Garmin CIRQA Optical HR Band Spotted in Testing, February 2026 Launch Rumored

DCRainmaker posted an Instagram shot showing what appears to be the Garmin CIRQA optical HR band in active testing, sitting alongside a Whoop 4.0 and an Amazfit Helio. The device stays unnamed in his official testing list, which is standard practice before an embargo lifts, but the visual evidence is hard to ignore at this point.

This is the third credible signal pointing to the CIRQA in a short window, and the February 2026 timeline is starting to feel realistic rather than speculative. Garmin already owns the dedicated HR band lane with the HRM-Pro Plus chest strap, but a wrist-worn optical band would target users who want continuous recovery and readiness data without strapping anything to their chest, closer to what Whoop and the Polar Verity Sense offer.

The comparison to Whoop is the interesting one here. Whoop charges a subscription, the Helio is aimed at a budget segment, and Garmin would be selling to an existing ecosystem of Forerunner and Fenix users who want tighter native integration. If the CIRQA feeds data directly into Garmin Connect and Body Battery without third-party syncing, that alone separates it from the competition.

Nothing is confirmed. Garmin has not announced anything, and DCRainmaker did not name the device directly. But his testing bench does not lie, and three leaks in quick succession usually mean a launch is close.