Oura Ring 3 Review: The Smart Ring for Health Tracking

In a world dominated by wrist-worn fitness trackers, the Oura Ring 3 stands out as a unique alternative—a powerful health monitor disguised as a simple ring. After wearing it for four weeks, I'm ready to share my comprehensive review of this innovative HRV tracking device.

Design and Comfort

Hardware

The Oura Ring 3 is remarkably sleek for the technology it contains. Available in several finishes (Silver, Black, Stealth, and Gold), it looks like a slightly chunky wedding band rather than a tech gadget.

Key Design Features:

• Titanium construction with a durable PVD coating
• Water-resistant to 100 meters
• Available in 8 sizes with a sizing kit provided before purchase
• Weighs just 4-6 grams depending on size

Comfort for 24/7 Wear

The ring's comfort is one of its strongest features. Unlike wrist-based trackers that can feel restrictive or interfere with certain activities, the Oura Ring 3 is barely noticeable during daily wear.

After a brief adjustment period of 1-2 days, I completely forgot I was wearing it—whether typing, exercising, or sleeping. This is a significant advantage for those who find wrist wearables uncomfortable during sleep.

Features and Performance

HRV Monitoring

The Oura Ring 3 measures HRV during sleep, providing a consistent baseline for comparison. In my testing, the HRV measurements were very close to those from a Polar H10 chest strap, especially when averaged over time.

HRV Insights:

• Nightly HRV average
• HRV balance (consistency of your HRV)
• Long-term HRV trends
• Factors that may have affected your HRV

Readiness Tracking

Similar to Whoop's recovery metric, Oura provides a daily Readiness score from 0-100 based on HRV, resting heart rate, body temperature, sleep, and activity balance.

This score helps you decide whether to push hard in training or focus on recovery. In my experience, the Readiness score accurately reflected how I felt and performed during workouts.

Sleep Tracking

Oura's sleep tracking is exceptional, detecting not only duration and stages but also sleep latency (how long it takes to fall asleep), timing, and disturbances. The sleep score combines these factors to give you a daily rating from 0-100.

The ring's form factor makes it particularly good for sleep tracking, as it doesn't get caught in bedding or feel uncomfortable like some wrist wearables.

Activity Tracking

While not as comprehensive as dedicated fitness watches, the Oura Ring 3 tracks:

• Steps and distance
• Calories burned
• Activity intensity
• Workout heart rate (with automatic detection)

You can also manually log workouts in the app or import them from Apple Health or Google Fit.

Temperature Monitoring

The Oura Ring 3 tracks temperature variations from your baseline, which can help identify potential illness, menstrual cycle changes, or other health fluctuations.

Battery Life

The Oura Ring 3 typically lasts 4-7 days on a charge, depending on feature usage. Charging takes about 1-2 hours with the included wireless charger.

App Experience

The Oura app provides detailed insights into your metrics with daily, weekly, and monthly views. The interface is clean and intuitive, with a focus on actionable information.

Key App Features:

• Daily scores for Readiness, Sleep, and Activity
• Detailed breakdowns of each metric
• Trend analysis over time
• Guided meditation and breathing exercises
• Tags to track how behaviors affect your metrics

Subscription Model

Like Whoop, Oura has moved to a subscription model with the Generation 3 ring:

• $299 for the ring hardware
• $5.99/month subscription (first month free)

Without a subscription, you'll only receive basic metrics and scores without detailed insights or trend data.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Discreet, comfortable form factor
• Excellent sleep tracking
• Good HRV and readiness insights
• No screen means no distractions
• Impressive battery life for its size
• Durable construction

Cons

• Subscription required for full functionality
• Limited activity tracking compared to fitness watches
• No real-time feedback during workouts
• Sizing can be tricky (but sizing kit helps)
• More expensive upfront than some alternatives

How It Compares to Whoop

The Oura Ring 3 and Whoop 4.0 are natural competitors in the recovery-focused wearable space. Here's how they compare:

Form Factor:

• Oura: Ring form factor is more discreet and comfortable for many users
• Whoop: Wristband may be preferred by those who already wear watches or bracelets

Metrics:

• Oura: Stronger sleep tracking, includes temperature monitoring
• Whoop: Better strain/workout tracking, more detailed recovery metrics

Cost:

• Oura: $299 upfront + $5.99/month
• Whoop: No upfront cost + $30/month (with 12-month commitment)

Battery Life:

• Oura: 4-7 days
• Whoop: 4-5 days

Is the Oura Ring 3 Worth It?

After four weeks of testing, I believe the Oura Ring 3 is worth the investment for:

1. Sleep-focused individuals who want detailed sleep insights
2. Those who dislike wrist wearables but want health tracking
3. Style-conscious users who prefer discreet health monitoring
4. People who want 24/7 tracking without discomfort

It may NOT be worth it for:

1. Those primarily focused on workout tracking
2. People who prefer real-time feedback during exercise
3. Those who dislike subscription models

Conclusion

The Oura Ring 3 excels as a sleep and recovery tracker in an impressively small, comfortable package. Its HRV monitoring provides valuable insights into your body's stress and recovery state, while its form factor makes it ideal for 24/7 wear.

While the subscription model is disappointing, the quality of insights and the unique form factor make it a compelling option for those who find wrist-based trackers uncomfortable or obtrusive.

If sleep quality and recovery are your primary concerns, and you value comfort and discretion, the Oura Ring 3 is an excellent choice despite its premium price.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Ready to try the Oura Ring 3 for yourself? Shop Oura Ring 3

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