Wellness editor Emilie Lavina tested the new Garmin Cirqa for a month, wearing it on one wrist while wearing a WHOOP on the other. She judged the Cirqa on accuracy, user experience, design, price, and accessibility, and spoke with other first-time users of the wearable. The Cirqa is priced at £179.99 on Healf.com.
Design and First Impressions
The unboxing experience is simple: the box contains a fabric band, a small plastic tracker, and a USB-C charging cable. The band is comfortable and adjustable with a Velcro strap. It comes in two sizes: S-M and L-XL. The Cirqa is screenless, lightweight, and offers up to 10 days of battery life. It is water-resistant to 5 ATM and rated for swimming, though the fabric band is not waterproof.
App and Features
The Garmin Connect app is free and tracks sleep, stress, HRV, Body Battery, blood oxygen, and skin temperature. Users can tailor their dashboard. The app includes community features like challenges, clubs, and groups. For women's health, the Cirqa tracks cycle, mood, and symptoms, and can link with the Natural Cycles app. It tracks 80+ physical activities and connects to Garmin's sports technology, including metrics like training readiness and VO2 max.
Comparison with WHOOP
The Cirqa is much closer to WHOOP than a traditional Garmin watch, but it applies Garmin's fitness ecosystem. While WHOOP's app is slightly more sophisticated, it comes with a hefty subscription fee. The Garmin Connect app is free, but advanced insights are increasingly placed behind Connect+. The Cirqa offers 10 days of battery life, compared to WHOOP's 14 days, and must be charged off the body.
During testing, the Cirqa recorded around 2,000 more steps daily than the WHOOP. Step counts are algorithmic estimates, and different devices can produce different totals due to sensor data and algorithms. The Cirqa does not have built-in GPS, so it relies on a phone for location tracking.
Verdict
The Cirqa is not reproducing WHOOP's experience, despite looking similar. It is probably too fitness-oriented for someone who rarely exercises but wants to track sleep and habits. The editor would choose the Cirqa for access to Garmin's sports ecosystem, a screenless device, long battery life, and no mandatory membership. She would choose WHOOP if her primary interest was an app that continually interprets data and coaches daily, and if cost was not a barrier. Overall, the Cirqa is a great challenger in the wellness wearable space and offers a holistic view of health.
