Garmin mistakenly filters a screenless wristband to compete with Whoop

Garmin seems to be on the verge of fully entering the realm of screenless tracking bands, a segment that has gained significant traction among cyclists and endurance athletes in recent years, largely due to the commercial and media push from Whoop. The accidental leak of a new device on Garmin's own website reinforces rumors that have been circulating for some time and points to the arrival of a product designed to compete directly with these types of bands aimed at monitoring recovery and health 24/7.

The Garmin Cirqa Smart Band could be the rival to the Whoop band

For a few minutes, several regional Garmin websites displayed a product page for the so-called Cirqa Smart Band, before it was quickly taken down. Some users managed to capture the information, enough to confirm that it is not a watch or a cycling computer, but a screenless band, in line with the concept popularized by Whoop. The description itself indicated a planned shipping timeframe of “4–5 months,” which would place its possible launch between late spring and early summer of 2026.

Among cyclists, these bands have become particularly visible due to Whoop's intense sponsorship campaign, as the brand is the main sponsor of the MTB World Cup, and is already part of the usual image of figures like Mathieu van der Poel. It is now common to see Van der Poel competing, in any discipline, with a Richard Mille watch worth over €300,000 in one hand and his Whoop band in the other.

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Although one of its main criticisms is that they add little value for those who already use advanced sports watches. However, these screenless bands are very appealing to those who train with cycling computers but do not want to wear sports watches throughout the day or at night, thus losing key information about rest, stress, or training adaptation.

One of the strong points traditionally associated with Whoop is sleep tracking. Many users who have been able to compare it with smartwatches agree that the band offers more consistent sleep metrics, especially in detecting phases and analyzing overnight recovery, a key aspect for high-load sports like cycling.

The leaked information is still limited, but it leaves some clear data. It is a screenless device focused on continuous tracking of physiological parameters. It will be available in two sizes (S/M and L/XL) and two colors (black and gray). This device will have full integration with the Garmin Connect ecosystem, although there are no specific details about exclusive metrics.

A key question remains unanswered. It is not known what price it will have or if Garmin will opt for a subscription model, following Whoop's path, or if it will maintain its traditional one-time payment philosophy. The recent introduction of advanced features under Garmin Connect+ opens the door to both possibilities, but the leak did not contain any clear reference in this regard.

If confirmed, the Cirqa Smart Band would represent a coherent step within Garmin's strategy. And for many cyclists, it could be the missing piece to close the loop between training, rest, and performance, without the need to sleep with a bulky watch on their wrist.