I Wore WHOOP for a Year – Here’s My Honest Review

Wearable fitness trackers are everywhere, but WHOOP stands out with its screenless design, in-depth recovery tracking, and unique subscription model. After wearing the WHOOP 4.0 for over a year, I’ve put it through its paces across sprinting, lifting, boxing, and everyday life. This is my honest review—the good, the bad, and whether I’d recommend it.

Key Features of WHOOP

Unlike most fitness wearables, WHOOP has no display or buttons. It’s a minimalist, lightweight band that you barely notice - at least most of the time. When lifting weights, running, or boxing, it feels unobtrusive. However, if you’re a sprinter, you might feel the band’s weight at top speeds. I noticed this when sprinting bends, especially when comparing it to my Garmin, which felt lighter in motion.

WHOOP is also waterproof, so there’s no need to take it off when showering or swimming. It features five LED sensors and four photodiodes to track:

• Heart rate

• Breathing rate

• Blood oxygen levels

• Skin temperature

• Sleep patterns

• Stress levels

• Steps, calories burned, and more

The data is impressive, and WHOOP often detects early signs of illness before you even notice symptoms. It assigns three key scores: Strain, Recovery, and Sleep Performance, helping you understand how hard you’ve pushed yourself, how well you’re bouncing back, and whether your sleep quality is cutting it.

All this information is available in the WHOOP app, which also includes:

✅ A journal to track habits
✅ Personalized insights based on your goals
✅ A WHOOP AI coach
✅ Community groups for added motivation

That said, the journal can be slow to load in the mornings, which is frustrating. And depending on how many habits you track, you might end up skipping through just to save your journal entry. Also, while WHOOP collects a lot of data, some of it isn’t always 100% accurate.

WHOOP operates on a membership model, costing around £27 ($35) per month. Unlike traditional fitness watches, you don’t buy the device outright—you subscribe.

The Pros of WHOOP 4.0

1. Best-in-Class Sleep Tracking

I’ve tested WHOOP against my Garmin, and WHOOP is miles ahead in sleep accuracy. It accurately detects when you fall asleep, wake up, and enter different sleep stages. It even shows how alcohol impacts sleep—one night out with friends led to a significant drop in my REM sleep, perfectly aligning with research on alcohol’s effects on sleep quality.

2. Continuous Free Updates

WHOOP regularly adds new features at no extra cost. In the past year, it introduced step counting and weight tracking, which weren’t initially available. Unlike other brands, you don’t need to buy a new device to get the latest features.

3. Encourages Smarter Recovery

WHOOP forces you to pay attention to your recovery. Before using it, I trained six days a week, thinking I was fine—until my WHOOP recovery scores showed otherwise. Seeing my strain and recovery data made me rethink my training approach.

4. Flexible Wear Options

You can wear WHOOP on your wrist, bicep, or even inside WHOOP-compatible clothing. This is great for sports like boxing, where wrist wraps might get in the way.

5. On-the-Go Charging

You don’t need to take WHOOP off to charge it. The portable charger clips onto the device while you wear it. However, I’ve accidentally left the charger on and jumped in the shower (not ideal, since the charger isn’t waterproof). Also, I’ve lost the charger three times - it’s not cheap to replace at £44 per charger.

6. Community & Automatic Workout Detection

WHOOP allows you to join communities and compare stats with like-minded athletes. It also auto-detects workouts, identifying the type of exercise and duration without manual input.

The Cons of WHOOP 4.0

1. Battery Life Isn’t Great

WHOOP claims a 5-day battery life, but in reality, I get 3–4 days max. On top of that, the charging indicator light is extremely bright, sometimes waking me up at night.

2. No Built-In GPS

For runners, this is a big downside. If you want pace, splits, or distance, you’ll need a separate GPS device (like a Garmin). WHOOP’s exercise tracking isn’t as precise for running.

3. Data Obsession is Real

WHOOP’s detailed tracking can lead to data obsession. Some mornings, I’d wake up feeling fine—until I checked my WHOOP score. Seeing a low recovery score made me feel worse, even though I was physically okay. It’s a reminder to look at the data but not be governed by it. How you’re feeling is more important.

4. Worn-Out Bands

Since you never need to take WHOOP off, the fabric bands wear out fast. Sweat and daily wear make them look dirty and worn over time. I wish WHOOP provided a rubber strap as the default option, like Garmin does. Update : They have recently introduced a rubber strap.

5. No Nap Tracking (Under 45 Minutes)

If you take short power naps (under 45 minutes), WHOOP won’t track them. This is frustrating if you use naps to recover from sleep debt.

6. It Tracks… Everything!!!

WHOOP logs all activity—and I mean all activity. This includes sex, which can feel weird, especially if you’re sharing stats with a coach. WHOOP could benefit from an ankle strap option, but then again… that might not be a great look either!

7. WHOOP AI Coach is Underwhelming

The AI coach is slow, robotic, and doesn’t always load properly. It’s not something I use, and it’s one of WHOOP’s weaker features.

Would I Recommend WHOOP?

✅ YES—If You’re Serious About Recovery & Performance

WHOOP is unlike other fitness wearables. If you’re pushing hard in training, running a business, or juggling a high-performance lifestyle, WHOOP is an excellent tool for keeping you accountable and prioritizing recovery.

❌ NO—If You Need GPS or Just Want a Simple Tracker

If you’re mainly a runner and need accurate pace/distance tracking, WHOOP isn’t your best bet—Garmin wins here. Similarly, if you just want a fitness tracker without a subscription, WHOOP might not be for you.

If you’re interested in trying WHOOP, you can use our referral link to get a free trial.