Why I Swapped My Whoop for an Ultrahuman Ring (and What It’s Taught Me About Stress, Sleep, and Bio-Age)

It all started with a book. Specifically, Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, which I read on a plane, probably while drinking champagne and committing every circadian sin in the book. I stayed up late multiple nights reading it (ironic) and by the time I finished it, I was fully converted: sleep wasn’t just “important,” it was EVERYTHING. The foundation of your health, your hormones, your glow, your patience with your kids. Your whole damn life.

Naturally, the next step was to start tracking it.

That’s how I fell into the world of wearable tech – and why, for a long time, I wore the Whoop band. I even went full Gwyneth and got the champagne-coloured strap with gold hardware, which looked chic until it started looking a bit… grotty. Foundation, sweat and God knows what else. Let’s just say if it were a handbag, it would’ve been demoted to “school run only.”

Why I Broke Up with Whoop (Mostly)

To be fair, there were things I really liked about it. The weight training function was excellent – you can add exercises in and it even counts your reps and you can find out how much strain you’re under. It made me feel like a bit like an athlete. (An athlete who only works out when she hasn’t washed her hair.)

But then the monthly subscription fee started to annoy me. I don’t like renting things I’ve already worn in the bath.

Plus, it became a bit… intense. Like it was constantly judging me for staying up past 10pm trawling the internet for aesthetic massage chairs (spoiler: they don’t exist). I started to get what my mum – in her infinite wisdom – called “sleep anxiety”. She gently suggested that maybe I didn’t need another device telling me I’d failed at resting.

Touché, Mum.

The Switch: Ultrahuman Ring AIR

Eventually, I started hearing buzz about the Ultrahuman Ring AIR. Sleek. Sexy. Designed in titanium and blessedly strapless. It promised to track my sleep, stress, HRV and recovery – but in a way that felt less sweaty sports bra and more elevated wellness tech. So I ordered one.

And honestly? I love it.

It gives me the data I want – like how stressful that spicy that podcast tech meltdown really was on my nervous system, or how well I recovered after three glasses of pinot and a late-night episode of Selling Sunset. But it doesn’t yell at me. It feels more like a gentle nudge than a coach screaming in my face.

What I Use It For (and How You Can Too)

Here’s what I’ve learned – and how I actually use it in real life, in case you’re considering the switch or wondering how wearable tech can be useful without driving you mad.

1. Sleep Quality Check

I still track my sleep most days – but I no longer spiral if I don’t hit 8 hours. I use it more like a weather report: am I running on reserves or fully charged? It’s especially helpful to see how:

• Alcohol affects me (spoiler: always worse sleep)

• Whether red light before bed improves my HRV (so far so YES!)

• If magnesium or journalling helps my deep sleep increase (jury out, still tracking)

2. Stress Awareness (a.k.a. NSI / “You Might Want to Chill”)

Ultrahuman calls it your Stress Score, but it’s really just your nervous system in numbers. When it’s high, I know I need a bath, a walk, or a moment without children climbing on me. Sometimes it reminds me to:

• Meditate (even if it’s 5 minutes hiding in the laundry)

• Skip intense workouts and just stretch or walk

• Not schedule back-to-back meetings like I’m still 27

You can even tag moments like “Coffee,” “Infrared,” “Meditation” and see how they actually shift your stress markers over time.

3. HRV = Your Beauty and Longevity Tracker

This is the one number I really pay attention to. HRV (heart rate variability) is one of the best markers of nervous system health, resilience, and – wait for it – biological age. If my HRV is trending up, I know my body’s loving me back.

4. The Aesthetic Factor

Honestly? I just love how it looks. It’s minimal, chic, doesn’t scream “I biohack”, and works with a blow-dry and a blazer. I wear it with rings and bracelets and no one even notices it’s tech – which is ideal, because I don’t always want to explain HRV to strangers.

Plus: it’s mine. Not rented. Not locked behind a subscription wall. I like owning my data – and my jewellery.

Final Thoughts

Whoop was great when I wanted high-performance fitness feedback, but these days I’m more interested in graceful ageing, energy, and staying regulated through the chaos of modern life. The Ultrahuman Ring feels like it’s supporting me through that, not scolding me for my bedtime sins.

And the best part? If I forget to check it for a few days – nothing bad happens.

It’s not just about data. It’s about awareness. And knowing when to track… and when to just go to bed.

Story by Sigourney Cantelo.