I wore an Oura Ring for an entire year — what I like ...

In the year since I started using the Oura Ring, the fitness-tracking wearable has served me several ways in my day-to-day life — but more than anything else, it’s a conversation starter. When others see it on my index finger, they ask whether the Oura Ring is worth it, and what it can do for me that my Apple Watch or activity band can’t.

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The Oura Ring Gen 3 is probably the most mainstream smart ring, packing an array of health sensors into a discreet design. While it can track movement and exercise, sleep tracking is the Oura Ring’s claim to fame. What’s more, sleep tracking data and other factors are used to inform the user’s readiness, a score that does a better job of encouraging recovery than most other fitness trackers on the market.

Still, it’s not a perfect device, so there are some disclaimers I always give people who are potentially interested in buying one. But I’m also sure to mention the reasons I’ve kept with it for an entire year. Here’s what I like and don’t like about the Oura Ring, based on long-term use.

Top-notch sleep tracking

The Oura Ring is my favorite sleep-tracking device, hands down. Not only is it comfortable to wear all night (I’m someone who has always slept in my jewelry) — the data it collects is top-notch, too. Monitoring my heart rate, skin temperature and oxygen saturation, the Oura Ring tells me more than I ever thought I wanted to know about my quality of rest. My sleep score functions as a quick summary, though my sleep stages chart and breathing regularity graph give me a closer look at my overnight behaviors.

I’m most interested in my heart rate variability (HRV) data, though. HRV is an indication of sleep “stressors” such as traveling, anxiety and even possible illness. When the Oura Ring picks up on significant changes in HRV, it might suggest a rest day. During a rest day, activity goals are disabled. I’ve been encouraged to take it easy at times when I’ve had particularly busy weeks or are in the middle of a long travel stint. This reminder to rest or not force a workout, has helped me listen to my body’s needs more. If only the Apple Watch had a way to take a rest day from closing activity rings…

A comfortable, discreet design

I mentioned the Oura Ring is comfortable — it’s actually comfortable to the extent that I often forget that I’m wearing it. Despite its internal sensors, it’s rather lightweight, measuring 0.14 to 0.21 ounces depending on ring size. I believe I have non-smart rings that are bulkier.

(Image credit: Future)

Speaking of my other jewelry, I appreciate how the Oura Ring blends in with whatever other accessories I’ve opted to wear. I have a silver Oura Ring, but it also comes in gold, rose gold, black and a matte black called Stealth. While it would be nice to be able to switch colors to match outfits, the same way I can swap out Apple Watch bands, silver is neutral enough for my style.

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I will say the leveled top of the device is how people notice it’s an Oura Ring and not a regular ring. Oura recently launched a new, fully round version called Oura Ring Horizon. I might try to test it out to see if it feels even more like a regular ring than my current one.

Growing partnerships in the wellness market

Over the past year, the number of Oura Ring integrations has grown to include partnerships with popular platforms. One of the most exciting new partners is Strava, the running and fitness tracking app with approximately 100 million users. Now, those users with Oura Rings can see their readiness data in their Strava account. But the integration works both ways — Strava activity data gets uploaded to your Oura dashboard, so even if you're not wearing your ring (or tracking Strava through something like the Apple Watch Ultra or a Garmin watch) your progress syncs.

Oura Ring also works with Therabody, the maker of premium massage guns such as the Theragun Pro 5. Users can track Therabody’s therapies in the Oura App so they can monitor the impact of specific recovery tools on their data over time. Natural Cycles, the first FDA-cleared birth control app, is another notable partnership. Users are able to sync temperature trend data straight from the Oura Ring, making it easier to record skin temperature readings. These readings, when paired with other fertility indications, can help with pregnancy planning. 

Battery life and charging cause headaches

(Image credit: Future)

The biggest challenge I have with my Oura Ring is keeping it charged. With all the features enabled, including continuous SpO2 monitoring, the battery life lasts about three full days. (Before the blood oxygen sensing feature went live, I got at least five days on a full charge.) While the ring does send charging notifications to my iPhone, and I use a battery life complication on my iPhone lock screen, I still end up with a dead Oura Ring more often than I’d like.

That’s usually because I travel often and stay at different places. Since the Oura Ring only charges with a proprietary charging base, I’m screwed if I forget to pack it. A spare charging kit costs $59, which isn’t cheap if I wanted to keep one at the few different locations I bounce between. I wish there was an easier way to charge it in a pinch.

It still can’t replace my Apple Watch

Despite how much I enjoy using the Oura Ring, at no point have I felt like it could replace my Apple Watch. I suppose I understand why some people would prefer an Oura Ring over a smartwatch or activity band, but there are too many things I need from my Apple Watch that Oura Ring doesn’t offer. The most obvious one — the Oura Ring doesn’t have a display, so I can’t follow my activity metrics mid-workout unless I have the Oura app open. As someone who does a lot of heart rate-based training, this is a deal-breaker.

Not to mention, I like getting notifications, controlling music playback and more from my Apple Watch. I also have a list of essential Apple Watch apps that I couldn’t live without. It would be great to see an Oura app for Apple Watch, where I could check my readiness score and sleep data. While my Apple Health profile is synced to my Oura Ring, a smartwatch app would take a key integration that much further.

Will I keep wearing my Oura Ring?

The short answer is yes, I have no plans to stop wearing the Oura Ring. While I've tested other fitness trackers and sleep-tracking devices over the year, the Oura Ring has remained a permanent fixture on my finger.

That said, I'm guessing we'll see some companies try to leverage the Oura Ring's success by making new smart rings, perhaps with competitive features to stand out. If that's the case, I'll definitely want to try them out to see what else the world of smart rings can offer. 

The Oura Ring Generation 3, a sleek and unobtrusive sleep-tracking wearable, found its way into my life at the perfect time. Over the past year, I've been on a mission to improve my sleep; something that has been on my radar since realizing that I cannot, in fact, survive on just six hours of sleep every night. It’s become clear that the older I get the more I need a healthy sleep routine to help me function better, be in a better mood, and to aid my exercise recovery.

However, logging my sleep pattern consistently proved challenging. I easily forget to write a grocery list before my food shop, never mind remembering to log sleep every day or wear a cumbersome device to bed. When TechRadar’s fitness editor handed me the best smart ring available right now (and one our best sleep trackers), the Oura Generation 3, I was really eager to discover if it could impact my sleep quality and daily readiness.

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 Working out with the Oura Ring

(Image credit: Future)

As an avid runner accustomed to the best Garmin watches, the Oura ring's arrival was met with curiosity. Having recently completed a grueling half marathon, my trusty Garmin Fenix had been a constant companion during the twelve weeks of intense training. 

But as I unboxed and slipped on the Oura ring, the one thing immediately struck me was comfort. This ring felt like a feather on my finger, a welcome contrast to my rather clunky and weighty Garmin Fenix 7. I'm no stranger to wearing rings as jewelry, and Oura's lightweight design passed my comfort test with flying colors.

Setting up the Oura ring was a breeze. A quick charge (just over an hour), an app download, and basic profile input were all that was required. I was a little disappointed that the ring couldn’t provide feedback from my runs such as pace or distance, meaning I had to wear two wearables at once. 

I also had to take the ring off for weightlifting sessions, in case of scratches or damaging the electronics, but it seemed like I was losing out on valuable workout and recovery data here. I also use skincare products before bed, so I needed to integrate the ring into my bedtime routine and ensure I removed it before and put it back on afterwards.

 Sleep tracking with the Oura Ring

(Image credit: Oura)

The Oura Ring promises a lot. It claims to use advanced technology to collect sleep data, providing insights that set it apart from traditional wearables, even the best smartwatches. Oura's approach to sleep tracking combines body temperature and activity patterns for precision. It directly measures skin temperature, detecting natural fluctuations as you fall asleep and wake, and Oura’s CEO Tom Hale claims it’s more accurate than watches due to the finger placement, where it can monitor blood flow more efficiently.

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The ring's unobtrusive design allows for comfortable sleep tracking, free from bright screens and notifications that are known to disrupt your rest. Additionally, the accelerometer sensor on your finger provides sensitive activity detection for nighttime movements. This helps get a better insight into my overall sleep behavior.

After confirming that you're asleep, the Oura ring gathers biometric data to generate sleep stage graphs known as "hypnograms." These hypnograms classify your sleep into awake, light, deep, and REM stages, relying on movement and changes in heart rate, respiration, and temperature to identify sleep stage patterns.

I decided to conduct a head-to-head comparison between the Oura ring and my Garmin Fenix 7 to see how their sleep-tracking results stack up. To my surprise, the stats were fairly similar. There might have been a twenty-minute difference in the time each device estimated I fell asleep, but both agreed on my usual 06:20 wake-up time, which was remarkably accurate. Whether it was my 95 minutes of REM sleep or variations in deep sleep, the results were on par. 

The Oura app provided encouraging summaries of my sleep, such as "Sharp as a tack," making it fun and rewarding to review my sleep performance. On one night, according to the Oura app I supposedly slept for eight hours, 41 minutes, a personal record for someone who typically falls short of the recommended seven to eight hours. In contrast, my Garmin logged a longer sleep duration (nine hours, 13 minutes) but categorized a substantial portion as restless sleep. 

After reflecting on my night and morning activities, I found that the Oura ring's assessment was more accurate, as I had woken up before my partner and decided to go make a coffee and read in bed quietly. My Garmin watch mistook this for restlessness, while the Oura ring seemed to recognize it as a peaceful lie-in.

 What I learned from wearing the Oura Ring for a week

(Image credit: Oura)

Throughout my week of testing, the Oura Ring had a positive impact on my sleep quality and overall readiness for the day as I tuned into what my energy levels felt like according to the sleep data that I was gaining.

What set it apart was its non-intrusive presence on my finger, providing an uninterrupted night's rest. Unlike watches, the Oura Ring maintained a low profile and discouraged late-night screen checks – after all, unlike my Fenix, it’s totally screenless, and I knew the detailed stats would be waiting for me on the Oura app in the morning. 

However, this came with a drawback – the temptation to peek at the app before bedtime and as soon as I woke up which isn’t a great bedtime habit. As many sleep enthusiasts know, the blue light from screens is not conducive to deep, restful sleep. But, this small inconvenience encouraged me to establish a bedtime routine, something I typically wouldn't prioritize.

I appreciated the app's affirmations, which recognized the consistency in my bedtime habits. It noted I was giving my body and mind "just what they need the most: a consistent sleep-wake rhythm." My commitment to a week of ideal sleep didn't go unnoticed, with the app suggesting that I make time for a "fun thing" to boost my energy - a testament to my newfound commitment to rest. 

That being said, I’m not convinced it’s worth paying $300 for, plus a monthly subscription. It almost emphasized to me that my best running watch is the only wearable I really need. My running watch is able to track all my workouts, including weightlifting sessions, provide in-depth feedback on my training and monitor my sleep and recovery. 

I am a runner, so of course I’m biased toward using my Garmin, which provides valuable GPS information, for my everyday health data needs. Perhaps I need to work with the ring for a lengthier period before I convert to wearing an Oura for good, but despite the slimmer form factor being more comfy during sleep, I didn’t feel like the Oura brought me any groundbreaking stats that my Garmin couldn’t. 

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