Whoop may soon have another big-name rival. Apple is reportedly testing a screenless fitness band built around a thin fabric strap and sensor module, a form factor that puts it much closer to Whoop than the Apple Watch.
Apple’s project is still exploratory and is not expected before 2028, if it launches at all. Anyone shopping now has a much wider field already available, including new 2026 options from Garmin and Google alongside Oura, Polar, and Amazfit.
We reviewed current US pricing, subscription costs, battery life, recovery features, workout tracking, and findings from independent reviewers to identify the best Whoop alternatives for different buyers.
- Best Whoop alternatives compared
- How we chose these Whoop alternatives
- Garmin CIRQA: Best Whoop-like alternative
- Oura Ring 5: Best for sleep and recovery
- Google Fitbit Air: Best budget alternative
- Amazfit Helio Strap: Best subscription-free training value
- Polar Loop: Best for existing Polar users
- Which Whoop alternative should you buy?
Best Whoop alternatives compared
| Model | Current price | Subscription | Battery life | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garmin CIRQA | $199.99 | None required | Up to 10 days | Closest Whoop-like alternative |
| Oura Ring 5 | From $399; select finishes $499 | $5.99/month or $69.99/year for full insights | 6–9 days | Sleep and recovery |
| Google Fitbit Air | $99.99 | Core tracking without one; Premium optional | Up to 1 week | Budget buyers |
| Amazfit Helio Strap | $99.99 | None required | Up to 10 days | Training value without a subscription |
| Polar Loop | $199.99 | None | Up to 8 days | Polar users and recovery tracking |
Prices were accurate at publication and may change.
For comparison, Whoop One costs $199 per year in the US and includes Whoop 5.0 hardware, while Peak costs $239 per year and Life costs $359. Whoop 5.0 is rated for roughly 14 days of battery life.
Apple does not appear in the table because there is nothing to buy yet. TechCrunch reported that Apple is still investigating whether to move ahead with its Whoop-like tracker, and a launch would not be expected before 2028.
How we chose these Whoop alternatives
We compared current US pricing and availability, official specifications, subscription requirements, and independent hands-on testing where recent reviews were available.
We prioritized three things:
- Current availability: The exact product had to be available to buy in the US now, rather than announced or still at the prototype stage.
- Recovery and fitness usefulness: Sleep, heart rate, HRV, readiness or recovery data, and workout tracking carried more weight than smartwatch extras.
- Long-term cost: Whoop is built around an annual membership, so we gave particular attention to alternatives that provide useful core insights without recurring fees.
Independent testing also carried more weight than manufacturer claims when comparing comfort, accuracy, battery life, and software quality.
Garmin CIRQA: Best Whoop-like alternative
Of the products included here, Garmin’s $199.99 CIRQA is the closest match to Whoop’s basic formula: a screenless fabric band designed to stay on your body all day and night. It tracks heart rate, sleep, stress, Body Battery, Pulse Ox, skin temperature, training readiness, and more without requiring a subscription. Garmin rates battery life at up to 10 days and supports more than 80 activities, although outdoor GPS tracking relies on a paired phone.
Wareable spent about two months testing CIRQA and found heart-rate tracking accurate and battery life close to Garmin’s 10-day claim. Its bigger weakness was software: Garmin Connect delivers plenty of data, but the review found its recovery presentation less contextual than Whoop or Oura.
That makes CIRQA particularly appealing to existing Garmin users or buyers who want Whoop-style hardware without committing to another annual membership.
Oura Ring 5: Best for sleep and recovery
Oura takes a different approach by moving the sensors from your wrist to your finger. The Ring 5 starts at $399, tracks more than 50 health metrics, and offers 6–9 days of battery life depending on size and use. Its Readiness Score combines signals such as temperature, heart rate, sleep, and HRV to estimate how prepared you are for the day.
The tradeoff is another subscription. Oura Membership costs $5.99 per month or $69.99 annually in the US, and Oura says the ring provides more limited insights without it.
Forbes Vetted tested Ring 5 for more than two months and praised its sleep, stress, and broader health tracking, while noting that it is less suited to buyers who want detailed fitness tracking.
Oura is therefore a stronger choice for recovery-first users than athletes who mainly want detailed workout data.
Google Fitbit Air: Best budget alternative
At $99.99, the Fitbit Air is the cheapest current alternative here from a major wearable brand. Google launched the screenless tracker in May with up to one week of battery life, continuous heart-rate monitoring, sleep tracking, automatic workout detection, and integration with the Google Health app.
Tom’s Guide found the Air comfortable enough for continuous wear and reliable for sleep and general fitness tracking during testing. Its main compromise is the lack of onboard GPS, so you need a paired phone for location data during outdoor workouts.
Google says users without Premium can still track health, fitness, sleep, and more, while Google Health Premium adds Health Coach and other premium features for $9.99 per month or $99 per year.
For casual users who want Whoop’s distraction-free design without Whoop’s annual price, Fitbit Air is the easiest entry point.
Amazfit Helio Strap: Best subscription-free training value
The $99.99 Amazfit Helio Strap costs about the same as Fitbit Air but leans harder into training and recovery. It offers continuous heart-rate monitoring, HRV, sleep, blood oxygen, stress, exertion, and recovery data, with up to 10 days of battery life and no required subscription. The sensor can also be worn on the wrist or upper arm.
Wareable’s 2026 screenless-tracker comparison found its upper-arm heart-rate readings were within roughly 1–2 beats per minute of a Garmin chest strap during testing. The weaknesses were unreliable automatic workout detection and a Zepp app that can feel cluttered.
Those tradeoffs make the Helio Strap better suited to users who care more about workout and recovery data than having the simplest app experience.
Polar Loop: Best for existing Polar users
Polar Loop costs $199.99 and combines a screenless wrist design with 24/7 heart-rate, activity, sleep, and recovery tracking. Polar includes Nightly Recharge, SleepWise, and Training Load Pro, and all features are available without a subscription. Battery life is rated at up to eight days.
Wareable’s review praised its comfort and sleep insights but found Polar Flow dated for a screenless tracker and noted inconsistent tracking accuracy. The review concluded that Loop makes the most sense for people already using Polar products and familiar with its recovery metrics.
For someone already invested in Polar Flow, Loop provides a quieter way to collect recovery and training data without adding another subscription.
Which Whoop alternative should you buy?
| If you want... | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The closest alternative to Whoop | Garmin CIRQA | Similar screenless wrist design, strong tracking, no required subscription |
| The strongest sleep and recovery focus | Oura Ring 5 | Detailed sleep, stress, HRV, and readiness insights in a small ring |
| The lowest-cost mainstream option | Fitbit Air | $99.99, simple tracking, and no required subscription for basics |
| More training data for $100 | Amazfit Helio Strap | Training and recovery tracking with no required fee |
| A companion to an existing Polar setup | Polar Loop | Integrates with Polar Flow and includes recovery tools without a subscription |
Garmin CIRQA is the closest fit for buyers who specifically want Whoop’s screenless wristband design without recurring membership fees. Fitbit Air costs half as much and targets more casual health tracking, while Oura Ring 5 places greater emphasis on sleep and recovery than detailed workout data.
The best choice ultimately depends on whether a buyer prioritizes training insights, sleep tracking, upfront price, or long-term subscription costs. Apple could make the category more competitive in the future, but buyers in 2026 already have several screenless alternatives that do not require waiting for an unconfirmed product.
Read more: For a look at where the category could be headed next, Apple is reportedly developing a screen-free fitness tracker that would compete directly with Whoop.