Finding a watch that fits your workout style isn’t easy. Here’s a quick look at a couple of top choices.
Apple Watch runs the show—if you’ve got an iPhone. Do you use Android? A completely different game Plenty of smartwatch choices out there, but most miss the mark. I’ve tried ones that lag, make your wrist feel heavy, or skip over things that should be standard. That’s where a COROS PACE 3 vs. The Garmin Forerunner 265 face-off becomes more important. Garmin owns the fitness space. No contest. I’ve watched other brands swing and miss. If I had to track a run or crush a workout, I’d grab a Garmin without blinking. But COROS makes a strong case. Enough to make you pause and think about what you actually need.
Comfort and style
The PACE weighs just 1 ounce, while the 265 is 1.65 ounces. That super light feel could make the PACE more comfortable to wear all day—even while you sleep. I used to like heavier watches, but over time, I learned that extra bulk and weight get in the way. Are the watches heavy and have sharp edges? They’ll make you want to ditch them fast.
Plastic devices are more comfortable and gentler to wear for me. Lots of folks who own the PACE 3 and Forerunner 265 feel the same. They claim that these watches are suitable for long runs and daytime wear. Looks-wise, neither the PACE 3 nor the Forerunner 265 stands out much. Both have a polymer bezel that makes them look simple… and, to some, even cheap. They don’t show much craftsmanship or detail. And they don’t try to impress with any fancy status vibes. Is that, however, the kind of impression that a smartwatch ought to aim for?
Build quality
A smartwatch takes a lot of bumps and knocks during the day, so it needs tough materials and a solid build. Titanium can scratch pretty easily, and the Galaxy Watch Ultra shows this problem a lot. Because of this, many people cover it with a plastic case. Therefore, there is a good reason why the plastic bezels on the COROS PACE 3 and Garmin Forerunner 265 give the appearance of being cheap. Plastic can be very strong thanks to clever manufacturing. This is demonstrated by the use of fiber-reinforced polymer in the Forerunner 265 model.
Features
GPS running watches go beyond basic fitness bands. You still get steps and distance, but now you also unlock loads of serious training features.
Fitness
Garmin’s Forerunner 265 throws in a bit of everything to grab as many users as possible—but it misses the mark in a lot of spots. Instead of focusing on getting the essentials right, it crams in features that don’t quite work as they should. It’s the opposite of what the COROS PACE 3 does.
Take Garmin Pay, body battery, workouts, and navigation—they’re all there, sure, but none of them hit the mark. The navigation feels like a game of chance. You can’t backtrack, and the arrow on the screen just seems to do its own thing.
Some users like that the Forerunner 265 lets them stay on course even if they miss a waypoint by a significant distance. That’s fine. But when they turn the wrong way, the watch stays quiet. No alert. No correction. It even lets you jump from one checkpoint to another without making sure you’re on the right path.
On the flip side, the PACE 3 skips the flash and keeps things clean. It doesn’t try to impress with a million tricks. It just does what it’s built to do—help you train without getting in the way.
People who pick the COROS PACE 3 notice the difference right away. They see smart choices in how it handles navigation, how it delays the save button just enough to avoid mistakes, and how smooth the app and website feel. Additionally, the training plans stand out. It appears to be a running-specific tool.
App
From what I’ve read, the PACE 3’s distance tracking gets close but still misses sometimes. It could be caused by the firmware or by particular devices alone. However, the app appears clean. No extra junk like Garmin or Apple Health. It keeps the core features, and the built-in route builder looks solid.
What stands out to me is how COROS puts everything in one spot. You don’t need to jump between apps like Garmin does with IQ and Connect. That split feels strange and unnecessary.
Some people mentioned Garmin’s app picks up on stress during work and offers a breathing session. The interface looks good, and the vibrations guide your breath without feeling too strong. It sounds helpful, especially for folks who deal with stress or tension during the day.
Battery life
COROS says you’ll get 38 hours of battery with standard full GPS and around 10 hours if you’re playing offline music. Sounds solid on paper. But some users noticed a drop over time. When they first started using the watch, it could go about 10 days with workouts mixed in. They are now down to 5 or 6 after a year. That’s still decent—but if you’ve gotten used to double that, watching it drop feels rough. Not ideal for someone hoping this watch holds up for years.
Others who bought the COROS PACE 3 shared different results. They wear it all day, take it off only to shower, and track a few workouts per week with every GPS option turned on. That group reports 10 to 14 days between charges. So yeah, it comes down to how you use your smartwatch.
Garmin claims up to 13 days on the Forerunner 265. Most folks get around a week, sometimes a bit more—say 10 days. That includes several runs per week using all GPS bands and daily GPS walks or hikes. I always chuckle when someone brags about 20 or even 30 days on a Garmin. Sure, a few watches might pull that off. But for most of us, it’s way closer to 7, give or take, depending on what we’re doing.
Verdict: COROS PACE 3 vs. Garmin Forerunner 265
COROS Pace watches get credit for strong battery life, quick GPS lock, and sharp tracking. The Pace 3 ($229) builds on that foundation. It brings in long-requested features like dual-frequency GPS and onboard music, without raising the price too high.
If you want more smartwatch functions than what the Pace 3 offers, the Garmin Forerunner 265 ($449.99) stands out. It packs the best mix of features and value in Garmin’s lineup.
