Updated

Updated · Forbes · Jul 17

Garmin Leaks Cirqa Smart Band on Romanian Site, Revealing 5-Metric Health Status Support

Updated

Updated · Forbes · Jul 17

Garmin Leaks Cirqa Smart Band on Romanian Site, Revealing 5-Metric Health Status Support

Q: With its launch imminent, will Garmin's Cirqa be a $200 Fitbit rival or a premium $500 Whoop competitor?

Garmin’s Cirqa looks more likely to be a premium Whoop-style competitor than a $200 Fitbit rival. The strongest evidence is pricing. While some early product-code analysis pointed to roughly $200 in the U.S. and €199 in Europe, the more direct leaks from retailer listings have clustered much higher, around $420 to $510. That would place Cirqa far above Google’s screenless Fitbit Air, which sells for about $100, and much closer to the premium end of the recovery-tracker market. Its feature set also supports that positioning. Cirqa is not shaping up as a basic activity band, but as a screenless recovery and health device centered on continuous biometrics, including heart rate, HRV, respiration, skin temperature, pulse ox, and Garmin’s new Health Status baseline alerts. Reports of extras such as muscle oxygen sensing, possible EDA-based stress tracking, and deeper readiness metrics make it look more like a serious performance and recovery tool than a low-cost wellness band. The business model is where Garmin may try to undercut Whoop. Unlike Whoop’s subscription-heavy approach, Cirqa is expected to work largely within Garmin’s existing ecosystem without a mandatory fee for core features. If Garmin does launch near $500, it would be selling a high upfront-cost alternative that may become cheaper over time for users who want to avoid annual subscriptions. So, based on current leaks, Cirqa appears positioned as a premium Whoop competitor, not a $200 Fitbit-style budget rival.

3 articles · Updated · Forbes · Jul 17

A Garmin support page in Romania briefly listed the unannounced Cirqa, then removed it, signaling the smart band is nearing launch.
The listing pointed to Health Status support, a feature that combines 5 metrics—heart rate, HRV, SpO2, breathing rate and skin temperature.
That suggests the screen-free Cirqa will be more capable than a basic band, with functionality closer to Garmin's Index Sleep wearable introduced in June 2025.
Garmin has not officially acknowledged Cirqa, but earlier website leaks suggested a July debut and a mainstream rival to screen-free bands such as Fitbit Air.
Pricing is still unknown, though Garmin's $169.99 Index Sleep offers a clearer benchmark than Fitbit Air's $99.99 entry point in the fast-growing category.