In May 2025, WHOOP fundamentally shifted the landscape of wearable technology by launching the WHOOP 5.0 and its medical-grade sibling, the WHOOP MG. This release moved the company beyond its roots as a “strain and recovery” tracker for elite athletes, repositioning the platform as a comprehensive “operating system for health and longevity.”
The WHOOP 5.0 is designed for 24/7 wear, maintaining its signature screen-free philosophy to eliminate distractions while packing more sophisticated sensor technology into a smaller, more efficient frame.
Hardware Evolution: Smaller, Smarter, and Longer-Lasting
The most immediate change in the WHOOP 5.0 is its physical refinement. Despite already being one of the smallest trackers on the market, the 5.0 is 7% smaller than the previous 4.0 model. This reduction in volume, paired with a weight of only 26.5 grams, makes it virtually unnoticeable during sleep or high-intensity movement.
Battery Life Breakthrough
For years, the 5-day battery life was a sticking point for WHOOP users. The 5.0 addresses this with a massive architectural upgrade:
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14+ Day Battery Life: On a single charge, the 5.0 now lasts two full weeks.
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10x Power Efficiency: This was achieved through a redesigned processor that is 60% faster than the previous generation while consuming a fraction of the power.
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The Wireless PowerPack: The new charging pack is now IP68-rated (waterproof), allowing you to charge your band while showering. It holds enough juice to provide a full month of total battery life when paired with the device.
Sensor Precision
The 5.0 features an enhanced photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor array. These sensors now capture data 26 times per second. The primary improvement here is “motion cancellation”—using a synchronized accelerometer to filter out the “noise” created by heavy wrist movement during activities like CrossFit or sprinting, which previously caused heart rate spikes in older models.
The WHOOP MG: Medical-Grade Intelligence
Alongside the standard 5.0, WHOOP introduced the WHOOP MG (Medical-Grade). While it looks nearly identical to the 5.0, it features a specialized metal-to-skin interface and two small indents on the side for advanced diagnostics.
Key MG Features:
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Heart Screener (ECG): Users can take on-demand, FDA-cleared ECG readings by holding the sides of the device for 30 seconds. This feature is designed to detect Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) and irregular heart rhythms.
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Blood Pressure Insights: Utilizing patent-pending optical technology, the MG provides daily estimates of systolic and diastolic ranges. While it requires occasional calibration with a traditional cuff, it tracks the trend of your blood pressure in response to stress and sleep.
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Heart Reports: The app can generate a clinician-reviewed report of your cardiovascular data that can be shared directly with a doctor.
New Software Frontiers: Healthspan and “WHOOP Age”
The 5.0 era focuses heavily on longevity. Working with experts like Dr. Eric Verdin of the Buck Institute, WHOOP launched the Healthspan suite to help users understand how they are aging biologically.
WHOOP Age and Pace of Aging
Instead of just looking at your chronological age, WHOOP now calculates a WHOOP Age based on nine key biomarkers:
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VO2 Max (Cardiovascular fitness)
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HRV (Autonomic nervous system balance)
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Resting Heart Rate
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Sleep Consistency
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Strength Capacity (Muscular strain)
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Respiratory Rate
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Deep/REM Sleep duration
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Body Composition trends
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Biological Stress Levels
The Pace of Aging metric provides a weekly update on whether your current lifestyle habits (sleep, diet, exercise) are accelerating or slowing your biological clock.
Enhanced Tracking: Strength and Women’s Health
WHOOP 5.0 has moved past simple cardio tracking to offer a more holistic view of physical stress.
Muscular Strain and Steps
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Steps out of Beta: After years of resisting step counts, WHOOP has officially integrated a highly accurate step tracker into the 5.0, thanks to the improved accelerometer.
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Strength Trainer 2.0: The 5.0 better identifies “Muscular Strain” during weightlifting by measuring the intensity of the eccentric and concentric phases of a lift, ensuring your recovery score reflects a heavy leg day just as much as a 10k run.
Women’s Hormonal Insights
WHOOP has expanded its research into female physiology, offering specific tracks for:
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Menstrual Cycle Coaching: Adjusting strain and sleep goals based on the follicular and luteal phases.
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Pregnancy Insights: A weekly tracker that monitors how a mother’s body is adapting, comparing her biometrics to a database of other pregnant members to provide peace of mind and health alerts.
Membership Tiers and Ecosystem
With the 5.0, WHOOP introduced a tiered membership model to match different user needs:
| Tier | Hardware | Key Features |
| WHOOP One | WHOOP 5.0 | Core Strain, Sleep, Recovery, Women’s Insights |
| WHOOP Peak | WHOOP 5.0 | Adds Healthspan, WHOOP Age, and Stress Monitor |
| WHOOP Life | WHOOP MG | Adds ECG, Blood Pressure, and Heart Screener |
Advanced Labs
A new service called WHOOP Advanced Labs allows members (starting in the U.S.) to schedule blood tests directly through the app. The results—covering 65 biomarkers like glucose, cholesterol, and cortisol—are integrated into the WHOOP dashboard to create the most complete picture of health ever offered by a consumer wearable.
Design and Accessories
WHOOP remains the only wearable that can be worn almost anywhere on the body. The Any-Wear™ technology allows the 5.0 sensor to be popped out of the wristband and tucked into WHOOP Body apparel, such as:
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Intimates: Bras and boxers with built-in sensor pouches.
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Athletic Gear: Compression tops and leggings.
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LeatherLuxe Bands: For more formal occasions, WHOOP introduced premium Italian leather bands that mask the device as high-end jewelry.
Conclusion: Is it Worth the Upgrade?
The WHOOP 5.0 is a significant leap forward. For existing 4.0 users, the 14-day battery life and faster syncing alone are worth the transition. For those concerned with long-term cardiovascular health, the WHOOP MG provides a level of medical-grade insight previously unavailable in such a discreet form factor.
By focusing on “Healthspan” and “WHOOP Age,” WHOOP is no longer just telling you how hard you worked out yesterday—it’s telling you how long you’re likely to live if you keep up your current habits.
Would you like me to compare the WHOOP 5.0’s features to the latest Oura Ring or Apple Watch models?