Forget Whoop — 3 major differences between the subscription-free Luna Band and Garmin Cirqa
Watch out, Whoop, Garmin, and Fitbit, there's a new screen-free fitness tracker available, and it could be the best one yet.
Forget Whoop — the Luna Band and Garmin Cirqa have notable differences
2026 has been a year of screen-free fitness wearables, with models like the Fitbit Air and Garmin Cirqa joining the ranks of established players such as Whoop 5.0. Now, a new competitor has entered the market: the $149 Luna Band, poised to challenge Garmin, Google, and Whoop with its free, personalized AI insights. After testing the Luna Band at CES and IFA 2026, the author is impressed and highlights three key differences between the Luna Band and its closest competitor, the Garmin Cirqa.
1. Price: The Luna Band is cheaper than the Garmin Cirqa
The Luna Band competes with screen-free fitness trackers at a more affordable price point than Garmin's Cirqa. While Garmin Cirqa costs $199, the Luna Band is priced at $149, making it $50 cheaper. However, Fitbit Air stands out by offering a starting price of just $99. Both Garmin and Google provide certain advanced training insights and AI-powered features behind a monthly subscription fee, which Luna Band does not require.
2. Luna Band features are fully free
Unlike Garmin Cirqa and Fitbit Air, the Luna Band's companion app does not have paywalls for its features. The band records basic holistic data points like heart rate, sleep quality, workouts, and daily movement. However, Luna Band's app focuses more on generating actionable insights based on current trends and user goals through AI-powered recommendations. Users do not need to spend extra money for these personalized AI insights.
3. Lack of physical button on Luna Band
While the Luna Band is more compact and affordable than the Garmin Cirqa, it lacks a physical button. The Garmin Cirqa allows users to program the wearable's sole control point to start, stop, and broadcast workout data. Some may find a customizable physical button beneficial for the Luna Band, as it would enhance user experience, similar to what the Fitbit Air and Garmin Cirqa offer.
Written by urgent.news from Tom's Guide's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
