Between the PACE 3 and Forerunner 965, the PACE 3 comes out ahead in gps mode, while the Forerunner 965 wins on smartwatch mode. Overall, the PACE 3 scores 46.6 and the Forerunner 965 scores 49.7 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Forerunner 965 edges ahead on the Mars Score (46.6 vs 49.7), but the 3.1-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the PACE 3 if you care most about gps mode. The biggest gaps in its favor are gps mode.
Pick the Forerunner 965 if you care most about smartwatch mode. Its strongest claims are smartwatch mode.
Both ship with comparable multi-band gps, solar charging, ecg, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Why Coros - PACE 3 wins
- ▲GPS mode — 22.58% more. 38 h vs 31 h.
Why Garmin - Forerunner 965 wins
- ▲Smartwatch mode — 35.29% more. 23 days vs 17 days.
Spec comparison
GPS & Sensors
| Spec | Coros - PACE 3 | Garmin - Forerunner 965 |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-band GPS | true | true |
| Barometric altimeter | true | true |
| Heart rate | true | true |
| ECG | false | false |
| Pulse Ox | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Coros - PACE 3 | Garmin - Forerunner 965 |
|---|---|---|
| Smartwatch mode | 17 days | 23 dayslead |
| GPS mode | 38 hlead | 31 h |
| Solar charging | false | false |
Design
| Spec | Coros - PACE 3 | Garmin - Forerunner 965 |
|---|---|---|
| Case size | 42 mm | 47 mmlead |
| Weight | 39 glead | 53 g |
| Water resistanceⓘ | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
Frequently asked
Spec-level deep dives
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