Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra vs Garmin CIRQA: GPS Watch vs Recovery Band

Overview

These two devices are not competing for the same buyer. The Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra is a £599.90 premium GPS running watch targeting serious trail and road runners. The Garmin CIRQA is a screenless recovery band built for around-the-clock physiological monitoring, closer to a Whoop 5.0 than any running watch. Comparing them directly is difficult because they serve fundamentally different purposes, but athletes deciding where to spend their money deserve a clear-eyed look at both.

Specs at a glance

Form factor: Cheetah 2 Ultra is a full running watch with display; CIRQA is a screenless wrist band
GPS: Cheetah 2 Ultra has dual-frequency GNSS onboard; CIRQA has no GPS
Battery life: Cheetah 2 Ultra rated at 55h GPS mode (unconfirmed in live testing); CIRQA battery not confirmed pre-launch
Heart rate sensor: Both use wrist optical PPG measuring blood volume changes via LED light
Additional sensors: Cheetah 2 Ultra adds SmO2 (muscle oxygen saturation) and barometric altimeter; CIRQA adds skin temperature
Display: Cheetah 2 Ultra has a screen (spec unconfirmed); CIRQA has none by design
Price: Cheetah 2 Ultra at £599.90; CIRQA pricing unconfirmed but a subscription model is likely
Launch status: Cheetah 2 Ultra is available at retail; CIRQA had not officially launched at time of writing

GPS and tracking accuracy

The Cheetah 2 Ultra is the only device here with GPS, so this section is one-sided by design. On a standardised 10-mile accuracy test, the Cheetah 2 Ultra scored 81%, improving to 85% on a trail-specific test in tree-canopied terrain. That improvement under canopy matters for trail runners. The score is a genuine step up from the Cheetah 2 Pro's 73%, though it still falls short of the Garmin Forerunner 970 at the same price point.

The CIRQA has no onboard GPS. It relies entirely on a paired device or skips GPS data altogether. If you run with it, you are getting no route tracking from the band itself.

Battery life

The Cheetah 2 Ultra is rated at 55h in GPS mode. That figure has not been independently confirmed in a live field test, so treat it as a manufacturer projection. For context, 55h GPS would comfortably cover ultramarathons and multi-day mountain events if accurate.

The CIRQA's battery life is not confirmed. For a 24/7 wear recovery band, continuous low-power optical sensing typically demands daily or every-other-day charging. Without official figures, no honest comparison is possible.

For athletes: who wins?

Road running: Cheetah 2 Ultra. It scored 81% on GPS accuracy and delivered strong wrist optical heart rate results across multiple sessions including a high-heat HYROX test. The CIRQA cannot track a run independently.
Trail running: Cheetah 2 Ultra. The 85% accuracy score in canopied terrain, combined with SmO2 and a barometric altimeter, gives trail runners useful real-time data. The CIRQA brings nothing to this use case.
Triathlon: Cheetah 2 Ultra by default. No GPS and unconfirmed water resistance on the CIRQA make it unsuitable as a primary triathlon device.
Recovery and sleep tracking: CIRQA, in principle. A screenless 24/7 band dedicated to HRV, sleep, and strain tracking is the right form factor for recovery monitoring. But the CIRQA is pre-launch with no confirmed accuracy data, no confirmed price, and likely a subscription cost. The Cheetah 2 Ultra also tracks HRV and SpO2, and it is actually available to buy today.

Verdict

The Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra is a real product with real performance data, real GPS, and a strong optical heart rate track record. The Garmin CIRQA is a pre-launch device with no confirmed pricing, no confirmed battery life, no GPS, and no independent accuracy testing. Recommending the CIRQA at this stage would be irresponsible.

Buy the Cheetah 2 Ultra if you are a serious runner who wants dual-frequency GPS, SmO2 tracking, and solid heart rate accuracy at £599.90. Accept that GPS accuracy still falls short of the Forerunner 970 at the same price, and that the 55h GPS claim needs real-world verification.

Wait on the CIRQA until it launches with confirmed specs, independent testing, and transparent subscription pricing. If it delivers on its recovery-focused promise, it will suit athletes who already own a GPS watch and want a dedicated sleep and HRV band. Right now, it is not a purchase decision you can make with confidence.