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Fitness band

Polar Loop

Night Black with the SoftWeave Textile band (S–L)

$199.99US price, checked Oct 13, 2026

Screen-free band with sleep and recovery scores and no subscription

Check price at Polar Full review →

Our screen-free band pick

Garmin CIRQA Smart Band

Black, part 010-04675-00, wrist band (a retailer lists this part as L/XL)

$199.99US price, checked Oct 13, 2026

Garmin's screen-free band with no required subscription and up to 10 days per charge

Check price at Garmin Full review →

Fitness band

WHOOP Peak (WHOOP 5.0)

Peak membership at $239 a year, including the WHOOP 5.0 device, Wireless PowerPack and SuperKnit band

$239 a yearUS price, checked Oct 13, 2026

Display-free recovery strap sold only as a yearly membership

Check price at WHOOP Full review →

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Criterion	Polar Loop	Garmin CIRQA Smart Band	WHOOP Peak (WHOOP 5.0)
US price	$199.99Checked Oct 13, 2026 · Price details in the review	$199.99Checked Oct 13, 2026 · Price details in the review	$239 a yearChecked Oct 13, 2026 · Price details in the review
Three-year ownership estimate	$199.99 Incomplete known subtotal. Not included: energy use.	$199.99 Incomplete known subtotal. Not included: energy use.	$717 Incomplete known subtotal. Not included: energy use.
Choose if	You want nightly recovery and sleep scores from a band with no screen and no monthly fee.	You want Garmin's sleep, HRV and recovery tracking without a screen or a monthly fee.	Anyone who wants daily recovery and sleep scores plus WHOOP Age and health alerts, and would rather pay $239 a year than buy a device outright.
Main trade-off	You need your phone for GPS, and Polar lists no skin temperature or blood oxygen sensing.	Guided workouts need a paid Connect+ plan, and there's no GPS without your phone.	It costs $717 over three years with no hardware-only option listed, has no display, and leaves ECG and blood pressure features to the $359-a-year Life tier.
Key specifications	Battery life: Up to 8 days per charge from a 170 mAh lithium-polymer battery, according to Polar. It has 4 weeks of onboard memory. Polar doesn't state a charging time. Sensors: Polar's Precision Prime optical heart rate sensor (OHR Gen 3.5). There's no built-in GPS. Route, pace and distance come from your phone's GPS when you record a session in the Flow app. The page doesn't mention skin temperature, blood oxygen or ECG. Sleep and recovery: Nightly Recharge, Nightly HRV, Sleep Plus Stages, SleepWise and Daily Alertness. Polar says Nightly Recharge combines your sleep score with heart rate, HRV and breathing data to calculate overnight recovery. Activity tracking, Training Load Pro and automatic training detection are also included. Subscription: None. Polar says there are no monthly fees and no locked features. It also offers optional free trials: 60 days of Strava and 30 days of TrainingPeaks Premium. Clue Plus is free for 3 months. Display: None. Polar calls Loop a screen-free band, and you see your data in the Polar Flow app. Water resistance: WR30, which Polar says is suitable for swimming. In the water it tracks heart rate and calories, but not stroke count or distance. Connectivity: Bluetooth LE with one connection, reserved for syncing with Polar Flow. Loop can't act as a heart rate sensor for other devices. Data reaches Strava, TrainingPeaks, Apple Health and Google Health through your Polar Flow account.	Battery life: Up to 10 days from a built-in lithium-ion battery, according to Garmin. Charging takes up to 90 minutes. All-day Pulse Ox and heart rate broadcasting shorten battery life. TechRadar got about a week per charge with three to four workouts a week. Health tracking: Wrist heart rate, Pulse Ox, skin temperature, stress and Body Battery. Sleep tracking covers stages, sleep score, HRV, respiration and naps. Cycle and pregnancy tracking includes past ovulation estimates from skin temperature during sleep. Garmin says that feature isn't meant to help you conceive or avoid pregnancy. Training: Automatic activity detection, plus more than 80 activities you can start by hand. Garmin lists training readiness, HRV status, VO2 max, training status, workout benefit and recovery time. GPS: None built in. Connected GPS uses your iPhone or Android phone's GPS for outdoor walks, runs and rides. LiveTrack shares your location in real time and needs a phone with a data plan. Subscription: None required, according to Garmin. Connect+ adds AI insights, nutrition logging and LiveTrack+. Guided workouts need it, and the manual says some activities may too. It costs $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year. Garmin offered a 30-day free trial when Connect+ launched in 2025. Display and controls: No screen. A single side button starts a favorite activity and snoozes alarms. An LED shows pairing, charging and low battery. The band vibrates for alarms, heart rate alerts and low battery. Water rating: 5 ATM, which Garmin says withstands pressure equal to a depth of 50 m. Swim is in the activity list, but the manual doesn't say what it records in the water. Wear: Wrist or upper arm. Garmin says the wrist gives the best performance. The upper arm band is sold separately at REI. It's 36.0 cm long in S/M and 50.0 cm in L/XL.	Membership cost: $239 a year for Peak. One is $199 a year and Life is $359 a year. WHOOP shows only annual pricing. Battery and charging: 14+ days per charge. A full charge of the strap or the PowerPack takes about 2 hours. The Wireless PowerPack slides onto the strap and charges it while you wear it. WHOOP says a fully charged PowerPack holds enough power for up to 30 days to fully charge the sensor. Display and GPS: No display or built-in GPS. You view your data in the WHOOP app. Sensors: WHOOP says its sensors capture data 26 times per second. The pages checked don't name the sensor types. Peak-tier features: Healthspan and Pace of Aging (WHOOP Age), a real-time Stress Monitor, and Health Monitor with health alerts. Peak also includes all One features: Recovery, Sleep and Strain scores, steps and activity, haptic alarm, women's hormonal insights, VO2 max and heart rate zones, and Natural Cycles integration. In the box: WHOOP 5.0 device, Wireless PowerPack and SuperKnit band. One members get a wired Basic Charger and CoreKnit band instead.
Exact variant	Night Black with the SoftWeave Textile band (S–L)	Black, part 010-04675-00, wrist band (a retailer lists this part as L/XL)	Peak membership at $239 a year, including the WHOOP 5.0 device, Wireless PowerPack and SuperKnit band
Dimensions	Polar lists Loop at 1.1 in wide, 1.7 in high and 0.4 in thick. It weighs 1 oz with the band and 0.7 oz without. Polar's size chart says the package includes two bands. The S/M fits 135–190 mm wrists and the M/L fits 160–230 mm.	Garmin lists the wrist band at 24.5 cm (9.6 in) long in S/M and 28.5 cm (11.2 in) in L/XL. Both sizes are 2.4 cm wide and 0.2 cm thick. REI says the S/M fits 120–200 mm wrists and the L/XL fits 145–240 mm. Garmin's US page labels part 010-04675-00 only as Black, but Ascent Outdoors lists it as the L/XL. Garmin doesn't give the module's size or weight. TechRadar says CIRQA weighs 21 g but doesn't say whether that includes the band.	WHOOP doesn't state dimensions or weight on the pages checked. Its launch release says 5.0 and MG pack more technology into a form factor seven percent smaller, without giving measurements.
Installation	No installation. You set it up with the Polar Flow app. The product page doesn't list minimum phone or operating system versions. In the box are the Loop, the SoftWeave bands, a buckle and a Polar Charge 2.0 charging cable. Polar lists the cable as proprietary USB-C. No power adapter is listed.	No installation. You pair it with the Garmin Connect app on your phone. Garmin names compatible iPhone and Android phones for connected GPS, but the manual lists no minimum phone or operating system versions. It charges from a USB port with Garmin's proprietary cable. Garmin doesn't mention a power adapter.	No installation. The strap pairs with the WHOOP app, and WHOOP says you can wear it on multiple locations across the body. Your membership starts when you pair and activate the device, or 30 days after the strap ships.
Materials	Polar lists a stainless steel case and bezel. The band is SoftWeave textile in Night Black. Polar doesn't say what the textile is made of.	The band is fabric, according to Garmin. The module takes 24 mm fabric bands and doesn't work with third-party bands. Garmin doesn't say what the fabric or the module is made of. The band can go in the washing machine on a gentle cycle at up to 40°C (104°F). The module can't.	Peak comes with a SuperKnit band. The membership comparison table calls it Obsidian, and the page's FAQ calls it Onyx. WHOOP doesn't say what the band fabric or device housing is made of on the pages checked.
Warranty	Polar Electro, Inc. issues the guarantee for products sold in the US and Canada. It covers the original buyer against defects for two years from the date of purchase. Silicone or plastic wristbands get one year. Textile and leather wristbands aren't covered, so the SoftWeave bands have no guarantee. Normal battery wear, accidents, misuse and cracked or scratched cases are excluded. Polar's returns page says battery replacement is covered for the first six months. Covered products are repaired or replaced, and you'll need the receipt as proof of purchase.	Not confirmed. The owner's manual doesn't mention a warranty, and neither does REI's listing. Garmin's US Consumer Limited Warranty page loads its terms with JavaScript, so they couldn't be read. Check that page before buying.	Lifetime warranty with device replacement, as long as you bought the membership directly through WHOOP and it stays active.
Returns	Polar's online store takes returns within 30 days. Items must be unused, in good condition and in the original packaging. You send them with a completed return form and a copy of the packing slip. Shipping costs are refunded only for damaged or defective products. The policy doesn't mention a restocking fee or say how long refunds take. It also doesn't say whether the 30 days start at purchase or delivery.	Not confirmed. Garmin's Shipping, Returns & Refunds page loads its terms with JavaScript, so the return window couldn't be read. REI's listing links to its return policy without stating it. Check the policy of whoever you buy from.	You can cancel the membership and return the device for any reason within 30 days of receipt. You get a full refund minus the cost of shipping. The membership page doesn't give terms for canceling after 30 days.
Unresolved questions	Charging time and charger power draw Minimum phone and operating system versions for the Polar Flow app What the SoftWeave textile is made of Independent, peer-reviewed accuracy data for Loop's heart rate, HRV and sleep tracking Whether the 30-day return window starts at purchase or delivery How long refunds take	Garmin's own confirmation of which size part 010-04675-00 is, and whether the box includes more than one band The module's size and weight from Garmin Warranty length and return window Charger power draw Minimum phone and operating system versions for Garmin Connect What the fabric band is made of Which real-time workout data stays free, since the manual still lists some under Connect+ Peer-reviewed accuracy data for CIRQA's heart rate, HRV and sleep tracking	Device dimensions, weight and water resistance rating Sensor types and published accuracy for WHOOP 5.0 specifically Renewal price, auto-renewal terms and what the strap does after the membership ends How WHOOP Age and Pace of Aging are calculated, and whether anyone has independently validated them Shipping cost and cancellation terms after the 30-day return window FDA status of Peak features beyond WHOOP's own statements (FDA databases weren't checked)

These comparisons use published specifications, not head-to-head tests. Prices and terms are dated. Unknown costs are not zero. Check the exact variant before you buy.