Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteSome links on this page are affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
WHOOP did not eliminate every free upgrade to WHOOP 5.0—but it did replace a widely understood six-month expectation with a stricter 12-month rule. The controversy began after customers encountered upgrade fees or additional membership commitments despite earlier WHOOP language suggesting that six months of membership qualified them for new hardware.
WHOOP later acknowledged that the six-month wording was incorrect. Its current policy generally requires at least 12 months remaining on an eligible membership for a free WHOOP 5.0 upgrade. Members who do not qualify can usually extend their membership, pay a one-time upgrade fee, or continue using WHOOP 4.0.
What WHOOP originally promised
The dispute is often summarized as “WHOOP promised free upgrades after six months.” That is too broad, but it captures why many subscribers felt misled.
An earlier WHOOP article reportedly said that members who had been subscribed for six months could receive a free next-generation upgrade. Customers could reasonably read that as six months of membership history—not six months left on their current commitment.
#1 Best Overall
- What You Get - A 12-month membership, WHOOP 5.0 device, a SuperKnit band, and a waterproof* Wireless PowerPack. Choose from a range of band and accessory combinations, and add a waterproof Wireless PowerPack for on-the-go charging.
- HSA/FSA Eligible - All 12-month WHOOP memberships and battery packs qualify for HSA/FSA reimbursement.
- Screenless, Distraction-Free - No screen, no buzzing notifications. WHOOP focuses entirely on your health and performance, with up to 14+ day battery life so you can wear it around the clock.
- Healthspan with Pace of Aging - Understand how your daily habits shape long-term health. Healthspan measures your WHOOP Age and Pace of Aging so you can take science-backed action to slow biological aging and extend your prime years.
- 24/7 Health Insights - WHOOP monitors your heart rate every second of every day, delivering personalized Sleep, Strain, Recovery, VO2 max, Menstrual Cycle, and Heart Rate insights along with a Real-time Stress Monitor that pinpoints your stressors and shows how your body responds in the moment, so you can make better decisions about training, rest, and daily performance.
WHOOP later said that this wording was an error. According to the company’s policy clarification, the six-month rule applied to the previous WHOOP 3.0-to-4.0 transition and required six months or more remaining on a membership. It was not simply a reward for having belonged to WHOOP for six months.
That distinction matters. The evidence does not establish that WHOOP promised every subscriber a free device after six months. It does establish that WHOOP published wording that could create that expectation, then removed and corrected it.
What changed with WHOOP 5.0
For the WHOOP 5.0 generation, WHOOP moved to a 12-month remaining-membership threshold. The company says this reflects its current emphasis on 12- and 24-month memberships, rather than the monthly and six-month plans that existed during the earlier upgrade cycle.
Under the current U.S. support documentation, an eligible WHOOP 4.0 member with at least 12 months remaining can receive a free WHOOP 5.0 upgrade on the Peak membership. “Free” here means no separate hardware charge; it does not mean the membership itself costs nothing.
Members with less than 12 months remaining may be offered either a membership extension or a one-time hardware upgrade fee. WHOOP’s support pages list a $49 fee for WHOOP 5.0 and a $79 fee for WHOOP MG, subject to account, tier, region, and eligibility.
Rank #2
- What You Get - A 12-month membership, WHOOP MG device, a SuperKnit Luxe band, and a waterproof* Wireless PowerPack. Choose from a range of band and accessory combinations, and add a waterproof Wireless PowerPack for on-the-go charging.
- HSA/FSA Eligible - All 12-month WHOOP memberships and battery packs qualify for HSA/FSA reimbursement.
- Screenless, Distraction-Free - No screen, no buzzing notifications. WHOOP focuses entirely on your health and performance, with up to 14+ day battery life so you can wear it around the clock.
- Heart Screener with On-Demand ECG - Take an ECG reading from your wrist in seconds to check for signs of atrial fibrillation. Heart Screener gives you a medical-grade view of your heart rhythm whenever you need it.
- 24/7 Health Insights - WHOOP monitors your heart rate every second of every day, delivering personalized Sleep, Strain, Recovery, VO2 max, Menstrual Cycle, and Heart Rate insights along with a Real-time Stress Monitor that pinpoints your stressors and shows how your body responds in the moment, so you can make better decisions about training, rest, and daily performance.
Why subscribers were angry
The backlash was not only about the price of a piece of hardware. WHOOP’s business model presents the device as included with a continuing membership. That model encourages customers to view the subscription as the main purchase and the tracker as a benefit of staying subscribed.
Some customers said they had bought or renewed WHOOP 4.0 memberships expecting a relatively straightforward future upgrade. When they instead saw a fee or another paid commitment at the WHOOP 5.0 launch in May 2025, they viewed the change as a reversal of the value proposition.
That is why “WHOOP broke its promise” is best treated as a description of affected customers’ position, not as an established legal finding. WHOOP disputed the broad interpretation, acknowledged its earlier wording was wrong, and maintained that its formal upgrade framework was based on remaining membership time.
Who may have been affected?
Not every subscriber received the same offer. The account-specific outcome could depend on remaining membership time, membership tier, trial status, family-plan status, founding-member status, and whether the customer was on an older or grandfathered plan.
Potentially affected members included:
- Subscribers with less than 12 months left on their active commitment.
- Customers who had recently purchased or renewed WHOOP 4.0.
- Members who confused total time as a WHOOP customer with time remaining on their plan.
- Multi-year subscribers who were nevertheless shown a fee or extension prompt.
- Customers who renewed shortly before the WHOOP 5.0 announcement.
WHOOP said customers who bought or renewed a WHOOP 4.0 membership during the 30-day period before May 8, 2025, could have the upgrade fee waived at checkout. It also said members with more than 12 months remaining would receive a free upgrade on Peak, and that qualifying customers who had already paid an upgrade fee could receive a refund. These measures were not a universal remedy for every subscriber.
Rank #3
- What You Get - A 12-month membership, WHOOP 5.0 device, a CoreKnit performance band, and a Basic Charger. Choose from a range of band and accessory combinations, and add a waterproof Wireless PowerPack for on-the-go charging.
- HSA/FSA Eligible - All 12-month WHOOP memberships and battery packs qualify for HSA/FSA reimbursement.
- Screenless, Distraction-Free - No screen, no buzzing notifications. WHOOP focuses entirely on your health and performance, with up to 14+ day battery life on WHOOP 5.0 so you can wear it around the clock.
- 24/7 Health Insights - WHOOP monitors your heart rate every second of every day, delivering personalized Sleep, Strain, Recovery, VO2 max, Menstrual Cycle, and Heart Rate insights along with a Real-time Stress Monitor that pinpoints your stressors and shows how your body responds in the moment, so you can make better decisions about training, rest, and daily performance.
- Understand the Impact of Your Habits - Capture 300+ daily behaviors like training, diet, consistent wake time, stress levels, and more with the WHOOP Journal to understand how habits help or hurt your Recovery.
WHOOP 5.0 upgrade options now
| Account situation | Likely option |
|---|---|
| 12 or more months remaining on eligible Peak membership | Free WHOOP 5.0 upgrade, with no separate hardware charge |
| Less than 12 months remaining | Extend the membership or pay the listed upgrade fee |
| WHOOP MG upgrade | Life membership or the listed $79 upgrade fee, subject to eligibility |
| Trial membership | A 12-month extension is required; the one-time fee route is not available during the trial |
| Family plan | The family-plan administrator must handle the upgrade for the plan |
| No interest in new hardware | Continue using WHOOP 4.0 |
WHOOP lists a 12-month extension at $239 for Peak or $359 for Life in its U.S. support materials. Those are published U.S. reference prices as of the current documentation, not a guarantee that every account will display the same amount. Regional, promotional, legacy, family, and founding-member terms can differ.
How to check your own eligibility
- Open the WHOOP app.
- Tap More.
- Choose My Account.
- Open Membership and Billing.
- Select the upgrade method and hardware shown for your account.
- Review whether the offer requires a fee or membership extension before confirming.
WHOOP also directs members to its upgrade page. Do not assume that renewing automatically creates an upgrade order; the upgrade must be completed through the relevant account flow.
Before contacting support, save screenshots of the offer, your membership end date, renewal receipts, and any earlier WHOOP messages that influenced your purchase. Those records may help distinguish a normal account-specific fee from an eligibility or waiver issue.
What happens if you do nothing?
WHOOP 4.0 users are not required to upgrade. WHOOP says members can continue using the existing device under the Peak membership structure without an announced service shutdown or mandatory hardware replacement.
That makes the decision less urgent than the launch controversy suggested. If WHOOP 4.0 still meets your needs, declining the upgrade avoids both the fee and an additional membership commitment.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteRank #4
- BUILT FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE – SportFlex is designed with waterproof, sweatproof, and dirtproof silicone. It’s highly durable and designed to withstand your most intense workouts and adventures.
- MADE WITH SOFT-TOUCH SILICONE – SportFlex is ultra-smooth, hygienic, and easy to clean. Small scuffs can be wiped off, or you can deep-clean the band with isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth followed by a water rinse.
- ADJUSTABLE AND BREATHABLE – SportFlex is made with an adjustable closure system to ensure a snug, secure fit—no matter how intense your workout. The band includes ventilation details, making it extra breathable and comfortable.
- 100% WATERPROOF – SportFlex is completely waterproof, making it an essential accessory for everything from swimming laps and surfing to high-sweat, high-intensity workouts.
- COMPATIBILITY – This is not compatible with the WHOOP 4.0
Should you pay, extend, or stay with WHOOP 4.0?
Pay the upgrade fee
The fee may be the cleaner choice if you want WHOOP 5.0 immediately, have substantial time left on your current membership, and do not want to add another paid term. It also avoids calling an extension “free” when the extension itself costs hundreds of dollars.
Extend the membership
An extension can make sense if you already intend to remain a WHOOP customer. It is not economically free: you are exchanging a longer paid commitment for hardware without a separate upgrade charge. Compare the total extension cost with the one-time fee and with the value you expect from another year of WHOOP service.
Keep WHOOP 4.0
Keeping the existing device is reasonable if its tracking remains adequate, you are nearing a cancellation decision, or you are unhappy with the subscription model rather than the hardware. There is no need to extend membership solely to avoid losing access to a new tracker.
Cancel or switch
If recurring fees are the main problem, the controversy may be a useful point to reassess the entire ecosystem. Garmin generally follows a more conventional hardware-ownership model, Apple Watch emphasizes broader smartwatch features but requires an iPhone, Fitbit is more consumer-oriented and has optional paid features, and Oura uses a ring form factor with its own subscription considerations. Their prices and feature availability change, so they should be compared separately rather than assumed to be automatically cheaper or better.
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteFounding members and legacy accounts
Founding members may see different terms. WHOOP’s founding-member guide lists a $99 annual extension or $49 upgrade fee for WHOOP 5.0, and a $219 annual extension or $79 fee for WHOOP Life/MG, subject to founding-member status and the applicable terms.
Best Value
- Simple & Screen-Free Design – Easy to use and ultra-lightweight, comfortable for all-day wear without the distraction of a screen
- Powerful Health Monitoring – Accurately tracks heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen, HRV, sleep quality, and stress levels to help you better understand your body
- 100+ Sports Modes – Supports a wide range of fitness activities with precise tracking, making it your reliable companion for workouts and daily movement
- Ultra-Long Battery Life – Just 2 hours of charging powers up to 47 days of standby, so you can focus on your goals without constant recharging
- No Subscription Required – Enjoy all features with the free app, fast syncing, and easy Bluetooth connection—no hidden costs
Legacy and regional accounts can also behave differently from the standard U.S. flow. The offer displayed inside your account is more reliable than a general price list, especially if you joined under an older plan or promotion.
The bottom line on the controversy
WHOOP did not cancel all free hardware upgrades. It clarified that WHOOP 5.0 generally requires 12 months remaining for a no-charge upgrade on Peak, while offering extensions and one-time fees to other eligible members.
But the company’s correction did not erase the original expectation. Customers had seen simple six-month language, and some say they relied on it when renewing or remaining in the service. The fairest conclusion is that WHOOP published misleading or erroneous upgrade wording, then applied a stricter 12-month framework for WHOOP 5.0. Whether that correction adequately resolves the trust problem remains a matter for each subscriber to judge.
For a practical decision, check the offer in More → My Account → Membership and Billing, compare the fee with the full cost of an extension, and remember that continuing with WHOOP 4.0 remains an option.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
