Definition and Best Buy of an Oura Ring

There is no doubt that fitness trackers can help you become healthier in general. Wearing an activity tracker may help with general fitness, body composition, and physical activity, according to a study. However, some individuals prefer not to wear a large device on their wrist.

Companies have been coming up with new, sneaky ways to keep track of your data over the last few years. One such thing is the Oura Ring. It may look like a piece of jewelry, but it’s actually a fitness and health tracker that lets you monitor everything from your daily workouts to your menstrual cycle. The brand has been around for more than ten years, but the gadget is only now becoming very famous thanks to great reviews on TikTok and fans of celebrities. In December 2024, Google searches for the gadget hit an all-time high, and interest in it is still strong.

We’ve answered all of your questions about the gadget below, including its unique features, price, and more.

The Oura Ring is a stress monitor, activity tracker, and sleep tracker, among other things. It features several sensors on the inside of the band, including infrared photoplethysmography sensors (PPG), negative temperature coefficient (NTC), and a 3D accelerometer to track things like changes in body temperature, heart rate, respiration, and movement to give you an in-depth look at your health metrics.

Each day on the app, you’ll find three scores: Sleep, Activity, and Readiness, all of which range from 0 to 100. Along with other numbers. The sleep number is based on how long you were in each stage of sleep, how long it took you to fall asleep, and the time. Your activity number is based on how many steps you took, how often you worked out, and how much you worked out the day before. Finally, your readiness number looks at things like activity, sleep, heart rate, body temperature, and more. It can help you figure out how hard you should push your body that day.

Lauren Witonsky, an associate relationships editor, has been using the Oura Ring Gen3 Heritage since 2023. She says she mostly uses it to sleep and that it’s changed her habits for the better.

“It’s still the first app I look at every morning,” she says. “The ‘resilience’ graph, which gives you a more complete picture of your health over time by factoring in both activity and recovery, has really caught my attention.” I naturally live a busy life, but I have a hard time putting sleep first. My Oura ring is the only thing that has held me responsible for getting eight hours of sleep every night. Whenever my phone reminds me to slow down, I experience a sense of guilt if I do not comply. It has also made me realize that I need to be ready for bed about an hour early to account for the time it takes to fall asleep and any wake-up calls in the middle of the night if I want those uninterrupted eight hours of sleep.

The ring predicts when your period will start, your best fertility time, and how your cycle affects your body and energy levels.

Camryn Privette, a production assistant, says, “My best feature is probably the sleep and period tracking abilities. It is really cool that you can view your entire sleep chart and receive tips on how to improve it. Furthermore, I think the period tracking is great and pretty correct.

The ring provides insights into things like your circulatory age, stress tolerance, and more. Multiple editors praised the ring’s accuracy and the amount of data it provides about your body and general health.

Madison San Miguel, an editorial assistant, says, “I find its readings pretty accurate, from predicting my cycle to highlighting some changes in my oxygen levels and tracking my sleep.” “I’ve also learned some cool things about my health, like that your body temperature goes up a little before your cycle and that I (unfortunately) sleep pretty lightly.”

The quiet and surprisingly stylish form is another big plus. San Miguel used to have a famous fitness tracker, but she didn’t like how big it made her wrist look. “I love how the Oura ring looks like any piece of jewelry I wear, so it feels more in disguise, unlike other health tracking devices.

The high price and need for a contract were two of the main things our team didn’t like about the gadget. You can get the first month of membership for free when you buy an Oura Ring. Thereafter, you’ll have to pay $5.99 a month or $69.99 a year to keep accessing all the data. “I would honestly rather pay more for the device and skip an inexpensive but recurring subscription fee,” he says.

They also saw that the battery life had gone down after a year of use. “It was supposed to last for a week, but now I can only get about three days of use out of it before needing to charge it,” Witonsky adds. She says it charges fast and lasts longer than other tracks that need daily charging.

Since a few months ago, I’ve been wearing the Oura Ring 4. This item introduced me to the brand for the first time. I have worn many fitness trackers, from large devices to more subtle bands, and this ring is by far the most stylish one I have seen.

It’s the first tracker I’ve used that tracks body temperature at night, and the data it gives is on par with that of more expensive models. For the day, the app takes this into account and gives you a ready number. It can even tell if you might be getting sick. The app warned me at one point that my temperature was too high, which meant I might be getting sick. Sure enough, the next day I was sick and had to miss work, so I chose to rest and recover rather than push myself during my workout.

The data provided by the app regarding my sleep, menstrual cycle, and general health is impressive; however, I still wear another tracker because I prefer to monitor my pace and distance while running. Also, being competitive makes me want to discover ways to lower my circulatory age and level of resistance. Such information makes me more likely to be healthy.

Our editors agree that the ring does an impressive job of providing useful and accurate data, and they were generally pleased by its capabilities as a sleep and overall wellness tracker. “Overall, I think the company’s approach to tracking is really unique and effective,” she says.

The simple, jewelry-like design is also ideal for people who want to keep track of their data but don’t like how most wrist gadgets look. “I’m not a watch girl, so this type of device is the only tracker I’d ever use,” she says. If you don’t mind spending extra money on design and detailed data, it might be worth it. The best part is how much San Miguel loves hers: she wants to get one for her mom and boyfriend too.

Given how expensive the gadget is already, I agree that the membership fee seems pointless. However, the useful health information it gives me and the push it provides me to be healthy make it worth it. I can skip a latte each month to make up for the cost, which helps me put things into perspective.

However, we will provide additional suggestions below for those who desire a similar service without the monthly fee.

We chose to highlight the Oura Ring because it’s popular on social media and a very sought-after item on Google right now. All of the editors we asked about the ring have been wearing it for more than a year and are knowledgeable about its capabilities.

The editors chose the alternative rings on the list because they don’t require an extra contract and are either editor-approved or from a reputable brand.