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In the world of fitness technology, there are countless ways to track your heart rate, sleep data, and general wellness while managing stress. With so many options on the market, our experts at Garage Gym Reviews have taken it upon themselves to assess and rate as many fitness trackers as possible (your future self will thank you for reading our best fitness tracker roundup).
And with a team of Olympic-level athletes, certified personal trainers, and nutrition coaches, you can trust that we’re making holistic (and realistic) assessments of each device. In this Oura Ring vs Apple Watch comparison, we’re going to look at the differences and similarities between the smart ring and the smartwatch.
Our testers haven’t yet used the latest iteration of either device (Oura Ring 4 and Apple Watch Series 10). However, we’ll lay down the stats on the models we have had our hands on. Now let’s get tracking!
Oura Ring
Product Highlights
- Measures your heart rate, oxygen saturation levels, and skin temperature
- Over time, it can track your sleep patterns and suggest improvements
- Battery lasts 7 days and can fully charge in 20 minutes
- Can help you find your balance between activity and recovery
- Water resistant up to 100 m
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Long battery life
- Fast charging
- No membership required
Cons
- May develop scratches with daily wear
- Limited statistics without membership
- Comparably expensive
Bottom Line
If you are looking for a fitness tracker that is more subtle and sleek than a traditional wrist tracker, the Oura Ring is a great alternative option.
Apple Watch Series 9
Product Highlights
- Pricing starts at $399
- 18-hour battery life
- Seamless integration with other Apple devices
- Tracks heart rate and steps
- Can track body temperature and energy expenditure
- Optional data plan available
- Added data unlocks calls and texts without your phone
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Tracks heart rate, body temperature, ECG readings, and more
- Stream music, calls, and texts with a data plan
- Works seamlessly with other Apple products
Cons
- Battery only lasts up to 18 hours
- Sensors don't work well with tattooed skin
- Not much different from previous models
Bottom Line
The Apple Watch Series 9 is a fantastic smart watch with integrated health and fitness tracking, especially for those who use other Apple products. The battery isn't very long, and the design hasn't changed much over the years, but this is a great choice for those who want a smartwatch that functions like a small iPhone.
Oura Ring vs Apple Watch: Comparison Chart
| Oura Ring Gen 3 | Apple Watch Series 9 | |
| Price | $299-$449 depending on finish and style (Heritage or Horizon) | Starts around $300 on Amazon or Best Buy |
| Wearable style | Ring | Watch |
| Battery life | 7 days, rechargeable | 18 hours, rechargeable |
| Connectivity | Android and iOS | iOS devices only |
| Water-resistant | Submersible up to 100 m | Submersible up to 50 m |
| Metrics tracked | Body temperature, calories burned, sleep tracking, blood oxygen, resting heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), respiratory rate, steps, daily movement | Activity, standing time, walking and running pace, distance, calories burned, blood oxygen, oxygen saturation, heart rate, electrocardiogram (ECG), cardio fitness, heart rate variability, body temperature, training load, fall detection |
| Colors | Silver, Black, Stealth, Gold, Rose Gold, Brushed Titanium | |
| Membership | Oura App; $5.99 per month with first month free | Apple Health; no subscription fees |
Quick Look: Oura Ring vs Apple Watch
The Oura Ring and Apple Watch are both high-tech activity trackers that can measure your heart rate, skin temperature, and respiratory rates. However, how you interact with each device is different.
The Oura Ring doesn’t have a screen, so you won’t be able to see your metrics without opening your phone. Some folks might find that aggravating, while others may appreciate being slightly more separated from their tech device.
On the flip side, the Apple Watch is literally an extension of your iPhone. You’ll be able to touch the small, bright screen and find your favorite apps, track workouts, and check your health metrics without getting out your phone. Plus, depending on which model you purchase, you can get built-in GPS and the ability to take on-wrist calls and send texts.
Keep in mind new iterations of the Oura Ring and Apple Watch are available, but we haven’t yet tested the newest models. For now, our comparison will focus on the Oura Ring Gen 3 (we have more details in our Oura Ring review) and the Apple Watch Series 9.
Who Should Buy the Oura Ring
- Anyone who wants to engage in health tracking without a screen
- Swimmers or people who want a waterproof fitness tracker
- Folks who can take advantage of HSA and FSA-eligible purchases
- Both Apple and Android users
- Users who want a multi-day battery life
Who Should Buy the Apple Watch
- Apple and iPhone users
- Tech-savvy folks looking to make on-wrist calls and texts
- Anyone interested in advanced heart rate metrics like ECG and heart rate irregularities
- Older folks who may benefit from fall detection capabilities
- Users who want the ability to customize their look with different watch bands
- Anyone looking to avoid monthly subscription fees
Key Similarities Between Oura Ring and Apple Watch
- Both devices have activity tracking for walking, running, and cycling.
- Fitness tracking on both devices includes daily steps, calories, distance, and time.
- Either wearable tracker can track health data like body temperature, heart rate tracking, respiratory rate, and blood oxygen levels.
- Both devices can sync with the Apple Health App.
RELATED: Apple Watch Series 6 Review
Important Differences Between the Oura Ring and Apple Watch
- The Apple Watch has a touchscreen, while the Oura Ring is screen-less.
- The Oura Ring tracks sleep stages and provides sleep scores to the user every morning.
- The Oura Ring has a multi-day battery life; the Apple Watch needs daily charging.
- The Apple Watch can send push notifications to your wrist and remind you to move, stand, or take deep breaths.
- The Apple Watch can track more types of exercise and estimate training loads.
- The Oura Ring has a subscription fee of $5.99 per month to access all the metrics.
Fitness Tracking
Not surprisingly, the Apple Watch, with its touchscreen display, can do more than the Oura fitness tracker. It’s not only an extension of your iPhone—with the ability to text, call, and use apps—it automatically detects when you’ve started a workout. It can track more than 80 different types of exercise, including running, HIIT, rowing, swimming, and strength training, to name a few. It can also estimate load during weight training.
The Oura Ring can track your basic daily activity in the form of steps, calories, distance, and time. It can detect and track three main activities: walking, running, and cycling. However, you won’t have advanced metrics like tracking your running pace or weight used during strength training workouts.
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Health and Wellness Metrics
The Oura Ring tracks your heart rate during exercise, at rest, and heart rate variability (HRV). The ring device can also track your skin temperature, respiratory rate, and blood oxygen levels.
The Apple Watch can track all of the same health metrics as the Oura Ring, but it has a few more features that may interest some health nuts. The Apple Watch Series 6 and later (including the Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Ultra) has a dedicated electrocardiogram (ECG) app, which has the ability to identify irregular heart rhythms—a life-saving feature.
Speaking of life-saving features, the Apple Watch also has fall detection and built-in GPS. The Apple device can also send you notifications to stand, walk, or take a moment to breathe or work through a mindfulness exercise. Not only that, it will track how much time you spend standing, sitting, walking, and doing general activities.
RELATED: Best Fitbit Devices
Cycle Tracking
Oura and Apple provide the ability to track menstrual cycles, which our experts didn’t test, but we thought it was important to mention. Both devices use the body temperature tracking abilities to track fluctuations in your cycle and predict period dates. You can also manually log menstrual cycle symptoms like cramps, mood changes, and spotting. Both devices can sync with the Natural Cycles app, which is a popular and FDA-approved method of non-hormonal birth control.
Sleep Tracking
Both wearable devices can track your sleep stages through built-in accelerometers, which are devices that measure small vibrations and motions to detect how much sleep you’re getting and the quality of sleep. The quality of your sleep typically measures how much time is spent in each sleep cycle, including restlessness, deep sleep, and REM. Both devices track your sleep overnight, but the Oura Ring provides a sleep score to summarize how well you slept, while the Apple Watch does not.
Both devices track your heart rate, temperature, and respiratory rate overnight, too. While both devices can provide in-depth sleep data, our testers find that it’s more comfortable to wear a smaller ring device than a bulky wrist-based device overnight. Additionally, a 2020 study1 found that the Oura Ring performed just as well as medical-grade sleep trackers for tracking total sleep time and sleep quality.
GGR Senior Staff Writer and Olympic-level weightlifting athlete Caine Wilkes used the Oura Ring for nearly a year leading up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. “Being able to view metrics on my personal rest and recovery was helpful in planning workouts and making adjustments if I wasn’t recovered. It also made me more mindful of my sleep routine,” Caine says.
RELATED: Best Garmin Fitness Trackers
Battery Life
The Oura Ring beats out the Apple Watch for battery life. The ring has a 7-day battery life, while the Apple Watch has an 18-hour battery life. Granted, the Apple Watch has a ton of features and is more interactive, making it consume more battery energy. The Apple device also takes longer to charge, about an hour or two depending on how low it is, while the Oura charger only takes about 30 minutes.
Company Policies
Our testers found that neither fitness tracking device is going to “wow” you with long-lasting warranties. Both have a 1-year policy. If you purchase an Apple Watch, you’ll have the ability to purchase AppleCare+ for $79, which provides an additional two years of coverage on accidental damage.
Both companies have a return policy: Apple has a very short 14-day return window, while Oura has a standard 30-day return policy.
Oura Ring vs Apple Watch: Final Thoughts
The best health tracker (or best fitness tracker ring) for you will ultimately depend on what you want to know about your health. If you’re more interested in sleep, rest, and recovery, the Oura Ring will have more data for you in that realm. It’s also going to be more comfortable to wear overnight.
However, if you’re looking to dive deep into your performance data during workouts, you’ll want to steer toward the Apple Watch, which can detect more than 80 different types of exercise. You’ll have to charge it more frequently, but it can offer more fitness data and provide life-saving health metrics like irregular heart rate and fall detection.
Oura Ring vs Apple Watch: FAQs
How does the Apple Watch compare with the Oura Ring?
The main differences between the Apple Watch and the Oura Ring are how you wear them and the types of things you can track. You wear the Oura Ring on your finger and its prime metrics are focused on sleep and general daily activity.
The Apple Watch is worn on your wrist and has more exercise tracking capabilities in addition to built-in GPS and the ability to detect falls and irregularities in your heart rate.
Is the Oura Ring compatible with Apple?
The Oura Ring is compatible with both iOS and Android devices.
Is the Natural Cycle app more accurate with the Apple Watch or Oura Ring?
Natural Cycles claims the app has the same accuracy ratings regardless of whether you use an oral thermometer to gauge body temperatures or wearable devices like the Apple Watch and Oura Ring.
Can I use Oura without a subscription?
If you decide to cancel your Oura subscription, you will still be able to view your three daily scores (activity, sleep, and readiness score) using Oura through a web browser.
References
- Asgari Mehrabadi, M., Azimi, I., Sarhaddi, F., Axelin, A., Niela-Vilén, H., Myllyntausta, S., Stenholm, S., Dutt, N., Liljeberg, P., & Rahmani, A. M. (2020). Sleep Tracking of a Commercially Available Smart Ring and Smartwatch Against Medical-Grade Actigraphy in Everyday Settings: Instrument Validation Study. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 8(10), e20465. https://doi.org/10.2196/20465
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