After a lot of deliberation, I’ve finally swapped the Apple Watch for a smart ring, the Oura Ring 5. It’s a huge change for me, but I felt it was necessary.
Why I bought it
You may have seen my earlier post about the Apple Watch, which I’ve had for years across several generations. I said it’s still a great device, but the battery life was inconvenient for me. I had to charge it every day and often forgot, which is understandable given everything it does and the clear screen it has to power.
Then I stumbled across the Oura Ring, probably thanks to my TikTok For You feed. What stood out was that it can last a week on a single charge. Not having to charge daily while it still tracks my metrics was a game changer, so battery was my main reason for switching.
That said, I love tech, so I had to look into the app first. Leaving Apple Fitness and those iconic rings you try to close each day was a big decision. The Oura app is stunning though, and it integrates with Apple Health. I’ve had to say goodbye to the activity rings designed for Apple devices, but the visualisations and active calorie tracking in the Oura app made it look like a suitable replacement.
Just to call out, this is an Unboxed post, so I’m reviewing the Oura Ring 5 less than a week after getting it. This is my initial impression, and I’ll write a Second Thoughts post once I’ve had it for a while and really got to know the ring and its app.
I’d also heard that Oura’s sleep tracking is among the best on the market, and I’m already seeing that after only a couple of days. Each morning you wake up to impressive stats, including how long you slept, heart rate variability, body temperature, respiratory rate and more. It uses these to give you a readiness score based on how well you’ve slept. The app presents it all so well that you really want to read and learn from your stats.
Out of the box
It’s beautifully presented. That was my first impression when I opened the package. You first see the ring on its premium-looking charger, which comes with a charging base and a cable. There’s no plug, like most devices these days, but it’s USB-C so you’ll likely have a connection for it already.
Setup was easy, and the ring arrived with about 80% charge, so I didn’t need to do a full charge to begin with. In fact, a lot of sources recommend short charges every now and then, and keeping the ring in the 30%-80% range for optimum battery performance. The app is what you use to get started, and you’ll need the ring on its charging base to connect it. It guides you through the process and asks for some details, including your measurements, which is standard across smart devices nowadays.
Not every metric is available straight away, as the ring needs to learn you and your patterns. It takes about two weeks before you start to get deeper insights.
It’s worth noting that you need to pay for the app to access all your metrics. There’s a free version, but it’s very limited in what you can see. Most Oura Ring users will pay, so it’s worth factoring in before you buy. It’s around £5.99 monthly, or you can get a discounted annual membership.
The Oura Ring 5 isn’t cheap either. I got the Silver, which cost me £399 on their website. The Black is the same price, and the four other colours are £499.
What I like
It doesn’t look like a smart ring. It’s slim and stylish and honestly looks like a normal ring. The only giveaway that it’s an Oura is that I wear it on my index finger.
The battery life is really impressive. For context, I charged it to just over 90% a day and a half ago, and as I write this it’s still at 80%.
The app is stunning. It really adds to the experience when an app has been designed this well.
What annoys me
Nothing yet, but I still need to live with the ring a little longer, so I’ll be honest if anything comes up in the follow-up. The only thing that could annoy me is the £5.99 subscription when I’ve already paid for the ring, but if the app gives me detailed, actionable insights, I can see past the fee.
Who it’s for (and who should skip it)
If you’re a watch wearer who likes to see your stats at a glance, the Oura Ring might not be for you, as you can’t see your heart rate and other metrics without the app. If you want to track fitness, you’ll also need your phone with you, as the ring has no built-in GPS and relies on your phone’s. It can still track your movement, active calories, steps, activities and more, but it needs your phone nearby for the full experience. If you don’t mind not having a screen and you want amazing battery life, the Oura Ring is for you.
Verdict: Keeper
I’m loving the ring so far, even though I’ve only had it a few days, and I’m looking forward to seeing my stats in full in a few weeks. It was funny at first not having the watch to look at, but I’m liking wearing a normal watch again while the ring does all the tracking.
Are you an Oura Ring user? What do you make of it? If you haven’t got one, is it something you’ve been considering? Let me know in the comments.