Whoop and Fitbit are easily two of the most recognisable fitness trackers currently on the market.
Whether you’re debating between the two or think one will suit you better than the other, this guide is here to help.
We’ve compared Whoop to Fitbit below, and highlighted the key differences between the brands. Keep reading to see which wearable will suit you best, in our Whoop vs Fitbit guide.
Otherwise, visit our best smartwatches list to see our favourite fitness trackers from a variety of brands, while our Garmin vs Apple Watch article explains the differences between two other wearable powerhouses.
Fitbit doesn’t require a subscription
Buying a Whoop is a significantly different experience compared to buying a Fitbit. While a Fitbit just requires a one-off purchase, with prices ranging anywhere from £84.99/$79.95 up to £399/$399, Whoop is only available as a subscription model.
At the time of writing, there are three subscription models to choose from: One, Peak and Life. We’ll discuss the overall differences here, but for a more in-depth look visit our Life vs Peak vs One guide.
One is the cheapest with a starting price of £169/$169 for a 12-month subscription, and includes a Whoop 5.0 device, charger and a Jet Black CoreKnit band.
On the other end of the scale, Life is the most expensive, with a starting price of £349/$349 for 12-months. The Life plan comes equipped with a Whoop MG strap (which stands for Medical Grade) rather than the Whoop 5.0. We’ll mention both straps throughout this article, but for more information check out Whoop 5 vs Whoop MG.
Having said that, Fitbit does have a monthly subscription that although isn’t a necessity, does include a few additional features. The subscription, coined Fitbit Premium, will set you back either £7.99/$9.99 a month of £79.99/$79.99 for 12-months, and includes tools such as:
- Full library of workouts and mindfulness sessions
- Details on your Sleep and Stress Management scores
- List of recipes
Is Whoop better than a Fitbit?
Whether one wearable brand is “better” than the other really depends on your needs and personal use case. All Fitbit trackers are designed to both track your health and fitness metrics, while working as a functional smartwatch too. This means you can receive notifications from your paired and compatible smartphone, see calendar alerts and more directly onto your tracker.
Whoop straps, on the other hand, are different from both Fitbit and pretty much every other smartwatch on the market, as they don’t have a built-in screen. Instead, Whoop straps are designed to allow users to focus on their health and workouts, while not getting distracted by constant notifications.
Although both are undoubtedly solid health trackers in their own right, with a plethora of sensors which we’ll dive into later, Fitbit is arguably a marginally better choice with exercise tracking. During our time with Whoop MG, we found its automatic exercise tracker to be hit-and-miss and would recommend using the device alongside another smartwatch to benefit from more advanced metric tracking.
Having said that, we did find that the likes of some of the best Fitbit trackers, including the Fitbit Sense 2, is a “better health and wellness tracker than it is a sports tracker”.
Is Whoop or Fitbit more accurate?
Whoop straps and Fitbit trackers are all equipped with various sensors that promise accurate tracking. In fact, across our tests, we found both Whoop and the majority of Fitbit trackers offer solid tracking results.
However, as we’ve mentioned before in Whoop vs Garmin, Whoop straps don’t benefit from built-in GPS, which means all location tracking is down to your paired smartphone. Fitbits, on the whole, do include some GPS features, with the exact type depending on the device.
Even so, the accuracy level depends on the device itself. For example, while we were impressed with the Google Pixel 3’s GPS accuracy, and found its performance was “mostly solid in testing” although it did fall short of the likes of Garmin and Apple watch, the Charge 6’s GPS tracking was deemed “essentially unusable”.
Whoop straps aren’t smartwatches
Easily one of the main reasons to opt for a Fitbit over a Whoop strap is with their respective smartwatch capabilities. For example, the Google Pixel Watch 3 sports WearOS which allows you to download compatible apps and benefit from Google integrations. These Google integrations include Google Home, which allows you to check security camera footage from your wrist, and the ability to use the Pixel Watch as a remote for your Google TV too.
Even so, keep in mind that some Fitbits, like the Inspire 3, have more limited smartwatch tools with no payment support, smart assistant nor apps.
Whoop, on the other hand, simply doesn’t offer the same smartwatch functionality, which means you can’t use your strap to make payments, receive smartphone notifications or even follow a map on screen while on a run. Plus, the lack of screen means you can’t even see live tracking updates without needing your phone to hand.
For most users, this will likely be an issue. However, for serious athletes, or those who don’t want any distractions, then Whoop is likely a more appealing option.
Finally, it’s worth knowing both Whoop and all Fitbits can be paired with both an iPhone or Android smartphone.
Whoop typically offers a longer battery life
Although Whoop doesn’t offer battery-extending features like the Solar display found on the Garmin Instinct 3, it does allow users the opportunity to keep the strap on for extended periods to get the most tracking data. Essentially, while the Whoop MG offers up to a solid 14 days of battery life, you can use the Wireless Power Pack (which is either sold separately or comes with both Peak and Life subscriptions) to recharge your strap without needing to take it off.
This means you won’t miss a single minute of data collection, which should offer more comprehensive data.
The exact amount of battery life differs across the Fitbit series. While the most expensive Google Pixel 3 only offers up to 36-hours of battery life, the Fitbit Inspire 3 boasts up to a whopping 10-days instead.
Verdict
If you want more of an in-depth look at your health and body metrics, aren’t necessarily fussed about GPS prowess and want uninterrupted tracking, then a Whoop strap is a brilliant and much more premium option.
On the other hand, for more casual and beginner athletes who want an overall look at their health, plus the ability to use their device as a working smartwatch, then one of the best Fitbits will likely suit better.
