Whoop (stylized as WHOOP) is an American wearable technology company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.[1] Its principal product is a fitness tracker that measures strain, recovery, and sleep.[2][3] The device is best known for its use by athletes.[4][5] The device is often used to keep track of overall health and even detection of illness.[6]
Whoop 1.0 was released in 2015.[8] A second version arrived in 2016,[9] and a third in 2019.[10] Whoop 4.0 debuted in 2021,[11] with battery technology developed by Sila Nanotechnologies that replaces graphite anodes with silicon, thus increasing battery capacity.[12][13] Whoop 4.0 has a removable knit strap that attaches the monitor to the user's wrist. The charging system involves an intermediate battery pack: the fully waterproof battery pack is charged via a USB-C port; it can then be attached to the monitor by sliding it on top, where it wirelessly charges the monitor. This provides on-the-go charging, meaning that the monitor can be worn continuously. The battery pack is approximately one-and-a-half times the size of the monitor; it is not too obstructive to wear during charging.[14]
The wearable device collects data on sleep, heart rate variability, resting heart rate, and respiratory rate to create a daily recovery score for users.[15] The recovery score ranges from 0% to 100% to let users know if their body is recovered or if it needs rest.[16] It provides a suggested exertion goal based on day-to-day recovery and sleep.[14]
On March 29, 2023, Whoop announced its Stress Monitor feature, which tracks daily stress levels through heart rate variability (HRV) and measurements of resting heart rate to provide a personalized Stress Score. In partnership with Dr. Andrew Huberman, they introduced breathwork interventions designed to decrease stress or increase alertness.[17]
In September 2023, Whoop released its new "Whoop Coach" feature powered by OpenAI, which was designed to provide personalized health and fitness coaching. The feature allows members to converse with the program to ask personalized questions and have conversations about their training and health.[18]
In 2025, WHOOP shared that the FDA was "overstepping its authority" regarding the company's blood pressure monitoring feature.[19]
The most notable difference between Whoop and other wearables is physical: Whoop has no screen or buttons; all information must be viewed on a user's smartphone.[20] The Whoop app is available on Android and Apple devices.
Other notable differences include price (Whoop charges a monthly subscription fee; without a subscription, the device stops tracking[21]) and data (according to Time, the device accumulates more data than its peers; its five sensors collect 100 megabytes of data per user, per day[22]).
History
In 2012,[23] Will Ahmed, a Harvard University student athlete, founded Whoop to help athletes gain greater visibility into their own fitness and rest.[24][25] Along with two fellow students at Harvard, John Capodilupo and Aurelian Nicolae,[26] Ahmed incubated a prototype at Harvard Innovation Labs.[27][28] The company raised $200 million from venture capital fund SoftBank in August 2021, at a valuation of $3.6 billion.[25]
As of November 2022, Ahmed is the company's chief executive officer,[29] and Nicolae is the director of mechanical engineering.[30] Capodilupo was chief technology officer until he stepped down in April 2022.[31] He was replaced as CTO by Jaime Waydo in November 2022.[31] Antonio Bertone former Chief Marketing Officer of PUMA USA was hired in 2018 to serve as chief marketing officer of Whoop.[citation needed]
The name "Whoop" is a phrase Ahmed used before big games in college.[23]
Controversies
"Whoopgate" (2025)
In May 2025, WHOOP faced significant public backlash following the launch of its new devices, WHOOP 5.0 and WHOOP MG.[36][37] The controversy centered on changes to the upgrade policy for existing subscribers,[38] which contradicted earlier promises of free hardware upgrades as part of WHOOP’s subscription model.[39] Many users were surprised to learn they would either need to pay an upgrade fee of $49 for WHOOP 5.0—or $79 for WHOOP MG—or extend their subscriptions by an additional 12 months[40] to obtain the new devices. Prior blog posts and FAQs had previously stated that upgrades would be free after six months of membership,[41][42] sparking accusations of deceptive practices when screenshots of deleted statements began circulating online.[43]
The backlash intensified on social media, including Reddit and X,[44][45] where customers described the move as “a slap in the face” and called the changes “extortion.”[46] Many also criticised the incompatibility of older accessories with the new devices,[47][48] which forced additional purchases. Further amplifying frustration, some users reported defective WHOOP MG trackers that failed to power on,[49] as well as unresponsive customer support.[50]
In response to mounting criticism, WHOOP reversed course on 10 May 2025.[51][52] The company updated its policy to grant free WHOOP 5.0 upgrades to members with 12 or more months remaining on their subscriptions[53][54] and promised refunds for those mistakenly charged upgrade fees.[55][56] WHOOP clarified that the original policy miscommunication was due to a blog post error,[57][58] explaining that free upgrades were always tied to longer membership terms.[59] Support for the previous-generation WHOOP 4.0 devices continued,[60] though new features—like ECG and blood pressure monitoring—remained exclusive to the premium MG model.[61][62]
Despite these efforts to rebuild trust, some users remained unsatisfied, highlighting unresolved issues around accessory compatibility and customer service.[63][64] The 2025 incident—widely discussed online as “Whoopgate”[65]—became a notable example of consumer influence on tech company policies in the wearables market.[66]
Tennis player Maria Sakkari wearing the Whoop band in 2022
In 2017, NBA players DeAndre Jordan, Matthew Dellavedova, and others were reported to be hiding Whoop devices under their wristbands during games, despite the NBA prohibiting wearables for in-game use.[80][81]
In June 2020, PGA Tour golfer Nick Watney noticed his respiratory rate spiked on his Whoop app. Although he had no other symptoms of COVID-19, he decided to get tested, and was positive for the virus. This led to the PGA Tour to sign a deal with Whoop, making their products available to all golfers and caddies on Tour to reduce the spread of the virus.[85][6]
In December 2020, PGA Tour winner Scott Stallings noticed that his HRV, resting heart rate, and respiratory rate were not in the normal range on his app and soon tested positive for COVID-19. Stallings had been one of the first PGA Tour pros to wear the Whoop and claimed to initially use it for better sleep habits after his sinus surgery.[6]
Whoop has tested its product's ability to detect viruses such as COVID-19. In 2020, Whoop partnered with researchers from Central Queensland University to analyze changes in respiratory rate to predict the risk of COVID-19. The findings showed that the algorithm identified 80% of positive COVID-19 cases by day three of symptoms and 20% of positive COVID-19 cases were diagnosed two days prior to the onset of symptoms.[86]
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