If you want better value for money
Choose Garmin Forerunner 955. It scores 4.7 vs 2.8 for value for money, with a 4.1 overall score.
Garmin MARQ Gen 2 Review
Bottom Line
Choose the Garmin MARQ Gen 2 if you want Garmin’s strongest sports, golf, GPS, and wellness tools in a luxury build. Skip it if you mainly want the same core features for less.
Best for
Best for athletes, golfers, travelers, and Garmin loyalists who want advanced training, mapping, golf, wellness, and smartwatch tools in a premium luxury-style build.
Not for
Not for buyers focused on value, small wrists, full smartwatch app/call features, or those who would be satisfied with a cheaper Epix, Fenix, or Approach model.
Verdict
Reviewers consistently frame the Garmin MARQ Gen 2 as a premium Garmin sports watch first and a luxury object second. The strongest evidence clusters around its AMOLED display, high-end materials, sturdy build, strong GPS, broad workout coverage, mapping, golf tools, and unusually fast charging. The tradeoff is that much of the underlying feature set overlaps with cheaper Epix, Fenix, and Approach models, so the MARQ’s appeal depends heavily on whether the upgraded case, straps, styling, and status matter to the buyer. Battery life is strong for an AMOLED Garmin, but always-on mode, music, GPS, and Pulse Ox reduce it. Comfort also splits reviewers: some loved wearing it daily, while others found the size and weight too much.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
51 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.016 (31%)
-
Positive 3.5-4.426 (51%)
-
Neutral 2.5-3.49 (18%)
Pros highlights
-
Display quality was one of the strongest consensus positives, especially the AMOLED screen and domed lens, though older MARQ reviews criticized the first-gen display.
-
Battery life was broadly praised as strong for AMOLED and smartwatch use, though always-on display, GPS, music, and Pulse Ox reduce it.
-
Style and design were a standout strength, repeatedly described as premium, stunning, stylish, and more refined than typical Garmin sports watches.
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Coaching features ranged from Training Readiness and suggested workouts to golf caddie guidance, and reviewers generally found them helpful or impressive.
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Fitness tracking accuracy was a major strength across running, golf, swimming, indoor training, and broader performance data.
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GPS accuracy drew strong praise across road, trail, city, golf, and multiband tests, with only minor caveats in difficult urban conditions.
Cons highlights
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Value for money was the most common concern: reviewers loved the watch but often said Epix, Fenix, or Approach models provide much of the same for less.
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Notifications were useful for basic reading and alerts, but several reviewers criticized limited interaction or on-course interruptions.
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Third-party app support was mixed to weak: Connect IQ offered usable apps, but reviewers wanted richer interactive app support.
-
Blood oxygen tracking was treated as useful when measured carefully, but reviewers also warned that Pulse Ox can drain battery heavily.
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other Smartwatches, this product is above average in onboard music storage, mapping and navigation, contactless payments, near average in style and design, comfort, below average in value for money, sleep tracking accuracy, call handling.
Comparison summary
51 compared features-
Above average 0.4+ pts higher23 (45%)
-
Same as average within 0.3 pts23 (45%)
-
Below average 0.4+ pts lower5 (10%)
Largest category differences
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| onboard music storage | 4.4 | 2.9 | +1.5 |
| mapping and navigation | 4.6 | 3.4 | +1.2 |
| value for money | 2.8 | 3.8 | -1.1 |
| contactless payments | 4.0 | 2.8 | +1.2 |
| stress tracking | 4.6 | 3.5 | +1.1 |
| reliability | 4.8 | 3.7 | +1.1 |
| charging convenience | 4.1 | 3.3 | +0.7 |
| menu navigation | 4.7 | 3.8 | +0.8 |
Consider This Instead
If you want better smartphone notifications
Choose Garmin Forerunner 165. It scores 5.0 vs 3.4 for smartphone notifications, with a 4.3 overall score.
If you want better comfort
Choose Garmin Vivoactive 6. It scores 4.7 vs 3.9 for comfort, with a 3.9 overall score.
If you want better heart rate accuracy
Choose Huawei Watch GT 6 Pro. It scores 4.7 vs 4.0 for heart rate accuracy, with a 4.0 overall score.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
- Worse: battery life The reviewer says the MARQ’s battery lasts much longer than Apple Watch Ultra.
- Worse: battery life The reviewer says the MARQ Athlete lasts far longer than Apple Watch Ultra.
- Better: heart rate responsiveness The reviewer says the Garmin sensor is slower than Apple Watch at catching fluctuations.
- Cheaper: golf functionality The reviewer says the Approach S62 provides similar golf functionality at a much lower price.
FAQ
Is the Garmin MARQ Gen 2 accurate for GPS tracking?
Reviewers generally praised GPS accuracy very strongly across running, cycling, city, trail, and golf use. A few noted minor quibbles in dense buildings, but the consensus was positive.
How good is the display?
The AMOLED display and domed lens were among the most praised upgrades. Reviewers called it sharp, bright, vivid, easy to view outdoors, and a major improvement over older MARQ displays.
Is the battery life good?
Yes, reviewers called battery life strong for an AMOLED Garmin, with multi-day to roughly two-week use depending on settings. Always-on display, GPS, music, and Pulse Ox can reduce it.
Does it justify the luxury price?
Reviewers were split. They praised the materials, build, and design, but many said cheaper Garmin models deliver much of the same functionality for less.
Is it comfortable enough for daily wear?
Comfort was mixed. Some reviewers found it comfortable or light enough for day-and-night use, while others noticed the chunkiness, weight, or lack of smaller case options.
Are the training and recovery insights useful?
Mostly yes. Reviewers praised Training Readiness, Body Battery, recovery guidance, suggested workouts, and golf caddie-style coaching, though sleep tracking errors can affect those insights.
How capable is it as a smartwatch?
It handles notifications, music, Garmin Pay, apps, and daily features well, but reviewers noted limited interactive apps, no rich call handling, and fewer classic smartwatch features than some rivals.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
Video Reviews
YouTube - Golf Guy Reviews
- Review score
- 3.9
YouTube - Lets Play Thru
- Review score
- 4.6
YouTube - The Run Testers
- Review score
- 3.8
Article Reviews
techradar.com
- Review score
- 4.5
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