The prices of the COROS PACE 3 and PACE Pro have been permanently altered to align better with the new PACE 4 pricing, offering you additional options.
One of my preferred brands for running watches, COROS, typically sidesteps Black Friday and other promotional events; you won’t find their watches “on sale.” This Friday, however, we’re experiencing the nearest equivalent: The COROS PACE 3 and PACE Pro have both undergone permanent price reductions to $199 and $299, respectively. If you’re in search of an affordable or mid-range fitness watch, they are more enticing and accessible than ever.
COROS unveiled the outstanding PACE 4 running watch this week priced at $249, leading to price cuts on the PACE 3 and Pro by 13% and 14%, respectively; you now have three budget-friendly choices within a $100 range.
Prior to these price reductions, I rated the PACE Pro as the top mid-range running watch and the PACE 3 as the leading budget fitness watch among various brands. The new PACE 4 adds some complexity, yet I’d still advocate for the PACE Pro as the superior choice due to its larger screen and compatibility with landscape and city maps.
If that price is still not appealing enough, the COROS PACE 3 priced at $199 is undoubtedly the best “affordable” running watch available unless you find a discount. It features the same dual-frequency GPS precision and heart rate sensors as a more expensive COROS model, alongside the same training software like training load and EvoLab.
These discounts are here to stay, so there’s no urgency to make a decision. I lean towards the PACE Pro since it boasts a faster processor that should ensure compatibility with future updates for years ahead, but the PACE 3’s pricing is tough to resist.
The newly released COROS PACE 4 strikes a perfect balance between the two: It retains the lightweight and slim profile of the PACE 3 while offering an AMOLED display as bright as that of the Pro. It offers the same 31 hours of dual-frequency GPS tracking as the Pro, surpassing the PACE 3’s 15 hours, and includes nearly all the same sensors apart from ECGs. Additionally, it has two unique new features: Dual mics for recording your emotions post-workout, and an Action Button for quick workout access.
I still favor the PACE Pro for its offline maps with street/trail names and points of interest for the additional $50. But if those features are unnecessary for you, the PACE 4 (or 3) is the smarter choice for budget-conscious runners who want to enhance their training. I tested the PACE 4 this week and was highly impressed with its GPS and heart rate accuracy at such an economical price.
If these models don’t catch your interest, you might want to explore other budget-friendly running watches. The Garmin Forerunner 165 boasts strong battery life, provides daily run and recovery recommendations, and performed well against the PACE 3 in my accuracy evaluations, yet it lacks crucial PACE features like training load, training status, or maps. The Amazfit Active 2 is even more affordable than the PACE 3 with its 2,000-nit AMOLED display, but it has significantly shorter battery life and less reliable GPS tracking.
