Garmin's first screenless wearable comes with Fitbit Air-beating battery life and a higher price tag
The Garmin Cirqa is twice as expensive as Google's first screenless smart band, but you don't need a subscription to take advantage of its best features.
The Garmin Cirqa looks discreet and elegant in black, blue, gray, and mauve hues. | Image by Garmin
Here's something I didn't have on my bingo card as a natural evolution of the tech industry in 2026: the proliferation of wearable devices with less core features than even the humblest activity trackers released five or ten years ago.
Of course, longtime Whoop band users and early Fitbit Air adopters might insist the absence of a screen is not necessarily a flaw or an inconvenience, and while I'm still not sure I fully agree with that assessment, I always welcome more competition in a relatively new market segment, especially when it comes from a veteran as highly regarded as Garmin.
This is what the Garmin Cirqa can do without a display
- Sleep Score;
- Pulse Ox blood oxygen;
- 5 ATM water resistance;
- Continuous heart rate monitoring;
- Body Battery energy monitor;
- All-day stress tracking;
- Skin temperature sensor;
- Nap detection;
- Women's health tracking;
- Garmin Coach;
- Step and calorie tracking;
- Accelerometer;
- Up to 10 days of battery life;
- 27 x 47 x 9mm dimensions;
- 14.8 grams weight (module);
- Black, Captain Blue, French Gray, and Mauve color options.
Is that enough value for $199.99?
Let's quickly address the elephant in the room. The Garmin Cirqa is available starting today in the US at two Benjamins, which means it's twice as expensive as Google's Fitbit Air.
That doesn't sound very promising, but on the bright side, you won't need to pay anything extra to unlock any of the features listed above or other special capabilities, as Fitbit Air owners have to do with a Google Health Premium subscription.
Would you ever buy a wearable device with no screen?
In other words, you might realize after a year or two of use that you've actually saved some money with a Garmin Cirqa purchase... as long as you'll hold on to the new smart band that long, of course. But perhaps the biggest problem is not the existence of the $99.99 Fitbit Air, as something like the Garmin Vivosmart 5 is somehow cheaper than the Cirqa while carrying largely the same health and fitness tracking tools, as well as an OLED touchscreen that can definitely come in handy on occasion.
So who exactly is the Garmin Cirqa for?
In short, for folks who find the display on a Vivosmart 5, Vivomove, Vivoactive 6, and yes, Samsung's Galaxy Watch 8 or the Apple Watch Series 11 a distraction rather than something useful. Or for those of you who want to wear a backup activity tracker in addition to your full-blown smartwatch. After all, everyone knows how often Apple Watches or Pixel Watches need to be recharged, so it can certainly be smart to be covered during those times by a discreet and yet relatively powerful and versatile device that can last more than a week between charges.
The 10-day battery life is probably Garmin's number one advantage over the Fitbit Air, but naturally, that comes with a little extra weight and a thicker profile. Still, I definitely wouldn't call the Cirqa chunky, bulky, or overly conspicuous, especially if you opt for a subtle yet elegant black colorway.
If you plan on buying the Garmin Cirqa, do yourselves a favor and get the black model. | Image by Garmin
The Garmin Cirqa largely matches its key rival in terms of both general capabilities and its biggest feature omissions, lacking standalone GPS connectivity and ECG monitoring in addition to a touchscreen while promising to keep an eye on your heart rate day and night, as well as your sleep quality, stress levels, and dozens of different types of physical training.
That last department is where Garmin normally shines, and the company's first "screen-free" device is no exception, eclipsing the Fitbit Air in terms of how much insight into your training readiness, status, and load it can offer. Basically, if you plan to run a marathon in the near future and want something that will keep you focused on your goal and always informed of your progress, the Garmin Cirqa is probably the way to go.
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