The Verdict
Best for those who prioritize comfort and discretion. The ring form factor is unmatched for sleep tracking, though the optional subscription is frustrating for a premium hardware purchase.
Pros
- Extremely comfortable and discreet
- Excellent sleep tracking
- No charging during the day
- Beautiful hardware design
Cons
- Optional subscription for full features
- Ring sizing can be tricky
- Less accurate during activity
- Locked ecosystem
- Must remove for many sports and activities
How It Measures HRV
Oura uses infrared PPG sensors on the underside of the ring, measuring from your finger's palmar arteries. Finger-based readings can be more accurate than wrist for some metrics due to better arterial access. Like all optical sensors, PPG may read 6-11% lower than ECG, but finger placement helps minimize this gap.
Sleep Focus
Oura excels at nighttime HRV tracking. It calculates your HRV during your deepest sleep phases and presents a "Readiness Score" each morning that factors in HRV, sleep quality, and recent activity.
Activity Limitations
The ring form factor has a significant drawback: you'll need to remove it for many sports and activities. Basketball, rock climbing, weightlifting, CrossFit, martial arts, and any activity involving gripping or hand impact can damage the ring or your finger. Many users keep the ring off during workouts entirely, which means missing activity data that wrist-based trackers would capture. If real-time workout tracking matters to you, consider a wrist device instead.
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