{"id":547090,"date":"2026-04-23T21:07:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T21:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/547090\/"},"modified":"2026-04-23T21:07:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T21:07:10","slug":"is-whoop-5-0-the-best-fitness-tracker-for-runners-i-wore-it-non-stop-for-a-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/547090\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Whoop 5.0 the best fitness tracker for runners? I wore it non-stop for a month"},"content":{"rendered":"

The much-anticipated Whoop 5.0 and Whoop MG<\/a> launched last year. And while both bands still occupy their own unusual corner of the wearable world, eschewing screens in favour of a distraction-free band, a slew of impressive new features have cemented their place among the best fitness trackers <\/a>on the market, particularly when it comes to making sense of performance metrics like VO2 max, which measures your aerobic capacity and endurance.<\/p>\n

But just how good is the Whoop 5.0<\/a>, and its slightly more advanced (and pricier) cousin the Whoop MG<\/a>? As a fitness editor and keen runner, I was intrigued to see if the brand\u2019s latest device<\/a> could actually help me train better, especially during marathon season, with events like the London Marathon fast approaching. <\/p>\n

As someone who regularly spends their time being scanned<\/a> and tracked in the name of health and wellness, does the Whoop 5.0<\/a> set a new standard for other wearables to catch up to? And does it have the power to compete with a new wave of longevity clinics popping up across the UK. Here\u2019s how the Whoop 5.0<\/a> band fared when I wore it non-stop for a month. <\/p>\n

Read more: This smart ring has taken my health and wellbeing<\/a> to new heights<\/a><\/p>\n

\"TheThe body of the device is smaller and lighter than the 4.0 with new strap options (The Independent \/ Emilie Lavinia)<\/p>\n

I became a Whoop<\/a> devotee last year after I swapped my Oura ring<\/a> for the Whoop 4.0. Yet, despite the incredible accuracy of the data and the boost to my sleep and recovery, there were a few things about the fitness tracker that bothered me. The device felt a little distracting on my wrist, the knit strap wasn\u2019t waterproof and didn\u2019t really match my style and there was no step counter in the app. <\/p>\n

These things might not have bothered you \u2013 your wrists might be bigger than mine, you might have opted for a chunkier silicone strap and hitting 10,000 steps a day<\/a> might not be your goal. You might also not be a total fashion victim. These were my gripes with an otherwise brilliant product. <\/p>\n

To my delight, all my complaints have been addressed with the Whoop 5.0 and a ton of new features have been rolled out. The new band is smaller, lighter, holds its charge for two weeks and comes with a range of new straps and accessories. The band I tested was part of the leatherluxe range and the tan and gold finish blended seamlessly with my entire wardrobe \u2013 and it was showerproof. <\/p>\n

While not strictly a brand-new feature, the step counter is also a welcome addition many users were calling for (myself included). As far as actual updates go, there are plenty. The app has a new interface with fresh features, including the daily outlook (your AI assistant), healthspan (your longevity calculator) and blood pressure insights. <\/p>\n

Longevity is the wellness buzzword of the year and I am one of many perhaps slightly fanatical people attempting to halt or reverse their biological age. The 5.0 seeks to help users understand the markers of ageing and the pace at which their body is ageing by providing a \u201cWhoop age\u201d and actionable advice on rest and recovery to manage and reverse said age. <\/p>\n

Similarly to its predecessor, the 5.0 relies on metrics like HRV and VO2 max to determine your physiological age and place you in a percentile for your actual age group. It uses these data points to feed you helpful information and tips daily. <\/p>\n

VO2 max is one of the best indicators of cardiovascular fitness, so it\u2019s a fantastic metric to track if you\u2019re a keen runner or training for a marathon. What it does is measure how efficiently your body uses oxygen during sustained exercise, giving you a better idea of your aerobic capacity, or how long you can push for without getting blown out. It\u2019s not only great for telling you about your endurance performance, but your long-term health as well.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe 5.0 offers new features like Healthspan for longevity testing and an AI health coach (The Independent \/ Emilie Lavinia)<\/p>\n

It told me when a run was going to be easy and how long I could technically sustain a specific pace. You used to have to get your VO2 max measured in a lab using specialist equipment, but Whoop estimates it using a combination of resting physiology, activity data and your outdoor running performance. It\u2019s been really interesting to track how it changes over time, and it was nice to see how my endurance and capacity was improving. <\/p>\n

Developed with Dr Eric Verdin, CEO of the Buck Institute for Research, on ageing, the new healthspan feature takes a few wears of the device to unlock but what it shows you after that time is fascinating. The product lead for Whoop tells me she\u2019s actually gotten younger while working on this feature. <\/p>\n

Another new feature I actually really enjoyed was the AI assistant. Whoop is the first wearable with this feature and if you\u2019re a first-time user, having all the data broken down can help to make sense of it all and motivate you. I\u2019ll admit that when I first started using Whoop, I wasn\u2019t sure what my scores really meant. However the new daily outlook tool explains exactly what the numbers mean and what you might try to focus on that day, putting things like VO2 max into context. <\/p>\n

The tech pulls in your scores and exercise recommendations and integrates the weather, your performance goals and healthspan insights to answer questions and give you prompts throughout the day. I woke up one morning to see that my blood oxygen was out of the normal range, so I asked the AI why this might be. It offered a few ideas and solutions, including a breathing exercise, which I was prompted to log in my daily journal. <\/p>\n

The journal isn\u2019t new but it\u2019s a great way to track your habits. It offers a customisable checklist that you can tick off with options like, \u201ctook a multivitamin\u201d, \u201cslept with a weighted blanket\u201d and \u201cconsumed caffeine\u201d. This encourages you to build healthy habits and keep your streak going. <\/p>\n

In the app, personalised plans have also been moved to the home screen so making a plan with advice from the AI coach, filling out your journal and checking your scores is a more seamless experience. <\/p>\n

\"TheThe app’s interface has changed with more features added and a new streamlined user experience (The Independent \/ Whoop)<\/p>\n

The Whoop scores are still based around strain, recovery and sleep but the app now offers even more granular insights, especially where sleep and stress are concerned. Sleep performance now has four parts and there are new ways to log data. There\u2019s also a new stress monitor which uses a variety of metrics to assess stress levels. <\/p>\n

The Whoop MG offers a heart screener that provides an ECG reading and generates a PDF report and blood pressure insights \u2013 a totally new addition for fitness trackers and likely one that other brands will copy. You need to calibrate your first reading with a blood pressure cuff, which you can do at your doctor\u2019s office or with a smart cuff at home and the band\u2019s sensors take care of the rest. The 5.0 does not offer these features but is otherwise identical to the MG from what I gathered. <\/p>\n

Everything is smaller and stronger so the 5.0 offers a better processor, a smaller battery charging pack with 30 days of charge on top of your two weeks with a fully-charged band. Personally, I was amazed at the battery life considering my phone can barely make it through a day and the Oura ring only lasts a few. <\/p>\n

Other new features include membership tiers, of which there are three. At present, your subscription gets you a band and access to the app for a year. The new tiers offer different in-app experiences with the band. <\/p>\n

A Whoop one subscription is the most basic \u2013 at \u00a3169 a year it\u2019s ideal for first-timers. Whoop peak has also been introduced with the healthspan stress monitor features \u2013 great for those interested in longevity and biohacking it costs \u00a3229 a year. Existing users will automatically be upgraded to peak. Whoop life is the top tier \u2013 for \u00a3349 a year, you\u2019ll get medical-grade insights, such as blood pressure. <\/p>\n

The Whoop 5.0<\/a> is a whole lifestyle experience with the band sensors able to automatically detect whatever exercise you\u2019re doing, measure biological age and prevent health issues with medical-grade insights. It\u2019s a futuristic experience that caters to anyone with what Ahmed describes as an aspirational approach to their health. <\/p>\n

I loved wearing the Whoop 5.0<\/a> so there\u2019s very little I can say that might dissuade you from buying the new hardware if you\u2019re already keen. Of course, given it\u2019s the most impressive wearable on the market, it\u2019s expensive, and the price might put some people off. But there are now a few differently priced subscriptions available. <\/p>\n

One thing I will say is that if you\u2019re not into being consistent or trying to form habits, you\u2019ll either not really benefit from the coaching and plentiful data or you\u2019ll likely feel a little bullied by this device. You can\u2019t always have a perfect day or a perfect score and I\u2019ve come to realise this. Some nights at 9pm my Whoop will tell me, \u201cThat\u2019s enough excitement for one day, off to bed.\u201d I will try to contain my shock because I have just walked through my front door and intend to be up for hours. <\/p>\n

Some might also struggle with wearing a device on their wrist that doesn\u2019t show the time, especially if you\u2019re a Garmin or Apple Watch devotee. This change could be a little confusing to begin with. The band is just your set of sensors, everything is in the Whoop app so you do need your phone to check your data. The data is logged in the band for hours so if you\u2019re away from your phone, turn it off or disconnect the Bluetooth the app will catch up once it\u2019s reconnected and you won\u2019t miss anything, you just need your phone to see anything.<\/p>\n

The Whoop 5.0<\/a> is the best health coach you\u2019ll find outside of a human being and it\u2019s incredibly smart with the way it uses biometric data. The 5.0<\/a> is also lightweight and stylish and has exceptional battery life. It offers a sizeable upgrade from the 4.0 and you can go even bigger with features if you want to pay a little extra annually. <\/p>\n

In the app, the community groups and leaderboards are still present which is a nice touch but not something I\u2019m overly concerned with as I\u2019m not training for anything competitive or specific. However, it\u2019s nice to get the odd reminder that the things I\u2019m doing and choices I\u2019m making put me in the top 11 per cent for women my age \u2013 something to brag about with my fellow health freaks. <\/p>\n

If you have any health goals and the financial commitment is one you can make \u2013 Whoop peak works out at less than \u00a320 a month \u2013 I\u2019d say the investment in the 5.0<\/a> is a no-brainer. During my testing period, my sleep, VO2 max, and daily step count improved, and I got a better sense of how my body was responding to stress and exercise. I was also able to log activities and daily habits like drinking AG1 and electrolytes, red light therapy, massage and symptoms linked to hormones and mood. If the 5.0<\/a> helped me achieve that in a month, I\u2019m keen to see what it could do in six, a year and beyond. <\/p>\n

How I tested the Whoop 5.0<\/p>\n

I wore the Whoop 5.0 band from day to night, not once removing it from my wrist. During testing I assessed the following factors:<\/p>\n

Accuracy: I cross-referenced the data with my Oura ring for the first and second week and with my Eight Sleep for the whole month to determine how accurate the Whoop was in comparison. I also used compatible apps, including the Apple Health app and the Withings app for a clearer picture of my health, and hardware (the Withings blood pressure connect monitor) to see what the tech was capable of as the month went on. Data: I used the data to analyse the key Whoop metrics like sleep, strain and recovery after exercise and rest days but I also used some of the more in-depth metrics, the AI assistant and features like breathing exercises to boost my scores across the month. Ease of use: Beyond this, I considered the Whoop 5.0 and the Whoop MG\u2019s new weight, style, battery life and accessories.<\/p>\n

Why you can trust IndyBest reviews <\/p>\n

Emilie Lavinia <\/a>was The Independent\u2019s former fitness and wellbeing editor, so she knows her way around a fitness tracker. Having tested past iterations of the Whoop, as well as the Oura ring and other wearables and smart trackers for IndyBest, she\u2019s able to tell which trackers are worth the spend and which should be avoided. An expert on sleep, stress and nutrition as well as which wearables work best for women, she has the lowdown on value, features and new releases from leading brands. <\/p>\n

Read more: The best smart rings to help track sleep, wellness and more<\/a><\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The much-anticipated Whoop 5.0 and Whoop MG launched last year. And while both bands still occupy their own…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":547091,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[6647,102,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-547090","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-fitness","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/547090","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=547090"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/547090\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/547091"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=547090"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=547090"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=547090"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}