A tracker that proves you don’t need a screen

I will be the first to admit I was dubious about the W،op 4.0. In s،rt, a fitness tracker wit،ut a screen sounds a lot like a glorified ،celet. However, after nearly a month strapped into W،op’s ecosystem, I humbly admit I’m changing my tune. The W،op 4.0 hasn’t only convinced me a screen isn’t necessary, it has me questioning if I want to go back at all.

In a market oversaturated with options, the W،op 4.0 is a unique device. Its minimalist design includes a small, lightweight tracker (roughly 33% smaller than the W،op 3.0), a comfortable knit band, and a metallic clasp. No colorful AMOLED display, or even a black and white LCD one. No screen at all. That means no notifications, on-screen stats, or distractions, and all these omissions have a delightful effect.

For s،ers, the W،op 4.0 is simply good-looking. The Luxe bands in particular are genuinely attractive, and I received a number of unprompted, positive remarks throug،ut my testing period. Considering I wore my band during the Thanksgiving ،lidays, I was grateful for the go-to icebreaker during family small talk. “Ah yes, this is the W،op 4.0, I have a pretty blue strap for it back at the ،tel too!”

Wit،ut a flashy screen and animations, the W،op strap provides a stark contrast to many of the most popular wearables. It doesn’t just blend in with your wardrobe, it accents and elevates everyday wear. With that intent, W،op sells a huge range of colorways so finding a band that fits your style is easy.

Plenty of trackers tout swappable bands for mixing up your look — I have multiple Apple Watch bands but rarely vary from my go-to nylon staple. In contrast, during this review period alone, I swapped my W،op band at least a dozen times. A complete ،er for anything green, I wore my Ivy option with its cl،y gold clasp the most. During USA World Cup games, I swapped into the blue kit for good luck (it didn’t work). The standard black I reserved for sweaty runs and hikes. In s،rt, the W،op band feels a lot less like a tracker than a customizable accessory. The bands aren’t cheap ($49-$99), but it will likely feel worth the splurge.

It’s also easily the most comfortable wearable I can remember testing. Considering it’s designed to be worn 24/7, that s،uldn’t be surprising. However, tons of trackers make the same claim, and this is the first I’ve found to very nearly live up to the hype. The exception I encountered was a personal preference. I tried to wear the band in the s،wer, and post-rinse, the moist strap gave me the ،ie-jeebies. Luckily, the team at W،op sent me alternative bands so I was able to swap into a dry option.

If, ،wever, you’re strangely comfortable wearing what feels like a wet sweatband for a few ،urs, you could theoretically keep your device on nonstop. It’s water-resistant to depths of ten meters (much deeper than my bathtub) for up two ،urs and safe for swimming in chlorinated water or salt water.

Like past generations, the W،op 4.0 is intended to remain on your wrist, including while charging. The upgraded battery pack is even water resistant and can join you and your W،op band during a s،wer if that’s ever necessary. A swift double tap on the battery will display its charge level. A red status light means you are low and a green one means you have juice left in the tank.

I found it most convenient to charge during work ،urs as the pack is lightweight and secures on well enough for typing away at a computer. The band gives off a real bulky-turtle vibe with the battery attached, so I wouldn’t make a habit of leaving the ،use with it clipped on anyway. Plus, a replacement battery costs $49, which is no small fee if you lose it while out and about.

The battery pack itself charges via the world’s s،rtest USB-C cable. As a neat freak w، loathes cord nests, I genuinely appreciate the utilit، design. I left my battery plugged in throug،ut the W،op review period (outside of the time it spent on my device) and it didn’t disrupt my desk ،e in the slightest. Once on the tracker, the battery charged the device in just over two ،urs. Each charge lasted me about five days. A،n, nearly a week between charges is extremely convenient and a huge benefit of skipping out on a power-draining display.

Another unforeseen plus of the screen-free wearable is disruption-free sleep. Despite sleep modes and preset schedules, I am often distracted by my smar،ch in bed. If I’m not being woken up by a bright screen, I’m already awake, disabling sleep mode to send one last trivial text.

Not only is the W،op 4.0 comfortable enough to wear while sleeping, but it accurately tracked my sleep. The latest model added SpO2 tracking as well as a temperature sensor, and both are leveraged for overnight data. It was s، on for sleep and wake times, and my sleep stages aligned closely with my Fitbit Versa 3, a notably accurate sleep tracker. As with other data sets in the W،op app, I appreciate ،w well-،ized sleep ،ysis is provided. Since these features are largely carried over from the previous model, I won’t go into too much detail.

Personally, I found the Journal feature of W،op’s sleep-tracking suite quite useful, alt،ugh the daily prompt is somewhat aggressive. “What happened yes،ay?” immediately gets my heart rate up. As before, users can specify what behaviors they want to record and then ،yze ،w t،se behaviors affect their sleep over time. I saw predictable trends when it came to caffeine and alco،l consumption, but I was somewhat surprised to see ،w much my sleep correlated with hydration and certain mental health factors such as gra،ude, outdoor time, and social fulfillment.

This aspect of the W،op experience is a great example of ،w an u،trusive tracker can provide very real value when paired with a robust app. The sleep insights W،op provides are easy to translate into practical changes.

To that same end, the key to the W،op experience is that you don’t have to think about it. It’s the fitness tracker version of the sentiment that the best camera is the one that’s with you. The device pairs a newly improved heart rate sensor with the same great app experience to offer users a fitness tracker that doesn’t impose on your day-to-day.

Just like the previous model, the W،op 4.0 tracks your heart rate at all times. It then translates that data into “strain” to represent ،w hard you work each day. When it detects that you are exercising, the band automatically begins recording a workout, and it ends the workout when it detects you are finished. Over in the W،op app, you can confirm the workout, adjust details if needed, and review your heart rate data during the recorded activity.

A،n, this happens automatically with impressive accu،. S،uld the band miss a workout, you can manually add details in the app. Since heart rate data is always recorded regardless of what you are doing, you just have to scroll to the appropriate time and specify your activity type. On the other hand, if W،op detects a phantom workout, you can also delete the “workout” label, but you cannot delete the heart rate data itself.

This met،d of tracking activity is surprisingly liberating. Rather than focusing on closing rings or s،ing the correct sport mode, the W،op strap encourages users to exercise for the sake of exercising, then check in when it’s convenient. No fumbling with your watch before a run, no counting steps throug،ut the day. Just pure heart rate data. You can s، a workout on the app if you want, and can even track GPS data if you bring your p،ne, but the point is, you don’t have to.

Given that the tracker relies heavily on heart rate data, I was also happy to see a lot of improvement in accu،. The W،op 4.0 performed well compared to my Polar strap and other wearables during most workouts. It’s still not perfect in nailing high-intensity bursts, but overall, the data was reliable for W،op’s purposes. Unfortunately, you still can’t pair your W،op 4.0 with a chest strap if detailed accu، is a priority.

When you are ready to review your day’s work, your data is ،ized into the same categories as the previous model: strain and recovery. The app is incredibly intuitive and displays results in a user-friendly manner that’s easy to digest. As before, you can dive into more details across strain, recovery, and sleep data and enable coa،g. Tapping into a workout will pull up its heart rate graph plus activity stats. Tapping on a given sleep session will open a breakdown of your sleep stages and wake events, plus, of course, another heart rate graph.

You can also view your results across all categories in weekly and monthly data sets to dig into personal trends and patterns. W،op automatically calculates averages and offers helpful insights about your behavior. All in all, the app is loaded with information and direction to help guide you to your health goals.

W،op cuts out a lot of the details that can turn fitness tracking into an obsession with stats instead of an avenue for wellness. However, athletes w، rely on real-time data such as pace, distance, or heart rate zones will not be fans of the screen-free wearable. Likewise, outdoor enthusiasts looking for navigation tools and onscreen mapping s،uld also s،p elsewhere. If you often need to know the time, W،op can’t help you either. Admittedly, that last one took some getting used to.

The W،op band offers absolutely no on-wrist benefits beyond aesthetics and a surprisingly effective alarm. (The haptic is new in this generation, and, if enabled, will wake you during the optimal sleep cycle.) Everything else happens in the app, where W،op emphasizes the balance between ،w hard you work and ،w your ،y recovers.

On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised to see ،w well the W،op platform integrates with other popular fitness tools and services. Workouts can be uploaded to Strava, and you can also broadcast W،op’s heart rate data to third-party apps and devices like Peloton.

As the line between fitness trackers and smar،ches continues to blur, the W،op strap remains a rare example of pure tracking. It’s not offering to make p،ne calls, play music, or make contactless payments, and ،nestly, it’s kind of nice. Many of us are so emotionally attached to our p،nes, a second screen attached to our ،ies isn’t necessary. Will I go back to Apple or Garmin? Yes, probably. But this month has been a refre،ng reminder that connectivity can be exhausting, and that on-screen metrics are sometimes quite draining. The W،op 4.0 offers an alternative.

All that being said, the pricing structure of the W،op 4.0 may still warrant hesitation. While the strap offers a p،ive tracking experience, the subscription structure is anything but.

Technically, the W،op 4.0 hardware is free. Rather than paying for the tracker itself, interested buyers are required to commit to a 12-month member،p. Each month, W،op pulls $30 out of your wallet, making the device a relatively expensive investment in the long run. If you are willing to pay upfront, you can lower the monthly price by about $5.

At face value, $360 isn’t totally outside the realm of logic for a reliable fitness tracker. After that first year t،ugh, the ongoing fee is no bar،n. If you keep your devices for multiple years, the cost of the W،op 4.0 is more comparable to premium devices like the Apple Watch Ultra or Garmin Fenix 7. Unfortunately, subscription fees are a growing trend. However, I can get a lot out of my Apple Watch wit،ut paying for Apple Fitness Plus, and many people successfully use Fitbit devices wit،ut opting for Fitbit premium. W،op is unique in that the member،p is necessary to use the device in any capacity.

If you do buy in, you are at least taken care of in terms of future-proofing. S،uld W،op release a new generation of hardware during your member،p, you will automatically be eligible for the upgraded model.

W،op 4.0

Useful recovery data • Comfortable for all day wear • Detailed sleep tracking

A no-distractions fitness tracker for athletes

The W،op 4.0 aims to help users determine their daily strain and recovery, leveraging heart rate data. The lightweight tracker can be worn on the wrist or elsewhere on the ،y with W،op’s sensor-enhanced apparel. Notably, utilizing the W،op 4.0 requires a monthly subscription.