Garmin Launches CIRQA Smart Band at $199.99

Garmin has launched the CIRQA Smart Band, its first wearable device without a screen, entering a market dominated by Whoop's subscription-based fitness bands. The new device tracks health and activity metrics around the clock and syncs data to the Garmin Connect app without requiring a recurring subscription.

The band is aimed at users who want continuous tracking without a screen pulling their attention throughout the day. According to Susan Lyman, Garmin's vice president of consumer sales and marketing, the band was built for people who want to stay active without needing to check a screen throughout the day.

The Garmin CIRQA Smart Band is priced at $199.99 (roughly Rs. 17,500) and is listed as available now, though Garmin's announcement does not specify an India launch date or local pricing. The company has a history of eventually bringing its wearables to India through its authorised retail and e-commerce channels.

The band comes with a fabric strap and is offered in seven colour options - Citron Gray, Mauve, French Gray, Dark Olive, Captain Blue, French Blue, and Black. Garmin says the band can be worn on the wrist or repositioned as an armband depending on the activity or while sleeping.

The screen-free format and subscription-free model place CIRQA in direct competition with Whoop, whose bands require an ongoing membership fee to unlock fitness and recovery data. Garmin has instead built CIRQA to route all data through the existing Garmin Connect app at no extra recurring cost.

The Garmin CIRQA Smart Band is rated for up to 10 days of battery life on a single charge. It includes wrist-based heart rate monitoring, Body Battery energy tracking, Pulse Ox, stress tracking, and skin temperature monitoring, with all data logged continuously when the band is worn day and night.

On the fitness side, the band can automatically detect and record activities without requiring manual input, and Garmin says its activity classification improves over time as users confirm or correct logged activities in the app. It also supports manual tracking for more than 80 activity types via a single side button, along with training metrics such as training readiness, HRV status, VO2 max, and training status.

Recovery time estimates are provided after each logged workout. The band supports connected GPS when paired with a compatible iPhone or Android smartphone, allowing outdoor runs, rides, and walks to be tracked without GPS hardware on the band itself.

The launch of the Garmin CIRQA Smart Band marks a significant entry into the screen-free wearable market, offering users a subscription-free alternative to existing products. With its range of features and affordable pricing, the CIRQA Smart Band is likely to appeal to fitness enthusiasts and casual users alike.

In terms of significance, the Garmin CIRQA Smart Band represents a shift towards more affordable and accessible wearable technology, making it easier for people to track their health and fitness without breaking the bank or committing to a subscription service. As the wearable market continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how the CIRQA Smart Band competes with existing products and how it is received by consumers.