Unlike Whoop, the Garmin Cirqa provides a lot of its functionality without the need for a monthly or annual subscription.
However, some premium features are locked behind the Garmin Connect+ plan, which costs $6.99 per month.
Like its predecessors, the new Garmin Cirqa promises to last for up to 10 days on a single charge — and Garmin's smartwatches have proven capable of keeping that promise thus far.
When Tom's Guide reviewed the Cirqa screenless fitness band, its dedicated fitness team found that it did have a clear weakness when it came to counting steps.
In a different test from TechRadar, the Cirqa demonstrated excellent heart rate monitoring accuracy compared to the gold standard Polar H10 heart rate monitor.
Unlike Whoop, the Garmin Cirqa provides a lot of its functionality without the need for a monthly or annual subscription. For the price of $199.99, you get the Cirqa band and access to detailed activity tracking, 24/7 health monitoring, performance metrics, sleep tracking, and even sleep coaching, all through the Garmin Connect app. However, some premium features are locked behind the Garmin Connect+ plan, which costs $6.99 per month. Nutrition tracking, the AI-powered Active Intelligence feature, and several other improvements are only available as part of this subscription.
These features have been price-gated ever since Garmin Connect+ was introduced in 2025, but even so, Garmin often beats the Apple Watch for fitness users by giving ready access to highly specific health metrics and packing in a long-lasting battery. Like its predecessors, the new Garmin Cirqa promises to last for up to 10 days on a single charge — and Garmin's smartwatches have proven capable of keeping that promise thus far.
When Tom's Guide reviewed the Cirqa screenless fitness band, its dedicated fitness team found that it did have a clear weakness when it came to counting steps. During an actual walking test of 5,500 steps, the Cirqa's step counter was approximately 16% off. However, Garmin claims that accuracy can improve over time as the device gets to know you. In a different test from TechRadar, the Cirqa demonstrated excellent heart rate monitoring accuracy compared to the gold standard Polar H10 heart rate monitor.
