Full Review of the Generation 3 Oura Ring

I have been wearing an Oura ring now for just over a year. I got my ring in June of 2024. I really love it and thought I’ve had enough experience that I could share a detailed review if you were looking to purchase one. I did have an Apple Watch for years and in my opinion this is far better, at least for my lifestyle.

An Oura ring is a wellness ring that you wear on your finger. It tracks your sleep, heart rate, temperature, steps, activity and more. The Ring has three small sensors in the inside of the ring which use infrared light photoplethysmography (PPG). Yes, I had to google that word. Which tracks heart rate, blood oxygen, breathing regularity, heart rate variability, temperature, activity, and sleep. You do have to charge the ring at least every 5-7 days. I like to charge mine each night while I take a shower and do skin-care so it charges a little each day. Typically on one of my days off while I am folding laundry I will allow the ring to fully charge.

Cost

The ring itself costs anywhere from $299-$499 depending on the generation/finish you get. There is also a monthly/or annual subscription fee to use the app which is $8.99/Month or $72/yearly. I believe there is a free portion of the app as well but it doesn’t offer nearly as much data as the subscription. My main reason for wanting the Oura ring was to pair it with my Natural Cycles app (Non hormonal fertility tracking app). The ring captures your basal temperature upon waking and syncs that information to the NC app. I use this app as my Birth control, so for me, it was worth the monthly fee. I will post a separate blog all about the Natural Cycles app.

Sizing

When you order the ring, you can either choose your size if you know the size you want or you can get a ring sizer. This is free and highly recommend before committing to an expensive purchase like this. I found Oura sizes are a little different to standard ring sizes so I suggest getting the ring sizer first so you can get a comfortable fit. When you choose your size you want to make sure the ring is snug but not too tight. It should hug your finger and not easily fall off when you wash your hands. But shouldn’t leave marks or cause discomfort after wearing it for hours. I used my first ring for about 10 months before I purchased a new ring, mostly for this very reason. I was finding the size I had fit well sometimes and just too tight others and was leaving marks on my finger.

Oura suggests you wear this ring on your index or middle finger on your non dominant hand to avoid getting scratched up. Middle or ring finger can also work. I wear my newer right on my ring finger on my dominant hand. I wore my first ring on my left (my non dominant) index finger for about 10 months before getting a new ring and switching to my ring finger. I kept the Generation 3 cause I didn’t feel the need to upgrade quite yet, but I did go with the Horizon style vs the Heritage, which is what I had previously. The horizon is a little more expensive and is a smooth ring vs the heritage which has a flat surface on the front side of the ring. For me, the ring finger fits the best and stays consistent through out the entire day/night. I really wanted to wear it on my index finger like Oura recommends but I am in-between sizes so couldn’t get a good fit. I have found my new ring has gotten way less beat up than when I wore it on my index finger. I would wear it on my non dominant right finger but that finger is reserved for my wedding rings.

Styles

The ring is offered in a few different styles and tones. I chose silver of course (silver girl for life). Oura just launched their newest generation which is very chic, but quite pricey. The generation 3 works just fine for me and is discounted right now because of the new release.

This is the Heritage Generation 3, size 7 in silver that I had for 10 months. I am currently selling this on Ebay. It’s in good condition with minor scratches from everyday wear.

And the Generation 3 Horizon in size 6, silver that I just got in early April of this year.

Insights & Data

Sleep Insights

This page shows you your total sleep time, time spent in bed, sleep efficiency, resting heart rate. You can review restfulness that night, deep, REM sleep and the time periods you were awake throughout the night. This screen shot was a good night. I would say on average I usually get about 7 hours. Personally I thrive off 9 hours and 6 is rough for me but working in retail, it happens often.

Readiness insights

Each more morning you are given a readiness score and shown what contributed to that score. Higher the number the better. You can see all the metrics that contribute to the readiness score.

Activity

Activity is another amazing feature that I love to utilize within this device. You can set your own specific goals for activity. My goal is at least 10K steps a day. It will detect various activities you do through out the day and log them into your total activity score. And it is so spot on. It knows when I went hiking, vs walking, vs housework, horseback riding, etc.

This is the main menu of the app. Very user friendly, easy to navigate and extremely insightful. There is also a cycles feature on this app where you can track your period. I haven’t tapped into that much since I use my Natural cycles app specifically for that.

Final Thoughts

Like I mentioned, I had the Apple Watch for years and while that was also insightful, I don’t think it offered nearly the data that this ring does. The Apple Watch also tracks your temperature, but I just cannot sleep with a watch on all night, so for me a ring is much more comfortable. I don’t even realize I am wearing it half the time. It’s very stylish and chic looking. For some people all of this information might be overwhelming and sound like just another step to add to your daily list. Yes, it is definitely another thing to remember “to do” but I look forward to checking my insights everyday. I WANT to know how my health is and how I can improve it. This is a wellness ring after all.

This is what my typical morning routine looks like using Oura app:

I turn my alarm off, get ready in the bathroom, head down stairs and start making my coffee. While that is brewing I feed my fur babies, let them outside, drink a large glass of water and open the app. Check all of my insights. This is a small moment for ME, my self-care. Then I open my NC app and log those details. I will be sharing a separate review for that as well. But the important question is, has it helped me sleep better? Yes! It has shifted my attention to how important sleep is and made me realize that at the age of 36, how much I value my sleep. I am able to see what contributed to a poor nights sleep. Was I watching tv too late, had coffee after 5pm, was I sick, was I dealing with a lot of stress that day, eating too late? And the opposite. What contributed to a strong night’s sleep. Red light, no caffeine, no screen time, magnesium, not eating too late, etc.

I think this is well worth the cost if you want to measure your health in this way. I understand that not everyone wants to see how they’ve slept and I get that too. I think it’s important to give yourself grace when using an application like this. I have nights I only sleep 4 hours, or wake up a few times. And I don’t let it get to me. I don’t let it consume me or overthink it. I try and do better, but at the same time, we are all human and we are not going to sleep great every night.

I’d love to know if any of you have the Oura ring and your thoughts on it.

XO,

Charlene