Wearable technology has transformed endurance training.
Devices now collect a constant stream of data about sleep, recovery, stress, and training load. But with so many devices available, athletes often ask the same question:
Which one should you trust?
Garmin, Oura, and WHOOP are three of the most popular wearable ecosystems for runners and cyclists. Here's how they compare.
Garmin: training-focused metrics
Garmin devices combine GPS training data with physiological signals, making them a natural fit for athletes who train with specific performance targets.
Key metrics include:
- Training Load — cumulative stress from all activities
- Training Status — whether your fitness is building, maintaining, or recovering
- Recovery Time — estimated hours before you're ready for the next hard session
- Body Battery — a 0–100 score reflecting energy reserves
Garmin is especially strong for runners, cyclists, and triathletes who want GPS, pace, power, and recovery data in one ecosystem.
WHOOP: recovery-first approach
WHOOP focuses primarily on recovery metrics. Worn 24/7, it monitors:
- HRV during sleep
- Daily strain score
- Sleep quality and stages
- Recovery percentage (0–100)
This approach is particularly valued by athletes who want a dedicated recovery signal to guide daily training decisions, without GPS or sport tracking built in.
Oura: sleep and readiness insights
The Oura ring excels at sleep and recovery tracking, using its finger-based sensors to capture particularly clean HRV readings overnight.
It combines HRV, sleep quality, and activity data to produce a daily readiness score, which many athletes find among the most intuitive signals for morning training decisions.
Why the numbers differ between devices
Different wearables use different algorithms, measurement windows, and sensor positions.
HRV might be measured at different times of night, sleep stages classified differently, and readiness scores built from different weightings. This is why comparing raw numbers between devices is rarely meaningful.
The most important insight from any wearable is trend over time, not single values. A Garmin Body Battery of 60 means very different things to two different athletes.
Whatever device you use, the goal is to build a personalised baseline — and then notice when your metrics deviate from it. That deviation is the signal worth acting on.