Garmin’s strategy has always been about offering premium wearables with a one-off price tag and a full suite of insights through the Garmin Connect app.
So when Garmin Connect+ launched earlier this year — a paid subscription for AI-based training suggestions and deeper wellness insights — it raised some eyebrows. Garmin users were quick to ask: why pay extra when so much already comes free?
Now, the rumoured Garmin Sleep Band, a screenless wearable aimed squarely at sleep and recovery tracking, might finally explain it.
Leaked details suggest the Garmin Sleep Band is designed to compete with the brand-new Whoop 5.0 and Whoop MG straps.
Like its rivals, the rumoured sleep tracker is expected to ditch the display and focus purely on recovery, sleep, and wellness data.
This move seems obvious to Garmin, and honestly, it’s surprising they haven’t done it already. Minimalist, insight-driven wearables (see also: best smart rings) are booming.
Publications report that the Sleep Band will use Garmin’s Elevate v5 sensor (found inside the latest Garmin Forerunner 570) and a new smart alarm system.
Why Connect+ could be the missing link
It will sync via Bluetooth with Garmin Connect, but – here’s the kicker – unlocking its full power might require a Connect+ subscription.
If Garmin takes a page from Whoop’s playbook, the hardware could be cheap or even free.
Instead of a pricey upfront purchase, users might subscribe monthly for access to premium insights; an attractive prospect for those who can’t justify the cost of a Garmin Fenix 8 or a flagship Forerunner.
And that could be the real reason Connect+ exists.
For current Garmin watch owners, the free Garmin Connect already offers sleep scores, HRV status, VO2 max estimates, and recovery advice.
Adding a paid layer never made a lot of sense, unless Garmin always intended Connect+ for a new generation of users with different devices.
A screenless band makes perfect sense for sleep and recovery.
Not everyone wants to wear a bulky watch overnight, and smaller, lighter devices (or upper-arm bands) are better for round-the-clock wear.
Pair that with AI-driven insights through Connect+, and suddenly Garmin’s move looks very clever.
Is a Garmin smart ring next?
It would also fill a growing gap. Garmin has yet to venture into the smart ring market, an area where rivals like Oura and Samsung are growing fast.
In fact, I wrote about the Garmin Smart Ring in February 2024, not long after the Samsung Galaxy Ring was announced.
Well, I said I'd much rather have a ring that works in tandem with Garmin watches, the same way the Amazfit Helio Ring is set up.
A screenless Sleep Band could mark Garmin’s first real step beyond wrist-based wearables, and if it works, a Garmin Ring could be next.
And the timing couldn’t be better. Whoop just refreshed its lineup with the 5.0 and MG models, tightening its grip on the subscription wearables market.
Garmin, arriving now with a low-cost (or free) device bundled with Connect+, could seriously shake things up.
In hindsight, it feels obvious. Connect+ was never really for the Epix Pro or Forerunner 965 crowd. It was for the Sleep Band, and maybe for what’s coming next.
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