I tested this Garmin sleep tracker for weeks – here’s why it replaces my smart ring for good

Garmin Index Sleep Monitor

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The Garmin Index Sleep Monitor is on the market for $170 in S/M and L/XL sizes.
• The band could be very comfy and light-weight, the monitor tracks as much as seven nights of sleep, and the sleep/restoration metrics are nicely built-in into the Garmin Join ecosystem.
• It is nonetheless pretty costly for a single-purpose wearable, despite the fact that FSA/HSA protection is supported.

extra shopping for decisions

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As an everyday reader of my work, you doubtless know I am a fan of Garmin watches, particularly for the built-in LED flashlight I exploit each day.

I have been hoping for a wise ring that would sync with Garmin Join, permitting me to assemble key metrics for restoration and coaching standing with out carrying a cumbersome watch to mattress. Whereas a wise ring is not but an choice, Garmin has launched a single-purpose wearable to fill the void: the Index Sleep Monitor.

Additionally: The best Garmin watches you can buy: Expert tested

The Index Sleep Monitor is designed to trace every week of sleep and combine that information into your Garmin Join ecosystem and smartwatch. Whereas you should utilize the monitor and not using a Garmin watch, you may be restricted to viewing sleep particulars within the smartphone app.

The system consists of an ultra-comfortable band that measures 2.5 inches large. Two various lengths can be found, relying in your higher arm circumference. The L/XL measurement suits my arm one of the best, however there’s additionally an S/M measurement out there. 

Additionally: The best smart rings of 2025: I tested and found an obvious winner

The band weighs solely 16 to twenty grams, relying on the dimensions, and I can not stress sufficient how extraordinarily comfy it’s to put on each night time. That side of the product could also be its most necessary, contemplating it could exchange one thing simply as delicate as a wise ring.

The Index Sleep Monitor module can also be gentle at 14.5 grams (0.5 ounce) and fees up with a regular Garmin charging cable. Garmin advertises as much as seven nights of sleep monitoring with eight hours of sleep. I typically sleep about 7.5 hours per night time, and the marketed battery life has been correct.

I preserve the Index Sleep Monitor on my nightstand and slide it on after I go to mattress. I take a look at lots of wearables, however my desire is to not put on a watch after I sleep since I roll, and watches typically get hung up beneath me, inflicting me to lose sleep information. 

The Venu X1 has been nice to put on to sleep with its ultra-thin type issue, however my sleep has been even higher when I’m solely carrying the Garmin Index Sleep Monitor.

Past its sleep monitoring capabilities, the Index Sleep Monitor options an alarm with a “Good Alarm” perform — a functionality additionally discovered on the Venu X1 and Vivoactive 6. This function can wake you gently throughout a light-weight sleep part as much as half-hour earlier than your scheduled time.

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The alarm itself is a vibration with three adjustable depth ranges. A double faucet on the monitor will snooze the alarm for 10 minutes, whereas 4 faucets will cease it solely.

The Index Sleep Monitor captures a complete set of metrics, together with whole sleep, phases, motion, respiratory disturbances, resting coronary heart fee, coronary heart fee variability, blood oxygen, and pores and skin temperature. This information is essential, because it feeds immediately into Garmin’s Physique Battery, restoration, and ladies’s well being calculations.

Additionally: Why I swear by this Garmin smartwatch over competing models (including the Apple Watch Ultra)

Whereas the monitor presents a option to acquire these insights with out carrying a watch to mattress, its $150 value level is troublesome to justify on condition that many Garmin watches present related performance. A value nearer to $99 would make its worth proposition extra compelling.

At its present value, the Index Sleep Monitor may function greater than only a sleep tracker. Its glossy design and band are well-suited to perform as a coronary heart fee monitor for actions the place a watch is not allowed or optimum, akin to basketball or soccer, capturing very important efficiency information.

Additionally: I’ve tested the Apple Watch, Oura Ring, and other sleep trackers – 5 tips to get the best results

After a number of weeks of use, the monitor has constantly offered extra correct sleep information than a watch, which typically confirmed gaps. This newfound accuracy, together with the consolation of not carrying a watch to mattress, permits me to totally decide to the Garmin ecosystem, not needing to complement with a wise ring for key metrics.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

Carrying a watch to trace sleep can result in irritating information gaps, undesirable battery drain, and discomfort. The Garmin Index Sleep Monitor presents a extra comfy and correct system for capturing key well being metrics. The gadget feeds this information into the Garmin ecosystem, offering a holistic, full-body standing report that has enormously improved my outlook. 

I simply want the gadget have been extra accessibly priced, as its $170 sticker tag could make it troublesome to justify for some shoppers, particularly for being a single-purpose gadget.