The only reason it’s not on every staffer’s finger?
Oura rings start at $299 with a $5.99 monthly subscription fee.
Oura Horizon Ring
Why you should trust us
What is the Oura ring?
Integrated software then uses these readings to calculate important health metrics, likeresting heart rateorheart rate variability.
Insider Tip
Why is the Oura ring so popular?
Wearability makes theOura ringa standout option among health trackers.
More importantly, it’s accurate.
The Oura ring uses sensors similar to those in medical-grade devices at hospitals to monitor heart rate.
The NBA even bought2,000 Oura ringsin 2020 to monitor player’s performance and detect potential COVID cases.
Of course, we’re most invested in the support of health expertsandOurahas plenty of that, too.
How does the Oura ring work?
Using ultra-sensitive PPG sensors, theOura ringmeasures body temperature and pulse.
What data does Oura collect?
When you log into the Oura app, you’re immediately greeted with a main feed.
I like to describe this main feed as the “Discover” page of your Oura App.
While all of this data can be super helpful, it can also be overwhelming.
Anything below 60 will come with a warning to “pay attention.”
I go more in-depth on each of the three scores below.
Expand each box to gain deeper insights about how I use the scores.
After 90 days of tracking your sleep with Oura, youll be given information about yoursleep chronotype(i.e.
whether you’re a night or morning person) and your optimal sleep schedule.
Activity score
As the name suggests, the activity score tells you how active you’ve been.
Each day,Ouraassigns a minimum daily activity goal based on your baseline goal and your readiness score.
),Ourawould not be my top choice if you’re looking primarily for an activity tracker.
Most workouts (e.g.
She adds that the ring’s predictions get stronger as more feedback is given.
My personal favorites are the stress and cycle tracking, which both recently received upgrades from the Oura team.
This is super useful to see what habits and activities may be causing you more stress than others.
Per Kryder, it takes about two months to establish a baseline for the cycle insights.
As you log your period and wear the ring for longer, the predictions become increasingly accurate.
After all, how effective is a sleep tracker if it’s not comfortable to sleep in?
Thankfully I got used to the Oura ring in just a day or two.
Now I tend to forget I’m even wearing it.
If anything, the shiny equipment actually enhances my aesthetic and I wear it like a badge of honor.
Over the past year, the ring’s suggestions have adapted based on my lifestyle and habits.
I’ve used this knowledge to truly optimize my workouts, productivity, meal timing, and more.
To do this, you simply need to fire up the Natural Cycles app and click sync Oura ring.
you’ve got the option to sync the data manually each day or set it up to auto-sync.
From there, Natural Cycles can more accurately calculate your fertility status and where you are in your cycle.
Of course, you’ll need to pay forNatural Cyclesto gain these additional insights.
These graphs outline any tags and activities you’ve added (e.g.
period, sauna use, alcohol intake, workouts, etc.
), so you’ll be able to spot factors that might be impacting different areas of your health.
Ouraalso provides shareable reports which you could view for each week, month, quarter, or year.
These are my absolute favorite!
I love looking back on the month or year to see what my highs and lows were.
Most importantly, Ifeelgreat.
As mentioned, a whopping eight people wear the Oura ring daily.
But the main opportunity for improvement is the activity tracking.
It really only detects workouts that involve repeated impact (e.g.
running or walking) or intense arm movements (e.g.
How much does the Oura ring cost?
The Heritage starts at $299, while theHorizonstarts at $349.
Prices vary by finish.
Its honestly become an essential part of my well-being routine.
Plus, the Oura ring is comfortable, aesthetically pleasing, and incredibly durable.
Do Oura rings scratch easily?
The external finish of Oura rings is titanium.
Otherwise the black and stealth colorways are made with a Diamond-Like Carbon Coating (DLC).
Most of our editors have the gold finish, which does show small scratches and dings from consistent wear.
Taking precautions to minimize rubbing and damage to the ring is the easiest way to preserve the pristine finish.
For those who actuallylikea patina effect, we suggest the rose gold ring.
What is the best alternative to Oura Ring?
The takeaway
Oura’s accurate data and actionable insights make it easy to see real results.
