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It’s never been easier to track your fitness and wellness levels, and that’s partly thanks to smart wearables like the Whoop band. These types of wearables allow you to track all of your biometrics in one place and optimize your health based on the results.
Prince William is the latest celebrity to be spotted wearing the Whoop wellness tracker, and he’s in good company. Sporting icons including LeBron James and Rory McIlroy are already fans of the wearable device. William wore his Whoop band as he cheered on England in their European Championship match against Switzerland this weekend.
So what do we know about the latest version of the Whoop? And is it fit for royalty?
What is the Whoop wearable?
For the uninitiated, Whoop is one of the most high-tech wellness devices on the market. The band is worn on your wrist like a watch, and uses sensors to capture biometric data like your heart rate, temperature, and sleep patterns to give you a complete picture of what’s going on with your health.
The app then creates a series of baselines and predictions using your health data. It breaks this down in a way that’s easy to understand and coaches you with recommendations on where you can make improvements. The band and app essentially act as a 24/7 health coach, helping you adjust your habits and take better care of your health and wellbeing.
Whoop is obviously a hit with athletes and those for whom training is life, but anyone can use the technology to improve their fitness, make lifestyle changes and track metrics that matter to them. Prince William is just the latest in a long list of celebrities who have chosen to use Whoop to optimise their wellbeing. But is it worth the investment?
Is Whoop worth it?
Well, Whoop reportedly has the best level of accuracy of any wearable of its kind, with five LEDs and four photodiodes built into the band. In our review of the tracker, the user experience was praised for being fairly straightforward, with three different phases of your health to track: load, rest, and recovery. You’re given a score for each of these, which helps you adjust your activity throughout the week.
Our testers also gave the Whoop the highest score of any sleep optimization device. The band analyzes your sleep quality and makes suggestions about how much sleep you need, and sends reminders to track your own behavior throughout the day so it can make better predictions and suggestions to support your sleep hygiene. Battery life is pretty good, too: it lasts for five days, with a removable case that lets you charge on the go.
In terms of cost, the Whoop works similarly to other wearables, in that you pay for a subscription to the app, and the band is included as part of your subscription. An annual membership will set you back £229, which is less than £20 a month. But before you commit, you can try a month for free and try out a pre-owned device rather than opting for a brand new one.
If you prefer a brand new band, there are about 30 different styles of bands to choose from for a small upgrade fee. Opt for a sleek knit band in your favorite color or go for classic onyx a la Prince William.
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Looking for more wearable device recommendations? Read our review of the best smart rings