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The device is waterproof and lasts up to eight days between charges
As a shopping editor, my purchases are often influenced by celebrities, social media, friends, and colleagues, but rarely, if ever, by my dad — until now.
We’ve been an Apple Watch family for the better part of a decade, but last summer my 76-year-old father got the itch to try an Oura Ring, and he finally convinced me, 30, to do the same. Seven months later, it’s completely changed the way I track my health metrics, especially when it comes to sleep and fitness.
The best news? The Oura Ring 4, the model my dad and I wear, is on sale at Amazon for $100 off right now. So you (or my mom, if you’re reading this!) can join in on the fun for less.
Oura Ring 4
It’s hard to believe that so much technology is packed into such a compact device. The Oura Ring tracks more than 50 different health metrics, plus the app offers blogs to follow, functions to send your data directly to your doctors, and so much more.
NEED TO KNOW
- Dimensions: 7.9mm width x 2.88mm thick
- Available Ring Sizes: 4–15
- Battery Life: 5–8 days
- Materials: Non-allergenic titanium on interior and exterior
- Colors: Silver, stealth gray, and gold
- Tracks: Heart health, sleep, activity, stress, women’s health, and metabolic data
- Costs: Requires monthly subscription to use app, but is an HSA- and FSA-approved product
“I bought it primarily because of the sleep function; that’s the data I track most,” says my dad, “well, that and stress.”
The ring’s smart sensors actively follow your resting heart rate, the time you spend sleeping (plus time in bed for us loungers), and sleep latency, or how long it takes you to fall asleep. It compares your REM sleep to deep sleep time and awards a sleep score. These always amuse me because they’re paired with an encouraging message such as “Great amount of sleep” for optimal rest or “It’s going to be okay” after restless nights.
“I look at how many hours I slept, when I woke up, and the REM sleep,” my dad notes. “My sleep is pretty good, but on off nights, I want to track any discrepancies.”
The activity and stress indicators are always beneficial, too, as the ring analyzes your metrics throughout the day to compare how long you were engaged, stressed, relaxed, and restored (or rested) — and the smart sensing tech here is remarkable. I wear my ring all day, including to boxing workouts, and it determines on its own whether I’m walking my dog, boxing, or engaging in another activity, and it adds suggested activities for me to confirm.
Though the “Time to stretch your legs a bit?” reminder is quite cheeky, the app does a great job of tracking your total daily activity, including step counts and calories burned. I also appreciate the menstrual cycle component as it keeps a clear record that I can report to my doctors, and that it tracks body temperature, which can signal illness before it arrives.
The ring’s battery lasts for five to eight days between charges. Basically, you can wear it and forget it, and it will track your metrics seamlessly throughout the week.
My dad says he only takes his off to charge it “or to play golf.” While I’m a bit more methodical with my charging routine (once daily while I’m in the shower) compared to his “every seven or eight days, or when I remember.”
It’s waterproof up to 328 feet deep (or 100 meters). You can wear it in a sauna, while showering, washing dishes, swimming (I recently wore it for a lake weekend and submerged it on and off for a few hours), and more — though it’s not advised to scuba dive or keep it submerged for more than 12 hours.
Now, let’s talk money. It’s not a small purchase — and there’s a monthly membership cost of $6 (the first month is free when you buy the ring). Technically, you can use the ring without the subscription, but it’s an extremely limited app experience without the nitty gritty behind your sleep, activity, and readiness scores. So, the membership is worth it for those wanting to apply real-time data to improve health habits. Bonus: If you have an HSA or FSA account, this health product qualifies for that spending, so you can use it to pay for the ring and subscription.
Other Writer Testimonials
Alyssa Grabinski, senior shopping writer: “I used to wake up feeling more tired than when I went to bed — but as soon as I got my Oura ring, that all changed. I was able to track everything from the time spent in different sleep stages to how long it takes me to fall asleep, and, as a result, make concrete changes based on the data it gave me. And now? I’m sleeping better than ever with less tossing and turning middle-of-the-night wake-ups.”
Maggie Horton, shopping writer: “I almost always forget to record my workouts, so I love that I can always count on the smart activity tracker to pick up even low-impact movement like yoga, so I always get ‘credit’ for my exercise.”
It’s suggested to wear the ring on either your index, middle, or ring finger for the most accurate metrics. Try out the ring-sizing kit to determine your ideal Oura Ring fit (and finger), and then come back and add a charger to your cart, too (which is sold separately).
Oura Ring 4 Sizing Kit
Oura Ring 4 Charger
Oura Ring 4 Charging Case
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Read the original article on People
