Over the years, I’ve tested wearables of all shapes and sizes, from the humble Pebble to high-end watches like the Apple Watch Ultra and even smart rings like the Ultrahuman Ring Air, but only one remained on my wrist long-term.
That would be the Whoop 4, a wearable that doesn’t have a display, provides no notifications, and doesn’t even vibrate when I get a message on my phone. I know, it doesn’t sound exciting, but trust me here.
I got my hands on the tracker back in May 2024 and, unlike some of the best smartwatches and fitness trackers I’ve tested, it has stayed on my person for an entire year.
Why? Simply put, it provides the most holistic (and, anecdotally speaking, most accurate) overview of my physical and mental health of all the wearables I’ve tested, delivering data-backed insights in genuinely useful and informative ways.
And, with today’s announcement of the next-gen Whoop 5, that experience is about to get even better. Let me explain.
Whoop’s surprisingly motivating Strain Score
That starts with what Whoop calls my Strain Score – a metric that essentially measures how much strain my heart is under throughout the day.
Days with more rigorous exercise will deliver higher strain scores, while lazier days will result in much lower scores. It’s an intuitive way to easily compare my effort level, not only across days and months, but with specific exercises.
That means when I exercise with the Whoop band – a process that’s automatic much of the time, thanks to automatic exercise detection – I get a score based on my effort.
I’ve found this to be infinitely more motivating than comparing regular exercise metrics, like distance or calories burned on a run, as it focuses more on my physiological response. It also displays the current strain score in real-time when exercising, a great motivator to last an extra five minutes on the treadmill or do a few additional reps of kettlebell swings.
It also makes it much easier to compare my effort over time at a glance, without delving deep into the metrics of each exercise. It’s simple, and it makes a lot of sense.
It’s more than just an exercise tracker, though
Of course, the Whoop 4 focuses on more than just exercise tracking; it also measures elements like sleep, stress, and recovery.
Sleep tracking is one of the main reasons I’ve continued to use the wearable for so long as, in my experience, it matches up with my perceived sleep way better than most other wearables.
It more accurately detects once I fall asleep rather than simply lying in bed, detects even the slightest wake times, and though I can’t verify the accuracy of the sleep stage tracking without hooking myself up to an EEG, it seems consistent.
The journal feature is another excellent capability, and I’m surprised it hasn’t been picked up by other wearable manufacturers. It essentially allows me to track a wide range of habits and behaviours, from drinking enough water to hyper-specific elements like air travel, and provides insight into how these affect my sleep and recovery over time.
That has allowed me to see the direct impact of things like drinking alcohol, with an average of 11% decrease in my recovery score the next day, and make better, more informed decisions about my health and habits as a result.
The Whoop Coach is AI done right
For me, Whoop Coach is the cherry on top of Whoop’s current offering. While AI features and functionality have been shoehorned into practically every digital experience possible at this point in time, Whoop’s implementation has to be one of the best so far.
Powered by ChatGPT, the Whoop Coach provides real insight into my data. I can ask hyper-specific questions about exercise, sleep and general health metrics and get personalised answers.
Not only that, but I can also use the Whoop Coach to plan activities and exercises that align with my data and physical abilities, and it’s excellent for general queries about health in general.
And, with the launch of the Whoop 5 and more advanced Whoop MG, things are about to get a whole lot better.
The Whoop 5 and Whoop MG take things to the next level
The new generation of Whoop is actually split into two wearables: the Whoop 5 and the Whoop MG. The two are near-identical in both respects, but the MG offers ‘medical-grade’ ECG capabilities for even greater insight into heart health.
Elsewhere though, the wearables offer upgraded sensors that capture data 26 times per second, while a redesigned processor improves overall efficiency by 10x. That means that the Whoop 5 and MG can last for a whopping 14+ days on a single charge, a massive boost from the four or five days of the Whoop 4. And, with a new wireless power pack, that can be extended to a whole month.
Of course, a big part of the Whoop experience is the accessories, be it wrist straps, arm bands, or even clothing with little pockets for the tracker to sit comfortably in, and there are plenty of new additions on that front too. Users can choose from a new line of accessories, including a new LeatherLuxe finish for a more high-end look.
Just as important as the hardware is the software, and the upgraded Whoop 5 experience comes with a bevvy of new features baked into the app.
Owners of the new wearable can enjoy new metrics like Healthspan, a way to ‘quantify your physiological age’ and potentially slow the rate of ageing. It all sounds a bit sci-fi, but it’s developed in partnership with the Buck Institute for Research on Ageing, and the findings are based on nine metrics linked to long-term health.
There’s also new blood pressure insights to deliver daily systolic and diastolic readings, as well as information on how this can affect wellbeing and performance.
The company is also introducing Women’s Hormonal Insights, which the company claims “goes beyond cycle tracking” found in most wearables to deliver personalised insights on how hormonal shifts can influence recovery, sleep, stress and performance – alongside regular cycle-tracking capabilities.
And, for owners of the top-end Whoop MG, you’ll also get insights into your ECG readings, with irregular heart rhythm notifications baked in for added peace of mind.
New Whoop, new price
Pricing has also been adjusted for the new generation of devices, with a new entry-level Whoop One package available for £169/$169 per year. This is the subscription that existing Whoop 4 users will be migrated to, and it retains all the features and functionality the wearable currently has, though new subscribers will get the upgraded Whoop 5.
The regular Whoop subscription has been rebranded as Whoop Peak, and offers more advanced health, fitness and longevity insights for £229/$229 per year. This is the bundle that’ll net you the new Whoop 5 and the new software features outlined earlier.
For those who want the best of the best, there’s a new Whoop Life subscription. It’s certainly premium at £349/$349 per year, but it includes all of the above, along with the Whoop MG for medical ECG measurement capabilities.
It’s also worth noting that existing Whoop 4 subscribers can upgrade to the Whoop 5 or Whoop MG, though you’ll need to pay a £49/$49 upgrade fee, along with the difference in billing.
So yes, as great as my year with the Whoop 4 has been, I can’t wait to get the new Whoop 5 on my wrist.
