Here’s my honest opinion:
The Oura Ring Generation 3, a sleek and unobtrusive sleep-tracking device, arrived at the perfect time in my life. Over the last year, I’ve been on a journey to improve my sleep, which has been on my mind since recognizing that I can’t subsist on only six hours of sleep every night. It’s become evident that the older I become, the more I need a proper sleep regimen to help me operate better, be happier, and recover from exercise.
However, consistently tracking my sleep pattern proved difficult. I frequently forget to make a grocery list before going shopping, let alone remember to document my sleep every day or wear a clunky equipment to bed. When Technovatica’s fitness editor handed me the Oura Generation 3 smart ring (and one of our top sleep trackers), I was curious to see how it would affect my sleep quality and daily readiness.
Exercising with the Oura Ring
The debut of the Oura ring piqued my interest as an avid runner accustomed to the greatest Garmin watches. My faithful Garmin Fenix had been a steady companion over the twelve weeks of intensive training after I had recently completed a grueling half marathon.
But when I unboxed and put on the Oura ring, one thing hit me right away: comfort. This ring felt light on my finger, a wonderful change from my bulky and heavy Garmin Fenix 7. I’m used to wearing rings as jewelry, and Oura’s light design passed the comfort test with flying colors.
The Oura ring was simple to set up. All that was required was a quick charge (just over an hour), an app download, and basic profile entry. I was unhappy that the ring couldn’t provide feedback from my runs, such as pace or distance, requiring me to wear two wearables at the same time.
I also had to remove the ring during weightlifting workouts to avoid scratches or damage to the electronics, but it appeared that I was missing out on vital training and recuperation data. I also use skincare products before bed, so I needed to include the ring into my sleep regimen and make sure I removed it before and reapplied it after.
The Oura Ring allows you to track your sleep
The Oura Ring holds a lot of promise. It claims to collect sleep data using innovative technologies, delivering insights that distinguish it distinct from standard wearables and even the top smartwatches. Oura’s sleep tracking method combines body temperature and activity patterns for accuracy. Oura’s CEO Tom Hale thinks it’s more accurate than watches because of the finger positioning, where it can monitor blood flow more efficiently.
The ring’s inconspicuous design enables for pleasant sleep tracking, free of distracting bright screens and notifications. Furthermore, the accelerometer sensor on your finger detects sensitive activity during overnight movements. This gives me a better understanding of my general sleeping habits.
After confirming that you are sleeping, the Oura ring collects biometric data to produce sleep stage graphs known as “hypnograms.” These hypnograms divide your sleep into four stages: awake, light, deep, and REM, based on movement and changes in heart rate, respiration, and temperature.
I wanted to pit the Oura ring against my Garmin Fenix 7 to see how their sleep-tracking capabilities stacked up. Surprisingly, the statistics were nearly identical. Although there was a twenty-minute discrepancy in the time each gadget claimed I fell asleep, they both agreed on my typical 06:20 wake-up time, which was surprisingly accurate. The results were same whether it was my 95 minutes of REM sleep or fluctuations in deep sleep.
The Oura app presented encouraging summaries of my sleep, such as “Sharp as a tack,” making reviewing my sleep performance enjoyable and fulfilling. According to the Oura app, I slept for eight hours and 41 minutes one night, a personal record for someone who generally falls short of the prescribed seven to eight hours. My Garmin, on the other hand, recorded a longer sleep time (nine hours, 13 minutes), but classified a significant amount as restless sleep.
Reflecting on my night and morning activities, I discovered that the Oura ring’s evaluation was more correct, as I had awoken before my spouse and decided to go make a coffee and read quietly in bed. My Garmin watch misread this for agitation, whereas the Oura ring recognized it as a tranquil lie-in.
What I discovered after wearing the Oura Ring for a week
Throughout my week of testing, the Oura Ring had a great impact on my sleep quality and general ready for the day as I tuned in to how my energy levels felt based on the sleep data that I was collecting.
What distinguished it was its unobtrusive presence on my finger, which allowed me to sleep soundly. Unlike watches, the Oura Ring kept a low profile and discouraged late-night screen checks – after all, it’s completely screenless, unlike my Fenix, and I knew the detailed numbers will be waiting for me in the morning on the Oura app.
However, there was a disadvantage: the desire to check the app before bedtime and as soon as I woke up, which isn’t a good nighttime practice. Many sleep enthusiasts are aware that blue light from screens does not promote deep, undisturbed sleep. However, this minor difficulty motivated me to build a nightly ritual, which is something I would not normally prioritize.
I liked how the app’s affirmations recognized the constancy in my nighttime routine. It stated that I was providing my body and mind with “just what they need the most: a consistent sleep-wake rhythm.” My devotion to a week of optimal sleep wasn’t lost on the app, which suggested I do a “fun thing” to increase my energy – a testament to my newfound commitment to slumber.
Having said that, I’m not certain it’s worth $300 plus a monthly subscription. It almost made me realize that my best running watch is the only wearable I truly require. My running watch can track all of my exercises, including weightlifting sessions, as well as provide detailed feedback on my training and track my sleep and recovery.
As a runner, I’m naturally leaning toward using my Garmin, which provides valuable GPS data, for my daily health data needs. Perhaps I need to experiment with the ring for a longer period of time before committing to wearing an Oura permanently, but despite the thinner form factor being more comfortable during sleep, I didn’t feel like the Oura provided me with any new stats that my Garmin couldn’t.
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