Oura Ring 2 Review: Newly Improved and Smaller than Ever!
By Oktay Ozadam
If you're serious about catching your daily “zzzz's” then you've probably heard of the Oura Ring—one of the simple-to-use wearable sleep trackers out there.
While the original model comes highly rated and recommended, its newest version also deserves a comprehensive look if you are on the hunt for your next wearable sleep tracker.
While the newest model is not available on Amazon, it's newly added tracking capabilities, and smaller size makes it a competitive option to consider.
The Oura smart ring allows you to adjust settings manually, provides you with accurately detailed information, and has Bluetooth connectivity.
Take a look below to learn more about what the newest model has to offer in comparison to other wearable sleep trackers!
Detailed Review of Oura Ring
What Changed and What Stayed the Same
Like its predecessor, the newest version of the Oura ring has proven to be one of the most competitive wearable sleep trackers on the market.
Its small and sleek design makes it comfortable and stylish—without sacrificing any of the features, the original model provided.
Before looking at what has changed, let's start by looking at what stayed the same.
Like the original, the newest Oura Ring continues to comprehensively track your heart rate, sleep stages, and respiratory rate with the use of highly sophisticated sensors. It also monitors your body temperature, activities, and allows you to set alarms to remind you to stop sitting around.
Since Oura focuses on Sleep, Readiness, and Activity (three factors that we will discuss further down), the ring does not extensively track your heart rate during high impact sports. Overall, the Oura Ring 2 provides the same tracking features, just with improved benefits.
The biggest difference you will see between the original model and the one we are covering here is the size.
The newest Oura Ring is significantly smaller than the original and is available in more colors and design options. Its smaller design makes it similar in size to the Motiv ring; however, the Motiv is still thinner in comparison to the new Oura.
Another significant improvement is the increased battery life of the new ring—it can last up to 7 days and is capable of wireless charging!
Furthermore, this one now comes equipped with Bluetooth connectivity, an airplane mode option, and is water resistant (up to 100 m)—and has an “in ring” memory of 6 weeks (in comparison, the Motiv ring only provides two days of in-ring memory capability).
Oura has also developed an iOS app, specifically for the newest ring, that provides you with on-demand heart rate, sleep, and breathing tracking. With this app, you will also have the ability to add notes/tags, learn how to align your circadian rhythm, and keep track of long-term trends you develop. Just like the Motiv ring, the app for the Oura is available on both iOS and Android interfaces.
Overall, the newest Oura ring will provide you with additional benefits that its original model did not. It is easy to use, perfect for daily wear, and a great option to consider when comparing to other similar sleep trackers.
Overall Design and Ease of Use
Here we will take at the rings design, connectivity options, and overall ease of use. All these factors are important options to consider for those of you looking for a sleep tracker that will simplify your daily life and function with your preferred smart device.
First and foremost, let's take a closer look at the ring's design.
In comparison to its predecessor, it is smaller, thinner, sleeker, and available in more color and design options. This makes it more compatible for daily wear, and many users say it looks great with almost any outfit—which is essential to many of you who plan to wear your sleep tracker daily.
The ring's design can be comparable to that of the motive in size—however, the Oura is still not as thin, which has been one of the main reasons why many female users have gone with the Motiv. On the other hand, however, the Oura is available in more color options. While style is not the most critical factor to consider, it can be the deciding factor for many.
The Oura ring is available in 8 different sizes (the Motiv is available in 7) and the company will provide you with a free sizing kit if you aren't sure which size you need.
The most versatile part about the new Oura ring is that it is compatible with both Android and iOS devices—just like trackers like the Fitbit and Motiv. The Oura ring also offers an interactive interface that allows you to add notes and account for long-term trends.
The ring's overall ease of use of the ring is comparable to Fitbit devices. While it has a learning period, according to some users, the app is easy to navigate, and the settings are relatively simple to adjust once you get the hang of it—many compare it to riding a bike, once you know how it's a piece of cake!
Usage
Below we will cover the three focal points of the Oura ring—Sleep, Readiness, and Activity.
Track Your Sleep, Improve Your Life!
One of the three “Oura scores” is sleep. While the Oura Ring also tracks your heart rate, breathing, body temperature, and some levels of physical activity, its main tracking focus is your sleep and stress levels.
Specifically, it comprehensively tracks your bed/wake time and stages thanks to its use of proprietary sensors and gyroscope. Its snug fit and smaller design allow the ring to measure data accurately. Although the Oura tracks all your restful periods, it will only provide you with one daily sleep period—unlike the Fitbit, which offers information for all sleep period.
Just like its competitor, the Motiv ring, the Oura will automatically track everything—although it does allow you to adjust or change settings at your choosing manually. This is especially convenient for those of you who don't want to have to think about having to add an extra “to-do” to your list.
The Oura app will also calculate your ideal bed/wake time after it has accurately tracked your sleep for a period of time. In essence, it looks at your long-term sleep patterns and energy levels to help you schedule your best sleep times—this means that regardless of whether you are a morning person or not you will get sleep at your body's most efficient times.
In order to do this, the Oura needs to track your overall sleep quality—which it does by monitoring your sleep score. Your sleep score measures how well you slept during each sleep cycle, and to accurately delineate your ideal bed and wake times; the Oura only accounts for sleep scores of 85% and above. Tracking your sleep quality is incredibly important because sleeping does not mean you are well-rested. Instead, you need to make you are spending an adequate amount of time in REM sleep in order for you to wake up feeling revitalized and refreshed.
While we were able to find several studies validating the extent of accuracy the Oura ring provides, which we will talk more about below, we weren't able to see any studies that confirmed the extent of the Motiv rings accuracy.
It is also important to note that while The Oura ring, Motiv, and Fitbit are all great trackers, the Oura's is more specific and individually tailored towards sleep and certain activities.
To summarize, the Oura tracks your awake time, light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep to accurately provide you with a personal sleep assessment that will help you improve your overall sleep quality, which will also improve your overall quality of life, performance, and health.
Readiness: Maximizing Your Physical and Mental Capabilities with Oura
Sleep, Readiness, and Activity—these are the three major points Oura addresses. By accurately tracking your sleep and adjusting to the best sleep cycle for you, you will improve your readiness and overall performance.
The Oura tracks your overall Readiness score just like it tracks your sleep—from 0-100%, with 85% being the base recovery number. Your readiness score is gathered by tracking how you slept, your overall balance, and by your physical activity—and all three of these factors can affect your overall score.
The major difference between the Oura and other trackers, like the Motive and the Fitbit, is its focus on readiness. Many other options track the fluctuations in your daily performance and activity, but they don't monitor the activities and lifestyle choices that lead to positive or negative performance.
Specifically, the Oura tracks your readiness by logging your heart rate variability and body temperature deviation for 30 days and creating a base performance measure to compare to. While the Motiv ring also tracks your heart rate and body temperature, it does not take the extra steps to provide you with readiness data.
So, if you are looking to pinpoint the reason for your low performance—whether it be laziness, poor food choices, or your menstrual cycle—then the Oura ring is the tracker that will provide you with this piece of additional information.
However, if you already know how to read the data and interpret the fluctuations they provide, then the Motiv and Fitbit also provide comparably accurate heart rate, body temperature, and respiratory tracking.
Improve Performance by Tracking and Measuring Activity
There are many effective activity trackers out there to choose from, so what makes the Oura ring any different from the rest?
Well, the answer to this really depends on what you are looking for. The Oura ring specifically tracks sleep and everyday activity, thus making it an effective activity tracker.
However, it's important to note the Oura does not collect detailed fitness data—so, if you are in the market for a dedicated fitness tracker, then you may want to take a look at dedicated fitness trackers, like the Fitbit Alta HR or Fitbit charge 2.
Since the Oura is focused on your overall sleep and stress levels, it uses the measured data to improve your readiness.
The Oura, like the Motive, measures your activity through the use of sensors and interpret the data based on your height, weight, sex, and age. All three of these allow you to set activity goals and the Oura takes a step further by pushing you to increase your activity by 2000 MET if you want your activity score to remain the same, or improve—this means it actually pushes you to improve and makes you compete against your greatest rival, yourself.
While the Oura ensures you stay active and move, it does not track activities the way a Fitbit does. Don't expect Oura ring to measure your pace, speed, or track training improvement like a Fitbit fitness tracker—although it will provide a less than an accurate estimate for calories burned throughout the day. The Oura is not meant to improve your activity levels or help you become a better athlete—it's meant to track your sleep and improve your overall performance, both mentally and physically.
So, if you're an athlete looking for an all-around tracker that also tracks sleep, the Oura will not fit your needs. That being said, that doesn't make trackers like the Fitbit any better or worse than the Oura ring—it just makes them different.
On the other hand, the Oura is waterproof—although the Motive ring can withstand more depth—and it does allow you to manually enter workout information if that is something you want to be tracked, but not focusing on.
How Accurate is Oura Ring?
Accuracy—Oura's got it right when it comes to sleep tracking!
As a sleep tracker, the Oura ring seems to have it down packed—and there are studies, based on the original model, to prove it!
The first study focus on sleep pattern tracking via detection through the use of Photoplethysmogram, and Body temperature. This incredibly long word, which I can't even pronounce, is referred to as a PPG and it measures and tracks sleep patterns by making contact with your skin—hence, how the Oura ring works. This study aimed to test the accuracy of the use of PPG and solidify whether sleep trackers, such as the Oura ring, are actually effective.
The study, which involved 14 volunteer subjects and 8 PPG recordings, demonstrated that the use of PPG and body temperature does accurately track sleep—however, it did show some discrepancy in accuracy measurement in the first Oura ring. When designing the latest ring model, Oura took these findings into account—which led to the use of more sensitive sensors.
Another important study to consider is one designed to illustrate how the Oura ring is able to provide accurate HRV (heart rate variability) and HR (heart rate) data—this is incredibly important because Oura delivers a lot of data and recommendations based on HR and HRV information from the wearer.
Changes based on accurate HRV data will lead to improved sleep and stress levels, which also improves overall performance or readiness. The finding of this study showed that the Oura ring accurately tracks HRV and HR only if it fits appropriately—with discrepancies appearing with loosely fitted rings. The biggest take away from this study would be that you make sure you accurately measure and order the right size for you if you want the ring to function effectively.
All this being said, the Oura ring is highly accurate—even in comparison to the Motiv ring (which, on the other end of the spectrum, is much simpler to use). So, if you are mainly looking for an accurate sleep tracker—that also happens to sort of track other activities—then the Oura ring is a great option.
If you, on the other hand, are looking for an overall fitness tracker then the Fitbit or Motiv ring may be a better option for you.
Price and Value
The Oura ring markets itself as the best and most accurate sleep tracker ring out there—and it's also priced like one. The newest version is priced from $299-$999 (the steeper priced option being the “diamond” version—so it's pricey for obvious reasons).
The Oura is well worth the $299 price tag—given its accurate sleep tracking, durability, and improved technology—it only holds its values if you specifically need the detailed data it provides.
The Motiv ring, a similar tracker, is priced at $199—however it is a fitness tracker that also tracks your sleep—unlike the Oura, which is an activity tracker that is more sleep specific than the Motiv. It is, however, much simpler, easier to use, and thinner than the Oura ring.
The Oura is a wearable sleep tracker you can have on you at all times for 24/7 automatic tracking—but if you aren't looking for 24/7 tracking or are looking for a product that can track more than one person, then you may want to look into a non-wearable tracker—like the Beddit 3 ($149.95), the Emfit QS ($299) or BeautyRest SleepTracker(ideal for tracking two) . These non-wearable sleep trackers track your sleep, heart rate, breathing, body temperatures, and the environment as well—you just don't have to wear it or remember to put it on.
In the end, the product price doesn't mean much if the product brings no value to you. The Oura ring is worth the $299 price tag, but its value is dependent on whether or not the product fits your specific needs.
Oura Ring vs Other Sleep Monitoring Devices
 Oura Ring |
 Thim |
 Dreem |
 GO2SLEEP |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heart Rate | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Breath | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Snore | No | No | No | Yes |
| Auto Tracking | Yes | No | No | No |
| Smart Alarm | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep Duration | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Time To Sleep | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Time To Wake | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep Cycles | Light, Deep, REM | - | Light, Deep, REM | - |
| Sleep Interruptions | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Room Temperature | No | No | No | No |
| Room Sound | No | No | No | No |
| Room Light | No | No | No | No |
| Battery |
|
|
|
24-hour Battery life |
| Display Screen | - | - | - | - |
| Warranty |
|
1 Year Warranty | 2 years warranty in the United States of America, Europe and Canada | 1 Year Warranty |
| Weight | 4–6 grams | - | 130g | Ring - 6g |
| Dimensions(L*W*H)) | Width: 7.9 mm, thickness 2.55 mm | - | Head circumference - 520mm - 610mm | 22 X 30 x 18 mm |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth | Wifi |
|
Bluetooth 4.2 |
| Compatible OS |
|
|
|
|
| Other |
|
|
|
|
| What's in the Box |
|
|
|
|
| Oura Ring | Thim | Dreem | GO2SLEEP | |
Verdict
Overall the Oura Ring 2 is a great long-term investment for someone looking to accurately track their sleep and improve their overall daily performance by addressing their sleep and stress levels.
If you are someone who struggles with your sleep schedule and wants to keep long-term logs of your sleeping patterns, as well as track other activities, then Oura smart ring may be a perfect fit for you.
On the other hand, if you are an athlete focused on performance or someone looking for overall general tracking, then you may be better off with a Fitbit tracker or a Motiv ring.
The Oura ring provides 24/7 automatic daily tracking and comes with an accompanying app for you to add notes and track workouts. If you don't need 24/7 tracking, perhaps a non-wearable sleep tracker would be a better option to consider.
- 24/7 automatic tracking
- Smaller and sleeker design
- Good battery life
- Waterproof
- Expensive
- No fitness tracking
- No 24/7 heart rate monitoring