Oura (Generation 3) smart ring- How does it work?

[Gary Klein]

Looking into getting a smart ring (not to replace my smart watch as I use that daily for my workouts and steps and just to see how many calories i"ve burned throughout the day). I'd like to know how I'm sleeping at night and what I can do to improve this. I know I could wear my watch but I find that uncomfortable when I'm sleeping. How does the Oura ring work? 

[Frieda Jones]

First, a little background: Oura is a smart ring, an emerging category but one Oura is top of. For now, at least. It's lined with sensors, which measure biometric data 24 hours a day, and uses it to help you strike the right balance of rest and activity. The fact that it’s a ring means you have to rely on its well-designed smartphone app when you want to check your stats, but also means that heart rate data is more accurate, as the blood vessels in your fingers are much closer to the surface than those in your wrist.

 

The latest Oura, released back in 2021, has a brand new optical heart rate sensor that now tracks data 24 hours a day meaning you can spot-check your pulse any time, and easily review changes over time. It also means the app has much more data to draw on when assessing your activity and recovery habits, making its guidance much more accurate and useful. It's our top choice for best sleep tracker, at least while we wait to see if the forthcoming Samsung Galaxy Ring can knock it off its perch, or perhaps an unannounced Oura Ring 4.

 

There’s a new SpO2 sensor, as well, which also benefits from being on your finger rather than your wrist, plus seven temperature sensors to track changes in skin temperature.

 

The Oura app collects and analyzes all this data, but never gives you figures without context. No matter how far you drill down through the graphs and charts, there’s always a detailed explanation of how it was calculated, what it means, and what action you can take to improve your rest/activity balance. Your heart rate variability is lower than usual, which means you may be stressed – perhaps consider a relaxation session. You got to bed on time, but had less REM sleep than you should – consider cutting back on the caffeine.

[Dray hand]

First of all, it’s important to note that you’ll need to use the Oura ring for at least a couple of weeks in order to establish baseline habits – and the longer you use it, the more accurate and useful its reports will be.

Like its predecessors, the third-gen Oura is designed to help you strike the right balance of activity and rest, keeping moving enough to maintain and improve your fitness, while getting enough sleep and quiet time to recharge for the next day.

The ring connects to the Oura smartphone app (available for Android and iOS), and your biometric data is synced automatically throughout the day. All your stats are presented clearly in a nicely designed dashboard, and you can browse through more in-depth analysis by tapping on three categories: readiness, sleep, and activity.

 

Like most fitness trackers and smartwatches, Oura also gives you a sleep score when you wake (presented as a percentage and a semicircular chart so you can quickly check it at a glance first thing). This takes into account not just how long you spent asleep, and in which sleep stages (light, deep, and REM), but also factors including your heart rate and bedtime schedule.

 

Over the first few days and weeks, Oura will build up a picture of your activity and sleeping habits, plus baselines for your temperature and heart rate. The app can then identify and interpret any deviations from these norms.

 

It's brilliant. i absolutely love my Oura ring.