Amazfit Helio Strap goes head to head vs Whoop 5.0

Amazfit Helio Strap just launched today and it’s already drawing comparisons to the Whoop 5.0. It has a similar look, skips the screen entirely, and runs through a companion app that now includes a new energy score called BioCharge.

For a while, Whoop was the only serious player in this space. Which always felt a bit odd. But that’s starting to change. Zepp Health is now stepping in with Helio Strap. Just a few days ago Garmin launched its Index Sleep Monitor, which has a similar form factor but focuses mostly on sleep. And Polar is teasing its own take on this category, set to land in early September. That one has caught our attention more than most. What’s different is that all of these are subscription free alternatives to Whoop.

But let’s turn our focus back on the Amazfit Helio Strap.

The hardware is closer than you’d think

The resemblance between that one and Whoop is not just skin deep. Amazfit Helio Strap borrows the internals from recent Amazfit watches. Same sensors and core tracking. But now it’s packaged in a display-free rectangle that’s meant to live quietly on your wrist and feed you health stats through your phone.

The design is clean and minimal. It weighs less than the Whoop and delivers up to ten days of battery life. That’s decent, though you’ll need to take it off and use a standard charger when it runs low. Whoop lasts even longer, up to fourteen days, and adds a clever twist. You don’t have to remove it to charge. The battery pack snaps on and powers it up while it’s still on your wrist. So you’re not losing any data or breaking your routine. For people who like continuous tracking, that’s a real perk.

Neither device has built-in GPS, but both offer connected GPS through your phone. They aren’t trying to be smartwatches. These are quiet companions, built to track in the background while you go about your day.

As far as health and fitness stats, you get the same core data. Activity, sleep, heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, skin temperature and all the other usual candidates. It’s worth noting that Whoop says its sensors capture data 26 times per second. I doubt the Amazfit matches that. But having tested a range of Zepp Health devices, its data is pretty accurate. It might not sample at the same rate, but in day-to-day use it tends to hold up well across the key health metrics.

Water resistance is good on both, and they look comfortable enough for 24/7 wear. But the pricing tells a very different story. Helio Strap sells for 99 euros outright. That’s it. Whoop has a subscription model that starts to add up fast. And if you opt for the top-tier Whoop MG, you’re in premium territory.

The MG version does come with extra hardware. It adds ECG and blood pressure tracking, which aren’t available on the standard Whoop 5.0. That pushes it closer to medical-grade wearables, even if it’s not marketed that way. The price reflects that too, with yearly plans starting at $359. So while the MG version offers more, you’re also paying a lot more to get it.

The software is where Whoop pulls ahead

This is the bit that matters most. Whoop’s smartphone app is polished, deep, and sticky. It offers detailed sleep tracking, long-term recovery insights, and features like Healthspan and journaling. It gives people reasons to stick with it. That’s hard to match out of the gate.

Helio Strap uses the Zepp app. It’s the same platform all Amazfit devices run on, but with a twist. Instead of the usual Readiness Score, the Helio Strap introduces something called BioCharge. This tracks your body’s energy over time. You can see when you’re recharging and when you’re burning through reserves.

It’s pretty clearly inspired by Garmin’s Body Battery. And on first glance, it feels more useful than the Readiness Score. More real-time. Less hit or miss. Still, outside of that, the app is familiar territory for Amazfit users. Which means it’s decent, but not yet on Whoop’s level.

Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets

Which means the gap is not so much in the sensors. It’s in the interpretation and the feedback. That’s where Whoop justifies its ongoing cost. That’s also where Zepp Health has room to catch up. And they might. If they keep pushing out updates, that difference could shrink quickly.

Who is the Helio Strap for

This isn’t trying to be a Whoop killer. At least not yet. But the bones are good. You get 27 sports modes, including 8 that auto-detect. It tracks Vo2Max, Exercise Load, Training Effect, and Recovery Time. And it works on its own or paired with another Amazfit watch.

Right now it only comes in black. But more colors are coming in July. Expect options like gray black and gray white.

So if you’re already in the Amazfit ecosystem, or just want a simple way to track performance without adding another screen to your life, the Helio Strap is worth a look. If Zepp Health invests more into their software layer, this thing could become very compelling very quickly.

Don’t forget to check out my Whoop review. Amazfit Helio Strap can be purchased from the Zepp Health website or Amazon.

Amazfit Helio Strap vs Whoop 5.0: Tech specs comparison

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter! Check out our YouTube channel.