Whoop is working to address mounting user dissatisfaction following the launch of its Whoop 5.0 fitness tracker. Customers expressed frustration upon discovering that the company had not upheld its commitment to provide free hardware upgrades. In a recent Reddit post, Whoop announced that subscribers with over 12 months remaining on their plan could receive a Whoop 5.0 at no cost.
User frustration grew due to Whoop’s unclear communication. Earlier reports indicated that obtaining a Whoop 5.0 would require members to extend their current subscription by an additional 12 months or incur a one-time upgrade fee. Confusion was amplified by a blog post on the Whoop website, which remained active until at least March 28, stating that only six months of membership would be required for a free upgrade to the latest hardware.
Following the backlash, Whoop has adjusted its policy slightly. Now, subscribers with “more than 12 months remaining” are eligible for a complimentary upgrade to WHOOP 5.0 on the new subscription model, WHOOO Peak. For those with fewer than 12 months left, they still must either renew their membership for an additional 12 months or pay a one-time fee. This change has been duly noted on the membership pricing page.
The company acknowledged the previous blog post’s misinformation, stating, “a previous blog article incorrectly stated that anyone who had been a member for just 6 months would receive a free upgrade. This was never our policy and should never have been posted.” Whoop continued:
As noted above, our policy for upgrades from WHOOP 3.0 to WHOOP 4.0 was that members with 6 months or more remaining on their membership were eligible for a free upgrade to WHOOP 4.0. We removed that blog article when it came to our attention and updated WHOOP Coach with the proper information. We’re sorry for any confusion this may have caused.
This clarification aligns with comments made by Whoop CEO Will Ahmed during a 2019 interview, where he indicated that members with a Whoop 3.0 could upgrade to the 4.0 model if they had “at least 6 months of membership left.” Similar wording was used in a 2021 blog post regarding the prior Band upgrade.
Nevertheless, reactions from users on Reddit have remained largely negative, with some expressing displeasure over the requirement to extend their subscription even when they have nearly a year left or threatening to cancel their subscriptions.
Even some supporters of the new terms have voiced concerns. One user remarked that while they are “pleased with the change,” they are skeptical of the claim that the prior blog post was an error, suggesting that the company should admit to a shift in policy rather than attribute it to a mistake in communication.
Correction, May 11th: This article initially misstated Whoop’s new terms in one instance. Members must have 12 months left on their subscription; they do not need to have been a member for 12 months..
