With Whoop 5.0, My Body’s Data Becomes a Story I Can Follow
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One of the most anticipated health wearables of the year has finally landed—the Whoop 5.0 is here. And yes, it’s packed with so many updates that it can be a bit overwhelming at first. Luckily, I got early access to the new Whoop ahead of launch, so I can walk you through everything that’s new: the different versions, the upgraded features, how the subscriptions now work—and most importantly, what the new Whoop Life experience with the MG sensor actually feels like.
Whoop 5.0, MG Sensor, and the Three New Membership Tiers
Let’s get this out of the way first: this isn’t a full review—yet. A proper deep-dive is coming in a few weeks once I’ve had enough time to put the new Whoop through its paces and run it through my usual testing protocol. For now, consider this your early hands-on look: what’s new, what’s changed, and how it’s holding up in everyday use.
Right off the bat, it’s worth knowing that Whoop has rolled out two new hardware models, and restructured its membership into three new tiers. Before we get into the nitty-gritty, here’s a quick breakdown.
Two New Trackers:
Whoop 5.0 – This is the standard model. It’s more compact, features upgraded sensors, and offers longer battery life. It also auto-detects over 145 activities.
Whoop MG – It has the same core features as the 5.0, but adds medical-grade (MG) sensors like ECG. There’s also a wellness feature for blood pressure monitoring, though it’s still in beta.
Three Membership Options:
Whoop One ($199/year + Whoop 5.0) – The essentials: core tracking for training, recovery, sleep, and women’s hormonal insights. It’s simple, no-frills, and offers solid value if you’re after just the fundamentals. This tier is pretty much in line with what Whoop has been offering up until now.
Whoop Peak ($239/year + Whoop 5.0) – Adds more advanced tools like a daily vitals dashboard, real-time stress tracking with guided breathing, and insights into how your habits might be impacting your long-term health and aging.
Whoop Life ($359/year + Whoop MG) – The premium tier. Unlocks medical-grade features like ECG on demand, blood pressure monitoring from the wrist, and alerts for irregular heart rhythms.
Regardless of tier, every membership comes with either the 5.0 or MG tracker (depending on your plan), a waterproof charger, and a band. All plans also include 12 months of service, 24/7 support, and a lifetime hardware warranty.
Heads-Up: Whoop runs entirely on a subscription model. That means the sensor is basically a brick without an active membership. You’ll need to renew yearly to keep it working—definitely something to factor in.
If you’re currently using a Whoop 4.0 (review) and want to step up to the new hardware—whether it’s the 5.0 or the more advanced MG—upgrading is pretty straightforward:
Option 1: Extend your membership, and the new device comes bundled in.
Option 2: Pay a one-time upgrade fee and keep your current plan length.
Upgrade fees:
$49 if you’re on Whoop One or Peak.
$79 if you’re on Whoop Life (since that includes the MG hardware).
EU pricing: flat €59, no matter which tier you’re on.
And here’s a cool perk: through Whoop’s Upcycle Program, you can pass your 4.0 on to a friend. If they activate it with a new membership, you’ll get a $50 credit in return.
Alright—pricing sorted. Let’s dive into what’s actually new in the day-to-day experience.
Same Comfortable Fit, Smarter Tech Inside
I’ve been testing the new Whoop MG sensor, which comes bundled with the Life subscription tier. While I haven’t had access to the medical-grade features like ECG readings yet, this already feels like Whoop’s most personalized tracker to date. The device is laser-focused on sleep, recovery, fitness, and stress—and you can tell the new generation is more tightly integrated with real-time health insights than ever before.
Physically, the MG sensor is slightly thicker and a bit shorter than the previous model—but honestly, you’d have to look closely to notice. According to Whoop, it’s 7% smaller overall, which also makes it lighter on the wrist (or wherever you wear it). That’s a big plus, considering this thing is built for 24/7 wear.
To be honest, I’ve been using the Whoop 4.0 since June 2024, and this new model feels almost identical on the wrist—which is a win in my book. Whoop’s minimalist, low-profile design has always been one of the main reasons I’ve stuck with it.
That said, I know some folks were hoping for more interactivity—maybe LED indicators for recovery or even a simple time display. Personally, I’m glad Whoop stuck with the clean, screenless aesthetic. As someone who wears it daily, I appreciate the sleek, unobtrusive design that fades into the background.
One thing that might frustrate anyone who picked up a new Whoop in the last year: even though the sensor pod redesign looks and feels minimal, it directly affects accessory compatibility. Older bands and Whoop Body gear won’t work with the new hardware. I tried using the MG sensor with my Whoop bra, and not only did it feel loose, but part of the sensor also got covered. Looks like I’ll need to get creative.
Under the hood, Whoop’s made some legit hardware upgrades. They claim a 60% faster processor and 10x better power efficiency, which basically means quicker response times, better performance, and more accurate data. They’re not saying exactly how they pulled it off, but it’s likely a mix of better sensors, smarter energy management, and improved light detection. The last big hardware refresh was back in 2021, so a leap forward was overdue.
One area that got a much-needed fix: tracking low heart-rate activities. Workouts like yoga, barre, and slow strength sessions used to fly under the radar, but now Whoop gives you credit even if your heart rate isn’t spiking. It’s finally starting to understand muscular effort, not just cardio.
The upgraded sensor improves general workout detection too, so you likely won’t need to manually label everything anymore. Plus, the new vibration motor is stronger. You’ll notice it during workouts, and it’s reliable enough to use as a silent alarm that actually wakes you up.
Still, no built-in GPS. If you were hoping to ditch your phone on runs, no dice. Whoop’s sticking to offloading location tracking to your phone, which feels behind the curve at this point.
Battery life is where things really improved. You can now get up to 14 days on a single charge—way better than the last version. The battery pack itself also got a bump: 766 mAh now, up from 672. It’s a bit bigger, but still uses the same snap-on charging method. Also, they finally switched to a USB-C to USB-C braided cable. It’s tougher, more modern, and just… about time.
Let’s start with a reminder: Whoop isn’t just a fitness monitor, it’s a membership. You don’t pay for the hardware up front—the cost lives in the subscription, where all the real value is anyway. And while this latest generation brings some welcome hardware upgrades, it’s the new and improved features in the software that steal the spotlight.
If you’re new to the Whoop ecosystem, here’s the quick breakdown: this platform is built around tracking four pillars—sleep, recovery, strain (think: activity + exercise), and stress. All of this funnels into a daily recovery score that tells you how primed your body and mind are to take on the day. That hasn’t changed.
But this generation marks a shift. One that feels like a natural evolution. Whoop has been slowly edging from “fitness tracker” to “health monitor,” and now it’s leaning harder into that direction—with a more serious look at cardiovascular health and even longevity.
So yes, you still get your sleep metrics, activity insights, and stress tracking. You still fill out that daily journal (which feels part check-in, part science experiment) to help Whoop’s algorithm piece together what’s helping—or wrecking—your recovery. And you still get health nudges that you can either act on… or ignore until you burn out.
But now, things are getting a little more clinical.
This latest update adds some heavyweight features: biological age tracking, on-demand ECG readings, and new blood pressure-related insights. And that’s where the new sensor setup comes in. The device I’m testing—the Whoop MG—is for users who want a broader, deeper view into their cardiovascular system. Think: more than just “your heart rate spiked during that HIIT session.”
It’s a move that aligns Whoop with devices like the Apple Watch Series 10 (review) or the Withings Body Scan Scale (review)—products that are less about your next PR and more about your long-term health. The new ECG feature is FDA-cleared in the U.S. and certified in Europe, meaning it’s not just tech-grade—it’s medical-grade.
To take an ECG with the new Whoop, you’re not just relying on the sensor under the band anymore. The buckle now houses two discreet electrode ridges—one on each side—and there’s a new ceramic sensor integrated around the main optical sensor that stays in contact with your skin. The setup feels minimal, but it’s clever.
When you touch both side electrodes with your index finger and thumb, you basically complete a circuit. That closes the loop for a single-lead ECG reading—simple. It takes about 30 seconds, and since there’s no display on the band itself (classic Whoop), the whole thing is initiated and visualized through the app.
For most people with a healthy heart, the ECG isn’t a daily-use feature. But Whoop’s focus on AFib—an irregular heartbeat that affects around 2% of the population—makes sense. It’s often symptomless, yet linked to a fivefold increase in stroke risk. So while not essential for everyone, it’s a smart addition for spotting something you might not feel.
Blood Pressure Insights
Another new feature lives under the broader “cardiovascular insights” umbrella: estimated blood pressure. Keyword estimated—and it’s worth emphasizing this is still in beta and labeled a “wellness feature,” not a clinically validated tool.
Unlike a traditional cuff, Whoop doesn’t directly measure blood pressure. Instead, it pulls in heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), blood flow trends, and your demographic data (like age and body metrics), and runs it all through a model trained on mountains of data.
The result? Each morning, you get an estimated systolic and diastolic range, right from your wrist. It’s passive, seamless… but there’s a catch: to unlock the feature, you first need to calibrate it with a one-time reading from an actual blood pressure cuff.
Healthspan
As someone who’s into longevity and health optimization, I was genuinely curious to see how Whoop’s new healthspan features would hold up—especially the physiological age and pace of aging metrics. I stay pretty consistent with my training and recovery, so I wasn’t expecting any shocking results, but I was a little skeptical. These models can sometimes feel too generalized or disconnected from reality.
But in my case, Whoop got it right. It estimated me at 3.6 years younger than my actual age, which tracks with how I’ve been feeling, physically and mentally. Even more useful is how the app breaks it all down. For instance, it flagged sleep consistency as a major driver in slowing my aging pace, something I’ve always known mattered, but seeing it in the data gives it real weight.
That insight is powered by a model built in partnership with Dr. Eric Verdin of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. Together, they identified nine key contributors to biological aging: sleep duration and consistency, heart rate zone training (both low and high intensity), daily steps, strength training, VO2 max, resting heart rate, and lean body mass. Whoop uses your data across these metrics to update your physiological age every week. Not based on a snapshot, but on patterns.
Lately, I’ve shifted to a higher-protein diet and added about 2 kg of lean mass. I noticed the impact on my sleep almost immediately, and sure enough, Whoop picked it up too. But there was a trade-off: my sleep quality dipped, and metrics like resting heart rate and respiratory rate crept up—exactly how I was feeling, now visualized in the data.
That’s the real edge here. I’ve been wearing the Whoop alongside the Apple Watch Series 9 (review) and Oura Ring 4 (review). Oura comes close, but Whoop is more consistent at surfacing these nuanced shifts in recovery and health. It doesn’t just dump numbers on you—it tells a story that actually reflects what your body’s doing.
Women’s Hormonal Insights
With all the new features, the Whoop app got a bit of a facelift. It’s now more clearly split into sleep, recovery, strain, stress—and there’s a new Health tab tracking vitals. But the biggest shift for me? Menstrual cycle tracking. It’s been completely overhauled.
After speaking with Emily Capodilupo, Whoop’s SVP of Research, Algorithms, and Data, I had a feeling something big was coming. And it did. The app now maps hormonal phases across multiple metrics—HRV, recovery, sleep, strain—making the invisible effects of cycle changes actually visible. Insights are easier to find and, honestly, more meaningful.
I’ve tested a lot of cycle tracking across different brands, and I can say with confidence: nothing else comes close. And yes, it also supports pregnancy.
Later this year in the US—and internationally after that—Whoop is rolling out Advanced Labs, a new feature that merges bloodwork with your wearable data. I had a similar thought while using an app called Aware here in Berlin: imagine syncing your lab results with real-time health metrics. Whoop’s making that idea real.
According to Alexi Coffey, Whoop’s VP of Product, Advanced Labs will offer a full-spectrum view of your health by combining Whoop data with lab work reviewed by real clinicians. It’s currently invite-only via a waitlist, but the goal is clear: to address health on a deeper, more personalized level.
If your cholesterol’s a bit high, Whoop will provide a plan built with a clinician to address it. And if you’re already working with your own doctor, you can upload your lab results and keep everything in one place. It’s a practical step toward integrating wearables with actual medical care.
My First 72 Hours with Whoop MG
Alright, so after 72 hours with the Whoop MG, my first take is pretty solid: it’s a noticeable step forward. But here’s the thing—the membership system? It’s no longer just “pay a monthly fee, and you’re in.” Now it’s more of a choose-your-own-adventure with features, and that might take folks a minute to wrap their heads around.
I get that you’re probably not waiting around for my full deep-dive on the Whoop MG, so here’s my cheat sheet if you’re trying to make a decision now: it all comes down to what features actually matter to you.
The new $199/year subscription is already a decent starting point. You’re getting a good baseline of health and habit tracking, and with the updated hardware and smarter features, it’s already a better deal than the 4.0 ever was.
Then there’s the Peak tier. Slightly cheaper than what the annual Whoop 4.0 subscription costs, but now with longevity predictions and suggestions for slowing down your biological aging—like improving your VO2max (which, by the way, is clutch if you care about living longer and staying active). It also folds stress monitoring into the mix and gives you a dashboard that feels a lot more dynamic. My guess? Most people will end up here, it’s where the real depth of insights lives.
And then you’ve got the Life package. This is the all-in version. You’re paying more, sure, but you’re also getting access to things like ECG readings and early access to blood pressure tracking—stuff that edges into clinical territory. But here’s the question: do you really need that level of detail? Or would you be better off getting a solid standalone BP monitor instead? I’m turning 42 this month, and yeah, blood pressure is creeping up my priority list—but even then, I’m asking myself if that belongs inside my Whoop subscription or outside of it.
At the end of the day, the real value of these new health-monitoring tiers is in what you’ll actually use. The new hardware matters, absolutely, and it’s part of what makes this 5.0 + MG combo feel like a real leap. But Whoop’s core strength is the system—a unified, always-on stream of data, interpretation, and guidance, powered by some very slick AI. It’s not just another tracker anymore. It’s the platform that makes sense of it all. And right now, I don’t see anyone else doing that quite this well.
My in-depth review of the Whoop MG sensor is coming in the following days, so if there’s anything specific you’re curious about, please let me know. I’ll do my best to cover it.
