Why would you pay $359 for the most expensive Whoop membership?

When you're purchasing a fitness wearable, one of the important considerations is the ongoing cost of its use. There are some products that don't require subscriptions to access key features for the devices, but many brands will levy monthly or annual charges to get the most data out of your wearable sensors.

Whoop is one of those companies where owning a device means you'll likely be paying a recurring fee. And those annual costs aren't insignificant, especially for the most comprehensive plan. Here's what you get and why the investment might be valuable.

Whoop has three membership tiers. The company recently made its Advanced Labs blood test tools available without a subscription (though not without lab fees), which is a nice perk for anyone who wants to get additional insights on their own pace and budget rather than committing to a long-term plan. But on the whole, Whoop wearables are meant to be paired with a subscription.

The least expensive option with the fewest features is Whoop One . While the company does offer some discounts for new and first-time customers, in general this plan costs $199 a year. Its feature set includes fitness and recovery insights, strain and sleep tracking, a strength trainer, estimations of VO2 maximums, integration with Natural Cycles and a personalized AI-powered coach.

Whoop Peak is the middle choice at $239 a year. In addition to the features of the One plan, it offers the company's health monitor, stress monitor and healthspan features. Healthspan includes Whoop Age and Pace of Aging, two programs that promise to deliver insights centered around longevity and long-term health based on sleep, strain and fitness data.

Then there's the big-ticket choice. With an annual fee of $359, Whoop Life combines all the tools of the other two tiers with blood pressure insights and its Heart Screener package. Customers also receive priority phone support, plus their device will have more upscale materials, including a 5.0 medical-grade sensor.

First off, there is an important caveat: I am not a medical professional or a fitness expert. If you have particular needs in either of those areas, then be sure to confer with a qualified professional before making any big decisions. In fact, talk to a doctor if you have any questions or concerns about your physical health or the results you get from your wearable.

The two biggest exclusive features of the Life plan are for tracking blood pressure and cardiovascular health. For instance, the more advanced monitor has the ability to take an electrocardiogram, or ECG, which can help detect signs of atrial fibrillation. Bear in mind that Whoop has offered limitations on who should use those different perks; for instance, the ECG tests aren't intended for users with a known arrhythmia other than AFib. However, if you have a family history of heart issues or concerns about your cardiovascular risks, then having a large amount of data history to draw on can offer peace of mind. That's tough to quantify with a dollar amount, but $359 a year might feel very worthwhile.