Tech companies know we want less screen time, so they’re making new gadgets that track our metrics without forcing us to stare at a display
If you’re after a screenless health-monitoring wearable, you now have an abundance of options: the Whoop 5.0, Polar Loop, Luna Band, Fitbit Air and, most recently, Amazfit’s Helio Strap Pro. And those are just wrist-based devices. There’s a whole other screen-free category of smart rings
On Tuesday, GPS navigation and wearable tech company Garmin joined the crowd by announcing its Cirqa Smart Band, which can be worn on your wrist or upper arm
In January, Garmin accidentally leaked a product page and support pages for the product. Three months later, the device’s trademark filing was spotted. The Cirqa Smart Band will be available to order on July 24
According to Garmin, the $200 Cirqa Smart Band uses light sensors on its underside to track everything you’d expect: heart rate, skin temperature, stress, blood oxygen and energy
For sleep, you’ll get a score, have access to a sleep coach and receive information about breathing variations, naps and how aligned you are to your circadian rhythm
When you work out, Garmin says the band automatically detects the type of exercise, or you can manually select it from over 80 different workout types. Also, you can monitor your step count, calories, training readiness, recovery and, with a compatible iPhone or Android smartphone, enable GPS tracking to see your distance and pace. Swimmers can use the device in water to a depth of 50 meters
If you menstruate, you can use Cirqa to track your menstrual cycle. If you’re pregnant, you can log symptoms, your due date and baby movement while receiving updates about your baby’s approximate size. With a subscription to the Natural Cycles birth control app, you can sync your skin temperature data in the app for additional insights into fertility
Unlike most screenless wearables that require a yearly subscription to use the device or access additional features, the Cirqa Smart Band does not require a subscription
If you purchase a Whoop 5.0 fitness tracker, for instance, its membership ranges from $199 to $359 per year. The company says this allows them to continue investing in and releasing new features. If you have a $100 Fitbit Air and want personalized weekly fitness plans, sleep summaries and access to the AI Google Health Coach, you’ll need an additional premium subscription that’s $10 per month or $100 per year.
“We believe customers should get the full value of their device from day one,” a Garmin representative told CNET in an email, “which is why Cirqa includes access to the health and fitness insights available through Garmin Connect with no subscription required.”
However, certain features do require a Garmin Connect Plus subscription, which is $7 per month or $70 per year. To access wheelchair mode to track daily pushes and see weight-shift alerts, along with AI insights, meditation, nutrition and Garmin Coach fitness training plans, you’ll need to pay for the Plus membership
To facilitate 24/7 health monitoring, Cirqa has a 10-day battery life. By comparison, the Fitbit Air lasts seven days, while the Whoop 5.0 can go without charging for about two weeks. Oura’s latest Oura Ring 5 lasts up to nine days, one day longer than the previous model. This puts the Cirqa Smart Band in the midrange for battery life
According to the owner’s manual, it can take Cirqa up to 90 minutes to charge
“Privacy is important to Garmin, and we do not sell personal data to anyone,” said Garmin’s representative, referencing the company’s global privacy policy
Cirqa’s fabric ComfortFit band comes in four colors: black, blue, gray and mauve. It’s available in two sizes: small to medium for wrists with a circumference of 120 to 200 millimeters and large to X-large for wrists measuring 145 to 240 mm
Other colors, such as light green, light blue and dark green, are sold separately for $50
With the plastic sensing module attached, the S-M wristband weighs 20.7 grams, while the L-XL wristband weighs 21.2 grams
The device comes with a wristband and USB-C charging cable. An upper arm band is sold separately for $60. For the upper arm, S-M fits upper arms with a circumference of 200 to 320 mm, while L-XL fits those measuring 280 to 450 mm
The Cirqa Smart Band will be available for purchase Friday on the Garmin website for $200
