Approaching my two-year anniversary with the Oura Ring, I realized it was time to share a real update. When I first bought it, I was curious. Now I’m genuinely a believer.
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For context, I’m not new to wearable tech. I’ve owned an Apple Watch since the early models, and before that I went through multiple FitBits back when step tracking was their main feature.
Each device had something I loved.
FitBit introduced me to sleep tracking. I quickly noticed that when my sleep quality dropped, I was usually getting sick.
Apple Watch took things further with deep health tracking and seamless iPhone integration. I still love it for calls, texts, directions, and activity tracking.
But the one thing I did not love?
Sleeping in my Apple Watch.
Why I Decided to Try the Oura Ring
Like many women in their 40s, perimenopause hit my sleep hard. Nights became unpredictable. I wanted better insight into what was happening with my body overnight.
Around that same time I kept seeing the Oura Ring popping up in my social feeds. Eventually curiosity won and I decided to try it.
I ordered the Oura sizing kit, wore the sample rings for a few days, and settled on my size. Soon after I ordered a Gen 3 Oura Ring in Rose Gold (which, in my opinion, is more gold than rose — but still beautiful).
One surprise right away: I hadn’t worn rings regularly in years. It took a little time to get used to.
Another surprise? Your fingers swell when you sleep.
Most days I wear the ring on my left index finger, but at night I usually move it to my middle finger for comfort.
Once I got into the rhythm of wearing it daily, that’s when things got interesting.
The Oura Ring Sleep Tracking Is Next Level
The sleep tracking is easily the most impressive feature.
Each morning the Oura app shows detailed data including:
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Sleep stages (deep, REM, light)
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How long it took to fall asleep
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Restlessness throughout the night
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Wake-ups
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Total sleep time
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Sleep debt
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Your optimal bedtime window
One feature I didn’t expect to love is the bedtime recommendation.
The app actually sends a reminder about an hour before my ideal sleep window so I can start winding down. It sounds simple, but it has helped me become far more intentional about protecting my sleep.
The Stress Tracking Was the Biggest Surprise
What really fascinated me was the daily stress tracking.
The ring categorizes your day into different physiological states:
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Restorative
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Relaxed
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Engaged
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Stressed
I assumed my entire workday would show up as “stressed.”
Surprisingly… it didn’t.
Most of my workday actually showed as engaged, which is healthy productive stress. My real stress spikes usually appeared during my commute home, and sometimes lingered into the evening.
Once I noticed this pattern, I started experimenting with ways to unwind faster.
One unexpected discovery? Playing Animal Crossing or Disney Dreamlight Valley on my Nintendo Switch often registers as restorative time. Apparently my body agrees that cozy gaming counts as relaxation.
Those stress levels also contribute to your Resilience Score, which shows how well your body is recovering from stress over time.
Over the past few months my cumulative stress score was running high due to work challenges. Interestingly, once that situation resolved, my Oura metrics improved almost immediately.
The ring confirmed exactly what my body was already telling me.
The Oura Ring Can Predict When You’re Getting Sick
One of the most impressive features is the symptom detection alerts.
The Oura Ring monitors subtle changes in body temperature, heart rate variability, and other biometrics.
When something shifts, the app may notify you of:
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Minor signs (your body might be fighting something)
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Major signs (illness may be coming)
In my experience, when the app warns of major signs, I’m usually sick within 48 hours.
When I see a minor warning, it’s a reminder to slow down and prioritize rest before things escalate.
It’s honestly one of the most useful early-warning signals I’ve experienced with wearable tech.
Activity Tracking Is Smarter Than I Expected
Another surprise was how well the ring detects activity automatically.
Unlike my Apple Watch, which typically needs 10 minutes of movement to detect a workout, the Oura Ring picks up a wide range of activity including:
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Walking
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Yardwork
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Housework
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Light workouts
My favorite moment was when it started logging yardwork automatically.
It does occasionally think I’m doing housework when I’m riding around the neighborhood in the golf cart with Walt, but it’s easy to decline those suggestions before they get added.
Battery Life Is Fantastic
Battery life might be my favorite practical feature.
I simply place the ring on the charger while I shower.
That 15–20 minutes of charging keeps it going for days.
For shorter trips (five days or less), I usually don’t even bother packing the charger.
Would I Buy the Oura Ring Again?
Short answer: absolutely.
Not long after I bought my Gen 3, the Gen 4 Oura Ring was released, and now there’s even a ceramic Gen 4 model that looks gorgeous.
But my Gen 3 still works perfectly and looks great, so I’m trying to wait for a potential Gen 5 before upgrading.
That said… the ceramic version is tempting.
Oura Ring vs Apple Watch
For me, these devices actually serve different purposes.
I still wear my Apple Watch for:
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Calls and texts
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Calendar alerts
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GPS walking tracking
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Directions
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Quick connectivity
But the Oura Ring excels at health insights.
And unlike a watch, it works with every outfit. I wear it 24/7 except during my quick shower charging break.
Final Thoughts
The Oura Ring has taught me a lot about how my body handles:
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Sleep
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Stress
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Recovery
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Illness signals
It didn’t replace my Apple Watch, but it absolutely enhanced my understanding of my health.
And honestly? I can’t imagine going back to sleeping without it.
If you're curious about trying one yourself, you can check out the latest Oura Ring models here.
Do you wear an Oura Ring or another smart ring? I’d love to hear what insights you’ve learned from it.
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