Halo Band vs. Whoop 4.0: What is the difference?

The Halo Band is Amazon’s flagbearer into the market of fitness bands, and the Whoop is what everyone compares it to. This comparison is not without reason though, as both devices do not feature a display and therefore, look similar. But are these devices really as comparable as they seem at first sight?

If you’re in the market for a fitness band, rather than a full-blown fitness watch, you might want to check out our comparison of the Whoop 4.0 vs Fitbit Charge 5.

Here is a breakdown of the main differences between Amazon Halo and the Whoop 4.0:

Amazon Halo Band

FOR

  • More affordable
  • Longer battery life (if Tone Analysis is off)
  • Better app user experience
  • Nutritional, fitness and movement training programs

AGAINST

  • Shorter battery life (if Tone Analysis is on)
  • Privacy concerns with Tone Analysis
  • No strain tracking
  • All advanced features require a subscription

Whoop 4.0

FOR

  • Hardware upgrades are part of the subscription plan
  • Better analysis
  • SpO2 sensor

AGAINST

  • Whoop is not usable at all without a subscription plan
  • The Whoop subscription plan is more expensive than Amazon Halo’s.
  • More difficult to keep the straps clean as they are not silicone
  • No Tone Analysis
  • No diet or training programs

Important note – Both the Amazon Halo, and the Whoop 4.0 require a subscription plan if you wish to use them at their fullest. In fact, Whoop requires a subscription plan full stop. And it is more expensive than Halo’s plan. It’s fair to say that Whoop and Amazon Halo have different business models altogether, so definitely keep that in mind when deciding on your band.

Amazon Halo Features

The Amazon Halo lets you measure your personal well-being at a level that rivals and exceeds that of other fitness trackers in the market. It helps you improve your physical health by providing feedback and recommendations based on your activities.

  • Body Composition: The Halo app analyzes and keeps track of your body fat percentage.
  • Movement Health: By measuring your movements throughout the day, it provides personalized plans to help you be less sedentary.
  • Sleep Tracking: It can measure your sleep activity to let you identify healthy or unhealthy habits affecting the quality of your sleep.
  • Tone Analysis: The Halo can also listen to your speech and provide feedback on how you sound in real-time. Feedback that is invaluable for people interested in keeping a handle on their emotions.
  • General Healthcare: Similar to other fitness bands, the Halo also keeps a tab on your activities, steps, heartrate, and your calories burnt.
  • Nutrition Guides: Recipe recommendations based on your preferences and ingredients so that you can eat healthy and understand your food better.
  • Workout & Meditations: The Halo app also provides guided workouts and meditations for you to discover.

Keep in mind that a lot of the Halo fitness band’s features are behind a monthly subscription fee. Tone analysis, body composition, nutritional guidance, movement health, and workouts are only available if you have an active membership.

amazon halo band review


Whoop 4.0 Features

The Whoop Band on the other hand is an incredibly powerful data collection tool for people who are interested in more than just their heartrate and calorie count. On the surface, it may seem like the Whoop does the same things that the Halo fitness band does, but there is far more depth involved in its analytics.

  • Sleep Monitoring: The Whoop band tracks your sleep stages and monitors your sleep requirements based on recent activities. It also keeps you up to date on your sleep debt, letting you catch up on sleep when you need be at peak performance.
  • Activity & Strain Tracking: By measuring your physical activity, heart rate, and various other metrics throughout the day, the Whoop can track how stressful your day was. Both physically and mentally.
  • Personal Coaching: There are personal coaching options available for almost everything that the Whoop band measures. Whether you are interested in catching up on sleep before a big day, or simply need a reminder for when it is okay to workout again, Whoop has your back.
  • Recovery Tracking: The Whoop band can help you in tracking your recovery. It does so by measuring your heart rate variability, resting heart rate, respiratory rate, along with your recent activities.
  • General Healthcare: Whoop comes equipped with almost all the sensors expected of a band in this price range. Apart from measuring heartrates, activities, and movements, it can also track:
    • Heartrate Variability
    • 3D Acceleration
    • Electrodermal Activity (EDA)
    • Skin Temperature
    • Blood Oxygen Saturation (SpO2)
  • Habit Tracking: By tracking your habits in the Whoop app’s journal, you can correlate your habits with data to figure out the ones that are hurting your performance. No longer will you have to overthink about whether a habit is messing with your performance.

All of Whoop’s features are included in their subscription plan. If you’re interested to know more about the Whoop, check out our Whoop review.

whoop fitness watch


Amazon Halo vs Whoop 4.0: Battery Life

With smart gadgets like a fitness band, battery life is important. A long-lasting battery means that you do not have to pack an extra accessory for your trip. On the other hand, if the battery barely lasts a couple of days, you need to pack and track extra items even on weekend vacations.

Halo Band Battery Life

Your experience with the Halo’s battery will depend on whether you use Tone Analysis or not. Tone Analysis enables the Halo’s microphones and in turn, causes a large drain on its battery.

  • Amazon Halo Band battery life with Tone Analysis: Around two (2) days
  • Amazon Halo Band battery life without Tone Analysis: Around seven (7) days

Whoop Band Battery Life

In comparison, the Whoop 4.0’s battery will last around five days, but using Strain Coach and WHOOP Live will drain the battery faster.

The most interesting thing about charging the Whoop’s battery is that you don’t need to remove the band to charge it. You can instead charge a standalone battery pack and, once the pack is charged, clip it on your Whoop and get on with your day.

Whoop vs. Halo Battery Life Comparison Table

Halo BandWhoop 4.0
Battery LifeUp to 7 daysUp to 5 days
On-Wrist ChargingNoYes
Solar ChargingNoNo
Charge time1.5 hours2.0 – 2.5 hours

Amazon Halo vs Whoop 4.0: Price

Both devices come with a monthly subscription fee attached to them. Though, one is far more expensive on the long run.

Amazon Halo Price

The Amazon Halo’s initial price includes six months of Halo membership, after which you will need to pay a monthly fee to access all the tools and features that your device is capable of offering. In addition to data analytics, this low-cost subscription also provides you access to personalized diet, training, and fitness routines.


Amazon Halo Band: Check Price

Whoop Membership Cost

The Whoop on the other hand does not have a price tag associated with the device itself. But instead, you will need to pay for a year’s worth of subscription upfront to receive the device. Keep in mind that Whoop’s subscription cost is several times that of Halo’s, with none of the personalized programs included. 

With Whoop comes a certain peace of mind though: Whoop will generally upgrade its customers to their newer device at no extra cost. If you have a Whoop 3.0, we suggest you read our article about how to upcycle your Whoop 3.0 for free.

While neither device is as useful without an active subscription, at least the Halo Amazon watch let you access a few features. The Whoop is simply not worth wearing without a plan.

Halo Band vs Whoop 4.0: Looks and Build Materials

Switchable straps are common with fitness bands and both these devices are accompanied by a wide range for you to pick from.

The Amazon Halo takes a far more minimalist approach towards personal fitness and lifestyle. The band does not feature any branding and is significantly slimmer than the Whoop 4.0. They also let you pick between a fabric or a silicone (sports) band.

Whoop 4.0 on the other hand is thicker, wider, and does feature branding on the band itself. Their SuperKnit fabric material is Microfilament Yarn which provides a far more comfortable wearing experience but at the expense of some durability.

Fabric bands tend to fit well with everyday apparel but are difficult to clean, maintain, and dry. Whoop does not feature nor sell silicone bands as an alternative option. Keep this in mind if you are going to be spending a lot of time around water and dirt or if you are a healthcare worker.

Amazon Halo vs Whoop 4.0: iPhone and Android Compatibility

You cannot use either band directly with your iPhone or Android device without installing their respective applications. Both Amazon and Whoop have done an incredibly job of ensuring that their applications remain up to par. So let us instead talk about the apps themselves.

In terms of pure user experience, the Amazon Halo wins. It provides a more catered and thought-out journey to new users. Whoop on the other hand could improve their onboarding experience a little bit and ease users in.

There is no doubt that Amazon has done their due diligence and is attempting to turn the Halo into a lifestyle decision, and their application’s mobile experience reflects exactly that.

Halo is Better Than Whoop as a General Fitness Tracker

For most people, the Halo will be an obvious winner because it has features which most users would find interesting. Providing recipe recommendations, giving you shoulder exercises because you did not move your arms much during the day, etc. It provides feedback in the form of recommendations instead of simply throwing data at you.

The Halo is also far more affordable than the Whoop. There is no obligation to keep paying the subscription fee if you no longer need all the features that it provides. Because even without a subscription, it will track your activities and sleep without any complaints.

And finally, the Tone Analysis does drain your battery a lot, but it is worth using at least a few times every now and then. There is no harm in knowing more about yourself, right? Well, so long as you do not mind the privacy concerns that has people worried about the Halo.


Amazon Halo Band: Check Price

Whoop is Better Than Halo for Serious Athletes

Enthusiasts who are interested in detailed analysis of their workouts, routines, and everyday life will find that the Whoop is a better option so long as the associated cost does not bother them. Not everyone is interested in workout and recipe recommendations. These features might as well not exist for people who have that figured out already.

However, Strain Tracking is a feature which is essential for anyone who takes fitness seriously, and one that the Halo lacks. Knowing how much more strain your body is capable of handling is essential, regardless of whether you are aiming to become fit, or simply losing weight. The presence of this feature alone makes the Whoop an obvious recommendation, so long as the price tag does not bother you.

The Whoop is more expensive, but the price includes all future updates and versions. Both software and hardware. Meaning that whenever the Whoop 5.0 comes out, you will be getting it as part of your subscription.

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