GPS mode
GPS	Dual-frequency, turn-by-turn navigation
Display	1.2in / 4.19cm