Oura Ring Review

Oura Ring Review, Oura Ring has been called the world’s best sleep tracker by some, but is that the real story? Though the product focuses on tracking sleep, the company has made it a point to sell it as a health and fitness wearable and smart ring.

This caught our researcher team’s attention — that’s when the deep dive into the wellness ring kicked into high gear.The team dug through the company’s history, how Oura Ring works, and the science behind the technology. Let’s take a look at what they found.

What is Oura Ring?

Simply put, Oura Ring is an activity tracker that measures sleep. Sleep is critical to every body function, mood, energy, appetite, and more. We’re thrilled to see that men and women are looking to sleep health to understand better the changes they need to make to improve overall health and wellness. However, is the ring any different from other sleep trackers like Fitbit or Motiv Ring?

The activity tracker has been utilized in research that’s shown just how effective advanced body and sleep tracking can actually be.

BMC Women’s Health – Women who wish to track their menstrual cycle can use then Oura Ring. Research reveals, “Nocturnal skin temperature based on wearable ring showed potential for menstrual cycle monitoring in real life conditions.”
UBICOMP – The sleep tracker has also been used in research. According to study results, “Oura users sleep approximately 7 hours per night and that following a consistent sleep schedule is associated with more efficient sleep.”
Theseus – The ring is also being used by athletes to track training, stress and recovery. However, it may not be the best option as authors found “Oura ring could provide useful information for some individuals about overall recovery, but it should be combined with subjective measures.”
2020 Update: During the 2020 NBA season, players wore the Oura Ring to help detect body changes that could reflect Covid symptoms. There were no cases of the virus during play in the NBA “bubble.”

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Claimed Oura Ring Benefits

The Oura Ring is brand new, so there’s not much data in terms of effectiveness, but we know what the company claims the sleep tracker will do. These claims include insights into:

• Respiration rate
• Trends in body temperature
• HRV (heart rate variability)
• Resting heart rate
• Recovery optimization
• Measurement of sleep quality
• Sleep stage tracking
• Trends in sleep
• Measures steps and calories

Alerts the wearer when inactive

Compared to other smart rings and trackers, the claims are nearly identical — just worded differently. One new claim is that it records heart rate variability. You could do the same thing by writing down your heart rate from time to time during the day, but that’s not convenient, and products like Oura Ring are all about convenience meeting functionality.

Can the Oura Ring meet these claims? Yes, it will likely store and present all the information it claims it tracks. Users do need to consider that the data gives the user a ballpark answer. We see no way any product that’s not medically tested and used in a clinical setting can accurately measure sleep, heart rate, activity level, and others with the same degree of accuracy. Users should not take the results as anything other than a source of information to guide your life toward healthier sleep.

 What does science have to say about sleep trackers 

According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health and Expert Review of Medical Devices, sleep trackers have become a popular trend, and Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise and ISRN Neurology noted that these kinds of devices can help evaluate the level of health in other bodily systems.

However, Studies in Health Technology and Information found that sleep trackers needed more research to determine if they were effective. Additionally, Chronobiology International found that these trackers may need more detailed information to accurately predict health.

Is Oura Ring waterproof?

The new ring is not waterproof, but it is water-resistant up to 328 feet or 100 meters. If you have the first model, it is water-resistant up to 164 feet or 50 meters.

What is the ideal duration of sleep?

The ideal duration of sleep is not a single number you can put the finger on. It is variable with likely hundreds of variables going into an estimate for a single person. However, for the sake of giving the duration a number, the National Sleep Foundation says the ideal length of sleep for young adults 18-25 and adults 26-64 is seven to nine hours per night. Users 65+ should get between seven and eight hours of sleep nightly.

Similar Products and Upgrades

There’s only one major competitor for the Oura Ring at this time, and that’s the Motiv Ring. Other smart products like the Garmin fitness tracker and the Apple Watch are in different leagues and aren’t comparable.

Old vs. New

The first model of an electronic device is a testing version if you will. This is the model that the company gets the best feedback from, and it paves the way through upgrades and changes that make the second model “better” than the first. With the new Oura Ring, you get a series of updates based on real-life use.

Oura Ring vs. Motiv Ring

The Motiv Ring is also a smart tracker, but this one talks about fitness tracking. Oura Ring focuses on sleep tracking and the effect of good sleep on fitness. Each offers a unique set of features and some features that overlap.

Oura Ring vs. Apple Watch

The Oura Ring and Apple Watch aren’t even in the same category. Smartwatches are larger and have more room internally for advanced calculations and features. People who wear the Apple Watch are looking for all the features of the Oura Ring and Motiv Ring along with cell phone connectivity and two-way communication.

How Much Does Oura Ring Cost?

The Oura Ring costs between $299 and $999. These prices will depend on the shape, color, and style. Shapes include Heritage and Balance, while colors include Silver, Black, Stealth, and Silver Diamond. These prices include: