The new Oura Ring is packed with features designed to support overall health, from menstrual cycle tracking to sleep insights. But does it live up to the hype? L360’s Evelyn Richards puts it to the test.
As someone who never leaves the house without my Apple Watch (because if you didn’t track the run, did it even happen?), I was intrigued when the Oura Ring 4 started making waves. Unlike a smartwatch — bulky and not exactly black-tie appropriate — this sleek, jewellery-inspired device promised all the data without the wrist real estate.
With Jennifer Aniston and Gwyneth Paltrow among its fans, I had to find out for myself if this tiny piece of wearable tech was indeed a wellness game-changer or just a high-tech fashion statement?
But before we dive in, let’s address the elephant in the room: the price. At £349, the Oura Ring isn’t exactly a budget buy. And that’s before you factor in the £5.99 monthly subscription fee, which unlocks many of its best features.
So, does it live up to its A-list reputation? I wore mine for three months to find out.
Read more: We’re calling on the government to improve healthcare and menopause support for women
First impressions: unboxing and set-up
Oura sends you a £10 sizing kit with plastic rings in 12 different sizes to ensure a perfect fit.
It’s recommended to wear it on the index finger — snug but comfortable — for the most accurate tracking.
Then, it’s time to choose the finish. The options range from classic silver and black (£349) to premium gold and rose gold (£499).
I opted for gold — pricey, yes, but it matched my jewellery collection.
Interestingly, all the rings are made from titanium, so the steeper price for gold and rose gold colours reflects purely an aesthetic ‘upgrade’. Some online critics even call this type of pricing a ‘pink tax’ (the tendency for products marketed specifically at women to be more expensive than those targeted at men).
My Oura Ring arrived the same week my fiancé proposed, and I joked that I wasn’t sure which ring I was more excited about.
Read more: The Oura ring with Natural Cycles vs the Mira fertility device
The membership subscription
What I didn’t realise before purchasing? The Oura Ring requires a subscription for full functionality.
While you can use it without one, Oura makes it clear that you’ll be missing out on key insights, from cardiovascular age to detailed sleep analysis.
Compared to the Apple Watch — which costs about the same but doesn’t require an ongoing membership — it feels like an added expense that should be more transparent upfront.
And considering some of the features behind the paywall include cycle and pregnancy insights, the ‘pink tax’ conversation pops up again.
Battery life
If you’re used to charging your Apple Watch daily, you’ll love this: the Oura Ring 4 lasts up to eight days per charge.
For me, a fairly active person, it lasted around four to five days. Charging is quick — just 20-80 minutes — and I never found myself caught out with a dead battery.
Read more: 5 new fitness trends to try this year (like walking to work)
Design
The biggest draw of the Oura Ring is its subtle, stylish design — at least in theory.
In reality, I found it bulkier than expected. While it’s certainly more discreet than a smartwatch, it’s not quite as dainty as traditional jewellery.
A general statement, yes, but I think men will have less of an issue with the design. Their rings tend to be thicker, and the Oura Ring looks more natural on their larger fingers. This issue isn’t exclusive to Oura — we all know that, bar FitBits, smart watches tend to be designed with bigger, ahem, male, ahem, wrists in mind.
That said, I got used to the size over time. And given how quickly wearable tech is evolving, I wouldn’t be surprised if future iterations are sleeker and more refined.
Read more: How smart technology can help you keep fit
Sleep tracking
This is where Oura really shines. Unlike my Apple Watch — which I remove at night to charge — the Oura Ring comfortably tracks my sleep without interruption.
Every morning, I wake up to an in-depth breakdown, including:
- Total sleep time
- REM sleep
- Deep sleep
- Heart rate variability
- Oxygen saturation
And more — plus an AI-generated sleep summary.
I found the data to be impressively accurate, even detecting minor breathing disturbances on nights I used mouth tape.
One metric I take with a grain of salt? Sleep latency. The ring assumes I’m asleep the moment I lie down, not accounting for bedtime chats, reading, or scrolling on my phone.
Maybe it’s Oura’s way of nudging users toward better sleep hygiene, but it’s not entirely realistic.
Read more: Ten fitness products to elevate your home workouts
Fitness tracking
If you’re hoping to swap your smartwatch for the Oura Ring as a fitness tracker, think again. Despite being marketed as a health device, its workout tracking leaves a lot to be desired.
- No built-in GPS: The Oura Ring relies on data from Apple Health or Strava for running and cycling, meaning it doesn’t actually track your workouts itself. Even when the data is imported, some of the stats — including pace and time — are totally inaccurate, as it fails to distinguish between moving time and total workout duration.
- Constant confirmation requests: The ring repeatedly asked me to confirm activities, often misidentifying my walks — I’m very speedy — as cycling (I’ll take the compliment, but still). Even after three months, it never learned my routine.
- Limited workout options: My strength training sessions were often ignored or miscategorised, making it hard to get an accurate read on my workouts.
For step counts, recovery tracking and overall activity levels, it’s fine. But if you’re serious about fitness metrics, a smartwatch or dedicated fitness tracker is still your best bet.
Read more: Wellness patches: What are they and do they actually work?
Readiness score
Each morning, Oura provides a ‘readiness score’ (out of 100), a number that estimates how prepared your body is for activity. It assesses factors like sleep, heart rate variability and recovery.
My scores hovered in the mid-80s, rarely dipping into the 70s or 90s. On high-score days, I felt extra motivated to push my workouts. On lower days, I felt validated in taking it easy. Whether placebo effect or genuine insight, I appreciated the gentle guidance.
While other wearables offer similar features — Apple’s Training Load and Samsung’s Energy Score — the Oura Ring’s approach feels more holistic and user-friendly.
Cycle tracking
Oura’s cycle tracking is one of its standout features. Beyond just logging period dates, it offers phase-specific insights — for example:
‘Luteal phase: During this phase, you may see a higher heart rate, HRV, warmer temperatures and experience a desire for comfort.’
Sometimes this feature will let me know what I’m going to feel particularly energised in this phase and so to make the most of exercise, and other times it tells me that I’ll want to rest more. These insights help me to better understand my body, and — if I were more organised — I could plan my training around it.
I’d love for Oura to develop the cycle insights more, particularly around symptoms. If I’m tracking migraines, moods and more, it would be handy if it used that data to inform me. Am I at a higher risk of a headache today? Should I expect my emotions to be more stable or volatile? Will I bloat more?
As women, we experience so many daily symptoms of our cycles, and to be able to have that relief of knowing, ‘I’m not crazy, I’m in my luteal phase’ would be a game-changer.
So, is the Oura Ring 4 worth it?
If you’re hoping to replace your smartwatch with the Oura Ring, don’t — its fitness tracking simply isn’t up to par. Even used alongside my Apple Watch, it falls short, failing to distinguish between moving time and total workout duration.
But if you’re looking for a holistic wellness tracker, something that prioritises sleep, stress and cycle health, Oura delivers. Just be prepared for the price tag and ongoing subscription fee.
As for me? I’ll be keeping my Apple Watch for workouts, but the Oura Ring has earned its place as a staple in my daily wellness routine.
Buy the Oura Ring 4 from Oura from £349.
