Article by Derek Li MD with Sam and Jake Winebaum
Whoop Strap 2.0
$500
Whoop.com
iOS and Android
Editor's Note:
Derek Li is a 2:42 PR (Boston) marathoner and physician from Singapore where he is known as the Running Doctor and as a shoe and gear expert. He also writes at his own site Running Commentary.
Jake Winebaum is a tech entrepreneur, accomplished masters cyclist and alpine skier who has tracked his heart rate, power, sleep, and performances for decades. He has competed in the Leadville 100, Transalp Challenge mountain bike races, Tour Transalp, and Everest Challenge road bike races multiple times.
Sam Winebaum is the editor and founder of RoadTrailRun.
Whoop Description
"The WHOOP system includes a sleek, water proof wrist-worn strap that measures key strain and recovery variables more than 100 times per second, 24 hours a day. WHOOP’s proprietary algorithms then process this data to provide athletes an Intensity score, which informs them about the level of Strain on their body and what it means; a Recovery score, which measures the body’s preparedness for strain or exertion; and a Sleep Performance score, which evaluates the hours of quality sleep an athlete got in relationship to the sleep he or she needed. "
About Whoop
Whoop is a venture backed Boston based company. Starting with a focus on collegiate, professional, and Olympic athletes and teams, the Whoop Strap is now available to the public. Whoop was recently named the Officially Licensed Recovery Wearable of the National Football League Players Association, the first wearable to be so named by a professional players' association
DEREK'S REVIEW
Fit
This is by the far the most comfortable skin-sensor based HRM I’ve ever tried. The sensor unit is very form fitting, with a gradual curve to suit the shape of the average-sized forearm, and the elastic strap can be easily adjusted to give a snug but not overly constricting feel, and I found that one does not need to make it extremely tight to give very consistent HR readings, without any aberrant spikes, even with vigorous running. I wear it on my right (non-dominant) wrist, and the numbers track very consistently with my left Garmin Forerunner 35 HRM during my runs. The only difference is I have to make sure my Garmin watch is sufficiently tight during runs to prevent aberrant readings from sweat and slippage while I have no such issues with the Whoop.