Coros - PACE 3 (as fitness tracker) vs Garmin - vivosmart 5
Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Coros - PACE 3 (as fitness tracker) | Garmin - vivosmart 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 17 days | 7 days |
| Sport modes | 20 | 14 |
| GPS | true | false |
Between the PACE 3 (as fitness tracker) and vivosmart 5, the PACE 3 (as fitness tracker) comes out ahead in battery life / sport modes, while the vivosmart 5 wins on several specs. Overall, the PACE 3 (as fitness tracker) scores 83.2 and the vivosmart 5 scores 63.9 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The PACE 3 (as fitness tracker) is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 19.3 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the PACE 3 (as fitness tracker) if you care most about battery life / sport modes. The biggest gaps in its favor are battery life, sport modes, gps. The single most decisive one: Battery life — 142.86% more. 17 days vs 7 days.
The vivosmart 5 similarly does not carry a headline advantage on the popular specs — look at the full table for category-specific deltas.
Both ship with comparable spo2, water resistance, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the PACE 3 (as fitness tracker) is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Which should you buy: Coros - PACE 3 (as fitness tracker) or Garmin - vivosmart 5?
Coros - PACE 3 (as fitness tracker) leads the current Mars Score by 19.3 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare battery life, gps against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Coros - PACE 3 (as fitness tracker) if…
Coros - PACE 3 (as fitness tracker) has the measurable edge on battery days, sport modes, has gps.
Choose Garmin - vivosmart 5 if…
Garmin - vivosmart 5 does not lead a decisive measured field here, so choose it for price, ecosystem, design, or availability when those matter more to you.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Coros - PACE 3 (as fitness tracker) wins
- ▲Battery life — 142.86% more. 17 days vs 7 days.
- ▲Sport modes — 6.00 more. 20 vs 14.
- ▲Has GPS.
Why Garmin - vivosmart 5 wins
- No decisive advantages.
Spec comparison
Fitness
| Spec | Coros - PACE 3 (as fitness tracker) | Garmin - vivosmart 5 |
|---|---|---|
| GPS | truelead | false |
| Heart rate | true | true |
| SpO2 | true | true |
| Sleep tracking | true | true |
| Sport modes | 20lead | 14 |
Battery
| Spec | Coros - PACE 3 (as fitness tracker) | Garmin - vivosmart 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery lifeⓘ | 17 dayslead | 7 days |
| Water resistanceⓘ | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
Design
| Spec | Coros - PACE 3 (as fitness tracker) | Garmin - vivosmart 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Display size | 1.2 "lead | 0.73 " |
| Weight | 39 g | 26 glead |