CIRQA vs Fitbit Air: Garmin wins on coaching, Google wins on worth

Garmin launched CIRQA today, giving Fitbit Air a direct rival but within the rising screen-less tracker class. Fitbit Air stays smaller, lighter and half the worth, whereas CIRQA gives deeper coaching instruments, longer battery life and tight integration with present {hardware}.

Taking inspiration from Whoop, each units acquire well being and exercise information with out placing one other show in your wrist. Neither has built-in GPS, so out of doors routes rely upon a related cellphone, and each transfer most settings and information into their respective smartphone apps.

Those are the primary similarities. What follows are the primary variations.

Fitbit Air is smaller and lighter

Fitbit Air is the extra discreet system. It weighs a mere 12 grams with its band, in contrast with 20 grams for CIRQA, and its narrower module needs to be simpler to overlook about throughout sleep and on a regular basis put on.

That consolation was one of many strongest factors in my Fitbit Air assessment. CIRQA continues to be compact in contrast with a Garmin watch, however its wider cloth band and bigger module give it extra of a Whoop-style look. In truth, it makes use of bands with 24mm width – bigger than Whoop.

If you purchase the Fitbit, it’s a one-size-fits-all affair. With Garmin, you possibly can select between S/M and L/XL bands.

Both trackers might be worn away from the wrist. Garmin formally helps CIRQA on the higher arm and sells accent bands for that, whereas I’ve additionally examined Fitbit Air on the wrist, ankle and higher arm, regardless of Google presently treating it as a wrist-based system. 

CIRQA has a bodily button

CIRQA’s bodily button offers the band a number of controls that Fitbit Air lacks. One press begins or stops a favorite exercise chosen in Garmin Connect, with vibration and LED suggestions confirming the motion. Only one exercise might be assigned to the button, whereas different profiles nonetheless have to be launched by the app.

The button can even activate Bluetooth pairing and begin or cease heart-rate broadcasting to a appropriate Garmin watch or Edge laptop. When an alarm goes off, a brief press snoozes it and holding the button dismisses it. It can even cease the vibration triggered by Find My Band.

Fitbit Air has no bodily controls. It depends on computerized exercise detection and the Google Health app, which supplies it a cleaner design however makes it extra depending on the cellphone.

Fitbit Air has extra sensors

Fitbit Air has the marginally broader documented sensor package deal. Alongside optical heart-rate and SpO2 sensors, it consists of an accelerometer, gyroscope and system temperature sensor for monitoring skin-temperature variation.

Fitbit Air additionally helps passive irregular rhythm notifications. CIRQA doesn’t present this. Nor does it embrace ECG, so neither system supplies an on-demand ECG studying from the band.

What CIRQA covers is steady coronary heart charge, stress, respiration, pores and skin temperature and Pulse Ox. Garmin will get extra worth from combining its core sensor information with established metrics equivalent to Body Battery, HRV Status and Sleep Coach.

CIRQA integrates extra deeply with present coaching {hardware}

This is CIRQA’s largest benefit. It can function the Primary Wearable for sleep, steps and every day well being information, whereas a Garmin watch or Edge stays the Primary Training Device for exercises, GPS and coaching evaluation. 

CIRQA can even broadcast coronary heart charge to appropriate Garmin {hardware}. A bike owner may put on it on the higher arm and ship reside heart-rate information to an Edge laptop, whereas a runner may use a Garmin look ahead to the exercise and CIRQA for the remainder of the day.

Fitbit Air works properly as a passive second tracker, one thing I explored when sporting Fitbit Air alongside a Garmin. However, Google Health doesn’t present the identical direct relationship between a passive band and devoted coaching {hardware}.

CIRQA lasts longer between costs

Garmin quotes as much as 10 days for CIRQA, in contrast with as much as seven days for Fitbit Air. Both take round 90 minutes to cost totally, though Fitbit Air can recuperate roughly sooner or later of battery life from a five-minute top-up.

The distinction is beneficial, however not monumental. Features such related GPS and extended heart-rate broadcasting will cut back CIRQA’s real-world end result, whereas Fitbit Air already proved straightforward to maintain charged throughout my testing.

Fitbit Air prices half as a lot

Neither system will break the financial institution. Fitbit Air begins at $99.99, whereas CIRQA prices $199.99. The additional $100 from buys CIRQA’s bodily button, longer battery life, official upper-arm choice and far deeper ecosystem integration. It doesn’t purchase a broader sensor package deal, a show or built-in GPS.

There is an elective subscription for the Fitbit, however you’ll be simply effective with out it. Most of the necessary stuff is free together with core well being, sleep and exercise monitoring.

Garmin additionally has an elective Connect+ subscription within the app which you don’t really want. Most of the options work with out this, besides Workout and Training Plans, reside exercise, guide lap throughout actions and meditation. Which is nice for those who wish to use CIRQA as a second system to pair with their major Garmin watch.

If you do go for a subscription, Connect+ will set you again $69 per yr, in contrast with $99 per yr for Fitbit Premium. But, as talked about, you don’t really want both.