Latest news with #fitnessTracker
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.
The Verge
24-05-2025
- Health
- The Verge
Whoop is reportedly replacing defective MG trackers
Users of Whoop's fitness trackers have been reporting that their Whoop MG fitness trackers are turning unresponsive, in some cases within under an hour of setting them up. Now, the company is apparently replacing the trackers, in some cases before the users even ask, TechIssuesToday reports. Launched alongside the Whoop 5.0 earlier this month, the Whoop MG (which stands for 'Medical Grade') comes with EKG capabilities and blood pressure insights and requires a premium Whoop Life subscription that's $359 per year. Users started reporting issues with the tracker almost immediately. On May 11th, a user reported in the Whoop community forum that their MG 'stopped working overnight after working for 8 hours. No green light, no bluelight nothing. It won't now pair with the app.' Others replied to say the tracker failed even sooner for them, with one person reporting that it went inert after just half an hour of use. Some also report that their 5.0 has failed. The company appears to be trying to rectify the situation by sending out replacement units, sometimes without users even asking for one, as the Reddit user who posted the screenshot above wrote further down in the thread. The same goes for a user who posted two days ago to say they got the same notification despite having not noticed any problems with their MG. Some in that thread even write that the company replaced their MGs without ever telling them it would be doing so. It's already been a troubled launch for Whoop. Earlier this month, some users were outraged when Whoop said they would need to add another 12 months onto their memberships to avoid the upgrade fee for the Whoop 5.0. Previously, users only needed to have 6 months left on their subscription to get a Whoop 4.0. The company soon walked its new terms back, posting on Reddit that those who had at least 12 months left would be eligible for an upgrade.
CNET
12-05-2025
- CNET
Upgrade Your Smartwatch With $50 Off the Garmin Lily 2
If you've been searching for a smartwatch that doesn't look as bulky as a traditional smartwatch, you should check out the Gamin Lily 2. The Garmin can do everything a standard smartwatch can, and it won't ruin your outfit. Did we mention that the watch is currently $50 off at Amazon That brings the cost to just $200. Not only that, but it's also on sale with $50 off at Best Buy and on the Garmin website as well. The Lily was specifically designed for women and is slimmer, sleeker and less bulky than a traditional smartwatch. It's also one of our top fitness tracker picks for smaller wrists. The Lily 2 has similar features compared to its predecessor, with some minor differences: There's more detailed sleep tracking with a score and more fitness mode options. Despite its more delicate appearance, the Lily still functions like other smartwatches and keeps track of your sleep duration and quality, hydration and workout modes like dance fitness mode (if you like taking Zumba or other dance classes). It also connects to 18 sports apps, as well as stress-tracking, blood oxygen levels and even monitoring menstrual cycles. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. Similar to other smartwatches, you'll be able to answer calls, emails, texts and other messages on your watch when you're out and about. All in all, this is one of the best Garmin deals on right now.
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.'
