I got an Oura ring last July. I was interested in tracking my menstrual cycle more closely by body temperature, I wanted to track my sleep and look for any patterns, and I was also looking for a steps/activity tracker that wasn’t as in your face as an Apple watch can be.
I still have my Apple watch and will wear it when I go for a run or play pickleball, but for day-to-day things, I just wear my Oura ring!
I’ve worn it religiously for 6 months, and here is my take on it so far:
One. It’s very informative and I like seeing the data! I enjoy tracking the body temperature changes around my cycle and noting my heart rate if I’m stressed. It’s also fascinating to see how bad my sleep is after alcohol consumption, like profoundly bad. I am not one, however, who reads the data and then is negatively impacted by it. So if I see in the morning that my sleep wasn’t very good, that will not make me feel more tired. I usually feel fine whether my sleep is great or not, to be honest.
Two. I like how discreet it is as a steps and activity tracker. I wear mine on my pointer finger and I don’t even feel it anymore. It’s definitely my thickest ring, but I went through the process of being sized which ensured that I bought the right fit for my finger! I like having quick access to my steps to see where I’m at on my daily goal. The app makes it easy to get this information! Since I never wore my Apple watch all day long, I never really knew what my steps were.
Three. I feel like it has helped me tune in to my health in a unique way! Honestly, I’ve just flat-out enjoyed it. I don’t live or die by it, but I am thoroughly enjoying the data and tracking!
I shared on Instagram that I chose to have a Uterine Ablation this January. The goal is to lighten or eliminate my periods that were otherwise very difficult to manage. I’m super curious to continue to track my cycle even if there is little to no bleeding. I think my body temperature shifts, along with the predicted days based on the history of the last 6 months, will be the most telling sign in the end. I am sure I’ll write an update about that when a little more time has passed!
A new version of the Oura ring has been released but I am still completely happy with my generation 3 that I have no plans to upgrade anytime soon.
Overall, I really like the Oura ring. It has been a value-add to my life and I would recommend it! It does not, of course, have all the features that an Apple watch has, but I wasn’t looking to replace my Apple watch altogether. You can read about my initial take on the Oura ring in this blog post!
