I’ve Been Wearing the Oura Ring for 5+ Years — Here’s What’s Kept Me Hooked

Once upon a time, I regularly tested and reviewed fitness trackers, smartwatches, and other techy wearable devices. I even did some copywriting for a Finnish health-tech company that made a sleep-tracking ring, Oura. That gig ended in 2019, but I’ve continued wearing the Oura Ring.

I recently got a notification from the app that I’ve been wearing it for five and a half years, so it’s safe to say I’ve put in enough time with the device to offer a thorough review. Over those years, it’s led to results I can actually see and feel.

What initially hooked me was the level of detail the ring provides and its actionable suggestions. Within its three daily scores (activity, sleep, and readiness) are granular details about your heart rate, breathing, temperature, and more. By poking around in the app and reading about functions like heart rate variability, resting heart rate, and deep sleep, I learned about changes I could make to rest better, wake up refreshed, and hit my activity goals. 

What kept me hooked was seeing my daily habits adding up, literally. When I started wearing the Oura Ring, I lived in Los Angeles and had become oblivious to how sedentary I’d gotten. My average activity score was 61. It immediately got me walking around Echo Park Lake and through the Elysian Park trails to meet my daily goals. Now, my average activity score is 78. 

It also made me realize how much my sleep was affected by eating and drinking too close to bed. I could see in the morning that my heart rate had been elevated all night, and the sleep I was getting wasn’t restorative. I became more intentional about f -

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inishing food and alcohol a few hours before bed and was able to lower my resting heart rate by five beats per minute and increase my deep sleep by 41 minutes. 

Ultimately, I’ve found it to be a helpful tool to be more intentional about my daily habits. I’ve found it reassuring to see how small steps do add up to better health, and it’s kept me motivated along the way.

I have a silver Oura Ring Gen3 in the horizon style, a traditional round ring shape. It also comes in a style called balance, which has a flat top opposite the ring’s sensors, so you know you always have it perfectly aligned. Both horizon and balance styles come in six finishes, including black, gold, and rose gold.

The ring’s sizing isn’t the same as standard jewelry, so you’ll want to order a sizing kit first. It comes with all eight sizes of the Oura Ring fit, so you can find the finger you like wearing it on and see how it feels for at least 24 hours since fingers can swell with temperature, exercise, and other factors.

Now is a great time to check out the Oura Ring for yourself since the Gen3 model is on sale at Amazon for Black Friday. Even better? You can buy it with HSA/FSA funds. Keep scrolling for more Black Friday deals on tech from Amazon.

Nicola Fumo is a senior shopping editor at PEOPLE with over a decade of experience covering lifestyle topics, including consumer technology. She has reviewed step counters, sleep trackers, and other wearable tech from Fitbit, Apple, and more.

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