I’ve spent months carrying the Oura Ring and the Apple Watch concurrently, and as an indecisive, overanalyzing wearable reviewer, I am lastly able to sort out the existential query: smart ring versus smartwatch. However I’ll do it in probably the most diplomatic, overly thorough manner attainable, as a result of the “proper” alternative actually is dependent upon what you care about.
The extra time I’ve spent carrying each, the clearer it is turn out to be that these two wearables aren’t direct opponents a lot as enhances. They reside underneath the identical wearable-health umbrella, however are fully totally different flavors in each kind and performance.
They’re additionally costly. At round $500 for the Oura Ring 4 and roughly $400 for the Apple Watch Series 11, shopping for each is not practical for most individuals. So as a substitute of crowning a common winner, it makes extra sense to interrupt down what each does greatest and who every would serve higher.
The Apple Watch and Oura Ring every have totally different strengths and finally praise one another.
Thanks largely to shopper wearables, we will now monitor extremely particular well being knowledge that, till just lately, simply wasn’t accessible outdoors of scientific settings. As a result of these gadgets are designed to be worn day-after-day, they will floor long-term traits and assist us draw significant connections between our habits and the way our our bodies truly reply.
Smartwatches, health bands, sensible rings and even newer kind elements like smart shoes are all alternative ways to gather well being and health knowledge. They’re basically making an attempt to unravel the identical downside, simply from totally different angles. And whereas there is not any single “holy grail” wearable that does every thing completely but, these varied flavors exist for a purpose — every prioritizes a distinct side of well being, health or day by day life.
The loud multitasker vs. the demure overachiever
The Apple Watch and Oura Ring monitor lots of the identical well being metrics, however having a display permits the Apple Watch to do much more (for higher or worse). It is basically a pared-down model of your iPhone (minus the doomscrolling). It may well deal with notifications, calls, cell funds, discovering your cellphone and, sure, telling time. It is also one in every of my favourite exercise buddies as a result of I view and use the reside metrics to push myself throughout train.
However all that info makes it an in-your-face form of wearable. It vibrates. It buzzes. It continuously desires your consideration. And should you do not cost it day by day, it is useless to the world. Which means there are many moments when it is off your wrist and never accumulating knowledge, particularly at evening, after I’m extra prone to overlook it on the charger or simply not need to put on a watch to mattress.
The Oura Ring is snug sufficient to put on 24/7 and fades into the background, making constant monitoring simple.
The Oura Ring is the exact opposite. It is demure. It is quiet. And truthfully, it is largely “dumb” jewellery with out the cellphone app. You won’t even hear from it for a full week till it wants a cost. More often than not, I genuinely overlook I am carrying it. And once you do lastly hear from it, it is in all probability as a result of your physique wants consideration.
As a result of it fades into the background, it stays in your physique much more, and that consistency is every thing relating to long-term well being monitoring.
Lengthy-term well being: The place the Oura ring actually shines
The Oura Ring 4 has a titanium exterior and inside.
Oura builds a baseline of your physique’s established order over time, so when one thing deviates, it is instantly apparent. The app does an awesome job of connecting the dots and explaining what that knowledge truly means, whether or not it is early indicators of sickness, assessing power ranges for coaching or detecting delicate modifications throughout the menstrual cycle.
When my readiness rating dips, it nearly at all times means I am about to get sick or already combating one thing. The app does not simply present the proof (a number of well being metrics trending off), it goes a step additional by recommending a recreation plan: taking a relaxation day and placing the ring into Relaxation Mode, which pauses exercise targets till you get better. That nudge has compelled me to take relaxation days after I in all probability would’ve pushed by means of in any other case, simply delaying my restoration.
There’s a catch, although. To unlock that deeper evaluation, Oura requires a $6 month-to-month subscription. With out it, you may nonetheless see the headline scores, however a lot of the context –the “why” behind these numbers– lives behind a paywall. Apple, in contrast, does not cost a subscription for any of its well being knowledge.
The Oura Ring 4 has a glossy design.
The identical is true for temperature and menstrual cycle monitoring. You continue to log your interval manually, however the best way the Oura app charts temperature variations makes it simple to pinpoint the precise day ovulation happens, marked by a sudden rise in basal physique temperature. Seeing this mapped out has made me extra conscious of how hormonal modifications have an effect on my physique past simply my regular PMS. That “random” bloating and headache in the midst of a cycle? Ovulation.
The Apple Watch presents retroactive ovulation monitoring too, nevertheless it requires very constant sleepwear, which is not at all times practical. Even when the info is there, it is more durable to attach the dots within the second.
That is the broader sample with Apple’s well being options. Lots of the identical metrics can be found within the Well being app, however they’re largely introduced as standalone knowledge factors. The Vitals app comes closest to tying issues collectively by grouping coronary heart fee, respiration fee, sleep, and temperature and flagging when one thing’s off. Nevertheless it requires a number of consecutive nights of sleep monitoring and stops wanting telling you what to do with that info.
You may pause your transfer rings once you’re not feeling properly, however there is not any immediate nudging you to take that relaxation day, so I have not given myself that luxurious as a result of it isn’t a immediate like it’s on the Oura ring.
The Apple Watch reigns for health monitoring and day-to-day use
With regards to day by day habits that really transfer the needle and enhance that long-term well being (aka health), the Oura Ring does not even come shut.
The Apple Watch is miles forward relating to monitoring exercises. Having your metrics in actual time helps information my exercises. I additionally use tempo alerts, heart-rate zones and distance to push myself within the second and get probably the most out of every session. Plus, it has a large library of third-party apps that can assist you by means of every sort of exercise, whether or not it is downloading offline path maps or mapping your surf time to the tides app.
Actual-time coronary heart fee zones on the Apple Watch show you how to prepare smarter.
It additionally has security options that may be genuinely life-saving, like fall detection, crash detection, location sharing and backtrack that helps you discover your manner again.
Oura tracks exercise too, however solely barely. It detects exercises routinely and surfaces them after the actual fact within the Oura app. It’s important to bear in mind to manually verify them to get credit score. It is pretty correct at detecting my runs as a result of my coronary heart fee clearly peaks, however for lower-intensity exercises like Pilates, it typically misses the mark. I get extra exercise credit score for lugging laundry up my stairs or wrestling my youngsters right into a sweater earlier than we depart than for an precise session. It’s also possible to begin a exercise manually within the app, however there is not any reside biometric knowledge, and I hardly ever hassle.
The Apple Watch is the higher exercise buddy as a result of it might probably assist prepare you within the second.
Backside line: Which might I select?
The Oura Ring wins at figuring out long-term well being traits and flagging delicate modifications associated to sickness, restoration or cycle monitoring. Its delicate design and week-long battery life imply it fades into the background, which makes consistency simple.
The Apple Watch shines in on a regular basis life. It retains you linked, doubles as a pockets, helps you discover your cellphone and completely dominates health monitoring.
If I had it my manner, I would put on the Apple Watch throughout the day and the Oura Ring at evening. But when I had been compelled to choose only one, I would select the Apple Watch. At this stage in life, I am going to take something that may offset the psychological load of working full-time with three youngsters, even when it is one thing so simple as serving to me discover my cellphone. Plus, I want all the assistance I can get to remain in form. Health is my present precedence, and it is the muse that helps preserve all these longer-term well being traits in test.
However that is only a stage for me, and I am not setting my reply in stone. Your personal season of life and priorities will finally form which one makes probably the most sense for you.
