When it comes to fitness features, there’s a lot to love about WHOOP’s latest release. Designated 5.0, it positions the Boston-based fitness app company as a potential leader in numerous areas, including recovery, blood pressure and HRV tracking. It also includes WHOOP MG (i.e., medical grade), and there are plans for a feature called Advanced Labs that could allow users to integrate their medical information into the app.
But WHOOP 5.0 also debuted with an unexpected glitch that has nothing to do with the tech. The company has had to do a serious pivot and respond to a controversy over upgrade pricing, so let’s review.
The feature additions represents an effort to be comprehensive
The basic additions in 5.0 represent an attempt to be all things to all people, fitness-wise. Most notably, they include advances in the WHOOP’s longevity feature, Healthspan, as well as blood pressure insights and information on women’s hormonal cycles that go beyond mere tracking. They also include improvements in sleep scoring, more detailed heart-related metrics, and a more holistic approach to recovery.
In addition, 5.0 includes a “strain” score that takes a deeper dive into the results of daily workouts.
“WHOOP Strain is a measure of cardiovascular exertion that quantifies the amount of physical and mental stress you’re putting on your body,” says Alexi Coffey, WHOOP’s VP of Product. “Strain accounts for all activity, including factors that increase heart rate like stress, strength training, cardio, or even just walking up a flight of stairs. Strain can comprehensively capture the total impact you put on your body.”
That information can be put used via a feature called Strain Coach. According to Coffey, it provides personalized recommendations for activities based on the daily recovery score, and those recommendation incorporate the Strain numbers that have been built up during the day. Those recommendations may include running, cycling, cycling, etc., depending on personal preferences.
Other improvements include blood pressure advances
The sleep score tech has also been upgraded to contribute to both improved health and productive workouts. It includes four important components — sleep consistency, efficiency, stress and the number of hours recorded versus a required number.
The upgraded sensors and longer battery life are put to good use as well. WHOOP’s patent-pending technology delivers blood pressure insights straight from the wrist, and women can use the cycle-tracking information to help assess their recover, stress levels, sleep quality and workout performance parameters.
Finally, there’s the AI. It’s one of several integral elements of WHOOP Advanced Labs, an upcoming feature that will allow members to schedule blood tests and receive clinical reports that are integrated into the app. The plan for Advanced Lab is to include actionable steps that wearers can use to improve overall health.
The upgrade upheaval
As impressive as all this may be, it’s been overshadowed to some extent by an online rebellion among existing WHOOP users regarding upgrade pricing. Specifically, subscribers who’d been on board for at least six months were expecting to get new hardware for free, along with the new software features.
Initially, though, WHOOP announced that those subscribers would have to extend their subscription or pay a $49 upgrade fee. Those subscribing to WHOOP 4.0 wouldn’t have access to the advanced women’s health tracking or the Healthspan information that estimates physiological age.
WHOOP has subsequently responded with an announcement that those with more than six months left on their membership will get upgrades for free, with refunds and fee cancellations for those who have already re-upped and been charged. The company’s subscription model has also been revamped to include only 12- or 24-month memberships, with annual subscriptions pricing ranging from $199 to $359, with more information available on the company site.
