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Digital Trends
4 days ago
- Health
- Digital Trends
Whoop 5.0 vs Oura Ring 4: which no-distraction wearable is best?
Over the past few weeks I've been wearing the Whoop 5.0 and the Oura Ring 4 to track my sleep and daily activity. Neither have screens, they don't deliver notifications from my phone, and there's no app support. The are both health trackers without the distractions that come with wearing one of the best smartwatches. If you're trying to choose which one to buy you'll likely want to know how similar they are, whether one will suit you better than the other, and which one does a better job keeping you informed and motivated? I found out. Recommended Videos Whoop 5.0 vs Oura Ring 4: specs and features Oura Ring 4 Whoop 5.0/Whoop MG Dimensions 7.9mm wide, 2.88mm thick smart ring 34 x 24 x 10mm fitness band Weight 3.3 grams to 5.5 grams 28 grams for Whoop MG with band Durability 100m water resistance, titanium ring IP68 Sensors Heart rate, blood oxygen, skin temperature, accelerometer Heart rate, blood oxygen, skin temperature, accelerometer, ECG (Whoop MG only), blood pressure monitoring (Whoop MG only) Battery life Five days 14 days Subscription Monthly Annually Price From $350 + $6 per month From $199 annually Whoop 5.0 vs Oura Ring 4: design The Whoop 5.0 is a fitness band you wear on your wrist, while the Oura Ring 4 is a smart ring for your finger. This obvious difference makes the Whoop 5.0 easier to buy, as there's no sizing required. It can sometimes be hard to get exactly the right fit with a smart ring, and those who've never worn a ring before may find it takes a while to get used to the feeling. However, once you're used to it, the Oura Ring 4 is unobtrusive and fuss-free. The Whoop 5.0 is light and the special material used for the bands is really soft and flexible, making it very comfortable for 24-hour wear. However, it's not attractive, and the design belongs in the gym, making it the less stylish choice between the two. It's far more noticeable on your wrist due to the size and thickness of the main module. There's no hiding the Whoop band, and most people will notice and usually question what it is. Each is water resistant (the Oura Ring to 100 meters, and the Whoop has an IP68 dust and water resistance rating), but the Whoop is definitely going to stay looking its best for longer. The Oura Ring's placement on your finger means it comes into contact with more surfaces, and it really does get scratched easily despite being made of titanium. The Whoop 5.0's band is easily washed or changed, and the module itself is always suitably protected underneath it. I personally prefer a smart ring over a wrist-worn tracker. It's completely incognito yet still looks great, and it's comfortable enough I forget I'm wearing it. The Whoop 5.0's band is annoying if it gets wet, and I don't really like the way it looks on my wrist. However, this is my own preference, and you may feel differently. The good news is, both are well made and should prove durable long-term. Whoop 5.0 vs Oura Ring 4: app and connectivity I've used the Oura Ring 4 and Whoop 5.0 connected to an Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max, but the app is available for Android too. Both apps have been completely reliable and take seconds to connect when syncing. The design of each gives some quick insight into who both wearables are aimed at. The Oura Ring 4's app is softer, friendlier, and less number-focused, while the Whoop's app is filled with information and more reliant on graphs and data. I love the Oura Ring 4's app. It's so well designed, surfacing key metrics so they're available at a glance, and uses colors to great effect when highlighting outliers in your data. The circles at the top of the screen can be tapped to show more information, but you don't really need to explore if you just want the basics, as your Readiness, Sleep, and Activity scores are easy to interpret. The Whoop app is very different. It's more information dense, and fills the main page with buttons and options, making it feel overwhelming at first. The problem is, when you dig into many of the options you notice a lot of repeated data. Both apps have an AI assistant, but Whoop's does provide a more useful summary, plus it brings it to the forefront more than the Oura app. There's also a lot more learning to do in the Whoop app, as interpreting its many graphs takes time. The Oura Ring 4's app suits the product really well, as it promotes a healthier lifestyle rather than pushing you to get out and exercise. You can hide the daily calorie count, if this is something you'd rather avoid, and quickly see how your stats have changed over time, all in a very friendly way. The Whoop app is less about lifestyle, and more about a deeper understanding of your performance. Its long-term data is dense but informative, and more likely to promote change than the Oura's app. Neither are medical devices so advice is quite general, but you'll get more from the Whoop if you're specifically looking for motivation. Whoop 5.0 vs Oura Ring 4: health tracking Lets start with sleep tracking. The Oura Ring gives you a Sleep Score, while the Whoop app assigns a percentage to your sleep. Both are equally informative and easy to understand. It's much harder to find sleep details in the Whoop app than it is in the Oura app, which clearly provides your heart rate variability, resting heart rate, and blood oxygen levels. The Whoop app avoids these, concentrating on your consistency, efficiency, and sleep stress. The Oura Ring is far better at automatically recognizing workouts. It fully tracked a 40-minute walk, while the Whoop only captured 23 minutes of the same activity. It's likely to do with heart rate tracking, but both always return basically the same heart rate readings. Both show accurate maps when you track with GPS too. The major difference between the two is the massive amount of live activities able to be tracked by the Whoop. Oura has improved this area recently, but it's still not as comprehensive as the Whoop app. There's a Strength Trainer feature in the Whoop app some may enjoy, which opens up a variety of strength workouts. These are partially guided, but it's a complicated process to see examples of each exercise while you're trying to do them. The Oura app has guided breath work and relaxation techniques. After living with the two wearables, it's clear the Whoop is the better choice if you're really into fitness. From the sheer depth of data available and the way it's presented in graphs, to the option to choose a workout that will boost your Strain or Recovery, it has everything you need to hold yourself accountable and take on quality activities that suit your needs. Tracking exercise on the Oura Ring is acceptable, but it shouldn't be your main motivation in buying the smart ring. I haven't noticed any dramatic accuracy differences between the two, and felt each gave me a solid overview of my health and activity. Whoop 5.0 vs Oura Ring 4: special features The Whoop 5.0 is packed with special features, while the Oura Ring relies on some key partnerships to provide extra value to wearers. I really like the Whoop's Healthspan and Pace of Aging feature, which is packed full of actionable data which (hopefully) should make a difference to your overall health over time. Oura is softer in its approach, showing a metric it calls Resilience along with your Cardiovascular Age as guidance on your physical well-being. The difference is, Oura's data is less informative, and it's harder to know where you should make changes. It's very obvious in Whoop's Healthspan feature, where you can identify whether you need to strength train more or sleep better for example. It's representative of the difference between Oura and Whoop in general, and understanding this will help you make an informed buying decision. Provided you pay for one of Whoop's higher tier subscriptions you'll get the Whoop MG and access to an electrocardiogram (ECG) feature, irregular heart rate alerts, and blood pressure monitoring. The Oura Ring does not have these features (mostly due to restrictions in the hardware), but it does include integrations with a wide variety of apps, including Natural Cycles, Clue, Headspace, Zero, and Strava. I also like Oura's Symptom Radar, which uses key data points to warn you if your body is working harder than usual, which may indicate an underlying condition such as sickness or stress. It's surprisingly effective. There's also a Rest Mode, where tracking continues but the Ring doesn't set and measure targets. Whoop 5.0 vs Oura Ring 4: subscription cost comparison Whoop's overhauled subscription plans can make the Whoop appear quite good value, but when you closely examine what you get for your money, the base price plan is very limited. The Oura Ring has one subscription plan and you get everything, plus if you stop paying you can still see your basic Readiness, Sleep, and Activity scores. If you stop paying for Whoop, you won't see any data at all. We covered the features available in the different Whoop subscription plans in our review, but if you want the Healthplan and Pace of Aging you have to select Whoop Peak, and if you want the ECG and blood pressure, you have to select Whoop Life. The basic Whoop One plan is just basic health, sleep, and activity tracking. There's less to think about with the Oura Ring, as there's just one price. Oura Ring 4 Whoop 5.0 One Whoop Peak Whoop MG Life Hardware cost From $349 N/A N/A N/A One year subscription (total) $72 $199 $239 $359 Two year subscription (total) $144 $299 $399 $599 Whoop 5.0 vs Oura Ring 4: which one should you buy? Unlike choosing between some of the best smartphones, it's a surprisingly easy to choose between the Whoop 5.0 and the Oura Ring 4. If you're really into sport and fitness, the Whoop 5.0 will be the better choice, while if you're less focused on tracking hardcore activities and value good, clear design and stylish hardware, the Oura Ring 4 will be for you. Both meet battery life estimates provided by the manufacturer, with the Oura Ring 4 lasting around five days on a single charge, and the Whoop 5.0's battery lasting for 14 days. It's great to see how little difference there was between the two when examining the data, meaning you don't have to choose one because it appears more accurate than the other. However, if you want all the data, the Whoop's app is where you need to go, especially due to the multiple graphs and ways it presents everything for you. If you want to glance at the app and get just the information you need, the Oura Ring's app is superior to the Whoop app. I've enjoyed wearing the Whoop 5.0 more than I expected, mostly because the app has been reworked enough to appeal to more people, and the depth of data is interesting and useful. The Oura Ring 4's more lifestyle-orientated app suits me better though, and I far prefer wearing a smart ring than a fitness band. In a way, as we come to the end, this is best outcome for any comparison. Both products are great, and provided you know what you want from your new wearable and understand the differences, one is almost certainly going to speak to you more than the other. You're going to be pleased whichever you choose.
Digital Trends
5 days ago
- Health
- Digital Trends
4 Whoop 5.0 features the Apple Watch Series 11 needs to steal
I've spent a few weeks with the Whoop 5.0, which is a return to the days when simple fitness bands ruled wearables, and distraction-free health tracking was the standard. Since then, smartwatches and smart rings have taken over, but is the change for the better? While the Whoop 5.0 has its quirks, and I personally get more value from the Apple Watch Series 10, I have identified several things Apple would be wise to imitate for the Apple Watch Series 11 and in WatchOS 12. The Strain metric The Whoop 5.0's app uses three key metrics to help you understand your current state and position for the day: Sleep, Recovery, and Strain. Strain is the most interesting of the three, as it's a different, but arguably more interesting way of assessing how hard you've worked. It takes in the data we're more familiar with, such as steps and heart rate, and presents it in an easy to understand, but unique way. Recommended Videos You're given a target Strain level and the Whoop keeps track of your activity during the day, and gives advice on how to reach it. It avoids the simplicity of step count or calorie burn, which some prefer not to know, as a way to understand how much you can push yourself. The Whoop app's advice doesn't just say 'take a walk,' or 'workout,' in its efforts to motivate you either. It goes deeper by saying you'd need a 40 minute walk to reach your goal, and often suggests alternative activities like cleaning the house. Apple Health is far more passive, and I rarely have any reason to open the app. Whoop's Strain metric encourages me to look at my stats more deeply, and then prompts me to get moving in ways which better suit my lifestyle. Yes, it's another number in a sea of other numbers, but the way Strain evolves during the day, affected by more than just steps, makes it even more motivational than Apple's already excellent and easy to visualize Rings. Whoop band material Apple's range of bands for the Apple Watch covers almost all tastes and environments, but it would do well to take a close look at the straps attached to the Whoop 5.0, as they're excellent. Whoop has three different types of strap — CoreKnit, SuperKnit, and SuperKnit Luxe — for the Whoop 5.0 and Whoop MG. I've been wearing the SuperKnit Luxe, and it's soft, suitably stretchy, yet still grippy due to the way it's constructed. The do-it-all Apple Sport Loop band works in most situations, but for all its comfort, Whoop's SuperKnit material is a step above. The closest parallel in Apple's official range of bands of the Solo Loop, but it's still heavier and less flexible. For 24-hour wear, I'd love to see an Apple Watch band in a material similar to Whoop's SuperKnit. It's really that comfortable. Healthspan and Pace of Aging In addition to Strain, there's another data-driven Whoop feature I'd love to see in a future version of Apple Health and on the Apple Watch. It's called Healthspan, and it only unlocks after you've tracked sleep for 21 nights. It's also only available on the Whoop Peak and Life subscription plans, so you have to pay more to get it. However, it's one of the few pay features most will find informative and motivational. By using sleep, VO2 Max, type of workouts, Strain, and other factors it estimates your Whoop Age. If this is lower than your actual age, you're doing the right things, but if it's over then perhaps things need to change. It also calculates your Pace of Aging, helping understand your lifestyle's affect on your body. It's all accompanied by clear, informative graphs which show exactly where improvements can be made. Healthspan is probably the most unique and informative data-driven health feature available in the Whoop app, and by incorporating something similar into Apple Health, the Apple Watch could elevate itself beyond its primarily casual focus, yet still remain relevant to those who aren't into hardcore sport. I'm all for wearables explaining how my daily life impacts my long-term health, and Healthspan gets the balance between showing heavy stats and staying useful exactly right. Longer battery life I've worn the Whoop 5.0 for 21 days as I write this, and I've charged the battery once during this time. Whoop's own estimate of the battery returning 14 days on a single charge seems to be accurate, and very different from the two days battery life I get from the Apple Watch Series 10. Not having to think about regularly charging a battery is freeing, and a genuine benefit of a screen-less fitness tracker like the Whoop. Getting 14 days battery life from a complex smartwatch like the Apple Watch, with all the health tracking features active, is unlikely, but we are seeing advances in models like the OnePlus Watch 3. Its battery easily lasts four days on a single charge. I don't expect Apple to suddenly work out how to extend the battery life to match the Whoop, but getting closer to the OnePlus Watch 3 should be a priority for the Apple Watch Series 11. What's next for the Apple Watch? The Apple Watch Series 10 is my favorite smartwatch, but even I can see how it has only marginally advanced over the past couple of years. I've no doubt the Apple Watch Series 11 will continue to be one of the best smartwatches you can buy, but to take it to the next level and remain truly compelling, it needs something extra. I don't want direct copies of any Whoop features, and the Whoop itself is far from perfect, but spending some time with it did show me the joy of wearing a highly focused, distraction-free health tracker with some interesting ideas inside. The Apple Watch Series 11 is expected to launch later this year, likely alongside the Apple iPhone 17 series, while WatchOS 12 will be first revealed at WWDC 2025 in June. We've also explored some of the features the iPhone 17 will need to be compelling too.
Digital Trends
6 days ago
- Business
- Digital Trends
Whoop 5.0 Review: Distraction-free health tracking
Whoop 5.0 MSRP $199.00 Score Details 'The Whoop 5.0 is a lightweight fitness tracker with long battery life and a comprehensive, data packed app. However, the subscription-based purchase may make it an expensive option.' Pros Light and durable Data-packed app Long battery life Huge array of activities to track No distractions Cons Paywalled features Ongoing subscription to access data 'Why you can trust Digital Trends – We have a 20-year history of testing, reviewing, and rating products, services and apps to help you make a sound buying decision. Find out more about how we test and score products.' A dedicated, screen-less fitness band seems like a hard sell in the times of flashy smart rings and feature-packed smartwatches, but Whoop is back with the Whoop 5.0 anyway. Aimed at more performance orientated individuals, it minimizes distractions and concentrates on assisting you in improving your health through coaching, data, and helping to build strong habits. I've worn it for 21 days to find out if a fitness band is worth wearing in 2025. Recommended Videos Whoop 5.0: design The Whoop 5.0 is designed similarly to the Whoop 4.0, but this time there are two versions, the Whoop 5.0 and the Whoop MG. The central module contains all the technology and sensors, and it's attached to a fabric band which is available in different colors and materials. If you choose the Whoop MG, it unlocks the electrocardiogram, irregular heart rate alert, and blood pressure readings. Health monitoring is the Whoop's focus. There's no screen, it doesn't tell the time, and it doesn't alert you about notifications from your phone. You wear it only to track health stats, sleep, and activity. I've been wearing the Whoop MG and it's just 28 grams, which allows me to comfortably wear it 24 hours a day without a problem. It's never sweaty, feels durable, and has an IP68 dust and water resistance rating. If you're looking for tracker you don't have to worry, or even think about at all, the Whoop 5.0 is a great choice. However, it's not very subtle or pretty. The module is quite thick and attached to a wide band, and the Whoop MG has a polished clip holding it all together, so it's quite noticeable. It's not particularly stylish wrist band, so if you're looking to track health and activity using something which also looks great, the Whoop probably won't be at the top of your list. It's where I'm conflicted about the Whoop. It's comfortable because it's light and it doesn't interrupt my day at all, but I don't feel anything for it. I've worn it on my right wrist opposite a normal watch, which is a welcome benefit, but I look at it and wish it was slimmer, smaller, and far more incognito. There's a reason smart rings and smartwatches have taken over from traditional fitness bands, as they can make some kind of lifestyle or fashion statement, and wearing the Whoop MG reminded me why I generally prefer them. Whoop 5.0: app No-one will buy the Whoop for the hardware. It's the means to an end, with the end being all the data it collects shown in the Whoop app. It's quite different to Apple Health or Samsung Health, and at least for the beginning until you're used to it, it's less user friendly than both. The top of the main page shows the expected sleep metric as a percentage, and it's joined by Recovery and Strain, and understanding these is key to getting something from the Whoop band. Recovery is a bit like a daily Readiness score, while the Strain metric is more like a daily activity score. Tap each one to see deeper insights and more expected data points like heart rate variability (HRV), resting heart rate, and steps. Each section has a host of graphs showing how your current scores relate to the last week. It's by using the Recovery and Strain data points you'll understand how you're set for the day. Go beyond these stats and the Whoop app will overwhelm you with information, much of it repeated in different places throughout the app. The Health Monitor tool also shows HRV, resting heart rate, and other key stats. Scroll down the main screen and My Dashboard shows many of the same data points too. Keep navigating through the screens and there are a lot more graphs related to strain, stress, sleep, and activity. Whoop 5.0: advice and training What can you do with all this data? Check the Daily Outlook page and you get an AI-style summary from an assistant, with some basic recommendations on how to reach your Strain target. You can ask the assistant questions. For example, ask it how to lower stress and it recommends breath work, mindfulness, outdoor activities, and hydration. It's all very general, as you'd expect from a non-medical device. The app encourages you to fill in a daily journal, but I've yet to really see how it impacts the advice or app, plus you can set up individual plans to help boost fitness, feel better, or sleep better. There's little direct motivation to push though, something not helped by the lack of a screen. Elsewhere there's a Strength Trainer mode which unlocks a range of workouts. These are guided through the app, but it's not very well automated so you spend a lot of time tapping the screen to go through the plan, which is distracting. It's far from the excellent workouts in Apple Fitness Plus. You can also track a huge array of live activities, and I really like how they can be filtered by what you hope to achieve, whether that's boosting Strain or promoting recovery and sleep. Tracking happens instantly, the workout screen and map looks great and holds lots of information, and while it's a bit awkward to end a workout (the button is needlessly hidden), the Whoop does that fitness band basic — tracking activity — really well. Get more deeply into the activities and there's helpful additional information such as V02 Max and strength related metrics. The Whoop app doesn't hold back on data, but it doesn't present it in a particularly friendly way, which is where it loses points compared to the Oura Ring 4, the Apple Watch Series 10, and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7. It's also less highly motivated in its efforts to get you moving than I remember the Whoop 4.0 being, and the emphasis on high performance activity tracking appears to have been minimized. It indicates Whoop has shifted away slightly from its hardcore user base, yet hasn't fully adapted its app or data presentation to cater directly to casual users. Whoop 5.0: extra features and subscription plans The Whoop MG has more functionality than the Whoop 5.0, but to unlock the extras you have to pay a higher subscription. You don't technically buy the Whoop hardware, you pay an annual subscription, and your choice of plan dictates which features you get. The cheapest plan doesn't include the Stress Monitor, Health Monitor, Healthspan readout, ECG, irregular heart rate, or blood pressure reading. To get all these features you need the Whoop MG and the top annual plan, and there's an in-between option without the ECG, irregular heart rate, or blood pressure reading. What you really need to understand is to use the Whoop you'll have to pay for it every year. This isn't a one-and-done fitness tracker, it's an ongoing commitment. If you stop, there's no free option to get the very basics. Even the Oura Ring offers that. If you want all the features and data it's an expensive piece of equipment, which isn't bad provided it justifies the cost when you use it. See the table below for long-term costs, and note you can make a saving by signing up for 24 months when you buy the Whoop. Device One year cost of ownership Two years cost of ownership Three years cost of ownership Whoop 5.0 One $199 $398 (24 months $299) $597 Whoop 5.0 Peak $239 $478 (24 months $399) $717 Whoop MG Life $359 $718 (24 months $599) $1077 Oura Ring 4 From $349, plus $66 subscription $138 ($487 total after 2 years) $210 ($559 total after 3 years) RingConn Gen 2 Air $240 N/A N/A Apple Watch Series 10 From $399 N/A N/A Although it presents its data using different words to other activity trackers, the data when you drill down is basically the same as any other. I haven't found the Whoop actively pushes me forward, or provides a different level of insight into my health and wellbeing compared to other health wearables I use. I can also get the extra features, such as an ECG and blood pressure readings, from other non-subscription wearables. Even if you don't personally need this data now, it's nice to have it there, for free, should you eventually do so. There's a lot to think about with the Whoop, far more so than any buying decision required for a wearable which doesn't have an annual subscription attached. Because the device's focus has seemingly shifted away from athletes and fitness fanatics, it's less clear who should have it on their buying list in the first place. It certainly doesn't do anything badly, but it doesn't do anything dramatically better than other wearables. Whoop 5.0: battery and charging The upside to not having a screen and plenty of room in the module for a sensibly sized battery is long battery life. Whoop estimates about 14 days from a single charge, and this fits in with my use. I'm on day 21 and there's 40% battery remain from when I charged it after 15 days. It's impressive, especially as many wearables work harder during the getting to know you period. Charging takes at least 90 minutes, but the way you charge it also depends on which subscription plan you choose. The basic plan has a wired charger, but the other more expensive plans provide a wireless power pack, which can be used to charge the band without taking it off your wrist. It's a good idea, especially if you're absolutely obsessed with 24-hour a day tracking with no breaks, but if you're fine with missing out on a few hours worth of data, the regular charger will work just as well. Long battery life is one of the Whoop 5.0's biggest advantages, and being able to put it on your wrist and forget about it for two weeks sets it apart from most smartwatches. It's also at least twice the length of time you get from the Oura Ring 4, and about five days more than the RingConn Gen 2 Air. If regularly charging any wearable is something that puts you off, the Whoop should suit you. Whoop 5.0: price and availability Whoop has simplified its subscription model compared to the Whoop 4.0. There are three tiers starting out with the One plan for $199 per year, the Peak plan for $239 per year, and the Life plan for $359 per year. To see what each one provides, take a look at the table below. A O represents an included feature, while an X represents a feature missing from that plan. Feature Whoop One Whoop Peak Whoop Life Sleep, Strain, Recovery O O O Personalized Coaching O O O Vo2 Max/Heart Rate Zones O O O Cycle Tracking O O O Healthspan and Pace of Aging X O O Health Monitor/Health Alerts X O O Real-time Stress Monitor X O O Blood Pressure X X O ECG and Heart Scanner X X O Advanced Health Sensing X X O Strap CoreKnit SuperKnit SuperKnit Luxe Charger Wired charger Wireless Charger Pack Wireless Charger Pack While Whoop tells you clearly what it will cost you each year, it's better to think about how much it will cost you to own for a couple of years, as realistically most will keep a wearable they buy for longer than 12 months. This is where the Whoop gets expensive compared to the competition. An Apple Watch Series 10 costs $400 with no ongoing subscription, and the RingConn Gen 2 Air costs $240 without any subscription. The Apple Watch's feature set compares with the Whoop Life plan, while the RingConn Gen 2 Air easily takes on the basic Whoop One plan. The Oura Ring 4 is somewhere in-between the two. During my use the Whoop MG has not done anything over and above what I get from those devices. The blood pressure monitoring and ECG are not included in my test account, but the blood pressure feature is similar to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7, in that it's essential to have a standard blood pressure monitoring cuff to get started. I've used the Withings BPM Connect for a while, and it costs $130 without any subscription. Should you buy the Whoop 5.0? The Whoop 5.0 is a lightweight activity tracker with long battery life and an app packed with data. Dig deep and its hardcore fitness tracking roots are still there, but they're not as heavily emphasized. While this may make the Whoop appeal to casual fitness fans, it doesn't offer anything substantial above and beyond what the casual user would get from any other wearable. Those seriously into fitness will appreciate the wide variety of activities available to track, and the sheer wealth of data. After my time with the Whoop 5.0, it has left me a bit confused. There's nothing wrong with it or its app, and if it cost around $240 all-in it would be a solid recommendation if you're really into fitness. The subscription model makes it less appealing, especially to someone only a bit interested in monitoring their health, as far better options exist. Why you'd wear a large, rather obvious fitness band like the Whoop over a smart ring, I'm also not sure. There's definitely still space in the crowded world of wearables for a screen-less, or minimal fitness band like the Whoop, but less so when it has an expensive, ongoing subscription plan tied to it, especially when it doesn't provide all that much reason for you to pay for it compared to the many other options available. The Whoop 5.0 is a decent health and activity tracker, but think very carefully about how much it's going to cost you to own long-term before signing up.
TechCrunch
11-05-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
Fitness tracker Whoop faces unhappy customers over upgrade policy
Whoop has backed down, somewhat, from the controversial upgrade plans around its Whoop 5.0 fitness tracker. When the company first announced Whoop 5.0 this week, it said members who wanted the new device could either extend their subscriptions by 12 months or pay a one-time upgrade fee of $49 ($79 for the model with EKG sensors). This seemed inconsistent with Whoop's overall value proposition, where it charges higher subscription prices (ranging $199 to $359 a year) while allowing customers to upgrade their hardware for free. More specifically, it seemed to contradict a statement on the company's website promising users free hardware upgrades if they've been members for at least six months. After customers began complaining, the company responded with a Reddit post both announcing a more expansive upgrade policy and claiming to clarify its overall approach. Now, anyone with more than 12 months remaining on their subscriptions is eligible for a free upgrade to Whoop 5.0 (or a refund if they've already paid the fee). And customers with less than 12 months can extend their subscriptions to get the upgrade at no additional cost. While the company said it's making these changes because it 'heard your feedback,' it also suggested that its apparent stinginess was tied to its transition from a model focused on monthly or six-month subscription plans to one where it only offers 12- and 24-month subscriptions. 'We also want to acknowledge that a previous blog article incorrectly stated that anyone who had been a member for just 6 months would receive a free upgrade,' the company said. 'This was never our policy and should never have been posted.' Techcrunch event Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | BOOK NOW There's been a mixed response to these changes on the Whoop subreddit, with one moderator describing it as a 'win for the community.' Other posters were more skeptical, with one writing, 'You don't publish a policy by accident and keep it up for years. Removing it after backlash doesn't erase the fact [that] it is real.' There were also a number of complaints from users who said they had 11 months left on their subscriptions — so they just missed the free upgrade cutoff.
The Verge
10-05-2025
- The Verge
Whoop backpedals on its paid upgrade whoops
Whoop is in damage control mode. After debuting its Whoop 5.0 fitness tracker, users were angered to find it had reneged on a promise of free hardware upgrades. In a new Reddit post, the company now says users who have been members for over 12 months can get the Whoop 5.0 for free. Part of the outrage was prompted by Whoop's confusing messaging. Early yesterday morning, my colleague Victoria Song reported that to get a Whoop 5.0 band, users would need to extend their existing membership by an additional 12 months or pay a one-time upgrade fee. However, until at least March 28th of this year, Whoop's website had a blog post that said users would only need to have been a member for at least six months to get a free upgrade to next-gen hardware. After the backlash, Whoop is now changing its tune — somewhat. Those with 'more than 12 months remaining' are 'eligible for a free upgrade to WHOOP 5.0 on Peak,' one of its new subscription offerings. Those with less than 12 months left, still have to either extend their membership another 12 months or pay a one-time upgrade fee, the company says. The same information is reflected in an update on its membership pricing page. The company addresses the earlier blog post, writing that 'a previous blog article incorrectly stated that anyone who had been a member for just 6 months would receive a free upgrade. This was never our policy and should never have been posted.' Whoop goes on: As noted above, our policy for upgrades from WHOOP 3.0 to WHOOP 4.0 was that members with 6 months or more remaining on their membership were eligible for a free upgrade to WHOOP 4.0. We removed that blog article when it came to our attention and updated WHOOP Coach with the proper information. We're sorry for any confusion this may have caused. That seems to line up with a Forbes interview that a Reddit user found, in which Whoop CEO Will Ahmed told the outlet that members with a Whoop 3.0 band could upgrade to the 4.0 model, so long as they had 'at least 6 months of membership left on their account.' The company used similar language in a 2021 blog post about the Whoop 4.0 band. Still, Redditors aren't responding well to the company's response, with some complaining about the need to extend their subscription even if they have 11 months left, or threatening to cancel their subscription. Even some who are more accepting of the change have criticisms. One person writes that while they're 'pleased with the change,' they don't buy that the blog post was made in error. 'They should just own that they changed their mind/policy rather than claim it was a false posting to begin with.'
