WHOOP Fitness Tracker: Honest Review 6 Months In

Since it’s been over 6 months since I finally caved and bought the WHOOP Fitness Tracker – I figured it was time for an in-depth review (not at all sponsored). I’d been pretty content with my Fitbit for years, until my boyfriend got a WHOOP. After sneaking a look at his WHOOP data for months, I was finally convinced.

First, what is a WHOOP Tracker?

It’s a health & fitness tracker, based primarily on heart rate data. Extremely accurate heart rate data. This is the biggest selling point in my mind. WHOOP measures your heart rate down to the millisecond. Based on your heart rate and heart variability (more on that later) WHOOP assigns you a Strain Score and a Recovery Score. These scores give you an understanding of how hard your body worked, how you slept, and how recovered you are to take on new strain the next day. 

Let’s get into it – pros, cons, and other options on the market.

Image via Whoop

PROS: WHOOP FEATURES I LOVE

Recovery & Strain Scores

Okay, this where WHOOP is really different than the other fitness trackers. Rather than static metrics like steps, WHOOP looks at your cardiovascular strain via heart rate (Strain Score) on a logarithmic (not linear) scale, and combines 4 different metrics to calculate your Recovery Score.

In addition to being measured on a logarithmic scale, Strain Scores are also personalized, making them a measure of how hard you worked in relation to your personal average and max heart rates. AKA if I did the exact same workout as a professional athlete, their Strain might be a 5 or 6, and mine would be a 12 or 13, because my body would have to work SO much harder to do something their body is conditioned to do. 

Recovery Scores are calculated based on Heart Rate Variability (HRV), Resting Heart Rate (RHR), sleep, and respiratory rate, and give you a metric of how primed your body is to take on additional strain the next day. HRV is an advanced metric, that measures “variance in time between the beats of your heart” – the higher the HRV, the better. HRV gives insight into whether or not we’re in our sympathetic (fight or flight) or parasympathetic (rest & digest) nervous system. Because chronic stress is the underlying cause of SO many health issues, HRV is a great metric to watch.

Again, WHOOP scores are all personalized, so for HRV, your personal trends matter more than a static value. In my experience, it took about a month for me to wrap my head around the WHOOP metrics, and for WHOOP scores to really personalize to my body.

Read the full explanation of Strain Scores and Recovery Scores here.

example Sleep & Recovery Scores

WHOOP Strain Coach

The WHOOP Strain Coach is a feature in the app that let’s you track your strain in real-time during your workouts. You input your activity, and then you have a real-time view of your heart rate and ‘strain’ throughout. I LOVE this feature and use it every time I workout. I leave my phone on the floor during workout classes to be able to glance and my heart rate and strain, and it helps me gauge how hard I’m working, and if I can be pushing myself harder.

example workout Strain scores

WHOOP Analytics / WHOOP Journal

The WHOOP Analytics are INSANE. Every month, WHOOP sends you a “performance report” that gives you a month over month analysis of your strain, recovery, and sleep, and goes into detail about which habits are driving changes. It does this through the WHOOP Journal – essentially a customizable series of questions to answer each morning to allow you to track the impact of changes you’re making on your health. 

example monthly performance report

example WHOOP journal analytics

Wearable Charger

This is a small touch but I love it – the WHOOP charger allows you to charge the charger, then simply place the charger directly on your WHOOP strap (no cords) while wearing it – meaning you NEVER need to take off your WHOOP strap to charge.

CONS: WHOOP FEATURES I DON’T LOVE

NO STEP COUNTER!

Ugh this is definitely the biggest downside of WHOOPt, in my opinion. I definitely miss the step count, but I’ve also learned to adjust without it. With WHOOP tracking heart rate, you really can’t phone it in. With step counters, I could easily meet my step goal and give myself a pat on the back, without actually pushing myself. With WHOOP looking at heart rate, whether I’m going a casual walk or speed walking through SF’s hills, it SHOWS the difference – even if the steps are the same. Now rather than looking at step count, I’ll have goals based on my ‘strain’ for the day.

Appearance

Let’s face it, fitness trackers just aren’t that cute. I pretty much live in workout clothes, but still, when I have a cute outfit on, a large masculine-looking strap on my wrist isn’t ideal. I semi-solved this by ordering a cuter strap with a white clasp, and just got over it. I love the WHOOP data so it’s worth it. BUT I am still hoping they come out with one that’s half the width.

HOW WHOOP CHANGED MY BEHAVIOR

Less Alcohol

Now it’s not a surprise alcohol isn’t necessarily contributing to my health, but who doesn’t love a nice glass of organic wine with dinner? But when the data is in front of you, it’s hard to argue. Once I hit around 2 glasses, I know I can expect impaired sleep. Wanting to see that ‘green’ Recovery Score definitely has us drinking less during the weekdays.

Prioritizing Sleep

Again, that Recovery Score is powerful. It’s made me realize all the little things that affect my sleep, and inspired me to work harder to dial them in. For me the big levers are: reducing blue-light exposure through blue light blocking glasses and amber lightbulbs in the bedroom, reading a physical book vs TV, and staying consistent with Magnesium and CBD before bed. Because Recovery is also based on HRV (an indicator of whether we’re activating our sympathetic (fight or flight) or parasympathetic (rest & recover) nervous systems, I’ve also been more mindful of my overall window routine and avoiding too much stimulation before bed.

Prioritizing Cardiovascular Exercise

WHOOP’s focus on heartrate has definitely influenced me to up the intensity of my workouts (just like my FitBit would influence me to go on walks vs a HIIT workout). I’d say this is overall a pro, but could definitely be a con for some people.

Over-exercising and excessive cardio are common issues in women who experience hormonal issues or weight loss plateaus from adrenal issues. I think it’s super important to highlight the importance of always listening to your body, not an app. For example, if I’m feeling tired the week before my period, I do not push it, even my WHOOP is telling me I’m primed for more strain. And especially for anyone with a history of disordered eating or disordered exercising, these types of trackers may not be for you altogether.

OTHER OPTIONS I CONSIDERED

• FitBit: I had the FitBit Alta for years – I think it’s a great starter tracker. I used it for steps, but everything else was pretty inaccurate (especially heart rate)
• Oura Ring: This is a super popular option in the wellness community. Oura Ring is definitely focused on sleep (which I feel like WHOOP covers just as well), it does count steps which I like, AND also tracks HRV. Oura Ring looks like a great option! My deciding factor was part vanity and social pressure – I don’t like the look of the Oura Ring (I love the rings I wear daily) and I like that I have friends on WHOOP to compare data.
• Apple Watch: Honestly never really considered it – I did not want another screen with notifications so that was a no for me

WHOOP PRICING

• The WHOOP business model is to give you the WHOOP strap for free, and charge a monthly subscription for the app (or as my dad says, give them the pipe, sell them the crack). I started with the 18-month plan, which comes out to $18 a month for 18 months, paid upfront for $324. You can also start out with a month to month plan, paying $30/ month. So far, it’s been 100% worth it for me.
• I also upgraded my WHOOP strap to a little bit more feminine of an option with a white clasp, and they even launched a ‘lux’ line which is wayyy cuter than the solid black.

Interested in trying WHOOP for yourself? You can use my referral link to get a 1-month subscription free!