We are obsessed with the newest and finest technology, particularly wearable technology that can enhance human performance. Twenty years ago, in 2001, when Apple introduced the iPod, society became fixated on the idea of having the capacity to improve, simplify, and optimize life. However, when it comes to fitness, there are only a few players in the game. WHOOP, with its initial release in 2015, the same year as the Apple Watch, has been closely matched, but also offers noticeably different features and benefits, depending on the metrics you find more valuable as an athlete. Techpotamus came up with the key distinctions between WHOOP and Apple Watch to determine which is best for you.
Apple Watch
The apple watch is, first and foremost, a watch. Compared to the Series 3, this edition sports a larger display with a screen area that is almost 50% larger. Since the new “Tap. Type. Swipe” features use machine learning to guess what word you’re typing, using features like the text is also made simpler. In addition, the Series 7 charges 33% more quickly than the Series 6. If you are confused between Apple Watch stainless vs Aluminium then you should read this comparison to take a decision on which one you should go with.
Now, the Series 7 has really upped their game in terms of fitness.
Along with other advancements like mindfulness and sleep tracking, you can now test your blood oxygen level and heart rate.
Your blood oxygen level is a crucial sign of how healthy you are overall.
Your blood oxygen level is a crucial sign of how healthy you are overall. You can use it to determine how well your body is absorbing oxygen and how much oxygen is being provided to it.
Numerous exercises are available with the Apple Fitness+ feature, including spin, tai chi, and Pilates routines. Every week, new 5- to 45-minute workouts are added. Eleven different sorts of exercise, such as HIIT, strength training, Pilates, and yoga. You might use guided meditations to concentrate on your general well-being. Additionally, your iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV received personal analytics from your Apple Watch.
Even crazier, you can track your swimming metrics with the Apple Watch because it is water resistant up to 50 meters.
WHOOP
The WHOOP Strap and Apple Watch are significantly dissimilar. The Apple Watch’s main objective is to appeal to a broad audience by serving as the Swiss Army Knife of wearable technology and being usable by everyone.
WHOOP is highly specialized and targeted at a particular demographic that tends to be more competitive and values greater insights and analytics into what your body actually needs and is doing in terms of recovery and performance.
The WHOOP strap focuses on a few particular metrics, such as heart rate, blood oxygen levels, strain scores, recuperation, and sleep quantity and quality.
One of the most alluring features of the WHOOP is detailed sleep monitoring. WHOOP tracks sleep stages, disruptions, breathing rate, and other factors while recommending the number of hours of sleep necessary for optimum recovery. WHOOP keeps track of your bedtime, sleep latency, and sleep quality in connection to how well you recover from your workouts. WHOOP accurately monitors all four stages of sleep: slow wave sleep (SWS), REM, light sleep, and wakefulness. Each stage has a specific purpose for your rehabilitation.
Better recuperation is directly related to better sleep. How well your body is coping with stress and how prepared you are for the day are both measured by WHOOP recovery. You may accomplish more with your performance the more recovered you are. In order to perform at your best, the WHOOP strap provides you with insightful statistics on your daily, weekly, and monthly recovery as well as how well you are sleeping.
WHOOP Vs Apple Watch
In 2020, I published a piece titled “10 Studies That Show If Fitness Trackers Are Accurate.” In my investigation, I discovered that the Apple Watch and WHOOP were two of the most trustworthy wearable technology rivals when it came to providing factual information. You can easily change the Apple watch wallpaper whereas, there is no option to change and set wallpaper in Whoop. Overall Apple watch UI is amazing and way better than Whoop. However, two years is a lifetime in terms of technology. What has thus changed?
Accuracy
Energy expenditure still proved to be a very difficult variable to quantify, despite studies showing that fitness trackers are reasonably reliable in tracking and recording activities. According to recent research, the most accurate fitness monitors still underestimate energy consumption by 10% [R]. According to a 2017 Stanford study, the top trackers had an energy expenditure mean average that was 27% off. As a result, in terms of precision, trackers have advanced significantly only in the last few years.
This immediately brings me to my next point. WHOOP has the advantage of continuously recording 52 samples of your heart rate every second, even while you’re not moving about.
Exercise/Motivation
Let’s now discuss general exercise and inspiration. You are encouraged to complete the activity rings incorporated into Apple Watch. For individuals who really need motivation, this can be a powerful motivator. With a few fast touches, Apple Watch also makes it possible to start a workout quickly and effortlessly while keeping track of your heart rate, activity time, and distance. Even without using or needing your phone nearby, you can download an Apple Music playlist to your watch before going for a run or a bike ride.
WHOOP strap is entirely app-driven and without a display. This may be a problem for some people. For myself, it’s convenient to have information on how many calories I’ve burned, how long I exercised, how far I ran, and my heart rate right there on my wrist. This may be quite beneficial for heart rate training, boosting motivation, and run monitoring, which is something I personally enjoy doing. WHOOP allows you to register runs later, but as it lacks GPS, you cannot track your mileage in real time.
Sleep Tracking/Recovery
Apple Watch is by far the best option if you want to monitor your sleep. WHOOP WHOOP While Apple Watch does measure sleep length, it does not have a system in place to monitor sleep cycle or quality like WHOOP.
Additionally, Apple Watch believes you are 100 when you wake up and does not track anything about recovery. Recovery is a WHOOPS expertise and niche. In order to have the best recovery for the following day, WHOOPS intelligence interface will tell you how much sleep you need and even what time to go to bed.
Battery Life/Price
An Apple Watch’s battery lasts about 20 hours on average, and it does need to be charged every day. WHOOP, on the other hand, has a 5-day runtime. It works best to charge it every day for 10–15 minutes, depending on use.
WHOOP Vs Apple Watch: Takeaway
It all boils down to one thing: how serious and competitive are you about your sport and athletic performance? If you’re an athlete who competes, WHOOP is the obvious pick. In terms of value-based metrics, recovery and sleep are significantly more crucial for helping you optimize your daily routine, sleep schedule, and recovery in order to perform better. The Apple Watch is less suited for highly competitive athletes and is more of a general consumer novelty for the average or even average gym goer. You don’t need a variety of workout options, motivation, or concern for calories burned if you are knowledgeable about your sport. Personally, I like the metrics, the distance monitoring, and the touch screen. But once more, I’m not a fighter.
CONCLUSION:
As I was completing this post, I began to consider the decision I would make if I had to pick between the two. I’m not sure which one I’d prefer because they both improve my life, albeit in quite different ways.
Without a doubt, WHOOP is a superior fitness tracker, and I would never go with the Apple Watch for this.
In addition, my Apple Watch automatically unlocks my iMac so I don’t have to write a password, sends me notifications so I don’t have to pick up my iPhone, and enables me to pay for groceries without having to swipe my credit card or share my credit card number with the retailer.