Garmin's New Cirqa Tracker Has No Screen and No Subscription Fee
Garmin has released the Cirqa, a fitness tracker with no screen, priced at $200. The company is pitching it as a device that gives you continuous health monitoring without a monthly fee. The band lasts up to 10 days on a single charge Engadget.
The Cirqa measures your heart rate from your wrist, skin temperature, and blood oxygen levels. It can automatically detect more than 80 activities, including walking and running, and you can also start tracking a workout manually Garmin Newsroom. The device also estimates how well you are recovering from physical and emotional stress, how alert you are, and your overall performance Engadget Garmin Blog.
Think of the Cirqa's sensors like a dashboard in a car. They collect raw information — heart rate, temperature, oxygen — and Garmin's app turns that data into something you can actually use. The main output is called a Body Battery Score, a number out of 100 that summarizes how ready your body is for activity Engadget.
The marketing message is simple: no subscription required. Garmin says the Cirqa provides 24/7 health monitoring and fitness features with no recurring fees Engadget.
But the software picture is more complicated. Garmin Connect, the free app that comes with the device, shows your health data using color-coded rings on a dashboard. Garmin also offers a paid upgrade called Garmin Connect+, which adds AI-generated insights, food logging and nutrition guidance, live activity tracking, coaching, and an annual progress report Engadget.
So while the Cirqa does not require a subscription to work, the most advanced features are only available if you pay extra.
Buyers are weighing the Cirqa against cheaper options. Engadget's Deven McClure compared the Cirqa directly with the Fitbit Air, noting that both devices offer step, sleep, and workout tracking along with in-depth heart health features Engadget. The review questioned whether the Cirqa is worth $100 more than the Fitbit Air. Garmin's own $150 Vivosmart offers similar features at a lower price Engadget.
The core challenge for any fitness tracker is turning raw body data into decisions you can act on. Garmin's Body Battery Score is one way to do that, taking multiple signals and compressing them into a single number.
The Cirqa's value depends heavily on how good Garmin's software is at interpreting that data. McClure has criticized Garmin for lackluster software since at least 2019, when reviewing the original Garmin Venu Engadget. If the free app experience is inconsistent, the paid Connect+ tier needs to deliver real value to justify its cost.
In my view, there is a tension in Garmin's message. Calling the Cirqa a no-subscription device is accurate for the basics, but the features that might matter most to some users — AI insights, nutrition coaching — are behind a paywall. Anyone comparing the Cirqa to the Fitbit Air or the Vivosmart should factor in not just the $200 purchase price, but whether the free app gives them enough or whether they will end up paying for Connect+.
The screenless design is a deliberate choice. By skipping a display, Garmin prioritizes battery life and comfortable, unobtrusive wear over the ability to check notifications on your wrist. The Cirqa is aimed at people who want their body's data tracked around the clock without the daily charging or constant pings of a full smartwatch Garmin Product Page.
