Google Fitbit Air, or Whoop? The battle of display-less trackers is very close!

A few days ago, we wrote about the newly introduced Fitbit Air tracker, with which Google finally officially entered the segment of display-less wearables. This market has been firmly dominated for several years by the Whoop brand with its current 5.0 generation. The question arises: does it make sense to wait for Fitbit Air, or opt for the established Whoop? Let’s compare both devices – the result is more surprising than it seems at first glance.

Price: one-time purchase versus perpetual subscription

Here lies the core of the entire battle and also the biggest gap between the two trackers. You cannot simply buy Whoop. It functions exclusively as a subscription, and the hardware is included in the price. The cheapest One plan costs 199 dollars annually (approximately 4,200 CZK), the mid-tier Peak costs 239 dollars, and the top-tier Life with the Whoop MG device costs 359 dollars. Without an active subscription, the tracker becomes a plastic ornament that can do absolutely nothing.

Google takes the opposite approach. You can purchase Fitbit Air once for 99 dollars (approximately 2,100 CZK) and get a fully functional tracker. The Google Health Premium subscription for 9.99 dollars (it doesn’t have a Czech price yet, but it will be approximately 250 CZK) per month is optional, and you get three months free in the package. Without it, you lose the personalized AI coach and advanced training plans, but basic heart rate, sleep, and activity data continue to function. After the first year, Air, even with the subscription, will cost roughly half the price of Whoop, and even less after the second year.

Hardware and sensors: practically the same league

In terms of hardware, both devices are surprisingly similar. Fitbit Air measures 34.9 × 17 × 8.3 mm and weighs 5.2 grams without the strap, while Whoop 5.0 is only slightly larger. Both are water-resistant – Air up to 50 meters, Whoop to a depth of around 30 meters with a longer dive time. Both support easy strap replacement and offer a wide range of accessories.

The sensor equipment is also almost identical. Both devices have an optical heart rate monitor, accelerometer, SpO2, and skin thermometer, tracking heart rate variability, respiratory rate, sleep phases, and stress. Fitbit Air also has atrial fibrillation (AFib) detection, which is a useful health feature that Whoop 5.0 does not have – this is only offered by the more expensive Whoop MG. Both lack integrated GPS, so for outdoor sports, you will need a phone in your pocket.

AI Coach: Gemini versus ChatGPT

The key software overlay for Fitbit Air is the Google Health Coach built on Gemini. It functions as a conversational assistant – it understands natural language, suggests training plans, evaluates sleep, and reportedly adapts to your behavior over time. The advantage is its integration with the rest of the Google ecosystem and the ability to import data from applications like Peloton or Nike Run Club.

Whoop has its own AI coach built on ChatGPT, which has proven to be a solid guide, especially for beginners. The Whoop App is generally more prescriptive – it tells you what to do and less burdens you with raw numbers. This may suit those who want clear instructions, but less so data enthusiasts who like to dig into graphs themselves.

Battery Life and Daily Use

Here, Whoop clearly has the upper hand. Fitbit Air lasts up to seven days on a single charge, which is a solid value, but Whoop 5.0 can manage double that – around 14 days. More importantly, higher Whoop plans come with a wireless power pack that slides directly onto the tracker and recharges it on the go. This means you don’t have to interrupt measurements even for a minute, which is crucial for continuous health metric tracking.

On the other hand, Fitbit Air can be charged from zero to full in 90 minutes, and a five-minute connection to the charger will give you a full day’s power, according to Google. For most users who are content with charging once a week, this is perfectly acceptable.

What to Choose?

Whoop 5.0 makes sense for people who want a highly sophisticated ecosystem with an emphasis on recovery, are willing to pay an annual subscription, and appreciate that their hardware is continuously updated. For athletes, it remains the best-tuned option on the market.

Fitbit Air targets a significantly broader audience. People who want to keep track of their fitness but don’t need premium sports coaching will get solid hardware for 99 dollars and the option to pay for the AI overlay optionally.

Would you prefer a one-time purchase of Fitbit Air, or a continuous Whoop subscription?