Garmin Cirqa vs vivosmart 5: which should you buy?

Get the Garmin vivosmart 5. It covers the everyday basics, it has a screen, and it asks less of your wallet. It tracks heart rate around the clock, Pulse Ox, stress and Body Battery energy, with no subscription. It counts steps, calories and intensity minutes, and it has sports apps for walking, pool swimming and cycling. For a simple band that keeps an eye on your day, that is the whole list.

Who should get the Garmin Cirqa

Get the Cirqa if you train hard and want the deeper numbers. It tracks HRV status, VO2 max and training status, and its readiness and recovery-time guidance tell you when to go again. It goes on the wrist or the upper arm, and it adds skin temperature to its sensors. Some athletes want exactly that, with no screen to check between sets.

The differences that matter

The screen comes first. The vivosmart has a small OLED touchscreen, so you can check the time and your stats at a glance. The Cirqa is screen-free, so every number lives in the phone app.

Battery comes second, and it is closer than it looks. Garmin rates the Cirqa a few days longer, but the two figures are measured differently. Both last about a week.

Phone fit is close. The vivosmart pairs with an iPhone, but text replies to calls are Android only. The Cirqa works with an iPhone through the Garmin Connect app. Either way, the app does the heavy lifting.

Price and value

The vivosmart 5 costs $149.99 (checked Nov. 4, 2026) and the Cirqa costs $199.99 (checked Nov. 4, 2026), so the vivosmart saves you $50. Neither band has a newer model expected soon, so there is no reason to wait. The vivosmart also needs no subscription, so the price you pay is the price you pay.

Buy the vivosmart to track your day. Buy the Cirqa to track your training.