Whoop’s dominance as the go-to wearable without a screen was shaken earlier this year by Google’s Fitbit Air, a similarly screenless tracker that worked whether you paid for its $10 per month subscription or not. Now, both devices are getting a serious challenger in the form of Garmin, which is announcing its own discreet fitness band. The Garmin Cirqa Smart Band is pricier at $200 but requires no subscription. Add in that the band offers many of the features of both Whoop and Fitbit, and it might prove to be a compelling alternative.
The Cirqa has a fabric wristband that comes in blue, light red, or gray, with an optional armband you can purchase if you’d prefer not to wear it on your wrist. The band can measure heart rate, skin temperature, and blood oxygen levels, along with tracking your sleep and “more than 80 different activities,” according to Garmin. Activities are tracked automatically, but the company says pressing the Cirqa’s side button can also force the wearable to track an assigned workout whenever you want. Connected to a smartphone, the band can also use GPS to map your rides and runs.
The Cirqa has a fabric wristband that comes in blue, light red, or gray, with an optional arm band you can purchase if you’d prefer not to wear it on your wrist. The band can measure heart rate, skin temperature, and blood oxygen levels, along with tracking your sleep and “more than 80 different activities,” according to Garmin. Activities are tracked automatically, but the company says pressing the Cirqa’s side button can also force the wearable to track an assigned workout whenever you want. Connected to a smartphone, the band can also use GPS to map your rides and runs.
Without a screen, you interact with all the data the Cirqa collects through Garmin’s companion app, just like Whoop and Fitbit, and which device you prefer will likely depend on whose software works better for you. For its part, Garmin offers things like a Sleep Coach for helping you improve your sleep, a Training Readiness Score that can tell you if you’ve recovered enough to tackle another workout, and the ability to track menstrual cycles and offer period predictions. These are all features Garmin has offered on other wearables in the past, but they’re available now without having to commit to having a screen on your wrist.
What smartwatches and fitness trackers actually measure has become increasingly standardized over the years, making their price and software all the more important. Garmin might not have the same AI-powered features as Google or all the athlete-focused metrics of Whoop, but it offers a healthy middle ground for a one-time purchase, instead of a highly encouraged—or worse, mandatory—subscription. As people become less interested in screens and more interested in devices just designed for fitness and health, that could make it the best option for most people.
The Garmin Cirqa Smart Band will be available to order for $200 on July 24. The band is available in two sizes, “S-M” or “L-XL,” in either blue, light red, or gray.
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