Could the Polar Loop Be the Real Whoop Alternative?
Screenless fitness trackers are trending, and one of the latest to reach the market is the Polar Loop band. This seems to be a comfortable wearable that tracks activity, sleep, and overall health around the clock without a screen. Unlike many competitors, the Polar Loop is a one-time purchase with no subscription fees.
The Loop competes directly with the Whoop MG (review) and the Amazfit Helio Strap (review) and brings Polar’s legacy in sports science, health tracking, and heart rate monitoring into play. That is a key reason why many were excited about this launch. While the user experience of Polar’s Flow app still faces criticism, the brand has strong potential to deliver valuable insights into fitness, recovery, and sleep through the new Loop strap.
A Recognizable Design with Broad Appeal
If you place the Polar Loop next to the Whoop and the Helio Strap, you may notice some similarities at first, but the differences matter. The industry is clearly following Whoop’s minimalist, strap-only model. Much like smartwatches evolving to familiar materials, fitness bands are now following the same direction.
Since these devices are worn at all times, a flexible, skin-friendly strap is essential. The Polar Loop ships with a lightweight textile strap in several base colors: Greige Sand, Night Black, and Brown Copper. Additional swappable bands in both subtle and bold hues cost €19.90 in Europe, or about 30 dollars in the US.
A sensor pod houses the core tracking technology. The case and bezels are stainless steel, and the band weighs 29 grams, which makes it almost unnoticeable on the wrist. The device measures only 9 millimeters in thickness.
Polar claims the Loop is water-resistant up to 30 meters and works reliably in temperatures between minus 20 °C and plus 50 °C.
Polar Loop: Sensors and Features
On the back, the Polar Loop includes the upgraded Precision Prime sensor, Polar’s latest optical heart rate tracker, which records heart rate, activity, sleep, training, and recovery. This is essentially the same sensor package used in the Polar 360, a wearable Polar released earlier this year.
Data from the sensor syncs with the Polar Flow app. The device also includes 16 MB of onboard storage, enough to hold around four weeks of data without syncing.
In addition to biomarker tracking, the Polar Loop supports workout detection. You can either start a session manually in the app or let the band try to figure it out on its own. I did not get a test unit ahead of launch, so I cannot say how well this works in practice. However, when DC Rainmaker tested the Polar 360, which uses almost the same hardware, he noted that the sensor sometimes struggled to recognize activities consistently, whether at the beginning, during, or at the end of a workout. If that same behavior shows up in the Polar Loop, it may feel closer to the Amazfit Helio Strap, which I criticized for the same issue.
Polar Flow also provides advanced training features such as route tracking through the app, voice guidance, and preset training goals.
Polar’s sleep tracking is another highlight. The Loop offers detailed insights into sleep stages, nightly recharge, HRV, and overall sleep quality. Polar has already built a strong reputation in this area, and the Loop continues to build on that strength.
Privacy is another strong advantage. Polar emphasizes full data control, compliance with EU privacy regulations, and no resale of personal information. That said, I recently wrote about how different wearable brands handle user data, and Polar ranked among the top for transparency, which makes this approach even more reassuring.
8 Days of Battery Life
The Polar Loop includes a 170 mAh battery that lasts up to eight days per charge. For comparison, the Amazfit Helio Strap offers up to ten days, while the Whoop MG reaches around fourteen days before a recharge is needed.
The package includes a USB-C charging cable with Polar’s magnetic pogo-pin connector.
Polar Loop: Price and Availability
The Polar Loop is a one-time purchase with no subscription, which is an important selling point. The price is $199 in the US, €179.90 in Europe, and £149.50 in the UK. Preorders opened on September 3, 2025, with shipping scheduled to begin on September 10.
Could Polar Loop Be the Real Whoop Alternative?
Whoop remains the market leader in screenless health monitors. It built its reputation among athletes and broadened its reach in 2025 with the launch of the Whoop 5.0 and the Whoop MG. So, comparisons with new straps are inevitable.
At first glance, I believe the Polar Loop is closer to the Amazfit Helio Strap than to Whoop. The hardware and sensor quality appear strong, but the software and user experience are still behind. Like Whoop, Polar has credibility in sports science, which is a clear advantage. However, Polar needs to improve the Flow app to present data more clearly and intuitively.
Whoop offers more than just raw metrics. It builds a complete picture of daily life, and Polar is not there yet. The company has confirmed it is working on a new version of the Flow app, which could close the gap in the near future. Until then, what we have is the current version.
On paper, the Polar Loop stands out as a solid fitness tracker with strong value, full privacy, and no recurring fees. But it does not yet go far beyond that.
We will have an in-depth review soon, where I will compare the Polar Loop directly with the Whoop MG and the Amazfit Helio Strap. For now, I would love to hear your thoughts. What do you think of the Polar Loop? Have you used a Polar device before, and would you recommend it?
