Clocking miles and counting reps: Coros Pace 3 Review

Fitness trackers and smartwatches have made leaps and bounds over recent years, to a point where both borrow and merge characteristics from one another. Many tech-savvy fitness enthusiasts swear by Coros as a brand that churns out some of the best modern fitness trackers on the market.

Coros commits its efforts to delivering high end fitness tracker watches. You’ve got the VERTIX range consisting of adventure watches, the APEX line of outdoor watches, and dedicated sports watches under the Pace banner. Today, it’s the Coros Pace 3 that’s getting the spotlight. This lightweight and practical fitness watch is filled to the brim with sports and exercise features which look to encompass all active lifestyles.

Truly competent GPS fitness trackers are a dime a dozen. In the Coros Pace 3, you'll experience cutting edge Dual-Frequency GPS, plot your routes and embark on whatever adventure is on the horizon. Coros’ Pace range is prided on its compatibly for runners, and it looks like the third instalment maintains tradition. That GPS is still a flagship feature, and it’s paired with an ensemble of precise metrics and data recording methods.

The Coros Pace 3 is equipped with a collection of activity and exercise modes too, meaning there's plenty to sink your teeth into. It’s waterproof up to 50m and also finished in a durable visual design that's available in ten vibrant colour options.

Our resident Digital Writer and Tech Reviewer Jack Barrell got the chance to test the Coros Pace 3, along with the Coros Heart Rate Monitor (sold sperately), to determine just how this third iteration meets those steep expectations.

Unboxing and setting up

As far as first impressions go, the Coros Pace 3 gave me a really pleasant one. The fitness tracker comes in a lovely grey suede package, which was a nice change from the typical printed carboard box that I was expecting.

Unboxing was swift, taking out the watch along with the user guide was simple enough. Like most fitness tracker setups, I had to download the associated app – in this case it was the Coros mobile app. Once the Pace 3 is charged and activated, the display shows a QR code which you scan with your smartphone camera through the Coros app.

Charging the Pace 3 straight out the box using the magnetic charging cable took no longer than 30 minutes, and getting it up and running after that took barely ten. All in all, I was extremely pleased with how worry free the setup was.

Fit and build quality

I’m a big fan of how the Pace 3 feels, from the silicone strap to the display unit. It’s quite easy to forget that this is a highly sophisticated piece of smart tech, the Pace 3 just feels fun. There are adjustability notches covering the whole strap, so no matter your wrist size, there’s no way you can’t wear it comfortably.

The Pace 3’s strap also features additional holes beside each notch. This contributes to the overall breathability of the strap which I found so pracitical for extensive wear.

The Coros Pace 3 is practical above all else. IIts lightweight and streamlined design (even with a larger display) made me want to get out there and get stuck into my training and exercise day after day.

Levelling up health and fitness

Though acclaimed as an excellent fitness tracker for runners, I had a tough job finding anything health and fitness related that the Coros Pace 3 couldn’t do. The extensive metrics dedicated to walking and running which are based on the built-in GPS are a big highlight. But there are 19 other exercise modes if you prefer other workouts

There’s so much you can do directly through the Pace 3, there were several days where I didn't actually open the mobile app at all. I appreciated how much information was at my fingertips, even when my phone wasn't close to hand.

On the day-to-day

The functionality and navigation of this fitness tracker was undeniable. There are two button controls on the side of the watch face. The dial at the top serves as a selector, which can be turned and pressed. While the button beneath is essentially a back button, but it can be held down to access the Pace 3’s system settings. These buttons have been positioned rather well too, there’s very little chance of accidentally pressing them when you extend your wrist.

I was really pleased by the responsiveness of the Pace 3’s controls too, there’s these little micro-vibrations when you twist the dial that differ from when you press the buttons or get a notification. This all creates a really engaging experience

You’re not restricted to using the button controls either – the 1.2-inch display is touchscreen. It's a transflective, memory-in-pixel (MIP) screen. This improves its visibility in bright sunlight (although it isn't as bright as an AMOLED screen). MIP is also excellent for extending battery life.

Speaking of battery life, the Pace 3 definitely impresses. Coros claims that you get 38 hours worth of straight GPS usage, otherwise, it's possible to get up to 17 days of battery life out of this fitness watch. From the time I spent with it, I can confidently say that the Pace 3 lives up to these figures. I found the slow depletion of the battery life to be remarkable.

The Pace 3 makes for a totally functional daily device as well. The health and fitness metrics such as steps, active calories, elevation, heart rate, stress, recovery level, and more are all easily accessible at a few scrolls of the Pace 3’s interface. These aren’t just labels and stamps either, each metric can be selected and viewed in more depth. For example, you can view past and present data on your sleep, stress levels and activity load. I typically expect to rely on the mobile app to view these features, so having them viewable on the watch was great. Conducting a wellness check took less than a minute. This function measures HR, HRV, stress, breaths, and blood oxygen, displaying the data in an on-screen report.

Exercise modes

I found total of 21 exercise modes at my fingertips for the Pace 3, all of which can be added to or removed from the tracker menu via the linked Coros app. Everything I needed was in there; weights, GPS cardio, walk, and run. The tracker offers these expected activity types, along with more niche options including triathlon, ski, snowboard, and multisport.

The first thing I tested out was the weightlifting exercise mode labelled “Strength”, and I was astounded by the attention to detail within this mode. After hitting start, the Pace 3 then gave me the option to select the exact muscle group that I was training. The dropdown menu covers all areas including shoulders, chest, back, arms, core, legs/hips, and there’s even the choice for full body.

After hitting start, I could see certain workout recordings such as time spent, calories burnt, heart rate, and even reps. The Pace 3 tries to count each rep you do. While I didn't find it totally accurate, it was only ever one or two reps off. What I found most useful with this strength training mode is that you start a set and then hit the button again to track your rest times between sets. While I don’t struggle with time management during my training, I know it can be quite a common struggle, especially for new lifters. The Pace 3 becomes a fantastic tool for discipline during weight training sessions.

For those wondering if you have to end the activity and start again if you happen to be training more than one body part in a session – the answer is no. There’s a super handy option titled “Next parts” which moves you onto your next muscle group whilst just continuing the activity.

Following my positive experience with lifting weights with the Pace 3, Like strength training, run and walk modes can be paused during the workout. These track plenty of metrics – including pace, calories burnt, elevation, heart rate, activity steps, and overall daily steps. More or less everything I could want to know during this mode of exercise – the Pace 3 could tell me.

GPS

GPS in the Pace 3 is built-in and Dual-Frequency. It works in correspondence with exercise modes like walk, run, swim, hike, and such. This is one of the few features on the Pace 3 that requires the most app involvement, but only to plot routes. There’s a dedicated tab for plotting these GPS routes, this tab is called “Explore”. Here, I was able to plot a trip absolutely anywhere in the world, regardless of my current location. I was able to choose from a range of relevant exercises too, including walk, run, hike, bike, even snowboard and ski.

On this map, which you can zoom in and out of, I could pin a start point and plot my entire route from there. This went the smoothest when I carved out a route a short distance at a time. The longer distance I plotted between one point or another, I found there to be more chance of the route taking me off course somewhere that was in fact inaccessible.

After easily setting up a route, all I then had to do was sync it with the Pace 3 itself. Now the route was logged into the watch, I was able to access it in a few different ways. I could head to settings and select navigation, then my preset routes would all pop up. Once one had been selected, the Pace 3 asks what kind of activity you plan to do, and then you simply begin. Alternatively, I found that I was able to do head straight to an exercise mode like walk or run, and then choose the navigation icon here. Ultimately, there’s a few ways to access the Pace 3’s activity navigation, and I found that really helpful.

I was really happy with the Coros Pace 3’s GPS in action too. The display is clear, with bold colours present to clearly distinguish between where you’d already been and where you’re going. I could customise the GPS experience too, with the ability to change the map direction and enable notifications if I deviated from the assigned route.

Customisation

There's a lot of customisation within the Pace 3. Starting with the interface, you can personalise practically everything. There is a vast library of watch faces to choose from, not to mention that you can upload an image of your own choosing too. If you do decide on a personal image for your watch face, you can alos choose between what style of text and metrics you want displaying.

Additionally, there’s a large degree of customisation from a functionality standpoint. You can toggle all number of notifications including low and high heart rate, reminders to move, smartphone notifications. You can tweak display settings like raise to wake, always-on display, hold to unlock, and brightness.

Coros App

I've touched on the Coros app a few times already, as it's fairly central to certain aspects including GPS and customisation. On a more general note though, the Coros mobile app ranks highly as one of the better fitness tracker apps that you'll come across. It's clean, easy to navigate, and suffers no performance issues whatsoever. Accessing your Pace 3's data and settings is effortless, as is making any adjustments to you overall experience.

Coros EvoLab is a service that's found through the app too, and to my surprise, it's completely free. EvoLab is an advanced method of evaluating your training and fitness. This is a platform that claims to be the evolution of personal fitness evaluation. It's refreshing to know there's an additional fitness tracking service that isn't locked behind a paid subscription, like most tend to be.

Coros Heart Rate Monitor

Furthermore, I had the opportunity to try out one of Coros' ancilliary products - the Heart Rate Monitor. This device, retailing currently at £69, is another way of recording your heart rate while exercising. The polyester/fibre band goes around the upper arm and measures your heart rate more accurately than the watch. Depending on the activity, there's a chance that through movement a fitness watch can slip and twist, causing moments where your heart rate cannot be read effectively. The Coros HRM band negates this issue, thanks to a secure fit to the arm.

My experience with the HRM was mostly positive. It looks and feels like an extension of a Coros wristpiece, and I can't say I can fault it on functionality. It measures the heart rate accurately and consistently. You can still wear it with your Pace 3, the band will just override the HRM on the watch when active and paired.

My only gripe with this HRM strap is down to the size and adjustability. Coros states that it fits arm sizes between 7.09-12.6 inches (18-32cm). While this may be ideal for users with more slender builds, it doesn't leave much wiggle room (literally) for either overweight users or perhaps bodybuilders with arms of a larger circumference. My arm roughly measures in at around 17.5 inches, and while I was able to get the HRM band on thanks to the stretchy polyester, it was uncomfortably tight.

Any downsides?

The Coros Pace 3 does a lot right, but there's always room for improvement. First up, the display. While a terrific fitness tracker display from a functionality standpoint, with a very subtle always-on mode, the slightly retro-digital finish might not be everyone’s cup of tea. The Pace 3’s display isn’t as vibrant and smooth looking as the AMOLED you'd see on a Google device or an Apple smartwatch. I can only assume that this choice was intentional as a way to achieve that impressive battery life. It didn’t break the experience for me, but it’s worth noting for those intent on a crystal-clear display on their fitness tracker.

Second and last of my criticisms for what’s otherwise a phenomenal fitness tracker, is the slight lack of polish on GPS route plotting. I mentioned this briefly in the GPS section of this review, but I think it’s important to raise it again. I refer to when you plot a route, there’s a possibility that the app will send you in a direction that’s not actually accessible. I ran into this problem when I set up a pretty straightforward route that I was familiar with already. The Coros app had seemingly come up with a shortcut that would’ve had me hopping a fence and getting in a spot of bother for trespassing. Like I say, this isn’t too much of an issue if you’re going on a familiar route. For those with a sense of adventure seeking a new unexplored area, there could be the unfortunate event of hitting a dead end.

Price and competition

The Coros Pace 3’s offers serious value for money, with a price tag that sits it amongst a competition of premium fitness dedicated watches. The Garmin Forerunner 255, though around four years old, still stands out as an immediate competitor. Priced at around £30 more than the Pace 3, the 255 seemingly aims to achieve very similar things, and it does so very well. In fact, we gave the 255 the same rating in our review. The deciding factor may just end up being brand preference, as these two trackers are very closely matched.

A Fitbit Charge 6 could pose as a fierce competitor too, especially considering it's almost half the price and almost equally as intuitive. What might give the Pace 3 a victory in this match up is that 1.2-inch rounded display. The Charge 6 is designed to be more streamlined whereas this Coros wants to open up the experience with a more generously sized interface.

Who is it for?

What’s makes the Coros Pace 3 such a standout is that it's great for anyone. There's much more to it than that though. This is a great multisports watch that would appeal to a wide range of athletes – not just runners. It's also suitable for beginners, packed with tools to help encourage positive habits

Would we recommend it?

If you’re in the market for a capable, intuitive and near all-encompassing fitness tracker, then yes, we’d recommend the Coros Pace 3. It ticks so many boxes as a modern fitness tracker, adhering to almost everything we tend to look out for without ever feeling limited.

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Who tested it?

The Coros Pace 3 was tested by Jack Barrell, resident Digital Writer and Tech Reviewer. His experience testing a diverse range of tech as well as other fitness trackers has made him well equipped for tackling the Pace 3. An active lifestyle has made testing health and fitness trackers a no brainer for Jack, and it’s also helped a great deal with his overall judgement of these products.

How the product was tested

Jack made his judgements on the Coros Pace 3 reflective of two weeks of consistent, day-to-day use. He wore the Pace 3 while he trained in the gym whether that be during weight training or cardio. Jack kept the Coros Pace 3 on while sleeping, in order to find out how well the sleep tracking was. He also spent a solid chunk of time testing the device’s built-in GPS capabilities, going for walks and runs that were dependent on this function.

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Jack Barrell is a Tech and Fitness Writer and Reviewer for What’s the Best. He is invested in the entertainment space and also keeps well in the loop with the latest sports and exercise trends too. On his off days, Jack can usually be found either in the gym – or watching his favourite Star Wars for the thousandth time.

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