I’ve been wearing the new Garmin Cirqa, a $199 screen-free and subscription-free fitness tracker for over a week, and while my initial impressions are mostly positive, burning questions about the device persist.
So, I reached out to Jill Kaiser, the lead product manager for the Garmin Cirqa, to learn more. Kaiser has been with the Kansas-based brand for a decade, and sees the Cirqa as her ‘baby.’
One of Garmin’s more unusual wearables, our conversation touched on the value of customer feedback in the design process, how customization and comfort were also key pillars, why the Cirqa lacks an onboard GPS, and whether or not Garmin plans to roll out more screen-free wearables anytime soon.
Why launch a screen-free tracker?
One of the biggest bits of info I gleaned from my chat with Kaiser: Garmin places a high value on user feedback and requests.
“We definitely are listening to our customers. We were looking at what our customers want,” says Kaiser. The Cirqa has “all of our training, all of our health metrics, everything that they are wanting in our other devices, just in an option that doesn't have a screen, that doesn't have that distraction for them.”
Garmin users have apparently been requesting a screen-free tracker for some time. So why launch one now, especially hot on the heels of the Fitbit Air, a device that promises many of the same features for half the cost?
“We've had quite a lot of customer feedback wanting a screenless product for some time, and so it's been on our radar, and [now] just felt like we had all of the pieces in place to be able to support this,” says Kaiser.
Of course, launching a successful screen-free wearable requires an equally successful, i.e., user-friendly companion app. Put another way, “there's a lot that goes into not having a screen on your wrist and just making sure that our ecosystem is built for it,” notes Kaiser.
An ‘all-day version’ of the Index sleep tracker
Kaiser says to think of the Cirqa as an “all-day version” of Garmin’s screen-free Index sleep tracker. However, “from a feature standpoint and what it tracks, the Vivoactive line and the Venue line fit really nicely with [the Cirqa]. We brought in all of the training metrics that the latest Venue has,” says Kaiser.
This is to say, the Cirqa should be one mighty reliable and comprehensive holistic device, up there with the best fitness trackers. And unlike other popular screen-free trackers out there, the Cirqa has one design element that truly sets it apart from the pack: a physical button.
“We added a button onto the product because we know from customers that it's important to be able to have that quick start and stop without having to pull out the phone,” says Kaiser. Not only that, the Cirqa vibrates each time you press the button to confirm the action.
‘Users can really dig in and make it what they want’
Designed to appeal to a wide range of users, whether you’re a hardcore athlete or a first-time jogger, personalization is king when it comes to the Cirqa.
“There's just a lot of customization we built into this that a user can really dig in and make it what they want. If they want to see their battery life from the device, they can turn that on, and with a double tap, you can see an LED; if it's green, it means it's good to go,” says Kaiser.
That’s not all. “If you feel like you're missing [knowing] what time it is, we have hourly alerts that you can turn on, and it vibrates on the hour.”
By default, a single press of the buttons starts a generic workout tracking session; however, users can customize the action to begin any supported workout of their choosing.
“You can go into Garment Connect and customize that button. If you're always going floor climbing, like doing stadium stairs, and you want those metrics, you can go in and change that so floor climb is the activity on your device,” notes Kaiser.
Meanwhile, a long-press of the button turns on the broadcast heart rate function, while a triple-press forces the Cirqa into pairing mode.
A valuable companion to your Garmin Watch
What about users who already own a Garmin watch? Does the Cirqa have any value as a companion device? Yes! Users can specify a primary device in the Connect app. This is the one you plan to wear throughout the day and night.
So, if you’re someone who trains with a higher-end Garmin Fenix or Forerunner, but want something a little more wrist-friendly to wear to bed without sacrificing sleep and recovery insights, the Cirqa may be your answer.
Best of all, you don’t need to manually switch between devices; the Connect app is smart enough to sync data from whatever wearable you’re wearing/logging a workout with.
How to train your Cirqa
While a dedicated, customizable button to start and stop workouts is certainly handy, wouldn’t it be nice if your Garmin Cirqa automatically knew what workouts you were doing without any input from you?
Kaiser says that with a little bit of user guidance early on, you can train your Cirqa to do exactly that. You’ll just need to manually track those activities for the first week or two you wear the device; after that, it should start to automatically detect and track your go-to workouts.
“By you engaging with it and saying, yes, I did go for a walk, or no, I didn't go for a walk, I was actually doing something else, that is helping the system then learn and actually adapt to you,” says Kaiser.
I’m still testing Cirqa's auto workout detection out, and seeing as it's only been a week, I can't yet comment on its reliability. That said, I look forward to reporting my findings in the forthcoming Garmin Cirqa review.
On the lack of onboard GPS
One question I keep hearing about the Garmin Cirqa is ‘why doesn’t it have GPS?’ According to Kaiser, a desire to keep the size and cost down, while maximizing battery life, is the answer.
“There's a lot of benefit that we can get from a battery standpoint, from a size standpoint of not having [GPS] in there. And so it went back to the user need. Yes, we know GPS is important, but from the phone, that still gets what our customers want,” says Kaiser.
More screen-free trackers to come?
So, now that Garmin has two screen-free wearables under its belt, can we expect more to come? “We're always going to continue to be looking at what we can do in this space,” says Kaiser. So, maybe yes, maybe no?
Ultimately, the Cirqa was designed to be, well, whatever you want it to be, assuming you want a screen-free tracker. “There's just a lot of customization that we built in,” says Kaiser. “Depending on what your needs are and what you're looking for. You're either not getting anything from it, where it's completely distraction-free, or it's adding a little bit of help throughout the day.”
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