- Whoop changes its device upgrade policies
- Current users no longer have to pay an extra fee
- Whoop subscribers had been complaining
Premium fitness company Whoop showed off some shiny new wearables this week, and has now confirmed that existing users with more than 12 months left on their subscription can get hold of the new devices free of charge.
As reported by Bloomberg, the company was facing a backlash from users after initially charging a $49 upgrade fee – a fee that broke a promise made last year, in a now-deleted blog post, that subscribers would get new devices without paying extra
There was plenty of vitriol directed towards Whoop over on Reddit and social media, from users who expected to get the new bands for free within their current subscription. That’s now the case again, after Whoop decided to reverse course.
“Like any company, we from time to time update our commercial policies,” a Whoop spokesperson told Bloomberg. The company emphasizes that there’s also a newly introduced $199 / £169 / AU$299 per year plan, which is the least expensive yet.
The subscription economy
There are now three pricing tiers for Whoop: the one mentioned above, Whoop One, plus Whoop Peak ($239 / £229 / AU$419 per year) and Whoop Life ($359 / £349 / AU$629 per year. The most expensive option gets you a Whoop MG (Medical Grade) band, otherwise you get a Whoop 5.0, included in the subscription.
Paying more gets you some additional features. If you’re sticking with your Whoop 4.0 wearable, you miss out on a few of the features in the new subscriptions, including physiological age estimates and women’s health tracking.
There’s lots that’s new in the 2025 devices, including ECG readings and blood pressure estimates, and the screen-less wearables also offer 14-day battery life. However, existing users feel they’re being pushed into an upgrade.
It’s not been the most well communicated of u-turns from Whoop, and it’s part of the growing trend for fitness companies to put features behind paywalls to get as much money as possible out of users. As with access to music, movies, and software, you have to keep paying to get what’s on offer.
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