Aug 18, 2023 5 min read

WHOOP, there it is

Keep it moving.

Are you thinking about getting one? Are they all hype and no-substance? Worth the money or not?

In this article I’m going to break down what the Whoop band is, how it works and more importantly, should you get one?

What is Whoop?

The Whoop band is a wearable fitness device that measures and tracks your physiological data to help optimise your physical performance and recovery. It uses sensors and algorithms to continuously monitor heart rate, heart rate variability, sleep, and physical activity.

The strap itself is made of a soft, comfortable material and is adjustable to fit a variety of wrist sizes. It comes with a USB charging cable which charges the battery pack.

The strap is designed to be worn 24/7 and is sweat, rain, and actually shower-resistant as well. Importantly, you don’t have to take the band off to charge it which is a bonus.

In terms of battery life, after a full charge I can get around 4 days before I need to charge it again.

You don't just have to wear it on the wrist either, I have a bicep band which I wear most of the time. They offer lots of different wearables in lots of different colours so it’s ideal if you want to change it up a bit.

Ok, how does it work?

One of the key metrics the Whoop band measures is strain.

Strain is designed to provide an overall assessment of the body's physiological demands over a 24-hour period. The Whoop band uses heart rate variability or HRV data, combined with data on the duration and intensity of physical activity, to calculate strain. HRV is a measure of the variation in time between consecutive heartbeats.

It provides insight into the state of the autonomic nervous system, which regulates functions such as the stress response, heart rate, and blood pressure. When the autonomic nervous system is in a state of stress or overstimulation, HRV tends to decrease, while a state of recovery and rest is associated with increased HRV.

HRV is used in the Whoop band to help assess the balance between physical exertion and recovery. The band uses this information to determine the amount of strain you experience each day, as well as your recovery level and sleep quality.

This information can be used to help you optimize your training and recovery, allowing you to perform at your best and avoid overtraining and injury.

The Whoop also tracks sleep using a combination of accelerometry and HRV data. The accelerometer measures the motion of the wearer during sleep, which can provide insight into the quality and duration of sleep. The device uses algorithms to analyze the data and determine when the wearer is in deep sleep, REM sleep, or light sleep. The app gives insights into the quality of your sleep. It detects wake events, respiratory rate and sleep efficiency.

It’s also got an in-built sleep coach, which gives you personalised sleep suggestions based on your daily strain, so you can adjust the bedtime based on if you want to get by, perform or be at your peak the following day.

The alarm function is useful, especially if you hate alarm clocks or have someone else in the room and you don’t want to wake them. The band vibrates depending on the time you set it to.

You also get weekly and monthly reports. It’s useful for looking at trends to see if your HRV is going up and whether your resting heart rate is going down.

Journal tags are a good feature, every day when you open up the app you can customise what questions you want to ask yourself and it even gives recommended ones. You can track tags over time and see what improves or worsens your recovery and sleep.

Drinking alcohol is an example tag you can add to your journal, whenever I drink my recovery is in the red, no surprise there.

In terms of usability, it’s really intuitive and easy to use. The health monitor measures your resp rate, blood oxygen saturations, heart rate, HRV and skin temperature.

If these are out of your regular boundaries, they’ll turn yellow or red and this can let you know maybe you’re not taking care of yourself or becoming ill.

There’s also a community feature, you can join and create teams with friend so you can see each other’s stats.

How much is it?

It’s a subscription model with the band and hardware included in the membership. There’s several membership plans which range from monthly to annual options.

If you want to check their website out click here.

There’s also a pro membership for an extra £12 a month where you get to choose a new item every 3 months and some other perks.

I just went for the regular membership.

Is it worth it?

I think it depends on the reasons why you would use it in the first place.

Will it provide you with enough value? For me I got it so I could track and therefore improve my sleep, it’s an aspect of my life that I’ve been somewhat neglecting.

What are the main benefits?

The app is good. There's so much data and information that is well organised and intuitive.

2. The device sits on your wrist or arm and you don’t need to take it off to charge it.

3. It’s actually encouraged me to do more cardio.

4. One of the reasons I got it was it doesn’t have a screen, less distraction, more focus.

5. The device monitors sleep patterns, including sleep stages, REM cycles, and disruptions to provide recommendations for better sleep.

6. It provides daily personalized insights and recommendations to optimize performance and reduce the risk of injury.

7. Members have access to a community where you can share your progress, connect with other users, and participate in challenges and competitions. You can create your own group and track your performance against your friends which is good for accountability.

I’ll post mine at the bottom of the article if you want to join.

8. It's encouraged me to maintain healthy lifestyle habits - this is probably the overall major benefit to having one.

What are the negatives or things to consider before you buy?

Its relatively expensive compared to other fitness wearables, and the monthly or annual membership fee can be a hefty investment for some people. You’re kinda locked in for a year at least if you buy an annual membership. Its a similar cost to some gym memberships so you have to question if its worth it for you

2. Accuracy (It’s a consumer device and not a medical one).

3. Some say the data might be affected by factors such as skin sensitivity and placement of the device.

4. The battery life is claimed to be 5 days but I usually get 3-4, which may not be enough for some users, especially those who are traveling or have a busy schedule.

5. Some users have reported that Whoop has limited features compared to other fitness wearables, and may not be suitable for users who are looking for more advanced tracking and analysis capabilities.

6. Some people say they get some discomfort when wearing the device, I personally find it’s pretty comfortable.

7. There's currently only a 1 month trial period.

So, should you go ahead and buy one?

Ultimately, it boils down to your needs and preferences.

Some argue it’s designed for athletes and fitness enthusiasts but I think the band is for anyone looking to optimise their physical and mental performance.

I would say add that it’s particularly useful for individuals who engage in regular, intense physical activity and are looking for a more in-depth understanding of their body's physiological demands.

Personally my experience has been good so far, I’m enjoying it and the data it provides is useful for me.

If you fancy trying it, here's my referral link. Or if you already have one, feel free to join my team. The code is: COMM-EBE54A. Nice one.

Give this a watch 👇🏼