Can you wear WHOOP on the ankle and expect precise readings? Is that the question you have on your mind? We will be discussing the exact question based on real-life experience and also discuss the pros and cons of wearing WHOOP on the ankle. Let’s get going without further ado.
Can You Wear WHOOP on the Ankle?
Although it is possible to wear the WHOOP on the ankle, this alternative placement comes with some trade-offs in terms of accuracy and effectiveness. WHOOP is primarily designed for wrist wear.
This helps a consistent and accessible location for accurate biometric data collection. WHOOP uses a photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensor to measure heart rate. For these sensors to work accurately, the wrist is the ideal place.
It is not only the heart rate that can be impacted when WHOOP is worn on the ankle. Wearing it on the ankle has the potential to provide slightly off results regarding other vital metrics like sleep, strain, and recovery.
All things considered, although it is possible, we do not recommend wearing the WHOOP on your ankle, especially when it comes to accurate readings.
What Happens If You Wear WHOOP on the Ankle?
Let us explain what happens if you wear WHOOP on the ankle by considering some crucial WHOOP metrics.
Heart Rate Monitoring
As we explained, wrists provide more accurate readings in terms of heart rate monitoring. The blood flow at the ankle is less consistent compared to the wrist. The accuracy of the readings can be considerable when you are involved in high-intensity activities.
Related: Can You Wear WHOOP in the Sauna?
Strain and Activity Tracking
Given the fact that the ankle is further from the center of your body, placing WHOOP on the ankle might lead to slight inaccuracies. In order to track activity correctly, the sensor must be placed close to the center of the body movement.
Recovery Metrics
The impact on recovery metrics is not significant when it worn on the ankle. For example, WHOOP’s sleep tracking is more focused on consistent wear rather than the place it is worn. However, if wearing the WHOOP on your ankle makes you uncomfortable, it can impact the quality of your sleep, which can reflect on the readings.
Tips for Wearing WHOOP on the Ankle
If you still want to wear it on your ankle, we highly recommend following the steps below for better results.
Use WHOOP Body Products
Consider WHOOP Body-compatible sleeves for better results. Instead of using bicep straps, sleeves can provide enhanced stability.
Ensure Snug Fit
Adjust the band to sit snugly around your ankle without cutting off circulation. Regardless of the place you wear your WHOOP, it must fit snugly to your body. A loose band won’t provide you with accurate readings.
In addition, if it becomes loose and falls off from your body, finding a lost WHOOP isn’t the easiest job in the world.
Choose the Right Position
You should not wear the WHOOP at the base of your leg near the ankle bone. Instead, wear the WHOOP just above the ankle bone. In addition, ensure the sensor faces inward toward the opposite leg.
Related: How to Wear WHOOP With a Smartwatch?
Prevention of Irritation
Since there are no specifically-made WHOOP straps for ankle use, using them on the ankle for a long time can potentially cause skin irritation. In order to avoid this, you can rotate the band between ankles periodically.
Limit the Use During Intense Activities
People tend to wear WHOOP on their ankles for intense activities such as cycling and running, assuming it is the best place as the legs are in heavy operation during such activities. However, as we mentioned, it may not provide you with accurate heart rate monitoring data.
Check the Accuracy
One of the primary objectives of buying a WHOOP is to get accurate health-related data readings. So, we urge you to compare data from the ankle placement with wrist or bicep readings to see whether there is a considerable discrepancy.
You can use a secondary device like a reliable smartwatch for a better comparison.
Avoid Overheating
If you happen to wear socks over the WHOOP, make sure to avoid overheating.
Why Wrist Is the Ideal Place for WHOOP?
Your wrist is the ideal place for your WHOOP, and it is designed to be worn on your wrist! However, there are other parts of the body that WHOOP has tested and validated with precise readings.
Arm, torso, waist, and leg are other places on your body you can consider placing your WHOOP. However, to do this, we recommend using WHOOP Body garments, which are designed with special pockets to keep the sensor correctly at the body parts we previously mentioned.
Conclusion
All in all, although you can wear WHOOP on your ankle without much of a problem, you should keep in mind that the data it provides can be slightly off since the ankle is further to the center of the body.
However, according to WHOOP, legs are one of the five ideal places you can consider keeping your WHOOP 4.0 sensor, but you need a specially designed WHOOP Body garment for this to work properly.
We hope our post is comprehensive. Please use the comment section below if you have a message for us regarding the content. Have a great day!
