Garmin’s Whoop Killer Will Offer Free Heart Rate Monitoring After Backlash - Gizmodo

What the report says

Gizmodo reported that Garmin plans to make live heart-rate data free for owners of its new Cirqa fitness band, reversing an initial limitation that placed the feature behind the company’s Garmin Connect+ subscription. The change was reported by sports technology blogger Ray Maker, who said Garmin would update its mobile app “in the coming days” so Cirqa users can see live heart-rate readings during workouts without paying for Connect+. Gizmodo said it had contacted Garmin for comment.

The Cirqa, priced at $200, is Garmin’s screenless fitness band aimed at competitors such as Whoop and Fitbit. According to Gizmodo, Garmin launched the device with several no-cost features, including activity and sleep tracking, Body Battery and Training Readiness scores, while reserving some tools for Connect+. The subscription costs $7 per month or $70 per year, and previously covered features including calorie tracking, nutrition recommendations, wheelchair workouts, Garmin Coach training plans and live activity metrics.

The shift matters because live heart-rate viewing is available without a subscription on Garmin’s other watches and trackers, making its original placement behind a paywall on Cirqa notable. Gizmodo framed the update as a response to reviewer feedback before or around the product’s broader rollout.

For context, Gizmodo compared Garmin’s pricing with rival models: Whoop’s hardware is tied to a subscription starting at $200 per year, while Google’s Fitbit Air is listed at $99 with an optional Google Health Premium subscription costing $10 per month or $100 per year. Even with some Cirqa features still paid, the free heart-rate update may strengthen Garmin’s position in the screenless wearable market.