I just went hands-on with the Luna Band fitness tracker — and it beats the Whoop 5.0 in 3 big ways

Watch out, Whoop: There's a new screen-less fitness tracker in town, and it has your flagship consumer model, the Whoop 5.0, beat in three big ways.

I just went hands-on with the Luna Band at CES 2026, and I'm impressed. Priced at just $149 and capable of keeping tabs on your heart rate, body movement, temperature, respiratory rate, sleep quality, and more, the Luna Band may sound like just another budget-friendly Whoop alternative, but it's much more than that.

Here's everything you need to know about the new Luna Band fitness tracker.

Wallet-friendly price, subscription-free app

The Luna Band is just $149 and subscription-free. By contrast, the Whoop 5.0 costs either $199 for the year or $239 for the year, depending on your subscription tier (the device is included free with the subscription).

On the other hand, you have the Amazfit Helio Band, which offers a similar form-factor and feature set to the Luna Band and Whoop 5.0 for just $99 with no subscription cost. However, Luna Band has one major advantage over the Amazfit (and Whoop). More on that below.

Screen-less, lightweight, discreet

I tried on the Luna Band at CES 2026 and found it extremely comfortable, remarkably lightweight, and surprisingly stylish. If discreet health and fitness tracking is the goal, this may be a solid option.

The Luna Band will be offered in matte black, silver, and gold, with a variety of straps to choose from, including cloth and silicone options. No word on when the device will ship, but 2026 seems likely.

Voice support, AI-powered wellness guidance

What really sets the Luna Band apart from the competition is support for voice commands, along with wellness guidance backed by the brand's LifeOS adaptive AI engine.

Using your smartphone's onboard assistant (Siri only for now), users can interact with Luna's AI coach, including asking for wellness or fitness advice, logging food, stress, and other life events that may impact health, and digging deeper into one's holistic insights and trends.

Luna Band fitness tracker: Outlook

I'm not a big fan of subscription pricing for health and fitness wearables, so it's refreshing to have another one-time-purchase alternative to the market leader in screen-less, wrist-based wearables, Whoop.

The Luna Band is also cheaper on its own than the latest Whoop 5.0. The former is $149 with no additional costs to speak of, and the latter is $199 for one year.

Finally, I'm looking forward to putting Luna's AI wellness logging and coaching to the test. If it works as advertised, the Luna Band will likely usurp the $99 Amazfit Helio strap as my favorite affordable, screen-less fitness tracker in 2026. Stay tuned for a full review.

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