Are Oura Rings Worth It?

The hottest piece of jewellery this summer? A shiny titanium Oura Ring, worn by everyone from Jennifer Aniston to Prince Harry. But this ring is far from just a stylish accessory: it’s also an advanced piece of fitness tech offering insights on everything from sleep quality to blood oxygen levels. Considering making the investment? Here’s the lowdown.

What Is An Oura Ring?

An Oura ring is a smart ring which uses sensors to track a variety of health metrics, which wearers can view on an app. Although there’s a lot of buzz around them right now, the first Oura Ring actually launched way back in 2015 following a Kickstarter fundraising campaign. Second and third-generation rings came out in 2018 and 2021 respectively, getting increasingly smaller, slicker and more advanced. 

They have amassed a cult following in recent years – particularly in celebrity circles. A whole host of Hollywood stars swear by them for staying on top of their wellbeing, including Will Smith and Gwyneth Paltrow, and they’re popular with athletes: every player on the England football team was given one to wear during the Euros, and many Olympians donned a ring at the July games. Team GB high jumper Morgan Lake, for instance, said: ‘I’ve been wearing an Oura ring since February, which helps me to track my sleep and activity,’ adding: ‘top athletes track everything and each morning they will check their sleep patterns.’

What Are The Benefits?

An Oura ring may be small, but it offers a wealth of useful information about your health. Measuring directly from the arteries in your finger, the device tracks 20 biometrics that directly affect how you feel, which, in turn, can help you understand your body and make changes accordingly. According to the brand, the finger provides a stronger heart signal than most wrist sensors – plus it’s subtler than bulkier watches.

The ring offers data on:

• Heart rate 
• Blood oxygen
• Body temperature
• Activity and movement
• Sleep
• Fitness activity

Wearers can also use the ring to track their hormones and menstrual cycles as it monitors your temperature, offering insight into how your body changes during different phases. 

Based on all this information, each day the Oura app generates three scores: sleep, activity and readiness (how well recovered you are), rated from 0–100. A score of 85 or higher is considered optimal, between 74 and 84 is good, and anything below 70 indicates the area may need some attention.

Which Finger Should You Wear It On?

It’s recommended that users wear their Oura Ring on their index finger, which provides optimal performance and accuracy. If that doesn’t work for you, the middle or ring fingers are the next best.

How Much Does An Oura Ring Cost?

One downside of the Oura Ring is the price. All this data doesn’t come cheap: the product itself costs between £299 and £549 depending on which model and style you go for. Then, there’s a monthly membership fee of £5.99 per month or £69.99 for the year to access the app and all its insights.

What Other Smart Rings Are There?

Oura isn’t the only smart ring around, and there are cheaper alternatives available. One of the biggest competitors is the recently launched Samsung Galaxy Ring, which is smaller, lighter and cheaper than the Oura, with no monthly fee. It offers many of the same features, however the Oura is arguably more high-tech and provides more comprehensive data. No doubt we’ll see a string of newbies joining the market in the upcoming months and years.