Garmin has officially launched its screenless band CIRQA Smart Band on July 21, 2026, at a price of $199.99, confirming a leak spotted the day before on its own website. The device directly targets Fitbit Air and Whoop, without a mandatory subscription.
The CIRQA Smart Band is official, a leak confirmed in 24 hours
On July 21, 2026, Garmin presented the CIRQA Smart Band as its first screenless band capable of continuous health monitoring, day and night, without requiring a subscription. The company announces a battery life of up to ten days and immediate data synchronization with the Garmin Connect app. Available now, the band has a recommended retail price of $199.99.
"We created the CIRQA Smart Band for those who are passionate about staying healthy and active""purposefully created CIRQA Smart Band for those who are passionate about staying healthy and active", declared Susan Lyman, vice president of Consumer Sales and Marketing at Garmin, in an official press release. She specifies that the absence of a subscription should allow users to focus on their fitness goals rather than on a recurring bill.
This official launch confirms, almost to the dollar, a leak spotted the day before by Reddit users. By querying the reference CIRQA 010-04675-00, initially leaked in January, in a public endpoint of Garmin's e-commerce site, they obtained a price of $199.99 in the United States, $279.99 Canadian, and 4,099 Mexican pesos, far below the $500 that was circulating earlier in the year as a rumor. The name CIRQA had also been filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office as early as February 25, 2026, a step that already suggested a launch within the year.
A band designed to disappear on your wrist
On the hardware side, the CIRQA Smart Band features a fabric band designed for prolonged wear and comes in seven colors, from lemon gray to black, including mauve, French gray, dark olive, captain blue, and French blue. It can be worn on the wrist or higher on the forearm depending on the activity or sleep habits. According to initial hands-on reviews, the device is offered in two sizes, small/medium and large/extra large, and replacement bands are sold separately for between $49.99 and $59.99 depending on the chosen size.
A single side button allows you to start a favorite activity without taking out your phone. The band also automatically detects several types of activities, which the user can then correct in Garmin Connect to refine the classification over time.
Health and sport, without reducing features
On the health side, the CIRQA Smart Band measures wrist heart rate, Body Battery energy, blood oxygen saturation, stress, and skin temperature, with immediate access to data in Garmin Connect. Menstrual cycle and pregnancy tracking are also included, with an ovulation estimate based on nighttime skin temperature and possible synchronization with the Natural Cycles contraception app, which is FDA-certified but subject to its own subscription. Sleep benefits from a detailed breakdown of stages, a score, heart rate variability, respiration, and nap detection.
On the sports front, over eighty activities can be manually tracked using the side button, and the device calculates training readiness, VO2 max status, and the recovery time needed after each session. GPS relies on a compatible iPhone or Android smartphone to map workouts, and the LiveTrack function allows you to share your real-time location with loved ones.
Facing Fitbit Air and Whoop, a calculated price
The pricing of the CIRQA Smart Band is not insignificant. Google's Fitbit Air, another screenless band that does not require a subscription for its basic functions, is offered starting at $99.99. The CIRQA therefore costs about double, but Garmin highlights a more extensive catalog of sports metrics, inherited from its sports watches.
Compared to Whoop, the difference in the business model is even more pronounced. Whoop does not sell its band separately: the 5.0 casing is provided with the subscription, the cheapest offer of which starts at $199 per year. With no mandatory recurring fees, the CIRQA Smart Band targets users who want comprehensive tracking without paying for a service, even if it means going back to Whoop or Fitbit Air for more advanced AI coaching.
Launch price of the three models:
- Garmin CIRQA Smart Band: $199.99, no mandatory subscription
- Google Fitbit Air: from $99.99, advanced features via optional subscription
- Whoop (One plan): $199 per year, band included, device not sold separately
It remains to be seen how the CIRQA Smart Band performs once it's in the hands of early users, particularly regarding the accuracy of its sensors and the promised ten-day real-world battery life. Pending independent tests, Garmin's gamble appears clear: to offer the experience of a recovery band like Whoop, without the monthly cost.
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