Oura Ring Gen 3 Review: Our Honest Opinion of The Popular Sleep Tracker
Oura Ring Gen 3 Review
Key Takeaways
The Oura Ring Gen 3 from Australia offers detailed sleep tracking and overall health insights in a discreet design.
It tracks a wide range of metrics including heart rate, body temperature, and movement to provide a comprehensive view of your health.
Compared to other fitness trackers like the Whoop, it's very cost-effective with a much lower monthly subscription fee.
The ring's design is sleek and comfortable, making it easy to wear all day and night.
It introduces new features like SpO2 tracking and improved battery life, enhancing its functionality.
Despite its small size, the Oura Ring competes well with larger devices in accuracy and data richness.
I have absolutely no qualms dropping hundreds of dollars on a wearable device that offers me key insights into how well I sleep, what effects my sleep, and how I can improve my sleep and overall health. If this is you too, read on.
Like the Whoop 4, which I have basically not taken off since mid last year, the Oura Ring is a sleep tracking, wellness (or not) showcasing device that offers you digestible information via an app, after tracking your metrics using high-tech sensors on the underside of its discreet body. These slep and fitness tracking wearables are great at showing you the effects of habits like ice baths, saunas and breathwork have on your day to day state.
The Oura Ring Gen 3 launched not too long ago and I naturally pounced on the opportunity to test it out and have some sound observations to share with you in my Oura Ring Review.
From the outset, I knew this would be an Oura Ring vs Whoop comparison, and I have purposely put these two sleep trackers head to head at some point in this review as they are your two biggest players and the best wellness trackers in my eyes.
In this Oura Ring Review I have slept my way through many hours to breakdown for you some findings about the newest Oura ring and what you might like to know about it before buying including price, performance, design, comfort, accuracy and more is contained within, so read on.
How Does the Oura Ring 3 Work?
“How does the Oura Ring work?”, you might ask. The Oura Ring Generation 3, as dramatically improved upon for earlier models, is very discreet and does well to hide all of its sesnors on the under belly of it’s body.
One of the key standouts of the Oura Ring 3 for me was just how well it hides it’s true purpose. What I mean by this is that it looks like a stylish ring, while under the surface it is full of tech gathering useful data on what makes you tick and how you are tracking on your wellness journey.
As a seasoned user of numerous sleep and fitness trackers, I must say the Oura Ring 3 stands out with its unparalleled wearability and advanced sleep algorithms. Within this unassuming ring lies a network of sensors designed to capture an array of vital data with utmost precision. These little spies on my finger continuously monitor heart rate, body temperature, respiratory rate, and movement, providing an all-encompassing view of my body's activities.
The ring employs infrared LEDs and photodiode sensors to determine heart rate by emitting light into the skin and measuring its reflection—a clever technique for extracting accurate heart rate data.
Furthermore, a built-in 3D accelerometer and gyroscope work tirelessly to detect every movement, whether I'm walking, jogging, or busting a dance move (yes, those count!). Not only do they track my steps and calculate calories burned, but they also measure my active time, helping me stay on top of my fitness goals.
What sets the Oura Ring apart is its commitment to delivering superior sleep insights. Unlike many health wearables that rely solely on movement detection to determine sleep stages, the Oura Ring takes a comprehensive approach. By incorporating data on heart rate variability, body temperature, and highly sensitive movement insights, it accurately assesses the duration and quality of my sleep.
The cutting-edge sleep staging algorithm processes this data, providing valuable information on REM, deep, and light sleep stages, as well as sleep efficiency and an overall readiness score indicating sleep quality.
To access and interpret all this valuable information, the user interface seamlessly connects to my smartphone via Bluetooth. The Oura mobile app proves to be a delight, offering a super slick and intuitive design.
It presents my sleep and activity data in a visually appealing format that's easy to grasp at first glance. And if I want to delve deeper into the numbers and trends, the app provides comprehensive graphs for a more in-depth analysis.
Yep, it’s really ticking all the boxes I know, and the crazy thing is it is almost 1/10 of the monthly subscription cost of the Whoop. Yes, you read that right, let’s expand on that.
Oura Ring Gen 3 Price
Straight up, the Oura Ring 3 manages to be both the leader in the market and one of the most budget friendly options for sleep and fitness tracking. Doing a head to head Whoop vs Oura Ring, the Oura Ring monthly subscription is only $5.99 per month, wheras the Whoop monthly cost is about $50 per month.
Read Also: Whoop 4 Review: Everything You Need to Know Before Buying
Yes, I’m with you, how can the Oura Ring be so much cheaper in price. While the Whoop may have a better overall review status for user comfort, these devices employ largely the same quality of tracking sensors and quality data.
It’s true, the Oura Ring price is initially $299-$499USD depending on your preferred design, but the ongoing costs are much cheaper than Whoop.
What’s included in the price of the Oura Ring? Well to start you off you will get a free sizing kit sent to you to ensure you can test out all fingers and pick the right size for you. The Gen3 of the Oura Ring truly takes things to the next level with some exciting new features that make the price pretty reasonable all things considered.
First and foremost, it introduces SpO2 tracking, keeping a close watch on your blood oxygen levels while you sleep. This update offers two valuable metrics: your average nightly SpO2 percentage and your breathing regularity.
In terms of battery life, the Gen3 is comparable to its predecessor, requiring approximately 20-80 minutes for a full charge and lasting 4-7 days on a single charge. However, a notable improvement is the ability to track battery usage via the app, allowing users to monitor the battery level and plan charging times accordingly. I have found that generally these fitness trackers overstate their battery life, I found it necessary to charge it every 5 days for about 40-60 minutes per charge, never experiencing any sudden power depletion. I suppose this battery life depends on the features being used on the device through the day too. Nevertheless, I do wish for a more streamlined charging process for a high-end wearable meant to be worn round-the-clock. For example, the Whoop has a removeable charging battery pack option that means you never have to remove the strap and can charge multiple batteries independently to always have a backup ready.
For fitness enthusiasts, the Gen3 now includes workout heart rate tracking, which is definitely what I thought was the biggest downfall or missing feature of the original Oura Ring models. While real-time metrics won't be visible on the screen during your exercise, you'll receive a comprehensive breakdown of your stats, route, splits, and heart rate once you're done. While some may find this feature valuable, I personally didn't see a significant benefit for workout purposes.
Despite the addition of four temperature sensors, one new LED heart rate sensor, and one SpO2 sensor, the Gen3 maintains a slim and sleek design compared to earlier models, improving its overall wearability. The ring now comes in two shapes: the 'Horizon,' a fully circular version with a flexible, bendable inner battery at a higher cost, and the OG 'Heritage' shape with a flat top housing its traditional, inflexible battery.
While the differences are mainly aesthetic, I found the flat top of the Heritage shape advantageous in keeping the ring properly oriented on my finger, ensuring the sensors are always on the palm side.
Another feature I found interesting, but obviously had no use for, was the inclusion of tracking data for menstruation cycles and the addition of period predictions. The new algorithms leverage temperature data, user feedback, and the calendar method to provide advance notice of your menstrual cycle. To achieve the best accuracy, the ring recommends gathering data for at least 60 nights. Open to hear thoughts from any female users who have tried and tested this feature in our comments section.
Oura Ring Vs Whoop vs Apple Watch vs Muse S and More
The Oura Ring has always predominantly been a sleep tracking ring, but they have clearly begun to cover more and more broadly tracked data to offer a more wide ranging pool of data including fitness and habit tracking.
The Oura Ring mostly outperforms a lot of its competitors like Apple Watch, Muse S and other sleep tracking rings like Wellue Ring and SleepOn Ring.
As someone who has extensively tested various wearables, I find the Oura Ring's wearability to be exceptional. Unlike bulky smartwatches or fitness bands, this sleek and compact ring seamlessly integrates into my daily life. I'm so accustomed to wearing it that I rarely even think about it on my finger. Its comfort is unparalleled, and I've had no issues sleeping with it on my index finger every night since I first got it.
While the ring may appear chunky to some, especially if you're not accustomed to wearing jewellery, I personally found it smooth and comfortable even during workouts. It kind of tucks into the nook of your finger without getting to much in the way of gripping movements.
However, for activities that require a tight grip, like pull-ups or max lifts, it's best to set it aside and opt for Whoop strap which is wrist worn and never really gets in the way. Nevertheless, the ring's thickness and width remain consistent across all sizes, ensuring a comfortable fit for every user.
One standout feature of the Oura Ring is its "readiness" score, which offers valuable insights for optimizing workouts. The user interface and mobile app also impressed me with their user-friendliness and visually appealing design. The app presents data in a comprehensive manner, making it easy to understand without overwhelming me with information.
The app's personalised recommendations, delivered as push notifications, have proven helpful and unintrusive. Movement reminders have encouraged me to take breaks from sitting, while bedtime notifications gently nudge me to wind down for better sleep. Additionally, the flexibility to switch these notifications on or off according to my preferences is a welcomed feature. The Whoop strap also has this feature and like the Oura ring uses it suggest your intensity levels for training on a given day.
However, the ring falls slightly short in terms of fitness insights compared to some other devices. It focuses mainly on running, cycling, and walking, which might be limiting for individuals engaged in a broader range of activities. Also, the inability to view real-time workout metrics on a display screen during exercise might be a drawback for some athletes who prioritize direct tracking of their training progress.
While the Oura Ring excels in many aspects, especially wearability and the "readiness" score, it may not fully meet the needs of serious athletes seeking extensive fitness insights during workouts. Nevertheless, as someone who favours a comfortable and sleek wearable that seamlessly integrates into my lifestyle, the Oura Ring remains my top choice, with the Whoop as the closest best alternative.
But hear this, the one thing that blows my mind and I’d love to see as a feature in ALL of these tracking wearables is – the time! Yes, I’m one of those die hards that currently wears both a watch and a Whoop, sometimes the Oura Ring at the same time to compare tracking metrics.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The Oura Ring Gen 3 offers sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring, activity tracking, and temperature sensing.
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The Oura Ring is more focused on sleep tracking and is more discreet compared to bulkier devices like the Apple Watch or Whoop strap.
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The Gen 3 has enhanced sensors for more accurate data collection and new features like SpO2 tracking.
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While it's priced higher than some basic trackers, its advanced features justify the cost for those prioritizing sleep and health tracking.
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Yes, it accurately tracks various activities, but it's particularly renowned for its detailed sleep analysis.
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Typically, you'll need to charge the device, download the associated app, and follow the app's setup instructions.
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Use a soft, lint-free cloth, slightly dampened if necessary, avoiding excessive moisture near openings.
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Open the health app, find the settings to add devices, and select your tracker to initiate syncing.
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Look for accuracy in sleep stages tracking, comfort for overnight wear, and battery life.
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It varies widely, from a day up to several weeks, depending on the device's features and usage.
Final Verdict on Oura Ring Gen 3
My experience with the Oura Ring has been a little better than the Whoop to be brutally honest. The Oura ring, although sometimes in the way when training with gripping movements, offers an overall better experience and I would offer it a 4.98/5 rating overall.
This unassuming little ring, although pricey, proved to be a powerhouse when it came to tracking my health and sleep. Its convenience and comfort allowed it to seamlessly blend into my daily life, and I often forgot I was wearing it for extended periods. Though the band was slightly thicker than what I typically wear, the technology it offered justified the minor trade-off, especially considering its inconspicuous wearability, which sets it apart from other health tracking devices.
Throughout my review, I discovered that the Oura Ring had undergone extensive research and fine-tuning to enhance its sleep stage tracking capabilities. Having worn the original Oura Ring, the Generation 3 has come a long way, mostly in size and comfort. Its performance in the gold standard PSG sleep lab test made it a compelling investment for those seeking deeper insights into their sleep habits, with its main competitor being the Whoop Strap.
While this device may not be a magic solution to sleep problems, it undoubtedly helped me better understand my sleep patterns—a crucial first step towards improving overall sleep quality.
As someone who craves data about my body's well-being, I often find myself overwhelmed by information presented in cluttered app interfaces. However, the Oura Ring's app was a breath of fresh air, providing data in a clean and intuitive format. The personalised recommendations based on my numbers were invaluable, and I felt motivated to return to the app daily rather than avoiding it.
The app's notification about my REM sleep deficit after a week of use was particularly insightful. The accompanying blurb detailing the factors influencing REM sleep and offering recommendations to improve it proved extremely useful. This feature made behaviour change feel tangible, relieving me of the burden of information overload.
While the Oura Ring 3 does come with a significant investment and has limitations in certain areas, it undoubtedly excels as a comprehensive health and sleep tracker. For those who prioritise detailed insights into their body's recovery and seek research-backed sleep information, the Oura Ring is a compelling choice worth considering.
In conclusion, the Oura Ring has been a game-changer in my quest for better health and sleep. Its seamless integration into my daily life, combined with its powerful features and research-based insights, has made it an indispensable companion on my wellness journey.
