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Garmin Cirqa makes live heart rate monitoring free after subscription backlash

Marty S.

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Garmin Cirqa ditched the subscription wall on live heart rate monitoring after backlash proved locking basic metrics behind paywalls doesn’t work. Fitness companies need to stop using backlash as a business strategy and ship essential features free from day one.

Marty’s Take:

Garmin’s real play isn’t goodwill, it’s Whoop’s exposed flank: subscription-only competitors now look greedy by comparison. Expect Garmin to lean harder on “free HR, paid extras” positioning across its lineup, and rivals like Whoop and Oura to face pressure on what stays locked. If you’re shopping now, check our best fitness tracker picks before committing to any subscription-gated device.

Shop mentioned gear: Garmin Cirqa

Source: Gizmodo

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Marty S.

Marty S.

Marty is a contributor at Fitness Tech Trends, focused on helping readers cut through the noise and make informed decisions about fitness technology. He dives deep into product comparisons, analyzes features that actually matter, and breaks down technical specs into practical insights. Whether readers are choosing between heart rate monitors, deciding on recovery tools, or figuring out which smartwatch fits their training style, Marty aims to provide straightforward, no-hype guidance. When he’s not researching the latest gear, he’s probably testing theories about what makes certain products stick while others fade into the gadget graveyard.