Whoop vs. Fitbit Air: I compared Google's new fitness band to the industry favorite

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Close Home Tech Wearables Smart Watches Whoop vs. Fitbit Air: I compared Google's new fitness band to the industry favorite Taking on Whoop, Google unveiled its brand new screenless fitness band, the Fitbit Air. Here's which one is better, by the specs. nina-raemont-headshot

Written by Nina Raemont, Editor, Wearables & Health TechEditor, Wearables & Health Tech May 7, 2026 at 7:00 a.m. PT

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Fitness bands are making a comeback, and Google wants in on the party. On Thursday, the tech giant announced its new screenless fitness band, the Fitbit Air, to its health tracker offerings.

The $100 Fitbit Air takes aim at popular fitness band, Whoop, as an inexpensive alternative to the premium health tracker (annual subscriptions start at $200 a year, going up to $360). While Whoop caters to a serious athletic audience, the Fitbit Air goes more mainstream, designed for regular users at a more approachable price point (and no subscription required).

Also: This minimalist fitness tracker is a refreshing alternative (with no subscription)

The devices are similar. They ditch the screen for a band form factor, and utilize apps as the center of the health-tracking experience. They both track activity, sleep, recovery, and stress, and of course, they have complex AI assistants (though Google's AI Health Coach sits behind its premium membership tier).

So which should you buy? That depends on how much you're willing to spend and what you want. While I haven't tried the Fitbit Air out yet, I've compared the specs of both devices and considered their product offerings to break down the pros and cons.

Specifications

	Whoop 5.0/MG	Fitbit Air
Weight	27 grams	12 grams
Battery life	14 days	7 days
Dimensions	34.7 mm x 24 mm x 10.6 mm	34.9 mm x 17 mm x 8.3 mm
Water resistance	IP68	5 ATM
Sensors	PPG optical sensor, 3-axis accelerometer, skin temperature sensor, and ECG contact pads (specific to Whoop MG only)	Optical heart rate monitor, 3-axis accelerometer and gyroscope, red and infrared sensors for Sp02, temperature sensor, vibration motor
Subscription required?	Yes	No, but Google Health Premium subscription costs $100 annually or $10 per month. Your first three months of Google Health Premium are free with a purchase of Fitbit Air.
Colors	Black standard band	Fog, Obsidian, Lavender, and Berry
Price	Annual subscriptions for $199, $239, or $359	$100

You should buy the Whoop if...

Buy the Whoop

$239 at Amazon

1. You want a longer battery life

Whoop's battery lasts 14 days, whereas the Fitbit Air lasts only seven. The higher-end device will last you twice as long as the Fitbit Air, so you won't have to charge it as frequently.

2. You want more extensive data on demand

Google's Fitbit Air offers a similar health-tracking experience to other Google products, such as the Pixel Watch. The app provides insights into your sleep, steps, and readiness. With Google Health Premium, you can use the AI Health Coach to get more data visualization or compare several metrics at the same time, but you'll have to go one extra step and ask it to generate this.

Also: Your Whoop app isn't just for fitness anymore - you can order blood tests through it now

Whoop, on the other hand, offers extensive data visualizations you don't have to generate or query an AI assistant for (Whoop offers its own AI assistant, and was one of the first health wearable companies to do so).

The app maps your recovery and strain against each other to show the relationship between your body's recovery from intense exertion. Another chart analyzes your sleep to determine whether you're getting enough or falling short. Whoop's Health Monitor keeps an eye on your key biometrics to detect variations in heart rate, heart rate variability, and body temperature, and alerts you of potential strain or illness.

3. You want more out of your health tracker

There are other small, premium details packed into Whoop that you may not get from Google's Fitbit Air. For example, Whoop can detect when you've traveled to another time zone, provide jet lag guidance for sleep timing, light exposure, caffeine, and hydration. It's focused more on personal optimization, and its offerings are marketed toward a more affluent, lifestyle-optimized audience.

Also: I wore the Whoop 5.0 for a month - it combines the best of the Oura Ring and Apple Watch

Unlike the Fitbit Air, which can only be worn around the wrist, Whoop also offers bicep bands and bras to track your health data across your body for more accurate data capture.

You should buy the Fitbit Air if...

Buy the Fitbit Air

View now at Amazon

1. You want a budget-friendly tracker

The cheapest Whoop tier, Whoop One, costs $200 annually. The Fitbit Air has a one-time cost of $100, and if you want Google's annual Google Health Premium membership, that would cost you an extra $100 annually.

Also: iFixit tears down 'the most repairable smartwatch' - and it's not from Apple

Fitbit Air boasts a more value-packed set of health-tracking features for $100. Unlike Whoop, Google doesn't force you into an annual subscription fee. You can take or leave Google Health Premium membership and still track the basics, like steps, recovery, sleep, and activity.

2. You don't want data overload

Those who haven't used a health tracker before may not need as extensive of data capture, and all the charts comparing these biometrics could be more stressful than insightful.

Google's Fitbit Air (and its other devices) is geared toward a more general, exercise enthusiast crowd that is less concerned with learning whether their biometrics put them ahead or behind their actual age (as is the case with Whoop's audience). The FitBit Air discreetly tracks the basics, like steps, weekly cardio, sleep, recovery, and stress -- leaving the peripheral data at the door.

Also: I tracked 3,000 steps on my Apple Watch, Google Pixel, and Oura Ring - this one was most accurate

With a Premium membership, you can ask Google's Health Coach to generate more extensive data to visualize your recovery and strain or your sleep need compared to logged time asleep. But the Fitbit Air emphasizes the basics, and that's more than enough for most people.

3. You want a lighter device

The Whoop weighs in at around 26 grams, while the Fitbit Air weighs only 12 grams. This makes the budget-friendly device significantly lighter and a little bit more comfortable to wear throughout the day.

Writer's choice

While I haven't tried the Fitbit Air out yet, I appreciate any credible health tracker that emphasizes accessibility and accuracy. I like that the Fitbit Air is finally taking on a cult favorite fitness band -- and at a lower price. Throughout my time as a wearables expert, I've noticed the growing popularity of screenless health trackers like bands and smart rings, but there are still very few viable fitness bands available.

Also: The best fitness trackers in 2025: Expert tested and reviewed

It's even better that the Fitbit Air comes with an optional Google Health Premium subscription, unlike the Whoop whose subscription tiers are mandatory and expensive.

I'd recommend the Fitbit Air as a great first fitness tracker. It's got everything you need to dive further into your health, sleep, and activity, but intentionally avoids data overload. The Whoop is better suited for fitness-tracking and biohacking veterans who want a longer-lasting device with extensive data insights.