Whoop subscribers can now get a free upgrade to the latest devices – after a huge user backlash
Whoop has changed its previous policy around current subscribers getting a free upgrade to new hardware.
- Whoop changes its device upgrade policies
- Current users no longer have to pay an extra fee
- Whoop subscribers had been complaining
Premium fitness company Whoop showed off its Whoop 5.0 and Whoop MG wearables this week, and has now confirmed that existing users with more than 12 months left on their subscription can get hold of the new devices free of charge.
As reported by Bloomberg, the company was facing a backlash from users after initially charging a $49 upgrade fee – a fee that broke a promise made last year, in a now-deleted blog post, that subscribers would get new devices without paying extra.
There was plenty of vitriol directed towards Whoop over on Reddit and social media, from users who expected to get the new bands for free within their current subscription. One Reddit post stating "Upvote this if you just canceled your subscription" got 2,400 upvotes, only one of many highly-upvoted posts expressing anger and frustration at the company.
Upvote this if you cancelled your Whoop subscription! from r/whoop
"Like any company, we from time to time update our commercial policies," a Whoop spokesperson told Bloomberg. However, Whoop decided to reverse course, allowing users with over 12 months left on their plan to upgrade for free.
The company emphasizes that there's also a newly introduced $199 / £169 / AU$299 per year plan, which is the least expensive yet.
The subscription economy
There are now three pricing tiers for Whoop: the one mentioned above, Whoop One, plus Whoop Peak ($239 / £229 / AU$419 per year) and Whoop Life ($359 / £349 / AU$629 per year. The most expensive option gets you a Whoop MG (Medical Grade) band, otherwise you get a Whoop 5.0, included in the subscription.
Paying more gets you some additional features. If you're sticking with your Whoop 4.0 wearable, you miss out on a few of the features in the new subscriptions, including physiological age estimates and women's health tracking.
There are lots of new features in the 2025 devices, including ECG readings and blood pressure estimates, and the screen-less wearables also offer 14-day battery life. However, existing users feel they're being pushed into an upgrade.
It's not been the most well-communicated of u-turns from Whoop, and it's part of the growing trend for fitness companies to put features behind paywalls to get as much money as possible out of users. As with access to music, movies, and software, you have to keep paying to get what's on offer.
