Whoop 4 vs. Charge 4: A First Week Comparison

Backstory

In the world of wearable fitness trackers, there is a new titan: WHOOP 4. The relative newcomer with its sleek, no screen design and data-driven approach.

I am still on my Fitbit Charge 4. I see it as the seasoned veteran known for its reliability and user-friendly interface.

It has been about 3 years now, and the batteries on my Fitbit might be degrading. So, why not take up a test run with Whoop since they have a month of free trial!

This post will delve into my first-week impressions of on the WHOOP 4. I'll be comparing against my old fitbit on a few of these criteria:

• pricing models,
• initial experiences
• activity tracking capabilities
• customer service
• overall value proposition

Let's jump into it!

Pricing and Subscription Models

One of the most significant differences between Whoop 4 and Fitbit Charge 4 lies in their pricing models.

Whoop 4 operates on a subscription-based model, requiring a monthly fee for access to its full suite of features and data analysis. The current plans are

• $30/month for 12 months with a recurring charge every month
• $239 upfront for 12 months (-$121 discount)
• $399 upfront for 24 months (-$537 discount)

There was a nominal fee that I paid for the shipping, otherwise no actual immediate charge for the device itself.

Fitbit Charge 4, on the other hand, is a one-time purchase, with an optional recurring subscription costs for premium features on the app ($7.99 per month; though one could get discounts, ie. it being included in a google One plan, or a 6 month free access on purchase of new device).

It has been several years now - I think I paid about $120 for the device in total and tested Fitbit premium for 2-3 months.

VERDICT: the fitbit is definitely a budget-friendly device if we are looking at long term use (say 2-3 years).

Initial Impressions

• Whoop 4:
  • Athlete-Focused: Whoop 4 is clearly targeted towards athletes, with key concepts like "peak," "optimize," and sleep debt taking center stage.
  • Data-Driven: The app provides a wealth of data and insights, but it can feel overwhelming at times, with jargon like "strain" and "cardiovascular load" that may not be immediately intuitive.
  • Whoop Coach: While the AI-powered coach seems promising, I found it could sometimes provide contradictory information, likely due to the need for more context to make accurate recommendations.
• Fitbit Charge 4:
  • User-Friendly: Fitbit Charge 4 offers a more straightforward and user-friendly experience, making it easier to set goals and track progress.
  • Everyday Focus: While Fitbit Charge 4 can still track athletic activities, it's designed for a broader range of users, including those who simply want to monitor their daily steps and sleep.

Activity Tracking

I tested both devices during biking, swimming, and gym workouts. Both Whoop 4 and Fitbit Charge 4 accurately detected all events from Google Fit and automatically recognized activities with minimal manual input. Whoop 4's data-driven approach provides more in-depth insights into workout intensity and recovery, while Fitbit Charge 4 offers additional features like swim distance estimation.

I did track on the whoop for about 12 days before it died! (More on that later)

So these were from the dates 17th September to 28th September (12 days).

I tracked activities and synced most of them via the Android Fit app. But there were some which I had left the trackers to detect themselves. Had both trackers on at the same time. (Diagram)

Here's the results:

So the WHOOP has a better range of inputs for activity type. I particularly liked the parent focused activities - like 'babywearing', toddler wearing, jogging with a stroller.

I did manually input the box fitness and baby wearing. So, the actual total for auto-detected activities by Whoop was 21. And Fitbit did 17.

All the biking were picked up. Rather it is a few episodes of walking that were not (I believe Fitbit requires sustained activity levels for at least 15 minutes to register one - and it only allows traditional sports such as biking, swimming, jogging, etc).

VERDICT: Similar detection. But WHOOP being more flexible and having modern selection and logging.

Detailed Analysis

• Step Count: A more detailed minute-by-minute comparison of step count accuracy will be provided in a future post, along with a one-month review.
• Battery Life: Real-world battery life comparisons will also be included in the upcoming one-month review.

todo: I will be planning an article with the above, a lot more detailed look into the data that these wearables use. Also, I will be fleshing out this article with more pictures - so please subscribe or follow, or drop some comments guys!

Disaster strikes! Customer support

With a twist of fate (or coincidence?) - my WHOOP could not charge at ALL. This was right at the end of this first week of testing.

I tried everything and various chargers but could not get either the battery pack nor the actual tracker to light up. It was pretty handy to get in touch with customer service via the WHOOP coach (aka chatbot).

They responded in under a day, and after a minimal troubleshooting they have sent me a replacement unit. Customer experience wins, hands down.

For the Fitbit side, I personally hadn't any need to get in touch with customer service at all. My wife has had two screen issues with her Alta, where were promptly replaced at no cost as well.

VERDICT: Direct and speedy customer service on both ends. I quite liked the WHOOP coach and chatbot intergration, thought it was pretty clever since it searches the help documentations first and ALSO connects to customer service when needed.

Overall Impressions

So far, I'm leaning towards Whoop 4 for its data-driven approach and that it does not have a screen for distraction.

However, Fitbit Charge 4 offers a more accessible and user-friendly experience for those who don't need the advanced features of Whoop.

Maybe it would be most fair to compare the WHOOP to say a newer-gen device like the Pixel Watch or Fitbit Sense. Bear in mind that this experience is self-sponsored; so I am buying these for my own use and writing about them. (Ahem: if you would like me to test out some of the others - do reach out!)

I think the Charge 4 like the old guard on the watchtower. He still does a decent job despite being somewhat aged. WHOOP is sort of the new challenger, shiny and flashy. I found the focus on 'strain' and 'recovery' not the most intuitive or useful within the first week - lets review this again in the coming months!

Join WHOOP - Data nerd like me and want to test the Whoop out? Sign up via join.whoop.com/drdavidtang! You'll get a month free and if you are in the UK, I'll even drop you a tenner if you sign up for the next month 👍