Shiny New Gadget of the Month – Whoop Strap 5.0

Looking for a fitness tracker that won’t distract you every five minutes? The Whoop Strap 5.0 is a screenless, minimalist health wearable that delivers deep insights on sleep, recovery, strain, and stress—without lighting up or buzzing during your day.

Chris wears one daily. “I love that it doesn’t have a screen… I get enough notifications,” he said. He also pointed out, “The band doesn’t have a clasp at the bottom, so it’s still comfortable when typing.”

Battery life is impressive—up to 14 days. “I went to a conference, didn’t charge it once, and still had 55% battery when I got home.”

The Whoop app lets you log daily behaviors—hydration, caffeine, alcohol—and see how they affect your body. “No surprise that drinking alcohol lowers my recovery score, but it’s interesting to know that it lowers it by 10%.” Chris also noted, “The daily stats can be interesting, but it gets really interesting when I look back over a few months.”

Memberships range from $17 to $30/month, and the annual subscription includes the device—no extra hardware to buy. —LAW