The three side by side
The versions compared are WHOOP Peak with its WHOOP 5.0 strap, CIRQA in Black and Fitbit Air in the Classic edition with the Obsidian band167. The $717 for WHOOP assumes Peak renews at the listed $239 a year, which WHOOP doesn’t state1. Google lists Fitbit Air’s tracking as free, but Google Health Premium, which includes its coach, costs extra after 3 months79.
Garmin’s warranty and return terms for CIRQA couldn’t be read on its site2021. We found no peer-reviewed accuracy study of any of the three current models.
Prices are US prices before tax and shipping, checked on October 13, 2026. None was a sale price. Garmin’s US page showed no price for CIRQA, so its price comes from Garmin’s launch release615. Every figure is the maker’s own unless a study, review or retailer is named. ‘Not stated’ means the maker’s pages didn’t show it when checked.
| Question | WHOOP Peak (WHOOP 5.0) | Garmin CIRQA (Black) | Google Fitbit Air (Classic, Obsidian) |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you get | A WHOOP 5.0 device, Wireless PowerPack and SuperKnit band, included with the membership1 | CIRQA in Black, part 010-04675-00, with a proprietary charging cable618. Garmin’s US page labels the part only as Black, and Ascent Outdoors lists it as the L/XL625 | The tracker, a wristband and a USB-C charging cable, plus 3 months of Google Health Premium78 |
| US price | No separate hardware price. Peak is $239 a year, not a sale price1 | $199.99, the suggested retail price in Garmin’s July 2026 launch release. Garmin’s US page showed no price. REI listed it at $200.00, with no sale price61524 | $99.99, the Google Store’s ‘From’ price. No separate price for the Classic edition, and no sale price shown7 |
| Recurring fee | $239 a year for Peak. One is $199 a year and Life $359 a year1 | None required, according to Garmin. Garmin Connect+ is optional at $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year151923 | None required. Premium is free for 3 months, then starts at $9.99, with no billing period stated79 |
| What the fee adds | Healthspan and Pace of Aging, a real-time Stress Monitor and Health Monitor alerts, on top of the Recovery, Sleep and Strain scores1 | Connect+ adds AI insights, nutrition logging and LiveTrack+. Guided workouts need it, and the manual says some activities may too1619 | A coach built with Gemini, adaptive fitness plans, detailed sleep insights, daily guidance and advanced Health Guardian features. Also nutrition and cycle-aware coaching and a content library9 |
| Without paying | Not stated. The page lists no hardware-only option and doesn’t say what the strap does after a membership ends1 | Garmin says it works without a subscription. It tracks sleep, HRV, heart rate, Pulse Ox, skin temperature, stress and training scores. The manual still lists some real-time workout data under Connect+1516 | Activity and sleep tracking, Readiness, Cardio Load and the standard Health Guardian alerts stay free79 |
| Three-year cost, known items | $717 (3 × $239), if it renews at the listed price, which WHOOP doesn’t state1 | $199.99 with no required fee. Connect+ on the annual plan would add $209.97. Charging energy unknown1519 | $99.99 before any Premium plan. Charging energy unknown78 |
| Battery and charging | 14+ days, and about 2 hours for a full charge. The Wireless PowerPack charges the strap while you wear it14 | Up to 10 days. Charging takes up to 90 minutes with Garmin’s proprietary cable from a USB port. All-day Pulse Ox and heart rate broadcasting shorten battery life1518 | Up to 7 days, and about 90 minutes for a full charge. 5 minutes gives about a day. Google suggests charging every few days78 |
| Sensors | Types not named. WHOOP says its sensors capture data 26 times per second2 | Wrist heart rate, Pulse Ox and skin temperature15 | Optical heart rate, red and infrared blood oxygen sensors, a temperature sensor, accelerometer and gyroscope8 |
| Tracking | Recovery, Sleep and Strain scores, plus the Peak features above1 | Sleep stages and score, HRV, respiration, stress and Body Battery. Also training readiness, VO2 max, recovery time and cycle tracking with past ovulation estimates15 | Sleep Score with stages, Readiness, Cardio Load, resting heart rate, HRV, breathing rate, blood oxygen and skin temperature variation78 |
| Display and GPS | No display or built-in GPS4 | No display. GPS comes from your paired phone, and TechRadar notes there’s none built in151622 | Google’s spec sheet lists no display or GPS8 |
| Size and weight | Not stated. WHOOP says 5.0 has a seven percent smaller form factor, without giving measurements2 | Band 24.5 cm long in S/M and 28.5 cm in L/XL, 2.4 cm wide. Garmin gives no module size or weight. TechRadar says 21 g, without saying whether that includes the band1722 | Tracker 34.9 × 17 × 8.3 mm. 5.2 g alone and 12 g with the band, which fits 130–210 mm wrists8 |
| Water resistance | Not stated on the pages checked1 | 5 ATM, which Garmin says withstands pressure equal to a depth of 50 m1617 | 50 m8 |
| Phone and app | WHOOP app. Supported phones not stated on the pages checked1 | Garmin Connect on a compatible iPhone or Android phone. The manual lists no minimum phone or OS versions1516 | Google Health app on Android 11 or iOS 16.4 and later, with a Google Account78 |
| FDA status | WHOOP describes no Peak feature as FDA-cleared. Its cleared ECG is on WHOOP MG with the $359-a-year Life tier13 | No FDA clearance claim. Garmin’s manual says CIRQA isn’t a medical device1516 | The Air pages don’t mention FDA clearance. FDA’s 2022 clearance of Fitbit’s rhythm notifications lists older Fitbit devices7812 |
| Published accuracy | None for WHOOP 5.0. A 2024 review of earlier WHOOP straps found 62% sleep-stage agreement (kappa 0.46)5 | No peer-reviewed study found. In TechRadar’s review, heart rate was within 2–3 bpm of a chest strap in most workouts, and off by an average of 10 bpm in one gym session22 | No figures. Google says heart rate accuracy varies with physiology, placement and movement8 |
| Warranty | Lifetime, with device replacement, while a membership bought directly from WHOOP stays active1 | Not confirmed. The manual doesn’t mention one, and Garmin’s warranty page loads its terms with JavaScript1620 | Not confirmed for the Air. Older Fitbit terms give one year and exclude batteries and accidental damage1113 |
| Returns | Cancel and return within 30 days of receipt, for any reason, for a full refund minus shipping1 | Not confirmed. Garmin’s returns page loads its terms with JavaScript, so the window couldn’t be read21 | Within 15 days of receipt at the Google Store, in the original box. The Air page advertises free returns710 |
Which one should you get?
These are picks for different needs, not a ranking. WHOOP and Garmin say their bands have no display, and Google’s spec sheet lists none for the Air4815. They differ in how you pay, what each fee adds and how much each maker publishes.
- The least money up front: Google Fitbit Air. It’s $99.99, and Google lists no required fee7. It tracks heart rate, HRV, blood oxygen, breathing rate and skin temperature variation from a 12 g band rated at up to 7 days a charge78. The trade-off: Google’s coach costs extra after 3 months, from $9.99 with no billing period stated9. The Google Store takes returns for only 15 days, and Google’s warranty pages don’t name the Air101113.
- Pay yearly for WHOOP’s scores and cover: WHOOP Peak. The $239-a-year membership includes the WHOOP 5.0 strap and a Wireless PowerPack that charges it on the wrist14. The warranty covers replacement for life while you keep paying, and you can cancel and return within 30 days for a refund minus shipping1. The trade-off: it’s $717 over three years at the listed price. WHOOP’s pages give no size, weight or water rating, and the only accuracy data we found cover older straps125.
- Garmin’s training scores with no required fee: Garmin CIRQA. It’s $199.99, and Garmin says it works without a subscription15. It tracks heart rate, Pulse Ox, skin temperature, HRV and sleep, and adds training readiness, VO2 max and recovery time15. Garmin rates it at up to 10 days a charge15. The trade-off: guided workouts need Connect+, at $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year, and outdoor GPS comes from your phone151619. Garmin’s warranty and return terms couldn’t be read on its site, so check them before you buy2021.
What does the WHOOP membership include?
WHOOP’s fee covers the hardware and the features together. Peak includes the WHOOP 5.0 device, Wireless PowerPack and SuperKnit band, with no separate hardware price1. It adds Healthspan, Pace of Aging, a real-time Stress Monitor and Health Monitor alerts to the Recovery, Sleep and Strain scores that come with WHOOP One1. The lifetime warranty with device replacement lasts only while the membership stays active1.
The fee doesn’t buy a cleared medical feature. WHOOP describes no Peak feature as FDA-cleared, and its cleared ECG is only on WHOOP MG with the $359-a-year Life tier13. WHOOP says Healthspan is for wellness purposes only and not for medical use1. The membership page also doesn’t say what the strap does after a membership ends1.
Over three years, Peak costs $717 if the fee renews at $239 a year, and Fitbit Air costs $99.9917. That’s $617.01 more for WHOOP. Fitbit Air’s free tier keeps sleep tracking, Readiness, Cardio Load and the standard Health Guardian alerts79. Premium, which includes Google’s coach, is the part you’d pay for, and Google doesn’t say how often its $9.99 price is billed9. CIRQA costs $199.99 over three years with no required fee, or $409.96 with Connect+ on the annual plan1519.
If you want a screen-free band with nothing behind a paywall, look at Polar Loop, which we also review. It costs $199.99, and Polar says there are no monthly fees and no locked features14.
What the accuracy claims don’t settle
We found no validation study of a current model of any of the three. A 2024 systematic review included four WHOOP comparisons from studies of 5 to 53 people, against polysomnography or ambulatory EEG5. Across them, WHOOP’s average total sleep time bias was -1.4 minutes, but it correctly identified only about 56% of wake5. Sleep-stage agreement was 62% (kappa 0.46), and the review was published before WHOOP 5.0 launched25.
Google says Fitbit Air looks for signs of AFib while you’re still or asleep, and it lists Irregular Rhythm Notifications among the alerts7. FDA cleared Fitbit’s Irregular Rhythm Notifications software in April 2022 through 510(k) K21237212. In 225 people who got a positive detection while wearing a reference ECG patch, its positive predictive value was 98.2%12. That clearance lists older devices such as Fitbit Sense and Charge 4, not the Air12. FDA’s summary also says no notification doesn’t mean no AFib12.
Garmin makes no FDA clearance claim for CIRQA, and its manual says CIRQA isn’t a medical device1516. In TechRadar’s review, heart rate stayed within 2–3 bpm of a Polar H10 chest strap in most workouts, but one 40-minute gym session was off by an average of 10 bpm22. That’s one reviewer’s testing, not a validation study. Our evidence review covers what independent studies show about sleep staging, resting heart rate and HRV across devices.
Sources
- WHOOP Membership WHOOP · manufacturer
- WHOOP unveils 5.0 and MG WHOOP Press Center · manufacturer
- WHOOP 5.0 and MG: Unlock Better Health, Fitness and Longevity WHOOP (The Locker) · manufacturer
- How Long Does WHOOP Battery Last? 14+ Days Explained WHOOP (The Locker) · manufacturer
- Accuracy of Fitbit Charge 4, Garmin Vivosmart 4, and WHOOP Versus Polysomnography: Systematic Review JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2024 · systematic review
- CIRQA Smart Band | Screenless Health & Fitness Tracker Garmin · manufacturer
- Google Fitbit Air Google Store · manufacturer
- Google Fitbit Air tech specs Google Store · manufacturer
- Google Health Premium with Google Health Coach Google Store · manufacturer
- Return your Google Store purchase Google Store Help · manufacturer
- Fitbit Limited Warranty Google · manufacturer
- 510(k) K212372: Fitbit Irregular Rhythm Notifications US Food and Drug Administration, 2022 · regulator
- Google Hardware Warranty Center Google · manufacturer
- POLAR Loop: Screen-Free Wearable Health Band & Fitness Tracker Polar · manufacturer
- Meet CIRQA Smart Band: The screen-free health and fitness tracker from Garmin Garmin Newsroom, 2026 · manufacturer
- CIRQA Smart Band Owner's Manual Garmin · manufacturer
- CIRQA Owner's Manual - Specifications Garmin · manufacturer
- CIRQA Owner's Manual - Charging the Device Garmin · manufacturer
- Elevate your health and fitness goals with Garmin Connect+ Garmin Newsroom, 2025 · manufacturer
- Consumer Limited Warranty Garmin · manufacturer
- Shipping, Returns & Refunds Garmin · manufacturer
- Garmin Cirqa review: sorry Fitbit, but this is 2026's best screenless smart band TechRadar, 2026 · news
- Garmin backtracks on Cirqa subscription after outcry from fans and makes a crucial feature available for free TechRadar, 2026 · news
- Garmin CIRQA Smart Band (retailer listing) REI Co-op
- Garmin CIRQA Smart Band (retailer listing) Ascent Outdoors
How this was written. Written from the sources listed above, checked . It is general information, not medical advice. Talk to a clinician before acting on anything here if you have a health condition or take medication.
Our editorial policy →