Latest news with #OuraRing
Health Line
2 days ago
- Health
- Health Line
7 Key Metrics to Track for Better Heart Health
Tracking key heart health metrics every day helps you understand how your lifestyle affects your cardiovascular system and empowers you to take proactive steps toward better heart health. Heart disease often develops silently over time, shaped by daily habits and stressors. However, many risk factors, like elevated heart rate, poor sleep, or lack of movement, can be detected early and addressed with simple changes. As a result of wearable devices and health-tracking apps, more people can now monitor cardiovascular markers from home and use that data to guide preventive care. By tracking key heart health metrics each day, you gain insight into how your body responds to sleep, physical activity, stress, and how well it recovers after exertion. This awareness can help you make smarter choices and spot patterns before they become problems. Here are seven important metrics to track, what they reveal, and how to use them effectively. Heart rate per step (HRPS or DHRPS) Heart rate per step measures how many heartbeats occur for every step you take during the day. It's calculated by dividing your total heartbeats by your step count. This metric matters because a higher heart rate per step has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, heart failure, and diabetes. It reflects not just how much you move, but also how much effort your heart puts into supporting that movement, giving insight into how efficiently your body handles everyday activity. General ranges: Under 0.75: typically low risk 0.75–1.0: moderate Over 1.0: may indicate elevated risk, especially if sustained Most fitness trackers that measure both daily heart rate and steps, such as Apple Watch, Fitbit, and Garmin, can provide the data needed to calculate HRPS. Heart rate variability (HRV) HRV reflects how much your heart rate naturally fluctuates between beats. A higher HRV generally means better cardiovascular adaptability and nervous system balance. What affects HRV: sleep quality mental and physical stress alcohol imbalanced diet overtraining or lack of recovery How to improve it: Prioritize consistent, high quality sleep. Build in rest days between high intensity workouts. Use breathing exercises to manage stress. Most modern wearables, including Whoop, Oura Ring, Apple Watch, and Garmin, offer HRV tracking during sleep or periods of rest. Resting heart rate (RHR) Resting heart rate is your pulse when the body is at complete rest. It's a direct indicator of overall cardiovascular efficiency. A healthy range for most adults is 50 to 100 beats per minute (BPM). However, lower ranges are often seen in more active or fit individuals. To track your RHR, you can: Measure it first thing in the morning, before getting out of bed. Use the same time and conditions each day for consistency. Avoid caffeine, stress, or movement right before measuring. Changes to watch for: a sudden increase of 10 or more beats per minute over several days a resting heart rate consistently above 100 bpm a resting heart rate below 40 bpm (if you're not a trained athlete) These changes may signal stress, illness, or changes in cardiovascular health that should be discussed with a healthcare professional. Most smartwatches and fitness bands with 24/7 heart rate monitoring can measure RHR automatically, especially overnight. Blood pressure variability (BPV) While most people track average blood pressure, daily variability in readings is also important. It reflects how well your body manages vascular pressure throughout different situations. Why it matters: Higher BPV is linked to stroke and heart disease. One-time readings may miss warning signs that show up only through frequent monitoring. Monitoring BPV can provide insight into how your body handles daily challenges. Most wearables don't yet provide accurate blood pressure data, but the Omron HeartGuide is one of the few FDA-cleared devices recommended for tracking BPV at home. It uses a built-in inflatable cuff to take clinically validated wrist-based measurements. Sleep quality indicators Sleep is critical for heart repair, hormone regulation, and recovery. Poor sleep can increase heart rate, raise blood pressure, and lower HRV. Key sleep metrics to monitor: total sleep time (7–9 hours recommended for adults) time in deep and REM sleep frequency of sleep interruptions or restlessness Improving sleep often leads to better performance across other heart health metrics. Tips to improve sleep: Keep a consistent sleep-wake schedule. Limit screens and stimulants before bed. Keep your sleeping environment dark, cool, and quiet. Sleep trackers can give insight into your sleep stages, but focus more on overall trends than nightly detail. Daily step count and movement patterns Daily steps are important, but so is how often you move throughout the day. Even if you exercise, sitting for long periods can reduce cardiovascular benefits. How to stay active during the day: Set reminders to stand or move every 30 to 60 minutes. Take short walks after meals or during work breaks. Aim for 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day, adjusted for your age and activity level. Pedometers like the Fitbit Inspire 2, 3D TriSport Walking Pedometer, and OZO Fitness SC2 offer reliable step tracking in both simple and feature-rich designs. Getting the most accurate data from your wearable The accuracy of wearable devices varies by metric and how you use them. To truly benefit from daily heart health tracking, it's important to understand their strengths and limitations, and follow best practices to maximize accuracy. To improve the quality of your heart health data: Wear your device snugly and in the recommended position, usually just above the wrist bone, to maintain good sensor contact. Sync your device regularly with its app to keep firmware updated and data accurate. If possible, calibrate your device's readings by comparing them with validated tools such as a manual blood pressure cuff or chest strap heart rate monitor. Avoid moving excessively during measurements and try to be still and relaxed, especially for blood pressure and HRV readings. Use your wearable as a tool to track long-term trends and patterns rather than expecting pinpoint medical accuracy from each individual reading. By following these steps, you can get the most meaningful insights to support your heart health without over-relying on any single measurement. Integrating your metrics No single number tells the full story. The real value comes from understanding how your heart metrics relate to one another. Look for patterns like: poor sleep followed by low HRV and high resting heart rate improved recovery after better hydration or stress management step count decreases alongside rising HRPS Track consistently for a few weeks to establish your personal baseline. If patterns persist or worsen, you can bring your data to your doctor. Many apps now allow secure data sharing and integration with electronic health records. Be mindful of privacy settings and choose apps with strong protections.
Cosmopolitan
3 days ago
- Health
- Cosmopolitan
The Oura Ring 4 Fixed My Sleep. Here's My Honest Review in 2025.
I love my Oura ring. Ask any of my friends and they'll tell you that it's become one of my main personality traits over the past year and a half, that if I had a cartoon character, she would have a gold ring on her pointer finger. I'm never seen without it (if I am, get ready to hear a panicked 'Wait… did I lose my Oura ring?' in three… two… one…) and the minimal weight slips below the level of consciousness so it's basically a part of me. In the time since I last updated my 2023 review of the Gen 3 Oura ring, the company released a brand new iteration, the Oura 4. Checks out, as they've historically released a new version every three years. And because of the aforementioned making-it-my-whole-personality thing, I knew I had to do a full test of the new version. After wearing it for six months, I'm ready to give you my full, in-depth, scientifically-proven (okay, I'm not a scientist, but there's lots of ~health data~) review—it's broken down into sections that are easy to scroll through in case you're looking for something specific, with tons of pics and anecdotes about what I loved and didn't love. Note: If you want a more in-depth walkthrough of how I picked out my ring and set it up, you can read the full breakdown in our Oura 3 review here. The fit metrics and process of ordering a size kit are both still the same, just make sure you're specifically ordering the Oura 4 size kit—either on their website or on Amazon! So, the Oura Ring is a health tracker. But what does it actually track? 'The Oura Ring boasts temperature sensors, a suite of LED lights to measure heart rate and blood oxygen, and an activity accelerometer to provide you with accurate insights to support your overall health,' says Jason Russell, Oura's Senior Director of Product. Once data is collected via the sensors, you're given three scores each day to help you interpret your stats at a glance: your Sleep Score, your Readiness Score, and your Activity Score. It's a number out of 100 that grades your sleep, your movement, and how prepared your body is to take on the day based on tons of data points from REM and deep sleep to heart rate variability and your body temperature while you're asleep. You also get a stress rating and resilience rating, and you can opt into Cycle Tracking as well. While the basic concept and experience you know and love is still the same, there are a handful of useful new features that the Oura team rolled out with the fourth-generation ring. And pssst: While the new hardware features are unique to the 4, the software and app updates will be available for anyone with any version of the Oura Ring! First up: Major redesign! The app used to have a fixed design but now, you'll see different stats and scores highlighted depending on what time of day you open up your app. Whatever is most helpful or notable will float up to the top throughout the day, whether it's an exceptional sleep score or an elevated body temperature. Huge news for anyone who doesn't want to get into the weeds of HRV charts and just wants to be given the most important highlights! Visually, the bumpy domes on the inside of the Gen 3 have been removed and replaced with flat sensors for a more comfortable wearing experience. This new ring also has smart sensing and increased accuracy, which didn't pick up on any life changing new data so it wasn't a huge, measurable impact on my life, but someone who tracks their heart rate or body temperature more closely will appreciate this. I also find that the battery lasts a lot longer, allowing me to go several days without charging rather than having to juice it up every other day. I was a perfect size 6 in the Gen 3, so I ordered the size 6 in the Gen 4, but that ended up being so loose that I was experiencing gaps in my data. I exchanged it for a size 5, which I wore on a smaller finger. A word to the wise: Because the Oura 4 has flat sensors on the inside instead of the Oura 3's raised sensors, it's going to be slightly looser even if you get the same size you had before. Don't assume you'll be the same size in the newer Gen 4! To avoid this, order a sizing kit beforehand. And if you have an older Oura ring that you're upgrading, transferring your data over is incredibly easy—just click on the battery signal in the top right corner of your app, hit 'Set up a new ring,' and follow the tutorial (it took me 30 seconds…max). The Oura Ring 4 will cost $349 for Silver or Black, $399 or Brushed Silver or Stealth, or $499 for Gold or Rose Gold. In addition to that, there's a $5.99 monthly subscription cost to use the app that displays and interprets all of your data. Would I say that's cheap? No. But the monthly subscription cost barely makes a dent compared to other health apps (WHOOP costs hundreds per year) so you're really just making a one time investment that you'll be able to wear for a couple years. I'm not proud of it, but I used to check Instagram and TikTok first thing in the morning. Like, as soon as I opened my eyes. I can't say I've fully kicked the phone habit, but I'm no longer going straight to brain rot the second I'm awake, because now I check my Oura app as soon as I wake up to get the full download on my sleep. When you wear the ring overnight, it collects data on when you fell asleep, what sleep stages you were in throughout the night, how your breathing, heart rate, and temperature changed through each phase, and how long you slept for. That's insanely valuable data, people, considering the fact that it's hard to monitor your own sleep while you're, well, asleep. Once you check your app in the morning, you'll receive a sleep score from 0-100 based on your numbers as well as whether your stats were higher, lower, or about on par with the usual. I found that I tended to average in the 80s, but it really depends on how stressed I am! Oh, and your Oura Ring will track naps, too. Whether it's an accidental 30 minute couch snooze or your attempt at falling asleep in your dinky economy seat that only lasts 15 minutes, your ring will pick up on that and adjust your daily sleep score accordingly. Ah, the elusive Readiness score. What does it actually mean to be ready? What is 75 points ready vs. 90 points ready? Do I have to cancel all of my plans if I wake up with a 56 as my readiness score?! All good questions. To put it simply, it's a rating of how ready your body is to take on the day based on how well you've been sleeping and how your resting heart rate has been trending recently. If you've been clocking under six hours a night with a heart rate that won't calm down (a symptom that usually correlates with drinking, by the way!) your readiness score might be lower than usual. This, paired with your Resilience level (which basically measures your current stress levels and how you're recovering from it), is a great indicator of how much your body is able to take on. But you don't have to be tied to it. Sometimes getting a great sweat in on a lower Readiness day helps me bounce back from it, whereas other times it's permission to skip that workout class and cancel your nighttime plans in order to get better recovery sleep. The Oura Ring is meant to make your life better—so think of a high Readiness score as an encouragement to try going the extra mile, and a low Readiness score as a reminder to be kind to yourself if things feel harder than usual. When I reviewed the Oura 3, the weakest point was probably the fact that the old software would think that certain activities (walking, emptying the dishwasher, going up the stairs) were other activities (boxing, swimming, sports). But I can confidently say that the activity tracking on the new ring and new software has improved. It correctly picked up on the fact that I was boxing, skiing, and kayaking without me needing to manually tag each activity, and it's nice to be able to see my route and cardio zones via the Oura app when I (very occasionally) go on a run through Central Park. In addition to activity detection and running features, the Oura Ring also tracks your steps and caloric expenditure, if you're into that kind of thing. I don't do a ton of cardio and I'm aware that as a New York City resident I clock plenty of steps per day, but it was nice to see the correlation between heavy activity days and how quickly I was able to fall asleep the following night. The Oura Ring may not be the most comprehensive training tracker on the market. It doesn't claim to be! It is, however, hands down the best middle-of-the-road option out there. It's chic, non-intimidating and accessible, it looks pretty on your hand, and it gives you comprehensive activity data with zero pressure to close activity rings (you know what I'm talking about) or stand up every 30 minutes. It's perfect for someone like me, who wants to remain active and have a general awareness of it—but not at the cost of my sanity or how cute my accessories are. I was confused about a lot of things during my teenage years, including my period, which was pretty high up on the blind-navigation list. Basically, it would come every 25-40 days, and it was a complete shock every time. But after learning how to track my cycle via body temperature over the past couple of years, I've gone from being like, 'My period is here AGAIN?!' to being like, 'Yeah I know I'm getting my period at some point today because my temperature dropped.' Confused? Basically, your body temperature typically sits below baseline during the follicular phase (the first part of the menstrual cycle), spikes right around ovulation, and then sits above baseline during the luteal phase (the part of the menstrual cycle right before you bleed) until the day of your period when your temperature drops noticeably. The Oura Ring 4 takes your temperature every day and charts it so you can keep track of where you're at in your monthly cycle, which is, uh, SO much better than going into it blindly and then being stuck without a tampon in a public restroom while wearing white jeans. Just me? This temperature data can also be used to estimate fertile days if you're trying to conceive or trying to avoid getting pregnant without being on hormonal birth control. I didn't find Oura's in-app ovulation and period prediction dates to be super accurate, if I'm being honest, but you can sign up for the Natural Cycles app (an FDA-cleared form of non-hormonal birth control) which integrates seamlessly with the Oura app. I found the Natural Cycles predictions to be much more accurate and consistent, and it's $119.99 per year, which comes out to just $9.99 a month. The most important part of the entire review, if you ask me. I've tried so many different stacks, some out of necessity (because my ring is a little loose on certain fingers) and some for style purposes. My favorite compliment is 'Omg I didn't even notice you were wearing a health tracker, it blends right in with the rest of your jewelry!'. Here are some of the stacking rings I've invested in… The complimentary rings I reach for the most often are these two Pavoi bands that went semi-viral on TikTok for being under $20 each. Tons of people started wearing these bands above and below their Oura ring for a shockingly luxe look—and yes, I can confirm that it's a totally seamless stack. Alternatively, I love wearing my Oura ring with a solitaire crystal ring—my go-to is from Uno de 50 and currently sold out, but below are some alternatives as well as rings I tend to wear on other fingers! And lastly, I've found it really helpful to wear a thin chain around my neck for periods where I need to take my ring off but want to make sure I don't lose it, like when I'm getting a manicure or when I'm lifting weights and don't want the bar to scratch up the metal. Okay, that was a lot of information! After testing out the Oura Ring 4 for six months I can confidently say that I'm a huge fan and love the product even more than I did before, but if you're still trying to digest all of that before making your decision, let's break it down into a simple pros and cons list... Hannah Oh is a self-proclaimed nerd for biometrics and sleep optimization. Along with writing about the best sales and deals to spend your hard-earned money on, she has tested a variety of sleep-tracking devices and wearables on her quest to create the perfect bedroom sanctuary in the middle of noisy New York City. She is never seen without her Oura ring and has been known to tell strangers on the street why they should buy one, too. Hannah is the Shopping Editor at Cosmopolitan, covering all things from chic home decor to trendy fashion finds, TikTok products that are actually worth your $$$, and the perfect gift to buy for your boyfriend's mom. She previously wrote for Seventeen and CR Fashion Book. Follow her on Instagram for hot takes on red carpet fashion and pictures of her office outfits that nobody asked for.
Business Insider
3 days ago
- Health
- Business Insider
I've tested dozens of fitness trackers and I think the Oura Ring 4 is the top smart ring for most people
Over the last five months, I tested four fitness rings head-to-head. Pretty much all are comfortable to wear and reliable at tracking your biometrics accurately (though some are better than others). But the Oura Ring 4 reigns supreme as the best smart ring for most people, thanks to its long battery life, highly accurate tracking, and intuitive and easy-to-understand app for reporting your health data. Why I've been wearing it for 4 months I am not a data-head and don't love the bulk of a wearable, but I do like to know I'm being as healthy and fit as possible. I aim to hit 10,000+ steps a day, like to know the cumulative load from my daily workouts, and prefer to have a read on how recovered or taxed my body is from stress, travel, fluctuating sleep quality, and activity. The Oura Ring 4 nails this: It tracks both basic and advanced health data more accurately than other smart rings, thanks to upgraded sensors and better signal stability. Most impressively, the Oura app delivers this data as clear, easy-to-digest insights — like "readiness" or body recovery, sleep quality, and daily activity goals — right up front, with deeper data just a tap away. The app's recent revamp makes it far more intuitive than other smart ring interfaces I tested. The Oura Ring 4 felt bulky at first, but within a week I barely noticed it. It stacks decently with other rings, stays secure during sweaty workouts, and doesn't interfere with grip — except during tight-grip lifts like deadlifts, where it can chafe. Oura Ring 3 vs. Oura Ring 4 If you're thinking of saving a few bucks and just getting a previous generation of the Oura Ring — don't. The Oura Ring 4 is a significant improvement over the Oura Ring 3, and each upgrade is worth every penny. Compared to the Oura Ring 3, the Oura Ring 4: Has a sleeker design Is more comfortable to wear Is now made entirely out of titanium on both the interior and exterior Has a new dynamic "smart sensing" technology that uses more sensors and pathways (18 vs. the previous 8) to drop the signal less, giving you more continuous tracking Has longer battery life at eight days vs. seven These features make Oura Ring 4, in my opinion, the best smart ring, and they're well worth the $50 price difference between a Gen 3 ring and a Gen 4 ring. The health metrics that matter In the smart ring category, each brand offers different data and insights. I tested smart rings alongside some of the best fitness trackers and was impressed to find the sleep quality, step count, and readiness insights to be highly accurate on the Oura 4. What's more, I found that Oura's app kept the metrics streamlined to the info I wanted most on a daily basis, most notably: Sleep accuracy and insights: Oura gives you an at-a-glance sleep score, with your total sleep time front and center. Click in and it offers more detailed insights, like sleep efficiency, total restfulness, and how long it took to fall asleep. Sleeping heart rate: The ring measures when your heart rate hits its lowest during the night, which can give insight into how recovered (or not) your body is. I found it very interesting to see how alcohol and staying up unusually late affected this. Skin temperature: Pretty standard on wearables these days. Changes in your skin temperature can signal you're about to get sick. There were a handful of days I woke up with an alert in elevated skin temperature, heeded the Oura advisor's advice to rest rather than push, and potentially avoided getting more sick over the next few days. Readiness: Arguably the most helpful metric for active people, this recovery score pulls from 20+ signals — skin temp, heart rate, sleep, and more — to tell you whether to push or rest. Sure, you could just listen to your body, but I found it genuinely helpful to get a concrete reflection that rest was smarter. More than once, I woke at 6:30 a.m. for my morning workout, only to see my skin temp was up or sleep was off — and Oura told me to take it easy instead. Women's health: One of Oura's standout features for women is how it combines its advanced skin temperature tracking with its AI module to learn your menstrual cycle and offer detailed insights into your phases, variability, and when to expect your period. It functions pretty much like a basal body temp tracker (though not "officially") and can even pinpoint your ovulation period and fertile window. If you're pregnant, it tracks your progress, highlights key physiological changes, and shares helpful educational content along the way. Biohacking insights: More recently, Oura has started tracking longer-term measurements to predict things like your cardiovascular age and your cardio capacity (VO2 max). This is meant to give you insight into longevity, as well as your overall "resilience," which is essentially how efficiently your body is bouncing back from stress time and time again. Auto activity detection: The Oura Ring is very good at detecting activity and movement. What's more, it has you verify what that mild spike in heart rate was at 11 a.m. (housework? walking?), and then learns from this to better identify your activities over time. This may sound basic, but other smart rings I've tested do not pick up on Zone 2 walks (I'd have to remember my start and finish time and then manually enter it), let alone the small calorie burners that count toward daily movement like housework. That said, if you live at altitude like I do, the Oura Ring does think every activity is skiing until you train it otherwise. Other features I love in the Oura Ring 4 The Oura Ring 4 has a few other features that make it a very worthy investment: The app interface is super streamlined. New in 2025, Oura revamped its app so it only has three tabs: Today, Vitals, and My Health. The data is well-organized and presented in a very clear and visually distinct format that I found to be easy to interpret at a glance. It was by far the most streamlined and intuitive app to read my health data among the four smart rings I tested. And considering this is a device that has no display itself, the app is half the product you're buying. I only have to charge it once a week. One of the biggest advantages of Oura over its competitors is the ring's eight-day battery life. I felt like every other model I tested needed to be charged every few days, but eight days of power really does feel like less of an inconvenience. It automatically adapts my goals when my biometrics indicate I need more rest and recovery. When my readiness score is 44/100, it adjusts my daily movement goal to be 4,500 steps instead of 12,000. And you have the ability to put the Oura app into "rest mode" if you're sick, wherein it turns off all targets and goals and just tracks your biometrics. I found these adjustments went a long way in helping me feel like I'm taking care of myself in a holistic way, resting when needed, rather than prompting me to get out for a walk when I was sick in bed with COVID like other smart rings did. Its AI insights are actually helpful. Oura leans heavily on predictive technology to give you insight on when your biomarkers are indicating that you might get sick or your fertility window. Earlier this year, the brand also launched Oura Advisor, an AI-powered guidance tool where you can ask it questions on your menstrual cycle, heart health, and other personalized data results (e.g., "I'm traveling for work and noticed my readiness score has gone down a lot. What can I do to get it back up?"). Where it falls short Insights could be more actionable. While the Oura Ring does a great job at tracking your data, it doesn't provide a ton of actionable fixes behind it. Days where my readiness was low, it would tell me, "To help recharge your energy levels, take it easy today!" without much specificity on what I could do to bring my numbers back up. Of course, I could then take another step and ask the Oura AI Advisor this question, but it'd be nice to have this already integrated. It requires a monthly subscription. In addition to the $350 to $500 ring itself (the price depends on which finish you choose), you do have to pay a $6 per month subscription fee to use the majority of the features of your Oura Ring. (Technically, you can use the app for free and get readings on basic metrics — readiness, sleep, and activity — but most people will want the upgrade.) It may not offer enough information for athletes. While the Oura Ring does cover most insights that a health and basic fitness tracker will give you — resting heart rate, daily calorie burn, sleep quality, recovery — it won't track your running mileage or pace, overall exertion during a strength session, or other, deeper training insights. Serious runners or athletes will still want a more robust fitness tracker. Final call: Who this ring is (and isn't) for In my opinion, the Oura Ring is the best smart ring for most people, whether you're looking to improve your basic health, stay more active throughout the day, or have one device that gives you insight into every aspect of your health, from heart to menstrual. It is highly accurate at tracking steps, activity, sleep quality, and overall physiological rest and recovery. When considering smart rings vs. a health or fitness watch, the advantage of a smart ring is that it offers deeper health insights in a much more discreet design, with no sounds or vibration notification prompts on your hand. If you're more of a biohacker health type, you'll probably prefer the Ultrahuman Ring AIR. And if you want one wearable that offers more comprehensive fitness tracking, you'll be happier with a fitness watch like one of our picks in our best Garmin guide. But compared to other smart rings I've tested, the Oura Ring 4 is the best value with its long battery life, copious number of sensors for continuous tracking, and streamlined presentation of your health data.
CNET
17-07-2025
- Health
- CNET
One Feature of the Oura Ring 4 Completely Transformed My Sleep Quality
It's no secret that sleep is important. At this point, I think we all understand that it affects just about every aspect of our well-being -- from mood to athletic performance. But I never really understood how much some of my daily habits affected my sleep quality and, in turn, my energy levels during the day. That is until I started using the Oura Ring. What started as an interesting way of tracking my step count and workouts ended up being a real game changer for my sleep and overall well-being. Unlike bulky smartwatches, the Oura ring is sleek, lightweight and highly comfortable. I wear it all day, every day, and only take it off while I shower (which is when I charge it). Every morning, I check the Oura app to see my sleep score, which breaks down how much sleep I got and how much time I spent in deep, REM and light sleep. For more on sleep, be sure to check out our best sleep trackers and tips on getting better rest tonight. How I use it Nasha Addarich Martínez/CNET The biggest thing I started paying attention to was my "Readiness Score," which tells me how well my body has recovered overnight and how well it handles daytime stress. If my score is low, Oura prompts me to take it easy that day and suggests meditations I can access from within the app. I've also used the ring to tweak my nighttime routine. I used to scroll on my phone before bed, but after seeing how much it disrupted my sleep, I switched to the in-app Headspace meditations instead. I noticed how my sleep quality has improved since then. Why it's worth it Before using an Oura ring, I thought I was getting decent sleep. After using the Oura Ring Gen 3 model for a year and then switching to the Gen 4 (which I have been using for six months), I now realize how much better I feel when prioritizing rest and having a good nighttime routine. I wake up feeling more refreshed and energized. It's also one of the few fitness trackers I don't mind wearing all the time since it looks like a piece of jewelry, not a bulky tech device. If you're curious about how your sleep and recovery impact your overall well-being, the Oura ring is for you. In fact, this gadget is so useful and easy to set up, I think it would make an excellent gift for anyone looking to step up their health and wellness game. For more gift ideas, we've rounded up a list of our favorite fitness gifts. And check out these fitness deals on health trackers, smart gyms and more.
7NEWS
16-07-2025
- Health
- 7NEWS
Oura Ring vs Ultrahuman review: Best Picks tests the top smart rings for sleep, recovery and fitness tracking
From 'caffeine windows' to 'social jet lag' and 'sleep scores', I road-tested both smart rings to see which one really gets under your skin. As someone who regularly falls asleep with a wellness podcast playing and has a vitamin D deficiency despite living in Sydney, I like to think I'm self-aware when it comes to health. But there's nothing like two rings competing on your finger to really call you out on your daily habits. Over the past two months, I've been testing the Ultrahuman Ring and the Oura Ring side-by-side. I've worn them both during sleep, on walks, while cleaning my apartment, and even during a red-eye flight to see how they track recovery and rest. Each promises to give you a deeper understanding of your health, sleep, recovery, and movement, but they do it in very different ways. Here's my honest, first-hand experience comparing the two. Price and subscription: one ring to rule them all? Let's talk money first, because there's a noticeable difference. The Oura Ring Gen 4 comes in at $569 in Australia for standard finishes, or a whopping $799 if you want the gold. That's before the monthly $9.99 subscription fee, which is required to unlock the full experience, including detailed readiness, sleep and activity data. Without it, the ring is basically a stylish sleep tracker. On the other hand, the Ultrahuman Ring retails for $599 and it available to shop on Amazon Australia regardless of the colour you choose and comes with lifetime access to your data. No subscription, no locked features, and definitely no paywall guilt if you forget to cancel your free trial. That alone makes it a solid choice if you're subscription-fatigued (aren't we all?). Design and wearability Both rings are sleek and comfortable, but I do slightly prefer the look of the Oura Ring. It feels a little more polished, almost like a designer accessory, while the Ultrahuman has a more tech-forward aesthetic. Not unattractive by any means, just different. They're roughly the same weight and thickness, and I got used to wearing both fairly quickly. Battery life is comparable, with around five to six days between charges for each ring. Sleep tracking: Oura takes the lead (for now). I have to give the edge to the Oura Ring here. Its sleep tracking feels a touch more dialled in, and the way it breaks down your sleep stages and gives you a nightly 'readiness' score is incredibly helpful. It knows when I've had a rough night or a random nap, and it's scarily accurate at detecting when I'm asleep or just lying in bed on my phone pretending to wind down. The Ultrahuman Ring is not far behind, and to its credit, it has something Oura doesn't: the 'Social Jet Lag' feature. This clever metric compares your weekday and weekend sleep patterns to determine your circadian misalignment. Mine, oddly enough, is set to Adelaide — despite me living in Sydney — because my sleep timing maps closer to two hours west. It's an eye-opener that made me more conscious of staying up too late on 'free' nights and the impact that has on my energy levels midweek. Ultrahuman also offers a 'Caffeine Permissible Window,' which I love. Based on your sleep and wake patterns, it recommends the best time to have caffeine for optimal performance without messing up your sleep later. For someone who often mistakes coffee for breakfast, this has genuinely changed my routine. Activity and movement tracking The Oura Ring deserves credit for how intuitive it is at detecting activity. I'll vacuum the house or run around doing errands, and it logs that movement, including calorie burn, without me needing to tag it. It knows when I'm on a walk versus casually standing. This passive tracking feels effortless and motivating. Ultrahuman leans more into performance and metabolic health. It has a 'movement index' that gives you a more nuanced look at the quality and distribution of your daily activity. It's not just steps; it considers how intense your movement is across the day. If you've ever hit your step count but still felt sluggish, this might explain why. Both rings prompt you to move when you've been idle too long, and both track heart rate variability and recovery, but the emphasis differs. Oura feels a bit more lifestyle-y. Ultrahuman is for those who want a slightly more performance-driven lens. Health insights and extras One of the standout features of Ultrahuman is its 'Ultra Age' and 'Brain Age' metrics. According to the ring, I'm three years younger than my actual age — thank you very much — and that little ego boost alone might be worth the price. It's a fun, science-backed way to look at how your lifestyle choices are stacking up over time. The Oura app lets you snap photos of your meals and track your nutrition manually. While it doesn't offer full-blown macro counting or meal analysis, I found it useful to keep tabs on my general eating patterns. It made me think twice about my portion sizes and timing of meals, especially when reviewing my sleep scores the next day. Ultrahuman, meanwhile, includes a vitamin D tracker — though you need to manually log how long you've been in the sun. As someone who's clinically low in D, I'd love for it to include a built-in sensor to measure sun exposure. Still, it's a nudge I didn't know I needed. The winner (so far) After two months of Ultrahuman and just under one month of Oura, I'm not ready to crown a winner, mostly because I like different things about each. If I had to make a decision based on what's impacted my habits the most, Ultrahuman probably has the edge. It's made me think more intentionally about when I drink caffeine, how consistent my sleep is, and how my circadian rhythm affects my energy and mood. But Oura still wins on sleep tracking accuracy, passive activity detection, and meal logging. I also like the design of the Oura Ring more, and the daily summaries feel a little more digestible and beginner-friendly. Both rings have changed the way I look at my health. I'm going to bed earlier, moving more during the day, and actually thinking about recovery, not just steps and calories. Ultimately, it comes down to what kind of feedback you respond to. Ultrahuman pushes you to optimise. Oura encourages balance. If you want a data-rich, no-subscription experience with a few fun extras (hello, Brain Age), the Ultrahuman Ring is a solid pick.
