‘I got a WHOOP fitness band loved by athletes and it changed my daily routine’ (Image: OK!)I’m not exactly an athlete, but I do enjoy staying active with regular hikes, fitness classes and gym sessions. This year, I’ve decided to focus more on my fitness routine. Although I have no plans to run a marathon or sign up for an Iron Man, I wanted a piece of tech that could easily track my fitness metrics. I thought my Apple Watch might be the answer, but despite enjoying closing my daily fitness rings, I found myself wearing it less and less after a year. The main reasons? It’s quite bulky and I find myself constantly distracted by all the notifications. That’s when I discovered WHOOP 4.0. This smart tracking band promises ‘no screens and no distractions’ perfect. So, curious to see what all the hype was about especially as at least five of my friends swear by their bands I decided to try one out for a month and give you my honest feedback. So, what is a WHOOP band? The WHOOP band is a health tracker designed to be worn 24/7. It has a screen-free design and comes with a wireless battery pack for continuous use. It tracks sleep, strain, recovery, stress, calories, and more, providing personalised insights that help users monitor and improve their health over time. The device monitors a variety of health metrics, including heart rate, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, skin temperature, blood oxygen, respiratory rate and calories burned. How does it work?
The clever wireless battery pack means you never have to take the strap off
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The WHOOP set-up process is simple with the band and the app
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Simply wear the band and view all the metrics on a compatible app. When setting up your account, you’ll input your height, weight, gender, and age, which WHOOP utilises to calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR). From there, it tracks your daily heart rate and activities to estimate the calories you burn each day. Charging the WHOOP is straightforward and well-designed. Just power up the battery pack with a USB-C charger, then attach it to the band so you can continue wearing it while it charges. The battery pack takes about two and a half hours to fully charge and allows you to keep the band on overnight to reach full battery (a problem with the Apple Watch). Once charged, it should last for five days. Who is this band for? Originally designed for elite athletes, WHOOP has since expanded its target audience. It might be a worthwhile investment for men and women interested in personalised health data. Those training for intense fitness events like marathons and triathlons and who want to understand their output better will find the band beneficial. But it’s also great for regular gym-goers, like me, who are keen to learn more about their fitness abilities. While it does a lot, it doesn’t count steps and it doesn’t have a digital display. If these are features you’re after, WHOOP isn’t for you. But if a discreet band and a comprehensive app sound appealing, it could be just what you need to become fitter. How much does WHOOP cost? An annual commitment membership is £229 (£19 per month) and a 24-month commitment membership is £384 (£16 per month), reports the Mirror. You get a free black band and then you can pay an additional £44 for the coloured strap of your choice. 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 send the band back. Zoe says
Zoe found the app easy to navigate after some studying
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After choosing my band colours from the website (I opted for black and navy, but there’s a wide range of bold and neutral hues to pick from), setting it up was a breeze when it arrived. The package included my two bands, the WHOOP, and a battery pack. All you have to do is charge the gadget to 100%, download the compatible app, and then enter the necessary information to create a profile. The only slight letdown I had with the band was that it took about a week to get all the metric readings functioning. This is required as it needs to gather enough data to learn about you, but I found myself constantly checking back for readings only to discover they weren’t available for the first week. After that, my screen began to fill with readings and results. I’ve found the Strain and Recovery metrics particularly helpful. Your recovery score, for instance, is based on a combination of factors like your sleep, HRV (heart rate variability), RHR (resting heart rate), and respiratory rate. It provides daily insights into what contributed to your score, such as if you had a good night’s sleep. The sleep tracking feature of the band shows me how much sleep I get, how much I need and if I’ve got any ‘sleep debt’. It’s fascinating to see the correlation between a good night’s rest and the success of my workouts the next day. I won’t lie, as someone who has only ever tracked calories and steps before, having all these metrics presented to me required some studying, but once I understood what everything meant, navigating the app became much simpler. So, is the membership worth it? After a month of using the WHOOP, I can confidently say it’s worth every penny. Yes, the membership might be a bit steep, but the wealth of data and insights it offers is invaluable for keeping tabs on your health and fitness. It helps you know when to push your limits and when to take a breather. Personally, I find the sleep tracking feature and the ability to log calories super useful. Since getting it, I’ve developed healthier habits around my gym and rest schedule, and I’m eager to maintain this. In terms of my fitness, I feel like I’ve finally found a routine that works for me, and I can tell all the tracking is paying off because I feel stronger than ever. If you’re looking for other fitness trackers that don’t come with membership fees, check out Samsung’s Galaxy Fit30 for £50, or Fitbit’s Sense 2 Health and Fitness Smartwatch for £172.83.Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterMore OnHealthShopping
