If you’ve spent any time browsing running watches, you’ve likely come across the names Coros and Garmin. These two smartwatch brands are giants in the running world, offering a huge range of training and fitness features to help you work towards your running goals.
On the surface, there are a lot of similarities between the two brands. With their easy-to-use interfaces, advanced connectivity, and a variety of standard features, including heart rate monitoring and workout tracking, both options have become go-to choices for reliable smartwatches.
However, while Coros and Garmin have a lot to offer each runner, there are some key differences between the watch companies and the types of runners who might benefit from each.
These differences become even more apparent with a deep dive into specific models. Two of the most popular smartwatches out there are the Pace 3 from Coros and the Forerunner 570 from Garmin. But how do these watches differ, and which smartwatch is best for your needs?
In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at the Coros Pace 3 and Garmin Forerunner 570 to help you make an informed choice that meets your running and fitness needs.
Coros vs Garmin: A Brief History
Before we start diving into all the smaller details, here’s a quick rundown of what you need to know about the two brands.
Founded back in 2016, Coros is a relatively new player in the running and technology world. But this newness hasn’t been a detriment to the brand, and it’s quickly risen as one of the top running watch companies on the market.
Coros watches are focused on using innovative technology to create watches designed for dedicated, passionate athletes who like to tackle adventures in extreme environments. The brand is best known for its affordable and incredibly lightweight smartwatches that can work for all types of athletes.
On the other hand, Garmin is one of the most established watch companies around. The brand dates all the way back to 1989, and its GPS technology and innovative smartwatches have become a staple for countless athletes.
Despite Garmin’s longer-standing history, both brands have built an impressive reputation over the years. And with the Coros Pace 3 and Garmin Forerunner 570, they’ve proven that they can both deliver impressive products that can meet all different fitness needs.
If you’re looking for an affordable smartwatch with a huge range of metrics, training features, and health insights, either the Pace 3 or Forerunner 570 could work for you. Let’s take a closer look at these watches to help you determine the right choice for you and your running journey.
Pace 3 vs Forerunner 570: General Purpose and Overview
Smartwatches can be incredibly helpful in reaching your fitness goals, whether you’re a runner, walker, gym-goer, or are just looking to improve your general health. Looking at the Coros Pace 3 and Garmin Forerunner 570, however, there are some key differences in who might benefit most from each watch.
Coros aims to create smartwatches built for endurance athletes looking to improve their training, and the Coros Pace 3 is a great example of this. The Pace 3 is an entry-level watch, offering a lightweight , low-profile design packed full of innovative features. While it is one of the less advanced watch from the brand, it’s a perfect beginning option for runners or multi-sport athletes who want a simple and lightweight GPS watch.
Garmin may have the advantage of being a more established company, but the Forerunner 570 is one of the newest watches in its lineup. While the Pace 3 is more focused on training features and metrics to help endurance athletes throughout their runs, the Forerunner 570 is ideal for runners who want a huge range of training metrics along with day-to-day fitness and health tracking.
Overall, if you’re looking for a GPS smartwatch to carry you through your runs, you can’t go wrong with either of these options. However, runners seeking a lightweight and affordable option, particularly one focused on training insights, will likely appreciate the simplicity and training-focused features of the Pace 3.
On the other hand, if you want a watch you can take with you wherever you go for both running metrics and daily health, fitness, and recovery insight, you may find the more comprehensive Forerunner 570 works best for you.
Pace 3 vs Forerunner 570: Display and Battery
While browsing smartwatches, it’s important to look for something comfortable, dependable, and easy to use. Fortunately, both the Coros Pace 3 and Forerunner 570 excel in these categories.
The Coros Pace 3 comes with a 41.9mm display and is available with both a nylon and silicone watch band. The watch weighs in at 39g with the silicone band and 30g with the nylon band. The mineral glass transflective display screen makes it simple to navigate between screens, while the digital dial and back button can be used to scroll through menus.
When using the Pace 3, athletes can enjoy 38 hours of use in smartwatch mode and 10 hours in GPS mode, an impressive battery life for such a small, entry-level watch.
The Forerunner 570 is a bit bigger than the Pace 3, although you can choose between a 42mm and 47mm display screen. It’s also the heavier option of the two watches, with the 42mm size weighing 42g and the 47mm size weighing 50g.
Garmin uses its brightest AMOLED screen display in the 570, making it easy to read the screen in any weather conditions. The convenient touch screen, paired with 5 customizable side buttons, also makes it easy to navigate through menus and different display screens.
Finally, while the Pace 3 excels in battery life for an entry-level watch, the Forerunner 570 ultimately takes the cake when it comes to longevity. The Forerunner 570 boasts 11 days of use in smartwatch mode and 18 hours in GPS mode, so you can enjoy everything it has to offer with longer between charges.
Pace 3 vs Forerunner 570: Training Features and Navigation Tools
One of the most important questions to ask yourself when browsing smartwatches is what training features you’re looking for. Whether it’s for running, gym workouts, cycling, swimming, or other sports, you want to make sure your new GPS watch has all the features you need to help you reach your goals.
As an entry-level running watch, the Pace 3 doesn’t have quite as many of the advanced features as some other smartwatches on the market. However, that’s not to say it doesn’t have a huge range of training features and navigation tools to carry you through your workouts.
Coros Pace 3 Training Features
The Pace 3 includes:
- An optical heart rate monitor
- Accurate elevation measurement for hiking and off-road exploration
- Breadcrumb navigation features
- Turn-by-turn navigation to keep you secure and on track on any adventure
- All-satellite dual-frequency for accurate distance and location tracking
- 5 ATM water resistance
- A huge range of activity modes – track your runs, hikes, swims, bike rides, gym sessions, ski runs, and more; and
- Training plans and personalized guidance from Coros coaches
If you’re searching for a simple, entry-level watch to help you start your running journey, the Coros Pace 3 should have all the training features and data you need. However, if you’re looking for more comprehensive fitness and training metrics, you’ll likely appreciate the extensive features the Forerunner 570 offers.
Garmin Forerunner 570 Training Features
Garmin has earned a reputation as the go-to running watch brand, and when you look at all the features the 570 has to offer, it’s easy to see why. The Forerunner 570 boasts a huge range of training metrics and insights, including:
- A wrist-based heart rate monitor
- Personalized Garmin Coach training plans for a variety of sports
- HRV status and VO2 max information to track training effectiveness and recovery
- Recovery and training readiness scores based on previous activity
- Running dynamics tracking such as cadence, stride length, and ground contact time
- SATIQ technology and multi-band GPS for optimized location tracking
- 5 ATM water resistance
- Built-in sports apps with profiles for cycling, swimming, running, strength training, and more; and
- PacePro race day strategies with pace guidance for selected distances
Overall, both watches will have the features you need to help you reach your goals no matter what sport you prefer.
For beginner runners looking for a simple and reliable smartwatch, the Pace 3’s advanced training features should offer more than enough details to keep you moving forward towards your goals. But if you’re looking for some more comprehensive training features and running metrics, you may appreciate the Forerunner 570’s more extensive, in-depth insights.
Pace 3 vs Forerunner 570: Day-To-Day Features and Usage
What really separates Garmin and Coros watches from one another is the best usage and daily features. While the Coros Pace 3 does have some daily features and is lightweight enough to wear all day, the Garmin Forerunner 570 does offer more comprehensive day-to-day features to keep you feeling your best both during workouts and recovery.
Despite having less comprehensive daily features, the Pace 3 still has several helpful recovery and daily health insights. The watch does feature sleep tracking, resting heart rate monitoring, and safety alerts. But ultimately, the Coros Pace 3 really shines when it comes to workouts and runs, making it a good choice for anyone looking for a dedicated running watch.
On the other hand, along with all the training features, the Forerunner 570 also features plenty of smartwatch features that can track your fitness and recovery throughout the day. These include:
- A morning and evening report
- Stress tracking
- Body Battery energy monitoring
- Stress tracking
- Nap detection
- A sleep coach to improve sleep quality; and
- Women’s health tracking
While both watches can be worn day-to-day, those prioritizing a more advanced watch with comprehensive recovery, sleep, and health tracking may want to take advantage of the 570’s more in-depth health monitoring.
Pace 3 vs Forerunner 570: Connectivity and Smart Features
Staying connected thorough your smartwatch is a key part of what makes Garmin and Coros watches so popular, so it likely won’t come as a surprise that the Pace 3 and Forerunner 570 both offer lots of ways to stay connected and keep in touch while venturing out on a run.
Both the Pace 3 and Forerunner 570 connect through bluetooth to the Coros app and Garmin Connect app respectively, where you can track your activity and gain even more training insights. They both also receive smart notifications so you can access calls, texts, emails, and more right from your wrist.
Once again, when it comes to smartwatch features, the Forerunner 570 comes out on top. The smartwatch features and app integration on the Pace 3 is more simple and stripped down. While you can access notifications, connect with third party apps, and listen to music, there are less integration and connectivity options compared to the Garmin Forerunner 570.
With the Garmin 570, you truly access anything you need right from your wrist. The built-in speaker and microphone allow you to respond to calls and texts, while the safety and tracking features can detect your location and share it with friends and family to keep you safe and secure no matter where your adventures take you. The Forerunner 570 also makes any run more fun with built-in music storage and easy integration with a huge range of other apps.
Pace 3 vs Forerunner 570: Price and Value
Sure, the Pace 3 doesn’t have quite as many connectivity and daily features as the Forerunner 570. But when it comes to price, the Pace 3 is hard to beat.
The Coros Pace 3 costs $229, making it one of the most affordable smartwatches on the market. With an impressive battery life, lightweight design, and lots of elements designed to help you track your runs and reach your goals, the Pace 3 is the perfect option for any beginner or casual runners looking for an affordable entry-level watch with great value.
The Forerunner 570 will cost you quite a bit more, ringing up at $549.99. However, with more ways to help you prepare for races, analyze your recovery, and connect with others, many runners may find the extra cost worth it. If you’re an experienced athlete looking for the extra frills that come with a mid-range smartwatch, you’ll likely find lots of value in the Garmin Forerunner 570.
Final Thoughts: Is the Coros Pace 3 or Garmin Forerunner 570 Right for You?
As two of the top smartwatch brands around, both Garmin and Coros have a vast range of comfortable, convenient, and innovative smartwatch options. And if you’re looking for value and extensive training features, you can’t go wrong with either the Pace 3 from Coros or Forerunner 570 from Garmin. But which option is right for you?
If you’re looking for a more entry-level watch, or simply want a more affordable option, the Coros Pace 3 offers exceptional value at a great price point. It’s small, remarkably lightweight, and comfortable, with an impressive battery life for a watch of that price and size. While it doesn’t have quite as many day-to-day metrics and insights as the competition, it’s a great choice for anyone looking for a dedicated running watch that won’t break the bank.
As a mid-range level watch, the Forerunner 570 is significantly more expensive. But with that higher price tag also comes more comprehensive training and recovery insights. The Forerunner 570 is ideal for anyone looking for a watch that can do it all, from tracking your pace and heart rate on runs to monitoring daily fitness and recovery metrics. If you prioritize connectivity, convenience, and detailed health tracking, it may be time to try out the Garmin Forerunner 570.
With this guide, we hope you have a better idea of which smartwatch is best for you and your training. But at Marathon Sports, we know a smartwatch is a big purchase, and if you’re feeling overwhelmed with all the options, we’re here to help.
When you stop by your local Marathon Sports, you’ll have access to a dedicated team of footwear experts ready to answer any of your watch, gear, or running shoe questions. Armed with the perfect watch for you, you’ll feel more ready and prepared to hit the pavement and work towards all your fitness goals.
