Garmin Cirqa review: A fine but utterly inessential smart band
Engadget's review says Garmin's screenless Cirqa is competent but inessential, lacking the software and AI coaching to rival Whoop and appearing designed for aesthetics.
According to the review, the device “seems to exist purely for aesthetics.” The Cirqa is a 2-by-1-inch plastic puck with a woven fabric strap, weighing just over an ounce. It has a 10-day battery, an optical heart rate sensor, an accelerometer and no GPS. It connects to Garmin's smartphone app via a proprietary USB-C cable. The review argued the screenless wearables trend is more about psychological signaling than practicality, and the Cirqa is no exception.
The band tracks heart rate, respiration, stress, activity, sleep, menstrual cycle and temperature around the clock. The reviewer praised the automatic activity tracking as outstanding and Garmin's sleep tracking as consistently good, with the app providing a Sleep Score and a recommended bedtime.
Garmin markets the Cirqa with “24/7 health monitoring and fitness features with no subscription required,” a direct contrast to rivals like Whoop and Fitbit. The review said that claim is technically correct but does not add up to the same value, because Garmin does not turn the health data into short, actionable AI coaching insights. The reviewer said rivals charge a premium for packaging large amounts of health data into understandable advice.
The review also criticized the single-button controls. Dismissing the smart wake-up alarm requires a long press; if mistimed or repeated, it can instead start activity recording, causing the alarm to vibrate again moments later.