WHOOP Band 2026: Models (4.0, 5.0, MG), Prices, Membership and Straps Explained

Transparency: Max wore the WHOOP 4.0 daily for over a year and then moved to the WHOOP 5.0. His experience with the 4.0 is in the Whoop 4.0 review; his 5.0 experience is in the WHOOP 5.0 upgrade review. This overview contains no new first-party measurements. Prices, models and straps come from WHOOP’s German pages and German WHOOP shop (accessed 15 Oct 2026), plus WHOOP support, WHOOP’s press release, heise, The Verge and the FDA. All sources are listed at the end. This article contains no affiliate links. More on methodology

Key points

• The band only comes with a membership. WHOOP does not sell the hardware outright; the device is included in the annual price.
• Three plans in Germany (15 Oct 2026): One €199/year, Peak €264/year, Life €399/year.
• Two current devices: WHOOP 5.0 (One, Peak) and WHOOP MG (Life). Only the MG does ECG and blood pressure insights.
• Free trial: one month of Peak with a refurbished WHOOP 5.0.
• Straps: €39 to €129 in WHOOP’s shop. 4.0 bands don’t fit the 5.0 or MG.
• Without a subscription: the official app is empty; unofficial open-source apps work well with the 4.0 and partly with the 5.0.

Which WHOOP models are there?

5.0 and MG details from WHOOP’s press release of 8 May 2025 and the German membership page.

WHOOP 5.0 and MG: the current generation

WHOOP introduced both devices on 8 May 2025. According to the press release they are 7% smaller than the 4.0, the sensors capture data 26 times per second, and a redesigned processor is ten times more power-efficient. WHOOP rates battery life at 14+ days; with the wireless PowerPack, which you slide onto the band on the go, WHOOP says you get a full month. The Verge confirms the key specs.

According to a WHOOP staff answer in the official community forum, the WHOOP 5.0 is IP68-rated and can stay up to 10 m underwater for up to two hours. Showering, bathing and swimming are fine.

The difference between 5.0 and MG: on the MG (“Medical Grade”) you place your thumb and index finger on the conductive clasp to record an ECG. The Life membership adds irregular heart rhythm notifications and daily blood pressure insights. WHOOP lists ECG and rhythm notifications as available in Germany. WHOOP says both are not suitable for people under 22 and not recommended with a pacemaker or implanted defibrillator.

WHOOP says the blood pressure insights are not a medical device and not intended for pregnant people or people on blood pressure medication. In the US, the FDA sent WHOOP a warning letter in July 2025 for marketing the feature without clearance. In June 2026 the FDA closed the case after WHOOP changed the feature and its labelling.

WHOOP 4.0: still works, no longer sold

The 4.0 no longer appears in the membership comparison on WHOOP’s German site. If you still have one, WHOOP support says you don’t have to switch: your membership is moved to Peak at your existing rate, and the 4.0 keeps working.

There are two ways to upgrade:

• Extend by 12 months: you get the new device at no extra cost (WHOOP 5.0 with Peak or WHOOP MG with Life).
• One-time upgrade fee: according to WHOOP support, USD 49 for Peak with WHOOP 5.0 and USD 79 for Life with WHOOP MG. Even the German support page gives no euro amount.

Whether the switch is worth it, Max wrote up in the WHOOP 5.0 upgrade review. What the 4.0 is like in daily use is covered in our Whoop 4.0 review.

How much does WHOOP cost in Germany?

WHOOP sells annual memberships with the device included, not hardware on its own. As of 15 Oct 2026, according to the German membership page:

heise quotes the same prices in a test published on 13 Oct 2026. In the US, Peak and Life are cheaper ($239 and $359), so the euro prices are not a straight conversion.

Returns and term:

• If you sign up for a membership, WHOOP’s German page says you can cancel within 30 days of receipt without giving a reason and send the device back, for a full refund minus shipping.
• If you cancel during the free trial, the band and charger must go back. If you don’t cancel, WHOOP support says the trial converts automatically into a 12-month Peak membership.
• WHOOP says you can switch between One, Peak and Life.
• WHOOP lists a lifetime warranty on the device as a membership benefit; details are governed by its terms of use.

WHOOP straps: which bands are available

People often search for the “WHOOP strap” or “WHOOP band” meaning the knit or sport band the sensor clips into. WHOOP’s German shop sells separate bands for 5.0 and MG. Prices as of 15 Oct 2026:

Besides bands, WHOOP sells clothing with a built-in sensor pocket, in the German shop for example boxers for €29 and a thong for €24. That lets you wear the sensor on the body instead of the wrist.

Three things to know before buying:

1. 4.0 bands don’t fit the 5.0 and MG. According to the WHOOP staff answer in the official forum, the new devices are smaller and the clasps were redesigned. 4.0 bands remain compatible with the 4.0.
2. ECG on the MG needs an MG band. WHOOP says the MG clasps have dedicated conductive contact points. With a regular 5.0 band the MG cannot record an ECG.
3. A band is already included in every plan. You only need an extra one if you want to swap or wear the sensor elsewhere.

Does WHOOP work without a subscription?

Not with the official app: without an active membership it no longer shows any analysis. After a regular cancellation the band is yours, though, and it can still be used with unofficial open-source apps that read it directly via Bluetooth. With the WHOOP 4.0, OpenStrap edge and NOOP work well; with the 5.0 and MG, OpenStrap edge is currently the only serious option, and less proven. Our detailed guide on this is currently only available in German (WHOOP ohne Abo nutzen).

If you don’t want a subscription at all, look at alternatives. The two affordable screenless bands without a mandatory subscription are compared in Garmin Cirqa vs. Fitbit Air. Smart rings without a mandatory subscription are compared in our article on Oura alternatives without a subscription, and wearables in general in best fitness wearables 2026.

Which plan fits?

• WHOOP One (€199): if sleep, strain and recovery are enough. That is the core Max’s reviews are about.
• WHOOP Peak (€264): if you want the stress monitor, health monitor and Healthspan, or the wireless PowerPack. Peak is also the plan you can try for free.
• WHOOP Life (€399): only if you will actually use ECG, rhythm notifications or blood pressure insights. Sleep, strain and recovery are included in all three plans according to WHOOP’s comparison.

Verdict

In 2026 the “WHOOP band” only comes bundled with a membership: the WHOOP 5.0 for €199 or €264 a year, the WHOOP MG with ECG for €399 a year. Straps cost an extra €39 to €129, and old 4.0 bands no longer fit. If you already have a 4.0, you don’t have to switch. And if you cancel, you keep the band and can keep using it with open-source apps, with compromises on the 5.0 and MG.

Sources

• WHOOP, memberships Germany (prices, device per plan, features, trial, return right, warranty, medical notes), accessed 15 Oct 2026 (German): whoop.com/de/de/membership
• WHOOP, WHOOP One Germany (German): whoop.com/de/de/one
• WHOOP shop Germany, bands and apparel (prices): shop.whoop.com/de/de
• WHOOP support, “How to Upgrade Your WHOOP”, updated 9 Oct 2026 (4.0 without upgrade, upgrade fees, features per plan): whoop.my.site.com
• WHOOP support, return policy (trial, conversion to Peak): whoop.my.site.com
• WHOOP, ECG and rhythm notification availability by country: whoop.com/us/en/feature-availability
• WHOOP press release on WHOOP 5.0 and MG, 8 May 2025: whoop.com/press-center
• WHOOP, clarifying the upgrade policy, May 2025: whoop.com/thelocker
• WHOOP community, 4.0 band compatibility with 5.0 and MG: community.whoop.com
• WHOOP community, WHOOP 5.0 water resistance (IP68): community.whoop.com
• The Verge on WHOOP 5.0 and MG, 8 May 2025: theverge.com
• heise, “Fitbit Air vs. Whoop 5 am iPhone im Test”, 13 Oct 2026 (German; euro prices): heise.de
• FDA, warning letter to WHOOP on Blood Pressure Insights, 14 Jul 2025: fda.gov
• FDA, close-out letter to WHOOP, 17 Jun 2026: fda.gov

Not affiliated with WHOOP. “WHOOP” is a trademark of WHOOP, Inc. As of 15 October 2026.