Whoop 4.0 v Garmin Fenix 7x

HRV Studies:

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#WhoopReview #GarminReview #HybridAthlete

[hardmanperformance]

I had WHOOP for two years and just switched to a Garmin Forerunner 955 last month and I'm honestly mad I ever gave WHOOP money now that I've used Garmin.

[kawaquackygreen]

I'm glad I found your video. It's taken me months to find some that is...

1. Another Brit that is using the Whoop 
2. Another Triathlete and Strength trainer.

Everyone that I find that reviews Whoop does the comparison of "should you get Whoop or Garmin?" and hardly anything like, ways to use both?

I use a Garmin Fenix 7 (47mm) and have gotten used to sleeping with it but it's not the most comfortable, I agree.  
I ordered the Whoop to compliment the Garmin. However, I felt stupid having both as I was looking at it as 2 fitness trackers. However when you use the logic of Lifestyle tracker, fitness tracker. It makes more sense.
Using the Whoop as a lifestyle tracker, primarily, and the Garmin as a fitness tracker makes a lot more sense.


I borrowed an Oura ring for some time and wore it alongside my Garmin. Using the sleep data from the Oura, I found extremely useful and kept the Garmin as a training tool as the Oura seemed better at tracking sleep. I just didn't really like the feeling of the ring in the morning when my finger swelled up.

Anyway, I've ordered another Whoop and a bicep strap this time to give it another go but will use it in the way you have to see how I get on.


Will be good to see another video update in another 6 months on how it's working with your races and that?

Subscribed ;-)

[jefejeffwell]

This is exactly how I use my Garmin/heart rate strap, wristwatch, and lifestyle tracker. I found the Garmin to be too distracting for all the time wear and quiet tacky for day to day activity. I ended up doing exactly what you said, worrying too much about the metrics and less about the activity I was doing. Lift in my regular watch, run in my Garmin/Strap, and always have my lifestyle tracker, checking it only in the early morning and pre-bedtime.

[reubengrawert]

Honestly the best most comprehensive and honest summation of the Whoop and Garmin discussion that I’ve heard. Definitely helped me improve my usage of both.

[GlidingChiller]

I have a Garmin Forerunner, which is a much easier activity tracker than the Fenix, and I wear it 24/7. This way I get permanent HR data so all the metrics from the Garmin App work well. The body battery has always felt really accurate for me and it mostly works on heart rate variability so the scientific foundation is solid.

[stefanietucker]

I switched to a COROS after using Garmin for many years and I have found it so much better. The functions are equal to Garmin, but I prefer the style (thinner and lighter) as well as the superior battery life of the COROS. It also offers many of the features that whoop seem to offer.

[anthonydavies]

I also only use my Fenix for activities. I have the middle size model, which it still big, but I find that useful as my eyes aren’t what they used to me and the bigger screen helps me see the data during a run. I was thinking about the whoop, but have decided to stick with the Garmin

[blakeesh]

Hey Fergus! Great video! I’ve used a Garmin FR945 and Whoop for 3yrs concurrently. I’m pretty competitively training for Ironmans so I lean towards my Garmin more especially since the Edge1030 integrates seamlessly, but I do really enjoy the whoop Journal and monthly reports as well as sleep tracking accuracy. But I think the Garmin sleep tracking has improved significantly in the last year or so, plus I’ve kinda figured out which of my habits help and which don’t. The Garmin body battery feature is extremely accurate with 24/7 wear. And the new FR955 has HRV trends and recovery scores. I think once my current Garmin gives out and my whoop plan runs out I’ll be running FR955 (all the Fenix features except solar in half the weight and bulk) and Vivosmart 5 w/ nice watch outside of training. The Vivosmart will sync everything over to Garmin so you don’t miss data and it’s small enough that I’d say it fits in the bracelet category.
Thanks for the idea about the mental switch of putting the device on to train! I’m going to give that a try!

[MMichiganSalveRegina]

For what it's worth, the "x" means "extra-large". "s" on the other hand means small. So Garmin does have different size watches even within the Fenix category, for example. This speaks to your point about it being too confusing, and I still think the middle/medium size (no "x" or "s") is big and heavy, but just to give a fair assessment, you did purchase the largest size that Garmin makes.

[mamamal]

Awesome review, thanks! Using Whoop for around 2 years now and quite happy with it…

[AaronRobinProductions]

Go with a Garmin Fenix 6s, or 7s. These are only 42mm so they’re not massive compared to most Garmin watches. My opinion they at 42mm they are more slick and it’s not a plate on your wrist.

[keirallen]

I am whoopless and use my Garmin day to day and so far have managed to not knock my wife out with it. The body battery thing on the Garmin I find to be pretty poor. It often gives me a poor night's sleep and so hardly charges the body battery total. I then do a big run and it runs down to 5 but never lower. It flat lines and I have had it at 5 for 5+ hours. I have the epix and have to say I am disappointed with the battery life and wish I had gone for the fenix instead

[bentaylor]

One google search and you’d figure out how to turn off the Garmin suggestions in 2-3 minutes. Hardly worth complaining about

[Nayz]

Thanks for the detailed video. I cannot stand sleeping in my Garmin, it’s uncomfortable, I need to loosen the strap which means the green light in the back flashes and wakes me up. I’m curious about sleep data as I go through tired patches with my training, considering the whoop.
My Garmin battery lasts about a week but I have the brightness set high thanks to my crappy eyesight

[nigeljohnwilson]

All makes sense, Fergus. Absolutely logical to use boundary metrics 👍🏻. Great video by the way, particularly the way you differentiate between exactly what each one does. Also enjoyed your interesting viewpoint on Garmin's marketing strategy. I certainly agree with the drawbacks you point out about wearing Garmin Fenix 24/7. The drinks cabinet backdrop is a masterpiece, btw !

[warrenpatterson]

On the ‘its too big’ con of the 7X (which I agree with), the Fénix series do have normal and S options for each generation which are a bit smaller

[Dnserror]

Thanks for the comparison. Wondering why you bought the X at 51mm and not the regular 7 at 47mm? The regular one is much more manageable. Or the 955, which is basically a Fenix 7 in a plastic body (light weight!).

[davidmaskew]

I honestly don't see the point in the Whoop. You don't need to go as expensive as the Fenix for a comparison. You can do all this on a Forerunner 255/265 which is around the price of 2 years subscription but will last you much longer than this with newer firmware updates coming regularly. You can also view data on the move without your phone. Personally if I'm going to put something on my wrist I expect it to at least show me the time too.

[oliverc]

I had a Whoop for six months and I just don't understand the appeal at all. You can't use it at all during activity, so rule that out straight away. The strain score isn't linear - it is easy to get to 15 and then progressively harder to get to 21 - so it doesn't really tell you that much. Most of all, the Recovery score is simultaneously simplistic (in that it's mostly affected by sleep) and also almost always wrong. On days I felt fantastic and was fully recovered, it gave me low scores. On days when I was absolutely knackered - like during long haul travel - it gave me 90s. Nonsense. No relation to reality, so not at all useful to decide training. Honestly, I got absolutely nothing out of it.

By contrast, the Garmin does so much with GPS, smart watch features, HR, activity tracking, training, body battery (which is, alone, basically the same as the whoop recovery score), and much more besides.

Sorry, but Whoop is a total waste on money IMO. I have a cheap Garmin and it's absolutely perfect for all triathlon and training needs.

[TheNemesis]

Fergus 🤝 Using the word "holistic"