- Evidence mounts that Garmin will launch a screenless wearable on an armband
- It's said to be called the Garmin Index Sleep Monitor
- Details are sketchy, but it looks likely to (as the name suggests) eschew fitness tracking to focus on sleep
Garmin's latest wearable will not, in fact, be an entry into our best Garmin watches list. Instead, it's more likely to rank alongside our best sleep trackers.
After reporting that a Whoop-style screenless band was en route from Garmin, we've now got more detail on the tracker. According to leak site Fitness Tracker Test based on "additional information" it has received, the tracker is called the Garmin Index Sleep Monitor, a similar naming convention to the Garmin Index smart scale, and it's designed to be worn on the upper arm.
Although it's a screenless band using LED optical technology to measure heart rate, apparently there are more differences than similarities between this tracker and Whoop. Fitness Tracker Test reports this band is designed to be worn on the upper arm, while Whoop can be worn on the wrist, arm, or even chest.
While Whoop combines sleep with detailed activity tracking, this band will reportedly be focused on sleep only, with features such as heart rate, sleep stages, Body Battery, women's health tracking and a smart-wake alarm. No basic step tracking, according to Fitness Tracker Test, making its use an activity tracker limited.
If true, it will leave the fitness tracking to Garmin watches, acting as an add-on rather than a comprehensive all-in-one tracker in its own right.
The5kRunner expects a release in the next couple of months, while Florian of Fitness Tracker Test expects a price point of around €170 (around $195 / £145 / AU$300).
An expensive add-on
This is largely conjecture and hearsay, but the evidence is mounting that Garmin will launch the Index Sleep Monitor soon.
If all the information above is true, and Garmin is looking to make a sleep tracker only, I would say that $200 would be a steep price for a wearable that would rely on an already-expensive Garmin watch to get a full picture of your health and activity levels.
However, at this point, we need to take all rumors with a hefty pinch of salt. We'll know more if, or when, Garmin does release the Index Sleep Monitor soon.
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