Garmin announced its new Garmin CIRQA (pronounced ‘circa’) smart band, which is unusual for two reasons: it’s the first screen-less smart band from the company, and it’s designed for 24/7 health and fitness tracking without requiring a subscription. Who knew the concept of pay-once-use-forever is so enticing?
Garmin CIRQA Has No Screens, No Monthly Subscriptions
No, Garmin did not just forgot to put a screen on the Garmin CIRQA – the screen-less design is deliberate, it says, aimed at reducing the distraction that modern gadgets love to bombard users with, while still delivering the health and fitness data it is known for. It is designed to complement existing Garmin smartwatches and wellness monitors, allowing users to switch between devices throughout the day without losing continuity in their health data.
The wearable is built around a fabric band designed for all-day and all-night comfort, available in four colors: Black, French Gray, Captain Blue, and Mauve. The band comes in two sizes (S/M and L/XL) and can be worn on the wrist or as an upper arm band, depending on user preference or activity type. A single charge offers up to 10 days of round-the-clock tracking.
The Garmin CIRQA tracks a broad range of health metrics around the clock, including wrist-based heart rate, Body Battery energy monitoring, Pulse Ox, stress levels, and skin temperature. Daily activity metrics such as steps and calories burned are also tracked continuously. Women can also use the band to track menstrual cycles and pregnancy, with skin temperature data collected during sleep helping to improve period predictions and past ovulation estimates.
For sleeping, the smart band provides a detailed breakdown of sleep stages, a sleep score, guidance on optimal sleep duration, heart rate variability, respiration, and nap detection. It also supports more than 80 different activities, including running, walking, and yoga – users can start tracking manually using the single side button, and the band also features auto-detection for activities that are then viewable and editable in Garmin Connect app.
You can also find advanced training metrics, covering training readiness, HRV status, VO2 max, and training status in the CIRQA; the band also provides workout benefit summaries and recovery time estimates after each session. Connected GPS support allows the band to tap into a paired iPhone or Android smartphone’s GPS for accurate outdoor tracking of walks, rides, and runs. There’s also the LiveTrack location sharing feature which allows friends and family to follow a user’s activity in real time through the companion app.
The Garmin CIRQA will be available from 21 August 2026 at a suggested retail price starting from RM899. Accessory bands and the upper arm band variant will be sold separately, retailing from RM219 to RM269. It will be available through Garmin.com.my, Shopee, Lazada, AECO e-store, Garmin Brand Stores, and authorized retailers nationwide.
Pokdepinion: If digital detox is what Garmin is going for, this looks like a well-thought execution.
