Garmin has launched the Cirqa Smart Band, a screenless device aimed at continuous health monitoring, offering a new affordable alternative to premium fitness trackers like Whoop, with no subscription required.
Garmin has entered the screenless wearable market with the Cirqa Smart Band, a device designed to be worn day and night while pushing all of its data into the Garmin Connect app. The company is positioning it as a health and training tracker for users who want continuous monitoring without a display on the wrist, and Best Buy is selling it for $199.99 in several colours and sizes.
According to Garmin’s product details, the band offers 24-hour health tracking, including heart rate, stress and Body Battery energy estimates, which combine activity, stress and recovery signals to gauge how much energy a wearer may have left in the day. It also adds sleep analysis with sleep score, sleep stages, naps and coaching, plus support for more than 80 activities, from running and cycling to yoga.
Reviews from Tom’s Guide and TechRadar suggest the Cirqa is intended to sit between cheaper fitness bands and more expensive subscription-based wearables. Both publications note that it has no onboard display, relies on a connected phone for GPS and includes a physical button for starting workouts. TechRadar said its heart-rate readings closely matched a Polar H10 chest strap in testing, while Tom’s Guide described the band as a strong value for both casual and serious users.
The clearest difference from Whoop is pricing. Best Buy lists the Whoop 5.0 One at $199 with a 12-month membership, while Whoop’s Peak tier is $239 with a 12-month membership. Garmin says the Cirqa does not require a subscription for its core features, which could make the higher upfront price easier to justify over time. BikeRadar also reported that the band can work with Garmin Edge bike computers, giving cyclists another way to keep training and recovery data in one ecosystem.
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