Garmin’s Sleep Band Is Actual After All

Once I wrote yesterday about three totally different Whoop-like bands rumored to be coming quickly, I didn’t understand how shut we have been to one in all them really launching. In the present day, Garmin’s Index sleep monitor is formally listed on their web site, retailing for $169.99 and delivery in 5 to eight weeks.

What sort of system is the Index?

The Index is an armband, meant to be worn across the bicep whilst you sleep. It may monitor your coronary heart charge like a smartwatch does, nevertheless it has no display. Probably the most distinguished photograph on the product web page is of a lady sleeping peacefully whereas her cellphone and watch lie unused on her nightstand. 

The armband is 2.5 inches broad—significantly wider than a Whoop band or a typical watch band—and Garmin says it’s made from a light-weight, breathable material. From the photographs, it appears to be like comfortable and cozy. The band seems to have a velcro kind closure. The band is machine cleanable, however it is advisable take away the system earlier than washing, which is a small pod that measures 1.6″ x 1.5″ x 0.3″. 

The band size is given as 12.8 inches for the small/medium band, and 17.8 inches for the big/XL band. You need to select a band dimension if you purchase the system; it doesn’t ship with each. You should buy additional bands, however they price $49.99 every. 

What does the Index do? 

The Index has an optical coronary heart charge sensor, the identical thought because the inexperienced gentle on the again of a smartwatch. This features a blood oxygen (SpO2) sensor, and from the looks of the sensor in photographs, the center charge sensor appears to be the newest Elevate model—the identical one Garmin put within the Forerunner 570 and 970, and the Venu 3. (I discovered this sensor to be much more correct than the earlier technology.) 

It additionally has accelerometers to detect movement whilst you sleep, and it will probably measure pores and skin temperature. The battery is listed as lasting seven nights with the SpO2 sensor on, assuming you sleep eight hours per evening. 

From this knowledge, you get the identical data a Garmin watch would provide you with about your sleep. This contains: 

• Sleep size, phases, and sleep rating (though I by no means belief sleep phases from a wearable) 

• Resting coronary heart charge

• Respiration charge

• “Physique battery” (a Garmin-calculated quantity that’s ideally close to 100 if you get up and drains all through the day, relying in your exercise and stress) 

• Ovulation estimates and cycle monitoring

• Respiratory variations all through the evening

The Index sends this data to your cellphone’s Garmin Join app, and from there it’s additionally seen in your appropriate Garmin watch. 

The Index additionally has a sensible wake alarm, a characteristic we first noticed on the Vivoactive 6. Sadly, the good wake alarm by no means labored for me, as I detailed in my overview. I’m seeing different customers say it didn’t work for them, both—right here’s one Redditor asking if it’s simply them, and a YouTuber who had the identical expertise. The good wake alarm asks you to set a 30-minute window throughout which the system will search for gentle sleep phases throughout which to wake you up. In all three of our experiences, the Vivoactive solely ever woke us up on the final attainable second of the window, suggesting it wasn’t that “good” in spite of everything.

This can be an armband, nevertheless it positive isn’t a Whoop killer

The Index is just about precisely what I anticipated from the rumors, however I’ve to say I’m upset in how restricted it’s. Because the Index has (actually, is) a coronary heart charge monitor, you’d assume it’s a no brainer to supply a band that may be worn throughout train. Polar and Coros have fashionable armband heartrate displays, which many customers discover extra correct than a watch and extra comfy than a chest strap. Garmin’s new Index prices almost as a lot as each of these mixed and nonetheless can’t measure your coronary heart charge throughout exercises. 

Additionally, this goes with out saying for these acquainted with Whoop, however the power of Whoop is in its app. You’ll be able to learn right here what it was like for me to totally purchase into the Whoop approach of doing issues, tagging my habits and utilizing the chatbot coach to resolve on exercises for the day. An armband just like the Index could bodily seem like a Whoop band, nevertheless it doesn’t present the expertise that Whoop really offers. That could be a professional or a con for you personally—not all people desires the Whoop expertise or the continued subscription, and I can respect that. 

Does the associated fee make sense?

A one-time value of $169.99 positive beats an ongoing subscription of $239/yr like Whoop provides, which might be how Garmin hopes you’ll consider this. However you possibly can’t put on the Index for exercises, so the associated fee is in addition to purchasing a Garmin watch. (Whoop customers typically put on a sports activities watch as properly, however the Whoop can nonetheless monitor exercises with out one.) 

And because the Index doesn’t present any metrics that your Garmin wasn’t already providing (besides the good wake alarm, which was beforehand solely on the brand new Vivoactive 6), you’re actually paying $169.99 to put on a tool in your arm quite than your wrist whilst you sleep. 

One Redditor feedback: “Now the query is: Can we retrofit this right into a smaller band and get metrics all day lengthy? Since nobody was asking for a sleep monitor band however quite an all day band to put on with a normie watch.” (It’s not clear how lengthy the battery would final with 24/7 put on.)

If Garmin is wise, they’ll launch a sport band for this factor and supply the power to start out and cease exercises out of your cellphone. Presently, the one approach to get exercise knowledge in your cellphone throughout the exercise is with a Join+ subscription, which prices $6.99/month. Curiously, a $169.99 system plus an annual subscription at $69.99 works out to nearly precisely the identical price as a $239/yr Whoop Peak subscription. Simply saying. 

I might positively see this as a future path, however I really feel prefer it doesn’t match with the vibe of naming this product the Index (the identical title Garmin makes use of for its good scale) and wouldn’t allow them to name the band subscription-free. Total, I’m underwhelmed by what the Index provides, however I’ve to marvel if there could be a future product or improve on the best way to make it extra Whoop-like.