Giving a WHOOP band: what to check first
The thing to check above all
Their device generation. WHOOP 5.0 and WHOOP MG share the same connector; WHOOP 4.0 has a different one. A band bought for the wrong generation will not mount, and no adapter exists.
It is the number one cause of returns, and it is particularly awkward for a gift, where you cannot ask without giving the surprise away. Two ways round it: ask someone close to them, or take a discreet look at the device — the 5.0 and the MG are noticeably slimmer than the 4.0. See: 4.0 or 5.0?
Size is not a problem
Good news for a gift: our bands are one size. The elastic weave and the sliding clip adjust to any wrist, with no fixed notches. So there is no measurement to obtain on the sly.
Choosing a colour for someone else
The temptation is to take black, which risks nothing but does not make much of a gift either. Two more interesting approaches:
Look at what they already wear. Someone dressed in muted tones will appreciate a Muted; someone who owns colour, a Loud.
Or choose the artwork rather than the colour. A Designed band carries an idea: that is what separates a gift from a consumable.
The gift that works best
Two bands rather than one. Not for the value, but because rotation is what makes them last: each gets twenty-four hours to dry, neither picks up a smell. It is advice the recipient probably does not have. See: how many bands.
The small gift
A charm at €14.90 clips onto whatever band they already wear, including the original one. A flag, a sport, an object: it is the format that needs the least prior information while still being very personal. The collection runs to fifty references.
If you get it wrong
Fourteen days to change your mind from delivery, unworn and in its packaging. The return conditions are set out in full, return postage included.
If you want it noticed
A neutral band is a safe and forgettable gift. The three that get talked about are the "Who cares, I'm already late" band, for whoever is always late and owns it, Fuck 9-5 Cartier and DonPé. A heart or a heart on fire at €14.90 finishes it without weighing it down.