Fitbit Air and Whoop offer different trade-offs in screenless tracking
The article compares Google’s Fitbit Air with Whoop’s MG as screenless fitness trackers, a category drawing growing interest and new competitors. Both track activity, sleep and health measures, and offer detailed app insights, but subscriptions unlock many of their features.
Fitbit Air is slimmer and more approachable for everyday users, with basic tracking available without a subscription, but Google rates its battery life at up to seven days. Whoop’s newer bands are rated for more than 14 days and offer more frequent heart-rate readings, though its app may feel overwhelming and membership is required. The article lists Whoop membership at about $149 for the first year, then $199 annually, while Fitbit Air costs $100 plus $100 a year for Google Health Premium; Whoop’s top tier costs $359 annually.
In short
- Fitbit Air suits casual users and offers basic tracking without a subscription.
- Whoop provides deeper athlete-focused data and longer battery life.
- Subscriptions add significant costs to both trackers.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Fitbit Air may suit people who want a slimmer, more approachable tracker and useful basic features without committing to a subscription. Its lower entry price and simpler experience can make screenless tracking accessible for everyday use, even if the battery needs charging more often.
The case against
Whoop MG may be the better fit for people who value longer battery life, more frequent heart-rate readings and deeper app insights. Its membership cost and more complex app are meaningful trade-offs, but users who make regular use of those features may consider them worthwhile.
Explained simply
Screenless fitness trackers record health and activity data without a display; users check their results in a phone app. They commonly monitor movement, sleep and measures such as heart rate, and have become a growing part of the wearable technology market.
Google makes Fitbit, while Whoop is a company focused on fitness tracking. Their bands collect similar kinds of data, but differ in battery life, how often they measure heart rate and how much information their apps present.
The costs also work differently: Fitbit Air offers basic tracking without a subscription, while many detailed features on both devices require paid plans. Those trade-offs matter to people weighing ongoing cost and depth of data against a simpler everyday tracker.
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Originally published by Engadget as “Fitbit Air vs. Whoop: Which screenless fitness tracker is better for you?”.