Whoop's $149 Meridian band blocks its own wireless charger

The Meridian makes a Whoop look like jewelry, and it costs $149 before the membership. The metal mesh stops the on-wrist charger from working, so the tracker has to come off.

By iDeviceAug 27, 6:46 AM CT3 min read

Ask about the WHOOP 5.0

Do I need a subscription? Yes, you need a subscription. WHOOP is sold as a membership: the band comes with it, and you cannot use the band without one. WHOOP One costs $199 a year. Peak costs $239 a year and adds the stress and health monitors.
Does it have GPS? It gets GPS from your phone. It has no GPS of its own, so it borrows the phone's.
Can it get wet (shower, pool, swimming)? Yes, you can shower and swim in it. It is rated to 10m. It is not for scuba diving. Its rating is IP68.
Does it work with my phone? Yes, it works with an iPhone or an Android phone.
How fast does it charge? It charges in 152 minutes, basic charger.
How heavy is it? It weighs 26.5g.
How does it connect? It connects over Bluetooth.
Does it take an ECG? No, it does not take an ECG.
Does it measure blood oxygen? Yes, it measures your blood oxygen.
Does it track heart rate? Yes, it tracks your heart rate.
Does it track HRV? Yes, it tracks your HRV.
Does it track sleep stages? Yes, it tracks your sleep stages.
Does it read skin temperature? Yes, it reads your skin temperature.
Will it warn me about an irregular rhythm? No, it does not watch for that.
Does it count steps? Yes, it counts your steps.
Does it have a screen? No, it has no screen.

MY IDEVICE

Whoop put the Meridian on sale on August 27, a $149 titanium mesh band in four finishes, with a tapered shape and a magnetic clasp that borrow openly from the Milanese Loop. It is sold separately from the tracker, so a buyer still needs Whoop hardware and an active membership, and those start at $199 a year. The pitch, in Whoop's own announcement of the band, is the evenings and events where a fabric sports strap looks wrong.

The metal is also the problem. Digital Trends reported that Whoop's wireless charger cannot send power through the mesh, so the tracker has to come off the wrist to charge, and the higher membership tiers ship a power pack designed to make sure it never does. Google sells a complete Fitbit Air, sensors included, for $99.99, which is fifty dollars less than the strap.

Update, Aug 27, 3:25 PM CT: Whoop is also selling the Meridian at 119 pounds in the UK and 129 euros in Europe, per Gadgets and Wearables.

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