200 euros. That’s how much a Garmin bracelet will cost you, the very first in its line to work without a screen. This device has been rumored for months now, and despite being released so late—I think it was originally scheduled for May—it’s here to compete with Whoop, a specialist in the genre, and Google’s much newer Fitbit Air.
Garmin Circle
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The trend is there, and Garmin reflects it with a model called the Cirqa. It’s a small device, with a body of 47 x 27 mm (it’s larger than the Fitbit Air, which measures 34.9 x 17 mm), but also slightly thicker, with its 9 mm (compared to 8.3 mm for the Google model), and its module weighs 14.8 g. It is equipped with the latest generation Elevate 4 heart rate sensor, as well as a temperature sensor, which is useful in particular for monitoring the female cycle.
The bracelet is intended for sleep and sports.
So what is this bracelet for? Like its competitors, or at least the Fitbit Air, the Cirqa is designed to complement Garmin-connected watches or even be used on its own. Compatible like all of the brand’s devices with the Connect app, available on both Android and iOS, the bracelet uses automatic activity detection ( “great variety” supported, according to the manufacturer’s somewhat vague wording) to attract athletes, who can also select their favorite discipline and start training using a single Cirqa button. Those who prefer can also wear the bracelet as an armband, especially during sports, and use it in water – it can withstand pressure up to 5 ATM.
Also aimed at health monitoring, Cirqa promises monitoring of heart rate, blood oxygenation, as well as sleep assessment or even stress and exercise preparation assessment. This data is used to determine Body Battery, the famous fitness metric provided by Garmin smartwatches. Let’s add that the menu also includes “Smart alarms”, which means that the bracelet is able to wake up the user at the most appropriate time during his sleep phase; The manufacturer doesn’t mention this, but it’s safe to say that a vibrator is included in the package.
Subscription-free (or almost) economic model
Cirqa claims 10 days of battery life, which is slightly longer than the week Google announced for the Fitbit Air, which proved to be longer lasting in our test. A good point, considering the format of the case. Finally, we note that two sizes of bracelets are planned (in discreet colors) and, above all, the device works without a subscription. For those familiar with Garmin Connect, nothing changes: the essentials are available in the free app, while additional training and analysis are reserved for the Connect+ version.
The formula seems less frivolous than Google’s, which hides all of its app’s intelligence behind a paid plan but results in double the launch price of its direct competitor.
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