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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 →

Fitness band

Google Fitbit Air

Classic edition with the Obsidian band, including 3 months of Google Health Premium

$99.99US price, checked Oct 13, 2026

Screen-free $99.99 fitness band with up to 7 days of battery

Check price at Google 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 →

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Criterion	Polar Loop	Google Fitbit Air	Garmin CIRQA Smart Band
US price	$199.99Checked Oct 13, 2026 · Price details in the review	$99.99Checked Oct 13, 2026 · Price details in the review	$199.99Checked Oct 13, 2026 · Price details in the review
Three-year ownership estimate	$199.99 Incomplete known subtotal. Not included: energy use.	$99.99 Incomplete known subtotal. Not included: energy use.	$199.99 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 sleep, heart rate and blood oxygen tracking for about $100 from a 12 g band with no screen.	You want Garmin's sleep, HRV and recovery tracking without a screen or a monthly fee.
Main trade-off	You need your phone for GPS, and Polar lists no skin temperature or blood oxygen sensing.	You read everything in the app, and Google's coach costs extra after the 3 free months.	Guided workouts need a paid Connect+ plan, and there's no GPS without your phone.
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 and charging: Up to 7 days per charge. A full charge takes about 90 minutes, and 5 minutes gives about a day. Google suggests charging every few days to keep tracking without gaps. It doesn't publish the test conditions behind the 7-day figure. Sensors: Optical heart rate monitor, 3-axis accelerometer and gyroscope, red and infrared sensors for blood oxygen, a device temperature sensor and a vibration motor Health tracking: 24/7 heart rate, plus resting heart rate, heart rate variability, breathing rate, blood oxygen and skin temperature variation. It counts steps, Active Zone Minutes, distance and calories, and gives a Sleep Score with sleep stages, a Readiness score and Cardio Load. Google says it looks for signs of AFib while you're still or sleeping. It lists high and low heart rate alerts and Irregular Rhythm Notifications as Health Guardian features. Display: Google's spec sheet lists no display. You see your data in the Google Health app. Water resistance: Water resistant to 50 m. Google advises drying the band fully after it gets wet or sweaty. Subscription: 3 months of Google Health Premium are included. After that, Premium starts at $9.99, and Google doesn't say whether that's per month or per year. Premium adds a personal coach built with Gemini, adaptive fitness plans, detailed sleep insights, daily guidance and advanced Health Guardian features. It also adds nutrition and cycle-aware coaching, a content library, and workout and mindfulness videos. Activity and sleep tracking, Readiness, Cardio Load and the standard Health Guardian alerts are listed as free app features. If you already pay for Premium, you have to cancel it before the included months can start. You must be over 18 to enroll in Premium. Compatibility: Android 11 or later, or iOS 16.4 or later, with a Google Account and the Google Health app. Connects over Bluetooth 5.0. Google says it's intended for ages 13 and up.	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.
Exact variant	Night Black with the SoftWeave Textile band (S–L)	Classic edition with the Obsidian band, including 3 months of Google Health Premium	Black, part 010-04675-00, wrist band (a retailer lists this part as L/XL)
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.	The tracker is about 34.9 mm long, 17 mm wide and 8.3 mm high (1.4 × 0.7 × 0.3 in). It weighs 5.2 g on its own and 12 g with the band. Google lists the textile and polyurethane band as one size for 130–210 mm wrists.	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.
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 need a smartphone, a Google Account and the Google Health app, which runs on Android 11 or later and iOS 16.4 or later. It syncs over Bluetooth 5.0 at up to 30 ft. Syncing also needs an internet connection and location permission on your phone. In the box are the tracker, a wristband and a USB-C charging cable.	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.
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.	Google says the housing is recycled polycarbonate and PBT plastic. The band is textile with a stainless steel buckle, and the Obsidian band's buckle is matte black. The packaging is 100% plastic-free.	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.
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.	Google's Fitbit Limited Warranty page says Fitbit devices bought on or after July 11, 2023 are covered through the Google Hardware Warranty Center. That center has an option for Fitbit hardware bought since that date, but it doesn't name Fitbit Air or give its warranty length. So the Air's US warranty isn't confirmed. The older Fitbit terms cover new products for one year from purchase. They exclude accidental damage, consumables such as batteries, normal wear and cosmetic damage such as scratches.	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.
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.	Google Store Help says most items can be returned within 15 days of the day you receive them. Before sending it back, you reset the device to factory settings. For a refund, it goes back in its original box with all accessories and documentation. The Fitbit Air page advertises free shipping and returns. The help page doesn't mention restocking fees.	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.
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	The US warranty length for Fitbit Air, since Google's Hardware Warranty Center doesn't name it Premium's billing period, and whether the free months roll into a paid plan Which Health Guardian features count as advanced and need Premium Whether FDA's 2022 clearance of Fitbit Irregular Rhythm Notifications, which lists older devices, covers Fitbit Air Independent accuracy data for Fitbit Air's heart rate, blood oxygen and sleep tracking Test conditions behind the 7-day battery figure Charger power draw and battery lifespan	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

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.