'WHOOP has finally added the one metric I was begging for: Steps'
With the amount of fitness wearables on the market at the moment you'd be forgiven for being overwhelmed by the options and suffering severe analysis paralysis when trying to decide between devices.
To help you wade through the health tracker choices we've done a deep dive WHOOP 4.0 review, putting together a comprehensive guide of absolutely everything you could ever want to know about the tracker, as well as a review about how I've found wearing a band religiously for a year.
Who I am: I'm a 28-year-old fitness newbie who used the WHOOP while training for the London and New York Marathons and values a balanced approach to training. I like to squeeze the most out of life which often leads me to get burnt out and exhausted, so anything that can help me exercise, have a busy social life, work a busy job and enjoy my hobbies without depleting myself is a winner in my book.
How I tested: I've been wearing the WHOOP round the clock for about a year now, and have been using the data to plan my workouts and assess my recovery.
Excitingly, after a decade of not featuring a step count, WHOOP announced that users will be able to track their steps with the band this week.
When we spoke to WHOOP's Senior Vice President of Data Science and Research, Emily Capodilupo, last year about tracking steps, she said 'WHOOP focuses on providing insights into your body’s recovery, strain, and sleep, which are key factors in overall fitness and health; steps are a less precise measure of overall activity and don’t capture the intensity or impact of your movements like the WHOOP strain score does'.
In the brand's Instagram announcement of this update, WHOOP said: 'Science evolves. So do we.' Over the past couple of years, there have been studies that show a strong relationship between daily step count and a decrease in all-cause and cardiovascular-related mortality.
For this reason, WHOOP has revised its stance on step count and while the launch statement on the website maintains that 'step counting in isolation is not a good proxy for cardiovascular fitness' they have found enough research to conclude that 'roughly 8,000 steps per day can reduce the risk of many diseases and conditions.'
As I mentioned, although I'm far from an elite athlete, I did wonder how one would use the WHOOP to help them enhance performance, so I chatted to football star and WHOOP ambassador Beth Mead to get the scoop.
Beth suffered a major ACL injury at the end of 2022, meaning the Arsenal star had to put a major focus on rehabilitation. When I asked about whether WHOOP helped with her ACL recovery, she emphatically said ‘100%. It helped me understand how crucial sleep is for me, it’s my number one recovery tool. It’s the only time your body switches off. I always have seven-plus hours minimum and WHOOP tells you the optimal time to sleep and wake up’.
While healing from her injury Beth found ‘being able to monitor my recovery throughout was a huge part of it, essentially knowing which days I should push myself in rehab, or alternatively when I needed to rest if my recovery score was lower'. She added 'I think having a good night’s sleep helped me heal quicker, or at least that was my mindset’.
When I asked Beth how she uses her WHOOP band to help with her training she said it ‘helps me with my regime massively. It helps me track everything from my sleep to stress levels, menstrual cycle, and resting heart rate, which are very important when looking to optimise performance and recovery. I wake up in the morning and fill my journal out. I have a tick list of what I need to do to peak or recover on each day, and it tells me what I need to do for my optimal performance. Since being in rehab I’ve got into a really good routine, and I know I can push myself to higher performance levels if I get my routine right’.
Now, let's move on to what the WHOOP is and how it works. I asked WHOOP's Senior Vice President of Data Science and Research, Emily Capodilupo, to fill me in on everything I needed to know about the band before I took the plunge into trying it for myself.
Before joining WHOOP in 2013 as the first full-time employee and first scientist, Emily studied Neurobiology at Harvard University and studied circadian biology in the Analytical and Modeling Unit of the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital. On top of this, she is a keen runner and former gymnast, so she knows exactly how important sleep and recovery are for peak performance.
What is a WHOOP band?
The WHOOP band is a screen-free health tracker with a wireless battery pack that means you can wear it 24/7. The band measures sleep, strain, recovery, stress, calories, and more, with personalised insights that help wearers track and improve their health over time.
Is WHOOP just for elite athletes?
There's a lot of debate online as to whether those who aren't elite athletes need a WHOOP band. And, of course, no one 'needs' a WHOOP in order to improve their health and fitness, but if you are interested in personalised health data and don't mind the monthly fee then it's a good fitness tracker to invest in.
Emily explained that 'WHOOP was originally designed with elite athletes in mind to optimise their performance, but it has since expanded to help a wide range of individuals understand their bodies and improve health and fitness'.
As a non-elite athlete who is very into health and fitness, I've found the WHOOP data to be invaluable in helping me prepare for the London Marathon without burning out.
WHOOP review
Once I'd received the WHOOP, it was a simple process to get started. In the package was a band, a WHOOP 4.0 and a battery pack. I charged up the device, downloaded the compatible app, inputed my data and started wearing it.
Emily advised that 'WHOOP is primarily a wrist-worn wearable. We recommend wearing it about 1 inch above the wrist bone, ensuring the sensor makes solid contact with your skin', so I made sure I had it on correctly before I started tracking.
Let's start with the negatives. There were a couple of things I didn't love about the WHOOP. One was the aesthetics: the black band is a bit of an eyesore in my opinion and doesn't fit with my personal style, but hey, that could just be me.
The other thing was that while the lack of a screen is great for battery life, whenever I run I end up wearing the WHOOP and my Apple Watch to track my runs. This means I'm leaving the house with a bit more gear than I'd like to.
At the time I started wearing my WHOOP I had just recently gotten into running and was finding myself feeling fatigued far more often than I normally would. I was forgoing my strength training sessions and pulling out of social plans because I felt super run down.
For this reason, the tracking aspects of the WHOOP I was most interested in were Strain and Recovery. I've been tracking my sleep using my Oura Ring for a while now and while it's beneficial, I wanted to see how I could structure my weeks and training sessions to make sure I was recovering enough between workouts and not overdoing it.
Now, let's get granular about the data and how beneficial I found it.
Sleep
The WHOOP sleep data is super interesting and takes into account how much sleep you've been getting along and how much activity you've been doing to give you a sleep goal to aim for.
It tells you how long you spent in bed, how many hours of sleep you got, and how much sleep you needed. The data gets more granular than that too, with information on how consistent your sleep has been, how much restorative sleep you got and if you have accrued any sleep debt from a previous bad nights sleep.
Getting a good sleep score makes me feel unrighteously smug (hence why I've clearly used the data from the best night sleep I've ever had) and knowing that I've had the rest my body needs makes me feel more confident I can complete my daily workout without exhausting myself.
I've tracked my sleep on WHOOP along with my Oura to see if there was any difference, and both trackers were fairly consistent, which gives me confidence in the results.
Recovery
WHOOP's recovery score takes into account your sleep, your HRV (heart rate variability), your RHR (resting heart rate) and your respiratory rate. It will give you daily insights into what went into your score, for example, mine in the above screenshot is high because I had a great night's sleep and am therefore able to complete a heavy workout if I'm so inclined.
The scores range from red (1-33%) which you'll usually see when you're sick, stressed, hungover, have overtrained or didn't get enough sleep. Orange (34-66%) means your body is moderately rested and can take on a medium-level workout. Green (67-99%) shows that you are well-recovered and ready to take on a strenuous day.
I've been fairly diligent with taking my recovery scores into account daily to see what my body can take on. I've found that if I ignore it, I end up feeling exhausted by the end of the week. Last week I had a busy week with travel, lack of sleep and a lot of training, and ignored my recovery score most days. I found that by Sunday I was physically and mentally exhausted and needed a full day of rest.
Strain
As I get ready for the marathon, I'm training more than I ever have before and I am often training twice a day so I can get in a range of runs, weight sessions, pilates, and yoga to increase my fitness and prevent injury.
Having the Strain section tell me how much each workout took out of me is fundamental in helping me do all the exercise I need to do without overdoing it. In the screenshot above I can see that although I did a weights session at lunch I should still be able to do an easy run after work without the potential of overtraining.
At the end of the day though, you have to learn to listen to your body. There have been days that the WHOOP has told me I'm ready for a strenuous workout and I've felt exhausted so I skipped my run in favour of an early night. These scores are just a guide and you should never ignore how your body feels just because the data says you 'should' be ready for a workout.
FAQs
Is WHOOP worth it?
After trying it out for a year, I do consider the WHOOP to be well worth it. The membership is fairly expensive, but the data and insights you get are immeasurably helpful in keeping track of your health and fitness, and knowing when you should be pushing yourself and when you should be resting.
Although if you're not really a data nerd and don't think you'd find these insights helpful or interesting, this probably isn't the device for you.
Does WHOOP track steps?
Yes, it does. As of October 2024 the WHOOP band can track steps using an accelerometer. WHOOP can quantify your daily steps, and create weekly, monthly and 6 monthly step count trends. You can also set personal goals so you can make sure you're hitting your desired step count.
Is WHOOP waterproof?
Both the WHOOP and the battery pack are waterproof, so you can wear them 24/7. It is water-resistant at depths of up to 10 meters for two hours, so maybe leave it behind if you're going deep-sea diving.
But you can wear it doing laps in the pool, in the shower, taking a dip in an ice bath and while relaxing in the sauna.
How much is the WHOOP?
The cost varies, for a standard monthly membership with a 12-month commitment you're looking at £27 a month. For an upfront 24-month membership it's £384 (equal to £16 a month) and for an upfront annual membership is £229 (equal to £19.08 per month).
If you're interested in trying out a WHOOP before you commit you can do a month free trial and if you don't like it you can just send the band back.
How to charge WHOOP 4.0?
Charging the WHOOP is super easy. Charge up the battery pack using a USB-C charger, then pop it onto the band so you can continue to wear it while it charges. The battery pack needs about two and a half hours to fully charge.
Is WHOOP accurate?
I asked Emily about how WHOOP can be so sure the device is accurate and she let us know that 'the accuracy of WHOOP is backed by research, including a head-to-head study conducted by a third party research lab comparing six leading wearables. WHOOP outperformed all others in Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability accuracy'.
She then added that 'WHOOP conducts extensive product validation in WHOOP Labs (our dedicated research facility) with diverse participants, ensuring reliable data for decision-making in fitness and health'.
On top of this 'WHOOP also partners with various external organisations, including professional sports teams, military groups, research institutions and universities to companies to advance human performance research and to integrate WHOOP insights into broader health and wellness initiatives. Some of the topics have included the impact of recovery on performance, the role of sleep in peak performance and the effects of strain in athletes'.
What does WHOOP track?
Emily filled us in on what exactly WHOOP tracks:
Heart Rate (HR)
Resting Heart Rate (RHR)
Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
Skin Temperature
Blood Oxygen (Sp02)
Respiratory Rate (RR)
Calories Burned
She then said that 'WHOOP then aggregates these metrics into scores for Recovery, Strain, Sleep and Stress, giving you a comprehensive picture of your body’s readiness, exertion and rest'.
Does the WHOOP band come in different colours?
Yes, it does. While I think there's still some room for improvement in terms of the style (I'd love a gold metal band for when I'm dressing up if anyone in the R&D team is reading this...) there are quite a few colour options to choose from.
I just swapped from a black Superknit band to the Silicone Sportflex Band in the a beige shade and I find it goes with my outfits a lot better, and doesn't get wet with sweat like my old band used to.
Does WHOOP track calories?
Yes, it does. When you're first setting up your account you will input your height, weight, gender and age, and WHOOP will use these factors to calculate your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). It then uses your daily heart rate and activities to calculate calories burned throughout the day.
How long does WHOOP battery last?
When charged to 100%, your WHOOP battery should last up to five days. However, If you're doing a lot of exercise it might be more like four days until it needs charging.
How do I cancel my WHOOP membership?
WHOOP offers new users a 30-day trial, after which you can cancel and send back the device. After this window has passed, you'll have to wait until the end of your commitment period. For more information about WHOOPs cancellation terms, you can check out the website here.
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