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If you think fitness trackers are just about step counting and heart rate, get with the times. This week, performance wearable Whoop announced it will integrate clinical laboratory testing directly into its ecosystem, partnering with Quest Diagnostics to launch Whoop Advanced Labs this fall. This adds to a growing trend of more and more wearables aiming to be comprehensive, one-stop health platforms.
How Whoop will track bloodwork
Whoop members will be able to purchase Quest’s clinical laboratory testing, schedule an appointment for testing, and receive test results within the Whoop app. The feature is designed to analyze biomarkers spanning metabolism, hormones, inflammation, cardiovascular health, and nutrient status—all data that goes far beyond what can be captured through wearable sensors alone.
The vision is that Whoop subscribers will be able access the types of clinical testing that physicians order (like from Quest Diagnostics) to deliver patient care. “At Whoop, we’re committed to empowering our members with a highly comprehensive view into their health and performance,” said John Sullivan, Chief Marketing Officer at Whoop.
A third-party provider will review test requests, order tests, deliver results through the Whoop app, and provide phone consultations when requested. Whoop Advanced Labs is set to launch later this fall, and members can join the waitlist now at whoop.com/waitlist.
Do you really need to monitor everything?
Again, Whoop isn’t the first wearable company to head in this direction. Ultrahuman, the maker of the Ring AIR smart ring, launched its Blood Vision feature earlier this year.
This feature can help people catch health issues early and take proactive steps to address them. At the same time, it raises questions about whether consumers actually need this level of health monitoring from for-profit wellness companies.
What do you think so far?
In my opinion, this all points to a sort of “medicalization” of everyday wellness. While access to health data can be empowering, it can also create anxiety and lead people to over-monitor aspects of their health that might not require constant attention. After all, blood biomarkers can fluctuate for many reasons, and abnormal results don’t always indicate health problems.
Looking ahead
As Whoop prepares to launch Advanced Labs this fall, it will be interesting to see how consumers respond to this deeper level of health monitoring. For now, it looks like the line between fitness tracker and medical device will continue to blur. Anecdotally, the company’s existing user base already skews toward serious athletes and health optimization devotees; in other words, the sort of people who would be interested in comprehensive biomarker tracking.
Anyone interested in Whoop’s blood testing integration can join the waitlist for Advanced Labs. Whether they’ll actually want to know everything their blood is telling them is another question entirely.
