Apparently, 2026 is the year of the screenless tracker. Forget about AMOLED screens and checking your rings; the world is moving to discreet devices that track your health with zero distractions.
Earlier this year, Google launched the Fitbit Air, a $99 screenless tracker that looked set to take on the likes of the Whoop 5.0. Tuesday saw the long-awaited release of the Garmin Cirqa — Garmin’s latest tracker, which is also completely screen-free, and launching on July 24 for $199.
But how do the two devices compare? What are the main similarities and differences? I’ve got both on my wrist as I type, and while it’s too soon to give an honest verdict on which you should buy, here are the highlights.
With no screen, buttons, or alerts to distract you — plus nearly a week of battery — the Fitbit Air is as easy-going as it is affordable. It’s also one of the best fitness trackers of the year.
The Garmin Cirqa goes on sale on July 24 for $199; it comes in two sizes and four color options. It's water-resistant to 5 ATM, and has a 10-day battery life.
Garmin Cirqa vs Fitbit Air: Similarities
Both are screenless
By design, both of these trackers are screenless, material bands, designed to be worn 24/7 for constant health tracking. They both track everything you’d expect: your steps, calories, heart rate, menstrual cycle, skin temperature, and sleep. Both have haptic alerts to wake you up, and tons of data to help you live a healthier lifestyle.
Both can be used with Apple or Android
Both devices are compatible with Apple and Android devices. For the Fitbit Air, you’ll use the new Google Health app, and for the Garmin Cirqa, you’ll connect to the device using Garmin Connect.
Both can be used subscription-free
More on this below, but on the surface, both devices don’t need an ongoing subscription for you to see your health data. Compared to Whoop and Oura, which both have monthly subscriptions, this is a big plus.
Garmin Cirqa vs Fitbit Air: Differences
Price
Let’s get into the differences and start with the $100 price difference. The Fitbit Air is $99/£85, whereas the Garmin Cirqa costs $199/£179. Both are still much cheaper than the Whoop 5.0 or the Oura Ring 5, but there’s still a big price difference between the two devices, and if you’re on a budget, the Fitbit Air is far more affordable.
Both can be used subscription-free, but there’s a slight difference in what you get without a subscription. The Garmin Cirqa gives you virtually all your performance and health metrics with no subscription required. Paying for Garmin Connect+ ($6.99 per month or $69.99 per year) gets you access to Garmin’s AI coach, nutrition plans and macro logging, and Garmin’s coaching plans.
The Fitbit Air gives you basic metrics like heart rate, basic sleep logs, and AFib alerts for free; however, some of the deeper sleep metrics, Gemini AI coach, which is excellent, plus your daily personalized readiness insights, are locked behind Google Health Premium. Google Health Premium costs $9.99 per month or $99 for the year.
Physical buttons
One big difference between the Garmin Cirqa and the Fitbit Air is that the former has a physical button, allowing you to start and stop a workout, rather than relying on auto workout recognition.
Garmin said this decision was based on the brand’s DNA and user base, who wouldn’t want to miss a second of their workout. I’ve only worn the Garmin Cirqa for two workouts so far, but I personally appreciate having the physical button because I am the exact user Garmin is talking about.
Size and comfort
Another big difference between the two screenless trackers is the size and weight. The Fitbit Air is 12g with the band, which comes in one size. The pebble itself is 34.9mm tall, 17mm wide, and has a depth of 8.3mm. It really is tiny on the wrist, and is extremely comfortable, even when sleeping.
The Garmin Cirqa is noticeably larger. It comes in two sizes — small/medium or large/extra-large — and weighs 20-25g depending on the size of the band. The tracker itself is 46.9mm tall, 27.5mm wide, and 8.7mm thick. It definitely feels bigger on the wrist and is a lot bulkier under clothing or when sleeping.
Third-party integrations
Another consideration if you’re using your screenless tracker to track your cycle is that Garmin can integrate your skin temperature data with apps like Natural Cycles to predict your ovulation date. This requires a separate Natural Cycles subscription. You can’t, at the time of writing, integrate the Fitbit Air with Natural Cycles.
Band placement
Both bands can also be worn around your biceps for tracking during team sports, or in the gym, where you might not want a band around your wrist. That said, for both you’ll need to buy another band. The Fitbit Air requires you to loop two bands together, and an additional band will cost $34.99/£34.99. The Garmin Cirqa requires you to buy the biceps loop for $59.99/£49.99.
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