For years the best smartwatches have focused on providing bigger and brighter screens, but right now the trend seems to be ditching the display entirely.
Whoop has long set the pace for screen-free fitness trackers and launched its latest Whoop 5.0 device in May, and now Polar has announced its first screenless wrist wearable will come out on 3 September.
Meanwhile, rumors of a Garmin Whoop rival have circulated for months and they've finally come to fruition with the launch of the Garmin Index Sleep Monitor.
Polar’s screen-free brand will be subscription free
Polar hasn't given many details about its new wearable device, but it did confirm that it will be a subscription-free alternative to other trackers.
That sounds like a reference to Whoop and its subscription-based model, but until Polar announces the pricing of its new band it’s impossible to say whether it offers better value for money.
The band is designed to be worn at all times, tracking activity and workouts alongside your sleep, and Polar suggests it will be lighter and less intrusive than having a watch on your wrist.
“Our users have been asking for a new kind of wearable,” Sander Werring, CEO at Polar.
“One that puts them in control of their health and fitness right out of the box, without the distractions of screens or the pressure of constant notifications.”
Other details are thin on the ground, but Polar did launch the Polar 360 screenless band last year.
It’s designed for business-use only, but could give an idea as to what the new consumer tracker could look like, with a simple black band and an optical heart rate sensor.
Garmin launches new sleep tracker
Rumors suggesting a screen-free Garmin device is coming have gathered pace in recent weeks, and Garmin finally unveiled the Index Sleep Monitor on 18 June.
This is a screenless band you wear on your upper arm at night, and it syncs all your sleep data through the Garmin Connect app to any Garmin watch your wear during the day.
The Garmin Index Sleep Monitor costs $169.99 / £149.99 and you can order it now, with the device set to ship in three to five weeks.
Why go screenless?
The appeal of a screenless product is simplicity and style. If you don’t want another distracting screen in your life but do want to track your activity and sleep stats, a screen-free band is a great alternative to the best fitness trackers, and you can wear it alongside more traditional jewelry and watches.
However, for screenless products to be a success, the partner app has to be exceptionally good, which they are for Whoop and indeed the best smart rings like the Oura Ring 4. These apps provide clear info in an engaging way.
I’ve been testing Polar and Garmin watches for years and while I’m a fan of both as a keen runner, I’d say their apps will need some work to deliver the same experience as Whoop or Oura.
Garmin Connect and Polar Flow are both very heavy on data, which is good, but that data is not always clearly presented, especially for the more casual fitness audience that might use a Whoop-style product over a traditional sports watch.
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