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Garmin - Fenix 8 Solar (47mm) vs Garmin - MARQ Athlete (Gen 2)

Last updated · How Mars Score works
Fenix 8 Solar (47mm)GARMINRENDER
Probe A
Garmin
Fenix 8 Solar (47mm)
58.4/ 100C
GPS & Sensors—· 40%
Battery58· 40%
Design—· 20%
MARQ Athlete (Gen 2)GARMINRENDER
Probe B
Garmin
MARQ Athlete (Gen 2)
45.3/ 100D
GPS & Sensors—· 40%
Battery45· 40%
Design—· 20%
Quick verdict

Between the Fenix 8 Solar (47mm) and MARQ Athlete (Gen 2), the Fenix 8 Solar (47mm) comes out ahead in gps mode / smartwatch mode, while the MARQ Athlete (Gen 2) wins on several specs. Overall, the Fenix 8 Solar (47mm) scores 58.4 and the MARQ Athlete (Gen 2) scores 45.3 on our Mars Score.

Buying advice

Which should you buy?

The Fenix 8 Solar (47mm) is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 13.1 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 Fenix 8 Solar (47mm) if you care most about gps mode / smartwatch mode. The biggest gaps in its favor are gps mode, smartwatch mode, solar charging.

The MARQ Athlete (Gen 2) similarly does not carry a headline advantage on the popular specs — look at the full table for category-specific deltas.

Both ship with comparable multi-band gps, ecg, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.

Bottom line: the Fenix 8 Solar (47mm) is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.

Why Garmin - Fenix 8 Solar (47mm) wins

  • ▲GPS mode — 246.67% more. 104 h vs 30 h.
  • ▲Smartwatch mode — 75.00% more. 28 days vs 16 days.
  • ▲Has Solar charging.

Why Garmin - MARQ Athlete (Gen 2) wins

  • No decisive advantages.
Full readout

Spec comparison

GPS & Sensors

SpecGarmin - Fenix 8 Solar (47mm)Garmin - MARQ Athlete (Gen 2)
Multi-band GPStruetrue
Barometric altimetertruetrue
Heart ratetruetrue
ECGtruetrue
Pulse Oxtruetrue

Battery

SpecGarmin - Fenix 8 Solar (47mm)Garmin - MARQ Athlete (Gen 2)
Smartwatch mode28 dayslead16 days
GPS mode104 hlead30 h
Solar chargingtrueleadfalse

Design

SpecGarmin - Fenix 8 Solar (47mm)Garmin - MARQ Athlete (Gen 2)
Case size47 mmlead46 mm
Weight82 glead92 g
Water resistanceⓘ10 ATM10 ATM
Drill down

Spec-level deep dives

Multi-band GPS→Barometric altimeter→Heart rate→ECG→Pulse Ox→Smartwatch mode→GPS mode→Solar charging→Case size→Weight→Water resistance→
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