Whoop 5.0: The Fitness Tracker That Sets New Standards

Introduction

Whoop has established itself as a pioneer in the world of fitness trackers by focusing on recovery, strain, and sleep instead of simply counting steps or calories. With the launch of Whoop 5.0 on May 8, 2025, the company takes its vision to a new level, introducing advanced health features, improved hardware, and a revamped subscription model. My comprehensive analysis of the Whoop 5.0 draws on official sources and my personal experience after more than 40 days of use, having upgraded from the Whoop 4.0 .

The screen-less approach of the Whoop 5.0 is, for me, a deliberate design choice that keeps the focus on data analysis while offering outstanding wearing comfort. Although I still need a secondary device for live wrist data, this minimalist orientation underscores Whoop’s true strength as a measurement tool for comprehensive health data. The need to capture health holistically is increasingly evident—especially when considering biohacker methodologies like those of Bryan Johnson. Almost half of his protocols (45.9%) are dedicated solely to measuring health data, highlighting the central role of devices like Whoop in this space.

What’s New in Whoop 5.0?

Hardware Upgrades and Design

The standard Whoop 5.0 weighs less than its predecessor, is more compact, and now achieves up to 14 days of battery life. I’m thrilled—my 4.0 needed charging after five days. This is made possible by a more efficient chip and a redesigned PPG sensor that still samples faster, at 26 Hz.

The MG model looks almost identical but integrates conductive electrodes into the clasp to deliver a 1-lead ECG. The housing is 7 % smaller—hardly noticeable day to day, except that my old 4.0 bands no longer fit. That’s really a pity and unnecessary, but of course it makes Whoop’s investors happy by generating new revenue.

Wearability and Accessories: Whoop continues to push its Body collection—shirts, shorts, sports bras with small pockets where the sensor can disappear thanks to the new Anywear Pod system with Velcro. In everyday life the tracker is barely visible—a big plus for me. If you prefer, you can still wear it traditionally on the wrist.

The charging dilemma: Here I see an unfortunate split:

• Whoop ONE package: You get only a wired charging dock.
• Whoop PEAK & LIFE: These packages include the new wireless PowerPack, which attaches magnetically and charges wirelessly. It fully charges the Whoop in under two hours and itself lasts 30 days. I don’t understand why the cheapest package is still tied to a USB cable. A tiny Qi module costs mere cents. Charging with a cable on the wrist—nobody finds that sexy! The battery life itself is top-notch: I charge my Apple Watch daily, yet the Whoop easily lasts two weeks. Whenever I get a push notification that it needs juice, I think, “Already?” and calculate when I last charged it. It’s always 12–14 days—and I’m amazed how fast time flies!

New Health Features

Whoop 5.0 introduces several groundbreaking capabilities:

• Blood Pressure (beta): Available on the Whoop MG version, it provides estimated systolic and diastolic values determined via the PPG sensor. I only see trend arrows (“higher,” “lower”)—no exact mmHg values, but it’s useful for spotting lifestyle influences. I calibrate once with a real cuff. Over three and a half years, Whoop gathered tens of thousands of measurements in its Whoop Labs to develop this novel blood-pressure algorithm, now patent-pending. This feature is trailblazing in a wearable and makes Whoop unique in this space.
• ECG Monitoring (Heart Screener): Enables on-demand ECG readings to detect atrial fibrillation (AFib), with results exportable as PDF for physicians. I place two fingers on the MG clasp and have a 1-lead ECG in the app within 30 seconds.
• Hormonal Insights: Supports women by tracking the menstrual cycle and providing personalized recommendations based on hormonal fluctuations.
• Healthspan and Pace of Aging: A new feature that measures physiological age (Whoop Age) and pace of aging based on nine biomarkers such as sleep, HRV, and VO₂ max.
• Enhanced Sleep Analysis: An updated Sleep Score delivers more accurate insights into sleep quality.
• Upgraded Core Sensors: In addition to the higher sampling rate of the optical heart-rate sensor, the accelerometer now has more axes, improving strength-training detection (reps, load). Temperature and SpO₂ sensors remain; the app consolidates everything in the Health Monitor.

Subscription Tiers

Whoop has introduced three new membership levels to meet different needs:

An Apple Watch, starting at about USD 350, offers ECG features without a subscription. With Whoop I pay roughly USD 359 per year for the LIFE membership to access this fundamental heart-health function.

In-Depth Feature Analysis

Healthspan and Pace of Aging

The Healthspan feature is a milestone in health monitoring and a fascinating concept that helps me optimize my lifestyle in the long term. It calculates “Whoop Age”—your physiological age—and the “Pace of Aging,” indicating how quickly that age changes. I find this especially motivating because it gives concrete feedback on my efforts. It’s my absolute favorite feature; it shows me better than ever what to do to improve my health and how my efforts pay off. That’s a huge difference versus many trackers, including the Apple Watch. They collect heaps of data but rarely offer actionable advice. Even after ten years, the Apple Watch still overwhelms you with numbers but few clear instructions. Whoop fills that gap perfectly—I love it!

Training pays off – my body is younger than my age.

The scientific basis: Healthspan was developed in collaboration with the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, the world’s only research institute focused exclusively on the biology of aging. Over three years, Whoop conducted extensive mortality studies to identify the biometrics crucial to long-term health outcomes. The goal was not just to extend lifespan but also health-span—the time you live healthy and independent. Whoop wants to help people close the roughly ten-year gap many experience when health declines before life ends. The debate over Bryan Johnson’s calorie-restriction protocol, which Hoan rated “D-tier” because it may lengthen lifespan at the cost of frailty and a reduced health-span, underscores the importance of Whoop’s approach: living longer and living well.

Calculating Whoop Age and Pace of Aging: Whoop Age reflects physiological versus chronological age, based on a six-month average of nine key biomarkers. Chosen through extensive research, these are directly linked to longevity and modifiable by personal habits:

1. Sleep Consistency: Measures how regular your bed and wake times are. High consistency lets the body work more efficiently and strongly predicts mental and physical health. Even small improvements can greatly impact Whoop Age.
2. Total Sleep Hours: The amount of sleep your body needs for recovery and repair. Getting enough—and quality—sleep is critical. Oversleeping (e.g., over nine hours) can signal underlying issues and negatively affect Whoop Age. Hoan’s S-tier rating for Bryan Johnson’s 8-plus-hour sleep protocol highlights its importance for brain, heart, and muscle health.
3. Time in Heart-Rate Zones 1–3: Moderate training that supports cardiovascular health without overloading the body.
4. Time in Heart-Rate Zones 4–5: High-intensity training that challenges peak cardio capacity, crucial for improving VO₂ max and endurance. Neglecting these zones reduces maximum heart performance and hurts health-span.
5. Time in Strength Training: Muscle mass protects health. From age 30 you lose about 1 % per year without targeted training, affecting metabolism, calorie burn, and fall cushioning. The Whoop app detects activities like lifting, Pilates, and yoga. Hoan’s criticism of Bryan Johnson’s low protein intake, leading to muscle loss, reinforces this biomarker’s value.
6. Daily Steps: A marker of general movement outside structured workouts. Studies show strong links between activity and lower mortality. Small changes like taking stairs help.
7. VO₂ max: The maximum oxygen uptake during intense exercise. Considered the gold standard for cardio fitness and one of the strongest longevity predictors.
8. Resting Heart Rate (RHR): Shows how efficiently the heart works at rest. Lower RHR means a healthier cardio system. Whoop can flag changes long before clinical relevance. Bryan Johnson and Mike Israel call RHR the “most important biomarker” because it reflects overall behavior and autonomic-nervous-system state. Late eating, alcohol, stress, or doom-scrolling raise RHR and hurt sleep; the opposite lowers it. A 10 bpm increase above 60 raises cardiovascular risk ~10 %, while under 60 is linked to lowest mortality. Hoan’s journey dropping his RHR from the 60s to 37 shows what’s possible with Whoop. Aim for under 65 bpm, ideally low 50s; women average ~2 bpm higher.
9. Lean Body Mass: The ratio of muscle to fat. Higher muscle mass is protective. Data can be entered manually or via smart scales—this is the only metric not fully passive.

Each metric impacts Whoop Age: “green” lowers age, “gray” is neutral, “orange” raises it. The system is designed to deliver understandable, actionable recommendations.

“Pace of Aging” updates weekly, reflecting how Whoop Age changes based on the last 30 days of habits. A scale from –1x to 3x shows whether you’re “getting younger” (–1x), have “stopped aging” (0x), are “keeping pace” with chronological age (1x), or are “aging faster” (>1x). A glowing amoeba graphic—green and round if younger, orange and jagged if older—gives instant feedback. The formula remains proprietary, but the ability to influence physiological age is a huge motivator. I’d love an even more intuitive app UI to make the nine biomarkers clearer for newcomers.

Heart Screener with ECG

The ECG feature, exclusive to the Whoop MG, is a big leap toward medical relevance. Users aged 22+ can record a medical-grade 1-lead ECG in seconds by placing thumb and forefinger on the MG clasp’s electrodes. This matters because irregular rhythms like AFib are often asymptomatic but raise stroke risk up to five-fold. The ECG detects normal sinus rhythm, AFib, and low or high heart rate (brady-/tachycardia). As Whoop CEO Will Ahmed notes, early AFib detection is crucial, as it often goes unnoticed even in fit endurance athletes.

Having dealt with AFib myself, I find it amazing that I can now record my ECG at home with Whoop instead of visiting a doctor. Results can be exported as PDF, simplifying preventive care. The feature isn’t intended for users with known rhythm disorders (other than AFib) or pacemakers. Regional availability varies: ECG screening and background AFib screening are possible in the EU, while the US version has FDA approval for ECG.

An Apple Watch, starting at about USD 350, offers ECG features without a subscription. With Whoop I pay roughly USD 359 per year for the LIFE membership to access this fundamental heart-health function.

Blood Pressure (beta)

Also limited to the Whoop MG, the blood-pressure feature provides estimated systolic and diastolic values via PPG. As noted, Whoop collected vast data to create its patent-pending algorithm. Not intended for pregnant women or people on blood-pressure meds, it serves wellness, not diagnosis. It shows how blood pressure affects daily life and sleep. Whoop frames this as part of a “holistic health operating system” uniting all relevant data.

Measurement happens daily upon waking and shows risk-based values. Only trend arrows—no exact mmHg—are displayed. One-time calibration with a cuff is required for best accuracy.

Promising though it is, the beta status and limitations raise reliability questions given the LIFE price point. I still rely on my home cuff for precision, using Whoop more as an early-warning tool. Users should interpret results cautiously and not depend solely on them.

Hormonal Insights

Aimed at women, Hormonal Insights tracks the menstrual cycle to show how hormonal shifts impact sleep, recovery, and strain. Users can log behaviors like nursing or nighttime feeding and receive personalized recommendations. The feature uses metrics such as HRV and skin temperature to predict periods but is not for contraception or fertility planning. It’s an important step toward better female representation in sports and health research. The personalized advice is useful, but the non-medical disclaimer should be clearer to avoid false expectations. Whoop invested here on purpose, as only 3 % of medical research addresses women specifically, leaving large care gaps.

Other Noteworthy Features

• Real-Time Stress Monitoring: Available in PEAK and LIFE, it helps identify stressors and offers breathing techniques.
• VO₂ max and Heart-Rate Zones: Improved measurements for fitness enthusiasts optimizing performance.
• Advanced Labs (coming soon): In-app blood tests to integrate more health data. I’m eager to see if I can import my existing labs. This aligns with Bryan Johnson’s approach of tracking hundreds of biomarkers, enabling Whoop users to build a fuller health picture with clinical oversight and personalized coaching plans.

App Update and User Experience

The major redesign landed a few days before the hardware launch, so pairing the 5.0 felt almost seamless. The new home screen compresses the key scores (strain, recovery, sleep) while deeper insights move into tabs. The interface is clearer, faster, and crashes less—nice!

The much-hyped AI Coach has been live for months, so I don’t count it as a 5.0 highlight. Still, I interact with it daily for training and sleep tips. The new Healthspan section with WHOOP Age and Pace of Aging especially appeals to my inner biohacker, even though the formula remains secret. It’s important not to mistake Healthspan for a medical verdict. Bryan Johnson’s idea of building “life systems” for better decisions finds an ideal counterpart in Whoop’s data-driven coaching.

Critique of the Strength Trainer and Logbook

Despite overall improvements, I still see weak points. The Strength Trainer, though powerful for muscular-load tracking, is painfully tedious when entered manually. Basic features like preview images, how-to videos, meaningful muscle-group sorting, and a search function are missing. The same goes for the Logbook: I can’t add custom habits, there’s no search for entries, and the app asks about them only the next morning, which is cumbersome. A proactive prompt (“Did you just drink coffee?”) would be intuitive. Another annoyance: interaction with the AI Coach is text-only; you can’t speak to it, which kills spontaneity and efficiency.

Offline Functionality and Smartwatch Integration

Another big gripe is that the Whoop app still doesn’t work offline. Data aren’t lost, but I can’t view them on the go without connectivity. There’s also no dedicated Apple Watch app, even though Whoop’s vibration motor is used for alarms. Why not use it for notifications (e.g., heart-rate zones while running, set completion in the gym)? And the time-zone switching issue (“jet-lag penalty”) remains noticeable.

Sleep and Recovery Analysis

Whoop has always been a sleep authority. Version 5.0 refines the Sleep Score: It now incorporates deep-sleep share, continuity, and HRV. I’ve noticed that a seven-hour block with many wake-ups now scores much lower than before. My new algorithms show “yellow” instead of “green” more often, but feel more realistic. If you’re neurotic, too many red days could be triggering—data peace matters too.

Hormonal phases (cycle, perimenopause) are better integrated; as a man I don’t see this, but it shows Whoop’s granularity.

Recovery percentage still relies on HRV and resting heart rate, plus skin temperature and respiratory rate. Whoop has nailed fever warnings for me several times. The impressive jump in my HRV from the 50s to nearly 200 (compared to Bryan Johnson’s son Talmadge) and the drop in my RHR from the 60s to 37 result directly from insights Whoop provided and my behavior changes. Hoan’s observation that HRV is boosted by Zone 2 training, breathing work, stress reduction (avoiding inflammatory foods, omega-3s, curcumin, magnesium), and activating the parasympathetic nervous system highlights the broad impact Whoop captures.

A key Whoop-published sleep protocol, echoed by Bryan Johnson and my own experience, is the impact of late-night training. A Whoop study of 4.3 million sleep nights from 15,000 members confirmed that strenuous evening workouts delay bedtime, shorten duration, and reduce quality. Elevated night heart rate and reduced HRV were observed after intense late-evening exercise. Workouts ending at least four hours before sleep showed no negative effect. Highest intensity two hours before bed raised resting heart rate by 3.9 bpm (6.8 %) and cut HRV by 32.6 %. Timing matters: Finish intense sessions six or more hours before bed; light activities like yoga or walks are fine up to two hours before sleep.

Training and Performance Tracking

Strain Reloaded

Whoop now distinguishes between cardio strain and muscular strain. During bench press, the band counts reps, combines them with heart effort, and calculates total load. As a strength-training fan, I love it—an intense gym workout no longer looks like a “rest day” in Whoop charts.

Heart-Rate Zones and VO₂ max

Interval runs with 5.0 show a neat zone breakdown afterward. VO₂ max is now estimated—my value sits just below my Garmin reading, but consistently so. Criticism of Bryan Johnson’s repetitive daily training and lack of explosive work shows how Whoop’s detailed strain analysis and VO₂ max metric contribute to an optimized, safe training approach. Whoop data can reveal whether training truly covers all aspects and keeps adaptation progressing instead of plateauing.

My training verdict: Whoop remains an analyzer, not a live display. I still wear my GPS watch; Whoop runs as a high-frequency logger. If you want an all-in-one device, you’ll be disappointed. Yet the ability to measure load precisely and see how training impacts recovery is invaluable. Learning that intense exercise right before bed drastically lowers sleep quality (advice Bryan Johnson follows and Hoan labels A-tier) has fundamentally changed my evening routine.

Comparison with Predecessors and Competitors

Improvements over Whoop 4.0

Compared with the 4.0, Whoop 5.0 offers longer battery life, a smaller form factor, and new features like ECG and blood pressure. Software gains a new interface, improved Sleep Score, and additional metrics such as Healthspan. While Whoop 4.0 was already known for HRV and sleep accuracy, the 5.0 sets new preventive-health standards.

Against the Competition

Versus Fitbit, Apple Watch, or Oura Ring, Whoop 5.0 distinguishes itself with its focus on recovery and strain management. While Apple Watch and Fitbit provide detailed running stats or GPS, Whoop centers on holistic health data. Oura Ring offers similar functions like cardiovascular age, but Whoop’s Healthspan is broader, analyzing nine biomarkers. Yet subscription costs and the lack of a display may deter some users.

Whoop 5.0 is unique in its niche, but rivals often provide greater versatility, e.g., integrated GPS or smartwatch functions. For users seeking deep analyses, Whoop is unbeatable, but reliance on a subscription can be off-putting. An Apple Watch, starting at about USD 350, offers ECG without a subscription, whereas Whoop LIFE costs about USD 359 annually for that basic heart-health feature.

Serious competition is emerging, often without the subscription model that deters many. Notably Amazfit and Polar stand out.

Amazfit Active 2 and Amazfit T-Rex 3: Amazfit has shown with devices like the Active 2 and T-Rex 3 that capable smartwatches can be far cheaper (the Active 2 costs just USD 99). Rob from The Quantified Scientist tested the Active 2 extensively. He found heart-rate accuracy during indoor cycling “okay” (correlation 0.91) but much lower when running outdoors and especially cycling outdoors (0.81 and 0.75). This suggests less accuracy during high-intensity, high-movement activities. For sleep tracking, the Active 2 performed poorly versus top devices like Oura Ring or Apple Watch, especially for REM sleep (only 34 % agreement with the reference). GPS was “pretty good.” The main selling points are price and no mandatory subscription, decisive for many. However, influencer data suggest lower accuracy in key areas compared to Whoop.

Polar “Whoop-style” Band (Polar Verity Sense / OH1 Plus tech): Polar, famous for precise chest straps, plans a screen-less health-tracking band reminiscent of Whoop. The biggest plus: no subscription. If it uses Polar Precision Prime tech (as in Verity Sense or OH1 Plus), heart-rate accuracy could be excellent. Rob from The Quantified Scientist often uses Polar sensors as reference devices, underscoring their precision. The band is expected to track sleep, activity, HRV, and skin temperature. Polar could appeal to those who value Whoop-like data quality but dislike subscriptions. The challenge will be whether Polar’s algorithms and recovery insights match Whoop’s, even if raw data are great.

Sensor Accuracy

Sensor accuracy is decisive, and my tests plus The Quantified Scientist’s show a nuanced picture.

• Heart-Rate Accuracy: Whoop is known for continuous 24/7 sampling, potentially giving more accurate trends than devices that sample less. But limits exist. Rob found accuracy varies by placement and activity. Worn on the biceps, Whoop often matches reference devices like the Polar H10 chest strap. For indoor cycling and running, biceps readings were near-perfect. On the wrist, especially during high-intensity moves like outdoor cycling or lifting, results can diverge and “lock in” to cadence, skewing HR. Apple Watch, especially newer Series 10, shows very high workout-mode accuracy yet isn’t designed for continuous 24/7 sampling—battery would suffer. In weight-lifting, many wearables struggle because wrist tension affects blood flow and optical reading.
• Sleep Tracking: Whoop offers high detail, distinguishing sleep phases and metrics like sleep debt and consistency. It mirrors my perceived sleep well, even if it fluctuates more than others. The Quantified Scientist places Whoop in the “second league” alongside Fitbit/Google Pixel Watch: good overall, yet devices like Oura Ring or dedicated EEG (e.g., ZMax, 8Sleep Pod) are even more precise.

In sum, Whoop’s data capture is very good—excellent on the biceps and for its headline metrics (recovery, sleep). Apple Watch is more flexible and very reliable in workouts but has a different focus. New alternatives like Amazfit and Polar offer cheaper, subscription-free options but must prove they can match Whoop’s accuracy and algorithm depth.

Privacy and Security

Because Whoop 5.0 collects sensitive data like ECG, blood pressure, and HRV, privacy is critical. Whoop stresses that it does not sell member data and earns solely from subscriptions—sounding solid. However, data go to the cloud, including ECG PDFs. Positives include account protection with two-factor auth and data-export (CSV) on request.

More critical: anonymized data for AI features go to partner servers. Whoop states this openly, but trust is at stake. After controversies around biohackers like Bryan Johnson being accused of not sharing all health data transparently, Whoop’s openness matters, but users must stay vigilant. My advice: as long as Whoop encrypts properly and avoids breaches, I’m in—but I use strong passwords and regularly check third-party integrations.

Critical View and Outlook

I see three open issues for Whoop:

1. Upgrade Policy: Previously, existing members got a new band after six months; now it costs extra. Whoop communicated this poorly and angered many.
2. Measurement Transparency: For blood pressure and VO₂ max, a white paper on accuracy would be nice; just calling it “beta” isn’t enough.
3. Accessibility: Without a display, Whoop is hard for visually or hearing-impaired users. A voice-output option could help.

On the plus side: 14-day battery, small housing, and an ecosystem evolving from fitness tracker to long-term health chronicle. If Whoop listens to feedback and keeps pricing fair, I see a golden future—otherwise users will flock to brands offering more or costing less.

My personal hope: Whoop can be a “health airbag” for everyone—if they manage to democratize the price. Health shouldn’t carry a USD 359 tag.

Final Words

Whoop 5.0 is an impressive step forward in fitness trackers, offering advanced features, better hardware, and flexible subscription options. Healthspan, ECG, and blood-pressure monitoring make it a valuable preventive-health tool, while Hormonal Insights give women tailored support. Yet controversies over the upgrade policy and high premium costs cast a shadow.

For me, Whoop has become invaluable for understanding my body and proactively managing my health. Detailed insights into recovery, sleep, and strain—plus the new Healthspan feature—offer value I haven’t found elsewhere. I’m sticking with Whoop because the data quality feels unmatched—and, as a security guy, I can transparently see where my data go.

Whoop’s challenge will be improving communication with its community and clearly setting expectations for future upgrades to regain trust.

I’ll stay with Whoop for now because the data quality and app feedback are unrivaled in my view. Still, I hope Whoop stops treating ECG as a luxury. I believe other makers have noticed the trend toward screen-less fitness bands and will soon offer similar features without monthly fees. That’s a decisive advantage—you’re not locked into a single ecosystem like Google or Apple. You can switch devices faster if Whoop fails to keep innovating.

Stay healthy, take care of yourselves—and never forget in training: “Pain is temporary; glory is forever.”

Yours,
Joe