Whoop is a minimalist fitness trackerâno screen, just a sleek band worn 24/7âthat focuses on three key metrics:
- Strain: a measurement of your physical exertion over time.
- Sleep: in-depth analysis of sleep qualityâlight, deep and REM stages.
- Recovery: combines heart-rate, HRV, respiratory rate to recommend how hard to train today.
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Evolution: From Whoop 4.0 to 5.0 & MG
đŻ WhoopâŻ4.0 (2021)
- Introduced Any-Wear⢠body placement tech and more accurate multi-LED heart-rate sensors
- Half-screen volume form factor, 4â5 day battery with on-charge battery pack
- Added Stress Monitor and Whoop Coach AI recommendations through app integration
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Tomâs Guide praised its monitoring:
âhelped me make beneficial changes to my troubled sleep routineâ
Tom’s Guide
đ WhoopâŻ5.0 (2025)
- 14+ day battery on single charge and wireless charging capability
- Expanded metrics: step count (new!), Healthspan (âWhoop Ageâ, Pace of Aging), ECG support, and blood pressure alerts
- Maintains screenless design with advanced haptics and faster Bluetooth
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Self magazine adds that it âexcels in recovery monitoring and weightsâbased workouts,â though lacks live pace/distance tracking
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𩺠WhoopâŻMG (Medical Grade)
- Medical-grade on-demand ECG plus cuffâcalibrated blood-pressure insights (beta)
- 14-day battery with up to 30 days via power pack; lighter and smaller than 4.0
- Full feature set: hormonal insights, Healthspan, stress, strain, sleep
- Requires WhoopâŻLife membership (~$359/year)
- Outside Reviewers note reliable workout detection but critique its sleep âguiltâ prompts
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Strengths đ
- Deep recovery coaching: Daily strain vs recovery guidance for readiness
- Advanced biometric insights: HRV, respiratory rate, sleep phases, stress, hormonal cycles
- Long battery life & nonâintrusive: ideal for continuous wear
- Medical-grade health features (MG model): ECG, BP estimates, AFib screening
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Limitations â ď¸
- Subscription model required: Without it, tracking stops
- Heart rate accuracy varies: best on bicep; occasional under/over est. during intense activity
TechRadar+5Wikipedia+5Marie Claire UK+5Wikipedia+5Wareable+5Tom’s Guide+5 - No real-time display: lacks pace/distance metrics for solo runners
- Data overload: Some users find recovery and sleep feedback overwhelming
The Independent+4Marie Claire UK+4SELF+4 - Costly high-tier features: MG level nearly $360/yearâworth it only if you need medical insights
Who Should Consider Whoop?
| User Type | Recommended Model | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Casual wellness fan | WhoopâŻOne | Focused on basic strain/sleep insights |
| Fitness enthusiast | WhoopâŻPeak (5.0) | Long battery and deeper strain/recovery analytics |
| Serious athlete/health monitor | WhoopâŻLife (MG) | Medical-grade tools: ECG, BP, healthspan |
Final Take
Whoop continues to be a standout in comprehensive performance wearables. If you’re into recovery-driven fitness, deep health metrics, and are fine without on-device metrics, itâs a powerful toolâespecially at the Peak tier (WhoopâŻ5.0). But casual users might find it more complex and costly than necessary.
