Whoop vs. Fitbit: The battle of the activity trackers

Fitness, health, and data tracking devices have gained a lot of popularity recently. Yet, many adults do not engage in at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services data, only less than 5 percent manage to reach this somehow reasonable goal.

Fitness trackers have brought about revolutionary change. You can get enough physical activity daily if you make it more of a priority, and fitness trackers help encourage people to do exactly that. This makes it easier if you have some fitness goals set using these devices. Then, it becomes easy to track your progress. When you set out on a fitness journey, you begin by assessing everything needed to reach your set goals.

To meet your goals, you need consistent training, eating right, and something to track your time and make you accountable. That’s where a health tracker comes in. It can track your heart rate, calories burned, and other biometrics.

Choosing the right one can be a bit of a challenge; many brands are advertising their devices. This review shows the difference between Whoop vs. Fitbit. Both are leading brands. We’ll look at their key features, benefits, and drawbacks, then make a recommendation of which one we think is the one for you.

Fitbit Fitness Trackers

Fitbit is a well-known brand in the fitness wearable industry. It’s achieved considerable success since it was established in 2007 by Eric Friedman and James Park. It was enjoying dominance in the industry until Apple came along. Besides, Fitbit has many fitness enthusiasts worldwide who buy their devices. They’ve sold more than 16 million units. The company has a wide variety of wearable devices, from trackers to smartwatches.

The devices have excellent functionality. They can track different performance metrics and recovery functions. The functions include your workout data, heart rate variability values, as well as sleep data. Fitbit Sense is their flagship device in the wearables range. It has the ability to perform an FDA-Cleared EKG, calculate a sleep score, and monitor circadian rhythms. Fitbit’s software has a tremendous amount of utility.

You purchase a device for a one-off cost. After that, using the software is free. You can also get a Fitbit premium subscription for $9.99 per month with access to a coach that will define personalized plans. The prices vary depending on their functionality. For example, Fitbit Sense goes for $279.95 and Fitbit Versa $149.95 on the official website. Fitbit fitness trackers come at $99.95 and $128.95, respectively, for the Inspire 2 and the Charge 4.

Key features

The Features mostly depend on the models. Most of them offer the following. When shopping for a Fitbit product, we recommend taking the quiz on the Official Fitbit website. It will help you in deciding which model is the right one for you.

  • Has a multi-day battery life
  • Built-in GPS tracking
  • Full day heart rate monitoring
  • Monitors cardio fitness level, sleep stages, and female health tracking
  • Water resistant
  • Can store music
  • Exercises are goal-based
  • Smartphone notifications
  • Monitors all sleep stages

Pros

  • Battery lasts longer than Whoop’s battery
  • No initially Fitbit membership needed
  • The brand is well established and acclaimed

Cons

  • Doesn’t have on-the-go charging
  • Not as aesthetically pleasing as the Whoop Band

Whoop 3.0

Whoop was established in 2011 by Will Ahmed and is currently a leader in fitness tracking, both in wearables and software. It has millions of users around the world. You get a third-generation device for free after you sign up for a membership, as well as download the Whoop app.

It’s built to focus more on recovery. It tracks your current physical state, blood vessels’ data and expounds on heart rate variability. It also offers you customized reports that show the progress of your fitness goals, plus full access to the Whoop Community. All that’s included in the monthly membership fee that’s charged.

Data points are taken at a rate of 100-times per second by the sensors on the Whoop 3.0 device. That’s way faster than Fitbit. The results are accurate; you get both a satisfactory device and the best tracking app. In addition, the app manages your recovery data.

The monthly options for investing in a Whoop membership include:

  • $30 per month for 6 months membership, $180 total
  • $24 per month for a 12-month membership, $288 total
  • $18 per month, for an 18 months membership
    Every subscription package has a Whoop 3.0 device included.

Key features

  • Waterproof
  • You get performance assessments
  • 24/7 heart rate monitoring
  • Your activity and workouts are tracked by the digital coach
  • Continuous Heart rate variability monitoring (compatible with HRV4training App)
  • Can be charged while worn
  • Scores strain, recovery, and sleep

Pros

  • High-function sensors offer advanced HRV tracking.
  • Includes all of Fitbit’s performance tracking metrics
  • Works best for improving and monitoring recovery

Cons

  • Monthly subscription fees
  • No access without subscription
  • You don’t get an upfront purchase option

Comparing the Fitbit Sense and the Whoop 3.0

Fitbit offers a full range of smartwatches with various features and price points. To provide a fair comparison, we summarized the key points of the Whoop vs. Fitbit Sense. Both models are closer in price and are both their flagship (unique) products.

Fitbit SenseWhoop 3.0
Battery Life (in days)610
Water Resistance50m30m
DisplayYesNo
GPSYesNo
Recovery AnalysisNoYes
Sleep TrackingYesYes
StrainNoYes
NotificationsYesNo
Upfront Payment$299.95No
MembershipOptional ($9.99 /mo)$24 /mo
(12 months)

Final verdict

Despite Fitbit being a fantastic device, it’s a great choice if you’re focusing primarily on tracking your workout data or analyzing your overall performance. Fitbit is a top brand in the market of fitness trackers. It has more than 10 million users around the world. However, in this case, we aren’t merely considering the popularity.

It might be well-known, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best option for you to monitor your training with. The data platform has plenty of functionality, but Fitbit doesn’t focus on your recovery, which is an important factor. On the other hand, if affordability is a factor for you, Fitbit would be a solid choice.

Whoop performs better since it focuses on training in the best possible way. In addition, all the tech components of the device exceed those found on Fitbit. However, those aren’t the only major differences between the two brands. It also has an app that focuses more on your strain and recovery than only on the number of reps or steps.

Whoop is essential for many top athletes and most fitness enthusiasts. Yet, it all doesn’t come for free. Instead, you have to dedicate yourself to paying a subscription, but it also includes the cost of the device.

When deciding what’s better for you between Fitbit vs. Whoop, you should go for a device that fits your own personal fitness goals and needs. Both products are different and do not really target the same public.

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