At a Glance: The Verdict
| Garmin Forerunner 170 | Coros Pace 3 |
|---|---|
|
Best For: Runners who also want a real smartwatch A bright AMOLED face, Garmin Pay, and the full Garmin Connect ecosystem at $299. You give up GPS accuracy and battery for polish and tap-to-pay. |
Best For: Serious runners who want pure performance for less 30 grams, multi-band GPS, and 15 days of battery for $229. The display is dim and there are no payments, but for actual training, this is the better tool. |
Quick Buy Path
Check today’s pricing before you go deeper.
If these are already your two finalists, compare current pricing now, then keep reading for the full verdict.
The Garmin Forerunner 170 and the Coros Pace 3 sit at almost the same price point and target the same buyer: the runner who doesn’t need a $700 ultra-watch. But they take opposite approaches. One leans smartwatch-first with a color screen and payments. The other strips everything down to chase GPS accuracy, battery, and weight.
Key Differences
- GPS: The Pace 3 has multi-band (dual-frequency) GPS. The Forerunner 170 is single-band only: a notable cut at this price.
- Battery: Pace 3 lasts 15 days in smartwatch mode and 38 hours in GPS. The FR170 manages 10 days and 20 hours.
- Display: FR170 has a 390 x 390 AMOLED. Pace 3 uses a 240 x 240 always-on memory LCD: readable in sun, ugly indoors.
- Weight: Pace 3 is 30 grams. FR170 is 41 grams. That gap is real on a long run.
- Payments: The FR170 has NFC for Garmin Pay. The Pace 3 does not have NFC at all.
- Price: Pace 3 launched at $229. FR170 launches at $299.99, a $70 premium for the smartwatch features.
Deep Dive Comparison
Design & Comfort
Both watches use a fiber-reinforced polymer case and a 5 ATM water rating, so durability is a wash. The difference is on your wrist. The Pace 3 is 30 grams (among the lightest GPS watches you can buy) and the 41.9 mm case sits flat and forgettable. The Forerunner 170 is 41 grams in a 43 mm case. Still light by smartwatch standards, but you feel the extra metal and battery. For runners doing 2+ hour sessions, the Pace 3 wins this category outright.
Battery Life
This is the most lopsided category in the comparison. The Pace 3 hits 15 days of smartwatch use and 38 hours of GPS tracking. The Forerunner 170 gives you 10 days and 20 hours respectively. If you run a marathon with GPS on, the FR170 has roughly 16 hours of headroom after a 4-hour race. The Pace 3 has 34. For ultra distances or anyone who hates charging, this isn’t close.
Health & Fitness Features
Both watches carry optical heart rate, SpO2 (pulse oximetry), a barometric altimeter, gyroscope, accelerometer, compass, and thermometer. The real divide is GPS. The Pace 3 has multi-band, which gets you noticeably cleaner tracks in tree cover, downtown canyons, and trail switchbacks. The FR170 sticks with single-band: fine for open roads, frustrating in dense environments. For a watch sold to runners, that’s a strange corner for Garmin to cut.
On software, Garmin wins broader recovery and training-load metrics through Garmin Connect. Coros counters with EvoLab, a leaner but more focused training system that serious runners and coaches have come to trust.
Smart Features
The FR170 has Bluetooth, ANT+, and NFC. NFC means Garmin Pay: tap-to-pay at any contactless terminal, useful when you don’t want to carry a wallet on a long run. The Pace 3 has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi but no NFC, so no payments at all. Neither watch has a microphone or speaker, so phone calls from the wrist are off the table for both. Notifications work on both platforms, but Garmin Connect’s app ecosystem (Connect IQ) is deeper than Coros’s, with more third-party watch faces and apps.
Price & Value
The Forerunner 170 launches at $299.99. The Pace 3 launched at $229 and frequently sees street prices below that. For $70 more, the FR170 gives you a vivid AMOLED, NFC payments, and the Garmin ecosystem. The Pace 3 gives you better GPS, longer battery, and a lighter watch for less money. Pure dollars-per-running-feature, the Pace 3 is the value pick by a clear margin.
Technical Specs
| Spec | Garmin Forerunner 170 | Coros Pace 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $299.99 | $229 |
| Weight | 41 g | 30 g |
| Case Size | 43.0 mm | 41.9 mm |
| Display | 1.2-inch AMOLED, 390 x 390 | 1.2-inch Always-On Memory LCD, 240 x 240 |
| Water Rating | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Battery (Smartwatch) | 240 hours (10 days) | 360 hours (15 days) |
| Battery (GPS) | 20 hours | 38 hours |
| GPS | Single-band | Multi-band |
| NFC Payments | Yes (Garmin Pay) | No |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, ANT+, NFC | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
| Sensors | HR, SpO2, Barometer, Compass, Gyro, Accelerometer, Thermometer, Ambient Light | Optical HR, SpO2, Barometer, 3D Compass, Gyro, Accelerometer, Thermometer |
| Storage | 4 GB | 4 GB |
The Verdict
The Coros Pace 3 is the better runner’s watch. It’s lighter, lasts longer, has more accurate GPS, and costs $70 less. For anyone whose main use case is training and racing, the math doesn’t favor the Forerunner 170.
Buy the Coros Pace 3 if you’re a serious runner, half-marathon and up, you want multi-band GPS that holds up in cities and trees, and you’d rather charge every two weeks than every week. Also the right pick if you’re already in a structured training plan and want EvoLab’s load and recovery tools without paying Apex or Vertix prices.
Buy the Garmin Forerunner 170 if you want one watch that runs AND functions as a daily smartwatch. The AMOLED screen looks great indoors and in notifications, Garmin Pay is genuinely convenient, and Garmin Connect is the deeper platform if you also bike, swim, or play other sports. You’re paying $70 for polish and ecosystem. Fair if that’s what you value.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which watch has more accurate GPS?
The Coros Pace 3 is more accurate, full stop. Its multi-band (dual-frequency) GPS handles tree cover, urban buildings, and switchbacks better than the Forerunner 170’s single-band receiver. For trail runners and city runners, this is the single most important difference between the two watches.
Is the Forerunner 170 worth $70 more than the Pace 3?
Only if you’ll actually use the smartwatch features. The AMOLED display and Garmin Pay are real upgrades, and the Garmin Connect ecosystem is deeper. But you’re paying $70 to lose multi-band GPS, 5 days of battery, and 11 grams of weight. For most runners, that’s a bad trade.
Can I use either watch for an ultra-marathon?
The Pace 3 can: 38 hours of GPS battery covers a lot of ultra distances comfortably. The Forerunner 170’s 20 hours of GPS will run dry on most 100Ks and any 100-miler. If you race long, the Pace 3 is the only realistic choice here.
Do both watches work with iPhone and Android?
Yes. Both pair with iOS and Android phones over Bluetooth and sync to their respective companion apps: Garmin Connect for the FR170, Coros app for the Pace 3. Smart notifications work on both platforms either way.
Which has better day-to-day smartwatch use?
The Forerunner 170, easily. The AMOLED display is brighter and more readable indoors, notifications look better, and NFC payments let you leave your wallet at home. The Pace 3’s memory LCD is built for outdoor visibility, not for looking at on the couch.
🏆 Ready to Decide?
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