Garmin Debuts $200 Screenless Fitness Band in Challenge to Whoop

Garmin Cirqa Smart Bands.

Garmin Ltd. introduced a $200 screenless fitness tracker, becoming the latest company to enter a segment popularized by Whoop Inc.

The Cirqa Smart Band is available now and, like the competition, offers a mix of activity and health tracking, according to a statement on Tuesday.

The device, which can be worn on the wrist or as an arm band, monitors sleep, stress and vitals such as heart rate variability, skin temperature, blood oxygen saturation and maximal oxygen consumption, better known as VO2 max. Users can manually begin workouts for more than 80 kinds of activities. The device also automatically detects when the user is exercising.

All of this data contributes to a “Body Battery” score, similar to other devices’ attempts to quantify how well rested someone is. The device’s battery life is rated for a maximum of 10 days. The fabric band is being offered in several colors.

A growing number of companies have been following the example of Whoop, which released its first tracker more than a decade ago to a niche audience of elite and professional athletes. It has since evolved to target mainstream consumers, and is now a $10 billion company headed toward a public listing in the coming years. Rivals have taken notice: Alphabet Inc.’s Google recently released the $100 screenless Fitbit Air, which was met with broadly positive reviews.

But while Whoop makes money from mandatory subscriptions, not the hardware itself, its competitors have been experimenting with offering relatively affordable devices that don’t come with recurring fees. Garmin’s new Cirqa Smart Band does not require a subscription. The Fitbit Air has an optional subscription that includes more advanced features.

Read More: Google’s Fitbit Air Gives Whoop Some Serious Competition