Is The Oura Ring Actually Worth It?
The sleek health tracker is suddenly everywhere. Here’s what you need to know.
By Andréanne Dion // Published October 27, 2025
I’ve worn various iterations of the Apple Watch to track my workouts and sleep over the years, but I have a love-hate relationship with its bulky face and rubber band. I often take it off—then forget to put it back on—when its sporty vibe clashes with my outfit. So my interest was piqued when one of my most stylish and health-obsessed friends introduced me to her new piece of hardware: the Oura Ring, a sleek tracker that’s worn on your finger like jewellery. Once I knew what to look for, I started noticing Oura Rings everywhere—at my local coffee shop, on my commute to work, at glitzy industry events. But could it replace my Apple Watch?
What makes the Oura Ring different?
Many health and fitness trackers emphasize activity levels and performance, but Oura takes a more comprehensive approach to wellbeing, focusing on sleep, recovery, stress management and cycle tracking. It also gives the option of hiding calorie information entirely. “The tone of some fitness trackers is really aggressive, all about goals. The Oura is more gentle,” says Avery Swartz, the founder of Camp Tech, a Toronto-based company that teaches technology skills. Swartz has worn her ring every day for the past two years and tested countless other health trackers.
Another bonus? The Oura Ring is so unobtrusive that you might forget you’re wearing it: It doesn’t have a screen or buzz with notifications. Instead, data is accessed via an app. It's water-resistant so you can shower and swim while wearing it, and it holds a charge for up to eight days. It's also much cuter than most fitness trackers and smart rings, and comes in six finishes: silver, brushed silver, gold, rose gold, black and matte dark grey.
Sizing my fingers for the Oura ring was easy. I started by ordering the sizing kit, then tested a couple of different sizers on my index and middle fingers for a day or so until I found the right fit. (Oura offers sizes 4 to 15.)
Who is the Oura Ring best for?
Everyone can benefit from wearing a health tracker, says Plinio Morita, an associate professor at the School of Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo, though what metrics are most useful depends entirely on the user. The Oura measures respiratory rate, heart rate, heart-rate variability, blood-oxygen levels, body temperature and movement, and it aggregates these data points into three different scores between 0 and 100: Readiness (a measure of recovery showing how prepared you are for the day), Sleep and Activity. Over time, the algorithm gets to know your body, schedule and habits with eerie accuracy. It can even detect that you’re sick before you know it and alert you via its Symptom Radar feature, which analyzes biometric data to detect potential strain on the body. The first thing I do every morning is look at my Readiness and Sleep scores to see how energized I can expect to be throughout the day.
Is the Oura Ring actually worth it?
Having access to the kind of information the Oura Ring tracks—and the overarching trends it shows—can help users take control of their health. “Wearable trackers like the Oura Ring are very powerful from a public health point of view,” says Morita. “In order to empower people to be more proactive about their own wellbeing, you need to provide them with data.” I’m someone who tends to push through fatigue and mild illness. So when the Oura gently suggests—based on data—that I take it easy, it gives me permission to skip a workout or stay in bed a little longer when I need to.
But access to all that personal data doesn’t come cheap. The most recent model, the Oura Ring 4, ranges in price from $470 to $650, depending on the finish, plus the cost of the membership required to unlock virtually every feature worth having ($8 per month, or $90 per year).
And when it comes to fitness tracking, the Oura Ring falls short. The activity detection feature is sluggish and often inaccurate, and having to go through the app to begin or end a workout is inconvenient. Apple Health easily syncs to the Oura Ring and imports workouts done while wearing your watch but, unless you already own one, that means buying yet another pricey device. (You can also sync Android trackers.)
Also worth noting is the fact that Oura, a Finnish company, announced a partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense in August, which they say is focused on supporting the military’s “efforts to enhance human performance.” This news was met with alarm from many users, including Swartz. The brand has issued several statements saying that it will not share consumer data with the U.S. government, but as a precaution, Swartz recommends reading the terms and conditions thoroughly before you agree to data sharing.
I originally planned to cancel my Oura Ring subscription after I filed this piece. Now that I’ve worn my ring for a few months, I’ve come to rely on the insights it gives me; I’ve even committed to an annual subscription. But my Apple Watch isn’t going anywhere—unless I have a fancy party to go to.