If you seek a fitness tracker to monitor your health, performance, and recovery, you may ponder over the choice between Whoop and Garmin.
These brands provide devices for tracking heart rate, calories, sleep, and activity, yet they possess distinct features, advantages, and disadvantages.
This article compares Whoop and Garmin across several aspects to assist you in determining the superior option for your needs.
Comparison of Features: Whoop vs Garmin
Calorie Tracking
Both Whoop and Garmin can track your calorie burn based on your heart rate and activity level. However, Garmin has a slight edge over Whoop in terms of accuracy and customization. Garmin allows you to input your age, weight, height, gender, and activity class to calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and daily calorie expenditure. Whoop does not let you customize these parameters and uses a fixed formula to estimate your calorie burn.
Heart Tracking
Whoop and Garmin both use optical heart rate sensors to measure your heart rate throughout the day and night. They also track your heart rate variability (HRV), which is the variation in time between each heartbeat. HRV is an indicator of your autonomic nervous system balance and stress level. A higher HRV means you are more recovered and ready for peak performance.
Whoop has a more advanced heart-tracking feature than Garmin. It uses a proprietary algorithm called Strain Coach to measure your cardiovascular load during workouts and suggest optimal exertion levels based on your recovery score. It also uses HRV and resting heart rate (RHR) to calculate your recovery score every morning, which tells you how well you have recovered from the previous day’s activities and stressors.
Garmin also tracks your HRV and RHR, but it does not use them to calculate a recovery score. Instead, it uses a feature called Body Battery to estimate your energy level throughout the day based on your heart rate, stress, activity, and sleep data. It also uses a feature called Training Status to evaluate your training load and fitness level over time.
Sleep Tracking
Whoop and Garmin both track your sleep duration, stages, and quality using your heart rate and movement data. They also provide insights and feedback on how to improve your sleep habits and hygiene.
Whoop has a more comprehensive sleep-tracking feature than Garmin. It uses a proprietary algorithm called Sleep Coach to recommend an optimal bedtime and wake-up time based on your desired performance level and sleep need. It also tracks your sleep debt, sleep consistency, respiratory rate, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), skin temperature, and disturbances during sleep.
Garmin also tracks some of these metrics, such as SpO2, respiratory rate, and disturbances, but it does not provide a personalized sleep recommendation or track your sleep debt or consistency. It does provide a sleep score based on your sleep duration, stages, and quality.
Activity Tracking
Whoop and Garmin both track your daily steps, distance, calories, and active minutes using an accelerometer and GPS (for Garmin devices with built-in GPS). They also automatically recognize some types of activities, such as running, cycling, swimming, etc., and record them in their respective apps.
However, Garmin has a more extensive activity-tracking feature than Whoop. It supports over 30 different sports modes with customizable data fields and metrics. It also provides advanced features such as VO2 max estimation, lactate threshold detection, race predictor, recovery advisor, etc., for some sports modes.
Whoop does not have any sport-specific modes or features. It only tracks your overall strain during any activity based on your heart rate data. It also does not have a built-in GPS or support external sensors such as chest straps or foot pods.
Water Resistance
Both Whoop and Garmin are water-resistant devices that can withstand splashes, rain, showers, etc. However, Garmin has a higher water resistance rating than Whoop.
Garmin devices are rated for up to 50 meters (5 ATM) of water pressure, which means they can be used for swimming or snorkeling (but not diving). Whoop devices are rated for up to 10 meters (1 ATM) of water pressure, which means they can be used for swimming but not for any deeper water activities.
Battery Life
Whoop and Garmin have different battery life depending on the device model and usage. Generally, Garmin devices have a longer battery life than Whoop devices.
Garmin devices can last from a few days to a few weeks on a single charge, depending on the device model, features, settings, and usage. For example, the Garmin Fenix 6 can last up to 14 days in smartwatch mode, up to 36 hours in GPS mode, or up to 48 days in battery-saver mode.
Whoop devices can last from 4 to 5 days on a single charge, depending on the device model and usage. For example, Whoop 4.0 can last up to 5 days with normal usage or up to 7 days with reduced usage.
Comparison of Companion Apps: Whoop vs Garmin
Whoop and Garmin both have companion apps that sync with their devices and display your data and insights. However, they have different user interfaces, features, and functionalities.
Whoop app has a minimalist and intuitive design that focuses on your recovery, strain, and sleep data. It shows you your daily and weekly trends, insights, and recommendations. It also allows you to join teams and challenges with other Whoop users and compare your data and performance.
Garmin app has a more complex and comprehensive design that shows you a variety of data and metrics. It shows you your daily and weekly summaries, graphs, charts, maps, etc. It also allows you to customize your device settings, download watch faces and apps, join groups and challenges with other Garmin users, and access third-party services such as Spotify, Strava, etc.
Pricing: Whoop vs Garmin
Garmin and Whoop offer distinct device and service prices. Garmin sells one-time, whereas Whoop sells subscriptions.
Whoop charges $30/£27 per month for device and app functionality. Pay ahead for 12 months ($19/£19), 18 months ($18/£18), or 24 months ($16/£16) to save money. Canceling your membership will disable device and app functionalities.
Garmin devices and apps are free to use. Choose a device model and pay once. Based on device type, features, and materials, prices vary from $100/£100 to $900/£900. Your device and app features are free forever.
Verdict
The answer to this question relies on your personal preferences, goals, and budget. Here are some general guidelines to assist you in making a decision:
- Opt for Whoop if you desire a fitness tracker prioritizing your recovery, sleep, and health data. Whoop suits athletes, coaches, trainers, or individuals aiming to enhance their performance and well-being.
- Opt for Garmin if you desire a fitness tracker with an extensive array of features, functions, and customization options. Garmin suits runners, cyclists, swimmers, or individuals seeking to meticulously track their workouts and activities.
