With so many choices on the market of wearable fitness trackers, Whoop seems to be one of the best ones, specifically for elite-level athletes. But no watch (or this case, band) is perfect, and that’s why we decided to give our top 10 pros and cons of the Whoop.
What’s great…
Automatic updates
Software updates for the Whoop can be done automatically from just about everywhere. Instead of updating yearly, Whoop tries not to release too many new bands. Instead, they try to make upgrades more software related than anything else.
- Read about the latest integrative updates.
Detailed analytics
Whoop gives weekly analysis reports on how hard you work, your recovery, and your sleeping habits. They also compare you to the week before to show you what behavior changes you have made.
More analytics
They also give you a monthly performance analysis that takes in all the information and suggests what can affect your daily recovery positively or negatively. This is a rolling 90-day baseline, so it is easy to compare what is expected and what is not concerning your data.
High quality
Whoop uses sweat-absorbent and dry-wicking materials, meaning the bands don’t stretch out, shrink, or get soggy. They are made of high-quality materials but have many different bands to choose from. You can choose color, style, and more.
Collaboration
Teams allow you to join a number of teams both from all over the world and with your close friends. Seeing how you compare to your team members in sleep, strain, and recovery is fun and motivating. Plus, they give out weekly awards!
Sleep data
Sleep tracking gets broken down into different sleep stages. Based on your baseline, you can also measure how much of each sleep stage you need to adequately recover. This predicts a sleep quality score.
Less distraction
Without a screen, you don’t have to worry about getting distracted, which can be a positive thing. It’s also one of the only trackers that allow you to wear it during professional competition. This is why the WTA has partnered with WHOOP.
Off-wrist tracking
Whoop has launched a line of clothing apparel to allow for the Whoop device itself to be placed on different parts of the body. This is interesting to gather more data and accurate data when you have more than one working at a time.
- Read our full Whoop 4.0 review.
Data export
You can share your medical data with your doctor thanks to Whoop’s ability to put it into a PDF document for you. This makes doctor visits much more efficient, with your heart rate monitored over a baseline for the last 90 days.
Health tracking
Certain features have made it easier to track if you have picked up an illness such as COVID-19. Skin temperature measurement, as well as respiratory rate, have been key indicators of how you are feeling.
What could be improved…
Members only
Whoop does not come at a single price. It is membership pricing only. Sometimes athletes don’t feel like this is too different from upgraded memberships within other fitness brands. The thing that may be frustrating is you never really own the Whoop strap.
Consistency is key
In order to take advantage of the monthly performance assessments, you must be very diligent with filling out the questions in the morning. Depending on what you pick for your journal, it can take about 10 minutes to go through the questions.
No smartwatch features
There is no screen, so there are no smartwatch capabilities. This is both a bad and good thing, as mentioned. In order to see anything LIVE or active, you need to have your phone on you. Otherwise, it uploads later.
Time lag
When you exit the app, data can take a while to load and update. While it is not too long, switching time zones or losing battery for a day takes some time to get back on track and recognize where it is.
Accuracy
The metrics aren’t perfect. While Whoop has been working hard to increase the sensors and performance of the Whoop, critics say that it is not yet perfect. There are still some gaps here and there in its tracking than can be improved compared to some other technology.
Information overload
The information can be a lot to interpret all at once. If you are not a professional athlete or need specific stats, it can sometimes feel like information overload. It’s more designed for an elite athlete than anyone else.
Keep clean
Whoop bands need to be washed. While you can wear them in the shower, they get sweaty and smelly. The knit bands often need to be washed because of their great sweat-absorbing features.
Workout Live
Workout Live mode is cool, but it’s more like a recorded session you can post later. What would be better is to have it actually live for any of your team members to see. Though this works better with stationary sports like indoor cycling.
Updates
While it is great to have a fitness band that doesn’t make you feel like you have to buy a new one every year, overall updates are slow. Tiny updates are made often, but significant, exciting changes are few and far between.
Battery life
Battery life usually only lasts for about five days. It would be better if the battery life could be improved to a week. While the battery pack makes this easier, charging could still see improvements.
Conclusion
So, there you have our top 10 pros and cons of the Whoop. If you are a serious athlete dedicated to improving your performance, the Whoop is a great device.
If you are a more casual fitness enthusiast, a more traditional fitness tracker may suit you better. Take a look at our other posts where we compare the Whoop 4.0 to the…
We hope you enjoyed our top 10 pros and cons of the Whoop and would love to hear your opinion in the comments below…
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Brittany Collens is one of our top sports writers. She is also a professional tennis player which helps her authority on subjects such as health and fitness.
She has a degree in journalism and has previously written for well-established sports magazines in Massachusetts.
Brittany lives in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States.