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I was gifted an Oura ring back in 2021 by a client who wanted a review written about it. (Actually, I proposed the review because I wanted the ring and he said yes!). Over the last 3 years, I have worn the ring on and off in an attempt to understand more about my sleep and activity patterns.
My ring is the Gen 2 ring, which has slightly different features than the newer Gen 3 and Gen 4. I’ll talk more about the differences later in this review. But here is my experience after wearing it for so long.
How does an Oura ring work?
The Oura ring is a fitness and lifestyle tracker that tracks various health metrics, particularly sleep and daily activity. While there are many other activity trackers on the market, most of them are watches that can be uncomfortable to wear at night to track sleep (although many of them do offer sleep tracking).
Oura is different than other devices in that it is a sleek-looking ring that is comfortable to wear all the time. It is made of a bulky, hard plastic material that is not flexible. I find my finger size changes throughout the day and I have to move it to different fingers because it is sometimes too loose. The Gen 3 is sleeker than the Gen 2 that I have, so it is likely more comfortable to wear.
On the inside of the ring, there are two infrared sensors, two body temperature sensors, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope. These are all inside the ring which looks like a little computer with some grooves on the inside.
The ring is waterproof and can be exposed to high temperatures. The battery life lasts 7 days, but I have found that as my ring gets older, it only holds the battery for about 3-4 days.
What does Oura ring track?
The goal of the Oura ring is to provide continuous access to information about your health. The app, which is where you access said information, has personalized guidance on how to make improvements to your routine in order to improve your health. It takes about two weeks of wearing the ring for it to start identifying patterns.
Here is what the Oura ring tracks:
Sleep
The ring monitors your sleep throughout the night. In the morning it provides a personalized sleep score. It also makes recommendations about your optimal bedtime and other ways to improve sleep.
Heart rate and body temperature
It keeps track of your heart rate and body temperature throughout the day. This feature can often give you a clue that you might be getting sick or under significant stress.
Heart rate variability (HRV)
This is how the ring determines how stressed or overtrained you might be. When your HRV is low, the ring recommends you relax or take a day off training.
Daily steps
The ring tracks your daily steps similar to other pedometer-style trackers.
Dynamic activity
The ring measures daily activity and how long you are inactive.
Readiness score
The ring gathers the data from your sleep, activity, and lifestyle choices to provide you with a score of how “ready” you are for the day and whether you should push yourself in your workout that day.
All of the information gathered by the ring is found in the Oura app. The app allows you to monitor all of these area’s trends to better understand how certain lifestyle choices impact your overall health. You can also tag life events in the app, like drinking alcohol, eating a heavy meal, being sick, or other stressful events so you can see how those impact your sleep and heart rate.
One thing to note, the long-term monitoring and trends information was free with the Gen 2 rings but is now a paid subscription for the Gen 3 and 4.
What does the Oura ring cost?
The cost of the Oura ring depends on the style and finish. The Heritage ring, which has a slightly flat area on part of the ring, costs $299 for the silver and black. If you want the Stealth color it is $399 and the gold is $449.
The Horizon ring does not have a flat area on the ring and has a sleeker design. The pricing for the Horizon ranges from $349 to $549. It comes in 6 colors with the rose gold being the most expensive (but also the one I would want if I got a new one!).
Oura collaborated with Gucci a few years back where you could get a Gucci-themed Oura ring for the affordable price of $950. The Gucci ring is currently not available because it is obviously exclusive.
The Gen 3 ring requires a monthly subscription to access anything other than today’s data. The subscription is currently $5.99 per month.
Oura Ring Gen 3 vs Oura Ring Gen 2
Oura has made some improvements in the design and functionality of the ring since the Gen 2. The Gen 3 isn’t quite as thick, which is my main complaint with the ring (although you get used to it).
Gen 3 sizing is slightly different from Gen 2. Most reviews say that you need a smaller size in the Gen 3 compared to the Gen 2. If you want to upgrade, it is recommended you get a new sizing kit to ensure you are ordering the correct size.
There seems to be some variation in the reporting of various scores between the two rings, particularly HRV and maximum heart rate variability. I am not sure how much this actually matters, since most of the decisions you make based on wearing the ring should be based on trends, not exact numbers. But maybe someone needs to know exactly what their heart rate is at all times.
Gen 3 also offers some new metrics around sleep and recovery, which are not available in Gen 2.
Frequently Asked Questions About Oura
Here are a few of the common questions I get about the ring.
Can you wear your Oura ring during exercise?
I found my Gen 2 Oura ring too thick to wear while weightlifting, as I was not able to hold the weights correctly. The Gen 3 may be thinner and easier to wear. You can wear it while walking or doing other activities that don’t involve holding something.
The ring doesn’t allow you to set the type of exercise you are doing like some of the other trackers. But it does sync with Apple Health and Google Fit, so if you use another device to track your workouts, it can pull the data from those apps.
If you are an exercise tracker like I am (if I don’t track it it doesn’t count, right?), you will still need another type of tracker for your workouts.
Does the Oura ring track steps?
Yes, it tracks steps and daily activity.
Is the Oura ring waterproof?
Yes, the Oura is completely waterproof. I do not remove it while swimming, washing dishes, or bathing the kids.
Is the Oura Ring worth it?
Overall, since wearing the Oura ring for several years there are many things I like about it. I get a lot of compliments and questions about the ring, so it definitely has a nice design. I am sure the Gen 3 is even better.
I don’t like that the Gen 2 is too thick to be worn while working out. Oura says you can wear the Gen 3 while working out, but some users find it uncomfortable. So I think it’s up to you whether you wear it or not.
When it comes to sleep tracking, I am not sold on the accuracy of the ring. It tells me I barely get any deep sleep (except during mid-day naps), so I am curious if that is accurate. Also, the ring often thinks I am doing better than I feel, giving me a high “readiness” score when I don’t feel I slept terribly well.
It is a bit judgemental too when it comes to alcohol consumption and increased heart rate. On a recent vacation (which involved daily drinking), it asked me if I was sick and needed to move into “sick mode”. I guess multiple days of drinking do catch up to you.
Overall, the Oura ring is an attractive option as a tracker for people who want to “optimize” their health. It makes you more aware of your sleep quality and how a few nights of bad sleep can really have an impact on your health. It can help guide you towards improving your sleep, an often neglected aspect of health.
Overall, I do think the Oura ring is worth it as a health tracker to help you learn more about how your routines influence your health and well-being.
