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%)
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Positive 3.5-4.426 (51%)
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Neutral 2.5-3.49 (18%)
Pros
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Charging speed was a major highlight, with several reviewers praising the roughly one-hour full charge.
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Reliability received limited but strong praise from golfer reviews describing flawless performance and zero issues.
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Pairing and connectivity reliability received a strong single-review endorsement with no connectivity issues.
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Brightness was widely praised, with reviewers emphasizing vivid AMOLED contrast and easy viewing.
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Menu navigation was praised in golf use, with reviewers saying mode switching and course menus were simple and fast.
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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.
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Mapping and navigation were major strengths, with praise for TOPO maps, golf maps, turn-by-turn guidance, and route handling.
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Build quality was consistently premium, with reviewers highlighting robust construction, confidence, and high-end execution.
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Materials quality was a core strength, especially grade 5 titanium, sapphire, carbon, and luxury-grade finishes.
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Durability was praised through scratch resistance, rugged trail use, and solid construction.
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Stress tracking appeared as part of a wider health-and-fitness suite that one reviewer said excelled in daily use.
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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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Water resistance was positively judged for swimming, rain, sweat, and 10 ATM confidence.
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Outdoor visibility was praised for direct sunlight, hikes, runs, and sunlight-readable use.
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Customization was a strength, especially for activity screens, sport profiles, settings, and watch faces.
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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.
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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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Wellness insights such as Body Battery, sleep coach, health snapshots, and relatable metrics were widely viewed as useful and personally meaningful.
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Onboard music storage and offline playlists were repeatedly praised as useful for phone-free workouts.
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Battery life was broadly praised as strong for AMOLED and smartwatch use, though always-on display, GPS, music, and Pulse Ox reduce it.
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Button controls were repeatedly praised as intuitive, sturdy, tactile, polished, and useful alongside the touchscreen.
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Workout variety was consistently described as broad or complete, with one caveat that yoga mode required impractical pose/set interaction.
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Touchscreen responsiveness was generally strong, with reviewers praising responsiveness and flexible touch/button control.
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Reviewers saw broad health metrics as generally realistic when compared with daily reality, though detailed evidence appeared in only one review.
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Band quality was mostly positive for nylon, leather, silicone, and integrated designs, but one Athlete reviewer disliked its stiff strap.
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Recovery and readiness insights were repeatedly praised as useful for deciding when to train, though one reviewer noted bad sleep estimates could undermine them.
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As a smartwatch, reviewers praised the broad feature set and daily usefulness, while noting it still lacks some conventional smartwatch functions.
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Companion app quality received limited direct evidence, with one golfer reviewer calling the app setup familiar and simple to understand.
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Safety features had limited but positive evidence around accident detection and location messaging.
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Software smoothness had limited evidence, but one reviewer noted Garmin software quality had improved substantially.
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Charging convenience was mostly improved by the magnetic cradle and fast top-ups, though the unique proprietary cable drew some concern.
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Music controls were viewed as good or part of the premium smartwatch package, with limited deeper critique.
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Heart-rate evidence was mostly positive for steady workouts and general use, with caveats around wrist-based lag, cycling strain, and short intervals.
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The interface was seen as increasingly user-friendly and easy to use, although some Garmin complexity remained overwhelming for newcomers.
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Contactless payments were appreciated for phone-free outings and setup ease, though bank support and PIN friction limited convenience.
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Activity auto-detection received limited but mixed-positive evidence: Free Train movement detection was pretty accurate, though some edits were still needed.
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Cross-platform compatibility was positively judged in one review as good for both iPhone and Android users.
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Comfort was mixed: several reviewers found it comfortable or light, while others found the size and weight noticeable or bulky.
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Watch faces were customizable, but one golfer review criticized Garmin’s default font as not premium enough.
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The Garmin app ecosystem was useful for many tasks, but reviewers said it remains behind Apple and Google app stores.
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The operating system experience was powerful but dense, with one reviewer saying the menus and features take time to learn.
Cons
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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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Fit evidence was split between concerns over chunky sizing and praise for straps that can shape to the wrist.
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Blood oxygen tracking was treated as useful when measured carefully, but reviewers also warned that Pulse Ox can drain battery heavily.
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Third-party app support was mixed to weak: Connect IQ offered usable apps, but reviewers wanted richer interactive app support.
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Sleep timing was praised by one reviewer as spot-on, but another reported frequent time-asleep mistakes that could skew readiness metrics.
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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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Wi-Fi connectivity was only judged in one review, where map downloads over Wi-Fi were considered slow.
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Call handling evidence was limited to absence: one reviewer found missing call features disappointing, while another did not miss them much.
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Size options were a weakness because reviewers wanted smaller choices and noted the single 46mm case could be too much watch.
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, wellness insights, below average in value for money, sleep tracking accuracy, size options.
Summary
51 compared features-
Above average 0.4+ pts higher25 (49%)
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Same as average within 0.3 pts21 (41%)
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Below average 0.4+ pts lower5 (10%)
Largest category differences
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| onboard music storage | 4.4 | 2.8 | +1.6 |
| value for money | 2.8 | 3.8 | -1.1 |
| mapping and navigation | 4.6 | 3.4 | +1.1 |
| contactless payments | 4.0 | 2.8 | +1.2 |
| stress tracking | 4.6 | 3.5 | +1.1 |
| reliability | 4.8 | 3.8 | +1.0 |
| charging convenience | 4.1 | 3.3 | +0.7 |
| smartwatch features | 4.2 | 3.5 | +0.7 |
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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