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Whoop is currently the main producer of screenless fitness bands. The company took a new approach to wearables by designing a minimalistic, subscription-based band that's stylish and easy to wear 24/7. Whoop reached $1.1 billion in annual revenue in 2025 and even has investment from all-star athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James, and Rory McIlroy. Now, Google is also entering the arena by releasing the screenless Fitbit Air.
Weighing your options in the new Fitbit Air vs. Whoop debate isn't easy. Fitbit is a foundational brand in the wearables market, but Whoop has garnered a reputation for appealing to even the most hardcore fitness junkies. Both are gadgets that can upgrade your home gym and your fitness lifestyle at large.
Ultimately, the decision comes down to how much you're willing to pay. The Fitbit Air is available for $99.99 and does not require a subscription to monitor your fitness metrics via the Google Health app, though advanced features are locked behind the Google Health Premium subscription. Purchasing a Whoop band requires signing up for an annual subscription at one of three tiers, starting at $199. Which one actually gives you the most bang for buck, though? Let's see how these two screenless straps stack up.
What the Fitbit Air brings to the table
The Fitbit Air is the less expensive of the screenless fitness bands. Granted, a Google Health Premium subscription costs $100 annually, but opting in for this premium service would bring the total upfront cost to equal Whoop's intro-level price tier. If you use your Fitbit Air for two years or more, though, the cost over time will be considerably less compared to any Whoop membership.
Even without Google Health Premium, the Fitbit Air tracks various fitness, sleep, and health metrics that you can check in the phone app. Google rebranded the Fitbit app and now runs fitness tracking through the Google Health app. With Google Health Premium you can access an AI-powered personal health coach built with Google Gemini. The expert reviewers at PCMag have praised Google's AI health coaching, but as helpful as it may be, it's just nice to have a screenless band that won't be inundated with pop-up notifications and unsolicited advice. With the low upfront cost of the Fitbit Air, the added price of a premium subscription might feel like a fair value proposition.
Overall, it's a compelling product compared to traditional smartwatch-style fitness bands. There are some things you should try before replacing your old Fitbit, but if you're firmly in the market for something new, the Fitbit Air has a light touch — for both your wallet and your wrist.
Why the Whoop is still a worthwhile wearable
The Whoop 5.0 is the company's newest flagship release. It's a high-end fitness band that boasts 14 days of battery life, precision sensors, and the versatility to be worn on multiple locations across the body. Annual memberships start at $199 when you subscribe via the Whoop website or purchase the Whoop 5.0/MG Activity Tracker through Amazon. Higher membership tiers are available for $239 or $359 per year. The more premium memberships come with advanced features like real-time stress monitoring, daily blood pressure insights, and heart screening with ECG readings.
In other words, Whoop is still worthwhile for people who want to embark on a fully data-driven health journey. Compared to the Fitbit Air, it provides more actionable data and can be worn for longer without charging. And while the Fitbit brand is bringing nearly two decades of fitness tracking history to the screenless wearables market, Whoop has been striving since 2015 to prove that bulky screens are not a necessity for smart wearables.
Realistically, Whoop's subscription model locks you into a pricey payment plan to access even its most basic features. However, with the amount of lifestyle optimization that a Whoop subscription claims to facilitate, the price can be worth it if you're truly committed to making positive changes.