After wearing the WHOOP 4.0 for over a year, I decided to upgrade to WHOOP 5.0. Some people cancel after the first year, but for those who enjoy data and use it to improve daily habits, in my opinion, WHOOP remains one of the most compelling wearables on the market.
TL;DR
WHOOP 5.0 is worth upgrading to mainly for the 14-day battery life, plus a slightly lighter, slimmer design and improved sensors for cleaner heart rate and sleep data. Features like Healthspan (WHOOP Age) and Advanced Labs add useful longevity and health tracking, and WHOOP remains one of the best wearables for women’s cycle and recovery insights, especially over 40. If you already rely on WHOOP data, the upgrade makes sense – but if you mainly want steps or basic fitness tracking, there are more affordable options.
The launch of WHOOP 5.0 caused a lot of backlash. Long-term users were frustrated that the upgrade was no longer free and required either renewing or extending their membership – something WHOOP had originally promised would not happen. I understand the frustration, but I also appreciate the cost of developing new hardware and software. After waiting a few months and taking advantage of a Black Friday offer, I upgraded for another year.
In this review, I focus specifically on:
Whether WHOOP 5.0 is worth upgrading from WHOOP 4.0
The real hardware differences
New features like Healthspan (WHOOP Age) and Advanced Labs
How useful WHOOP is for women, especially over 40
What I love, what could be improved
If you are new to WHOOP and want a full breakdown of what the platform does, you can read my long-term WHOOP 4.0 review here
Choosing the Right WHOOP Membership and How Much It Costs
With WHOOP 4.0, things were simple – one device, one core membership. With WHOOP 5.0, the decision is more complicated.
There are now three memberships and two devices:
WHOOP One – €199/year
WHOOP 5.0 device
Reduced feature set compared to previous memberships
Best for users who only want basic tracking
WHOOP Peak – €264/year
WHOOP 5.0 device
Keeps all features available on WHOOP 4.0
Includes Healthspan, Stress Monitor, Advanced Sleep, and Recovery metrics
WHOOP Life – €399/year
Different WHOOP device with medical-focused features
Positioned closer to health monitoring
Has raised concerns due to regulatory scrutiny
I did find this naming a bit confusing, as I thought it was a lifetime membership, but no, it is still a yearly cost.
I chose WHOOP Peak, as it preserves all the features I already used with WHOOP 4.0 while upgrading the hardware. Due to the Black Friday campaign, it was 45 euros off, but they do charge €11.99 for shipping (a bit crazy if you ask me), so my total for an upgrade was €230.99.
A Note on the FDA Letter and WHOOP Life
Shortly after the release of WHOOP Life, the company received an FDA warning letter clarifying that some features could be interpreted as medical claims. WHOOP has since updated its website language, strongly emphasising that their devices are not medical devices.
Personally, this reinforced my decision not to choose WHOOP Life. If I wanted a medical-grade device, I would choose one that is fully FDA-approved and clinically validated. For wellness, recovery, and lifestyle optimisation, WHOOP Peak makes far more sense.
I have linked an independent article and the FDA letter itself in the references if you want to explore this further.
First Impressions of WHOOP 5.0
Delivery was fast – under a week to Europe. The packaging felt more sustainable and minimal compared to the Apple-like unboxing of WHOOP 4.0. I do not mind this, as I care more about the functionality of the tracker rather than presentation.
Hardware Feel
WHOOP 5.0 is:
Around 7 percent lighter
Slightly slimmer
Less noticeable on the wrist, especially during sleep
That said, the 4.0 band feels more premium and solid. The 5.0 device and battery pack feel more plasticky in comparison. I slightly prefer the build quality of the old device, but the reduced weight makes a difference, and I noticed that it is lighter straight away.
Battery Life- The Biggest Upgrade
The standout improvement is battery life.
WHOOP 5.0 lasts up to 14 days on a single charge, and I love it. WHOOP 4.0 needs to be charged every 3–5 days. Even if I have never missed a charge due to Whoop’s reminders to charge it before it dies, it became mildly annoying over time.
Charging once every two weeks feels almost revolutionary for a wearable.
This single feature alone significantly improves the experience. You are far less likely to miss data or remove the device altogether, especially if you travel or simply forget to charge gadgets regularly.
I have been traveling for over a month now, and I have only had to charge my Whoop 5.0 twice.
Same as with the older version, you get notified that the battery is at less than 20%, but you have a few days to actually charge it.
Setup and App Experience
Switching from WHOOP 4.0 to 5.0 was straightforward:
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Unsync the old device
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Attach the charger to activate the new one
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Sync through the app
The process took only a few minutes. However, I would have appreciated printed setup instructions in the box. I had to use WHOOP’s AI assistant for the guidance.
The app itself is exactly the same. Most improvements are happening in the hardware and data quality, not in visual redesigns.
WHOOP 4.0 vs WHOOP 5.0 – Real Differences
Here is a clear breakdown for anyone deciding whether to upgrade:
WHOOP 5.0 vs WHOOP 4.0
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Battery life: up to 14 days vs 3–5 days
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Weight: ~7 percent lighter
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Sensors: new sensor array sampling 26 times per second
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Heart rate: cleaner signal, fewer dropouts
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Sleep tracking: updated performance sleep model
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Skin temperature: improved sensitivity
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Processor: faster and smoother performance
The experience feels more refined rather than dramatically different.
I noticed that the alarm vibration is slightly harsher on the Whoop 5.0, but much easier to switch off.
There are also no random delays in data syncing like I used to occasionally experience with 4.0
As you can see from the pictures, the difference between the bands is noticeable, but not extreme. The Whoop 4.0 is showing signs of wear after a year of use, and you can see that the Whoop 5.0 is slightly narrower.
New Features Worth Talking About
Healthspan and Pace of Aging (WHOOP Age)
Some people call this feature gimmicky. I disagree.
Healthspan shows how your daily habits influence your pace of aging. At 41, my WHOOP Age is currently 33 – 8.6 years younger. My pace of aging is normally -0.3, which I am very proud of, but due to travels, it increased to 1.1, which is quite sad to see, but Whoop AI assistant gave me some suggestions on how to improve it.
Is it perfectly accurate? Probably not, as it does not take into account the nutrition aspect of aging, which I think is a very important part of healthy aging. But it is highly motivating and visually intuitive.
What I like most is that it connects behaviour to long-term outcomes rather than daily performance alone. It encourages consistency, not perfection.
Health Monitor and Stress Alerts
WHOOP continues to refine real-time stress monitoring and health alerts. These are particularly useful when combined with sleep, recovery, and menstrual cycle data, as patterns become easier to spot over time. I have not noticed too much diference in the data, but I will update this section in a few months.
AI Assistant
It is not a new, but an improving feature, that I started to use more often. It is great for summarising your personal data that you are interested in. For example, I wanted to know how my cycle affects my overall well-being, and there were some interesting insights that I can use while planning my weekly training. It becomes more valuable the more data you have, therefore, after more than a year of using Whoop, I am starting to utilise this feature more.
WHOOP for Women and Hormonal Health
This is where WHOOP truly stands out.
Few wearables meaningfully account for female physiology. WHOOP’s menstrual cycle insights go beyond basic tracking and guide on:
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Sleep
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Training intensity
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Mood and stress
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Nutrition
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Work and productivity
As someone in perimenopause, I find this particularly valuable. Recovery, sleep quality, and stress scores often fluctuate across cycle phases, and WHOOP helps contextualise those changes instead of treating them as failures.
This feature alone makes WHOOP one of the most female-aware wearables currently available. It is not perfect yet, but I am sure this feature will keep improving.
Advanced Labs – A Big Step Forward
WHOOP Advanced Labs allow you to centralise blood test results inside the app.
U.S. Members
U.S.-based users can book tests directly through Quest®, with pricing between $150 and $199 per test depending on frequency. You get:
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65 biomarkers
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A clinical report
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A personalised action plan integrated into your WHOOP journal
Global Members
Outside the U.S., you can upload lab results for free as PDFs or screenshots. This is what I currently do in Europe. Having all health data in one place is incredibly useful, and I hope in-app testing becomes available globally soon.
I will be uploading my results in a few weeks and will write an update.
Disclosure: If you buy Whoop through any of the links provided, I might get a small commission, with no extra cost for you. I appreciate the support! Full Affiliate Disclosure
You can buy Whoop 5.0 on their website as well as on Amazon.
I recommend checking both, as some options might be cheaper. For example, if you buy through Amazon, you don’t need to pay for shipping, but Whoop might be running some offers like $149 for Whoop 4.0 with ONE subscription.
FAQs
Is WHOOP 5.0 waterproof?
Yes. You can shower and swim with it. WHOOP recommends wearing it continuously to avoid gaps in data. I have been swimming a lot lately, as I am in Thailand at the moment, and Whoop 5.0 was quite good in detecting it.
Does WHOOP track calories?
Yes and no. Yes, but only calories burned. It estimates expenditure based on heart rate and basal metabolic rate. You cannot log food intake.
What biomarkers are included in Whoop Labs?
There are 65 biomarkers included. I have grouped them into categories:
Metabolic / Glucose Regulation
– Blood Fasting Glucose
– Glucose
– Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)
– Insulin
– HOMA-IR Score
– Triglycerides
– Triglycerides/HDL Ratio
Lipid / Cardiovascular:
– Total Cholesterol
– LDL Cholesterol
– HDL Cholesterol
– Non-HDL Cholesterol
– Cholesterol / HDL Ratio
– Apolipoprotein B (ApoB)
– Lipoprotein(a)
Inflammation / Vascular
– High-sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP)
– Homocysteine
Liver / Biliary:
– Alanine aminotransferase (ALT)
– Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)
– Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP)
– Total Bilirubin
Kidney / Electrolytes / Acid–Base:
– Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)
– Creatinine
– BUN/Creatinine Ratio
– Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR)
– Sodium
– Potassium
– Chloride
– Carbon dioxide (CO₂ / bicarbonate)
– Calcium
Iron Status:
– Iron
– Ferritin
– Total iron-binding capacity (TIBC)
– Iron % Saturation
Hormones (Sex & Stress & Thyroid):
– Testosterone
– Free testosterone
– Estradiol
– Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG)
– Cortisol
– Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)
– Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)*
– Luteinizing Hormone (LH)*
Proteins / Nutrition:
– Total Protein
– Albumin
– Globulin, Calculated
– Albumin/Globulin Ratio
Complete Blood Count – Red Cells:
– Red blood cell count (RBC)
– Hemoglobin
– Hematocrit
– Mean corpuscular volume (MCV)
– Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH)
– Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC)
– Red cell distribution width (RDW)
Complete Blood Count – White Cells:
– White blood cells (WBC)
– Neutrophils
– Neutrophil %
– Lymphocytes
– Lymphocyte %
– Monocytes
– Monocyte %
– Eosinophils
– Eosinophil %
– Basophils
– Basophil %
Platelets:
– Platelets
– Mean platelet volume (MPV)
Vitamins:
– Vitamin D
Final Verdict – Is WHOOP 5.0 Worth Upgrading?
WHOOP 5.0 does not reinvent the platform, but it meaningfully improves the experience. The lighter device, dramatically longer battery life, and improved sensors make it easier to wear consistently, which ultimately improves data quality.
I am happy with my decision to upgrade and continue for another year. WHOOP remains a leader in recovery, sleep, and health behaviour tracking, especially for those interested in longevity rather than performance alone.
I am curious to see how future features, such as glucose monitoring, will be implemented. Many people are moving away from constant glucose data, so execution will matter.
If you already use WHOOP 4.0 and value your data, the upgrade makes sense. If you are new, WHOOP is still best suited for people who enjoy learning from trends rather than obsessing over daily numbers.
