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Health and fitness trackers have come a long way. The first pedometers were just simple clip-on counters, but through the years, they became a base-level feature built into most phones and a core feature in all of the best fitness trackers.
Now, fitness tech is about including as many sensors and accessories as possible, whether the tracker is a band, watch, or smart ring.
Apple and Oura are currently two of the biggest names in fitness trackers. However, both brands approach their flagship products — the Apple Watch Series 10 and the Oura Ring 4 — very differently. Oura recently released new features that let you track your glucose levels and plan meals.
So, which one is better? It depends on what you want from your fitness tracker (but to be honest, both work better together).
Here's everything you need to know about the Oura Ring versus the Apple Watch.
Oura Ring vs Apple Watch: Design and comfort
The Apple Watch takes the route of a standard smartwatch. In its over 10 iterations, it's kept its signature OLED display and assortment of wristband options, but it's gotten smaller and thinner over the years.
Meanwhile, the Oura Ring is the newest type of fitness tracker: the smart ring. The Oura Ring 4 looks like a classic band, just maybe a little thicker than your average wedding band. It comes in six finishes: silver, black, brushed silver, stealth, gold, and rose gold. It also comes in a wide range of ring sizes, from four to 15.
As you might guess, the Apple Watch feels like a standard watch model. It's lightweight; the latest Series 10 model ranges from 29.3 to 36.4 grams in weight, and rather than a classic watch face, it has either a 42 or 46-mm OLED watch face. That leaves plenty of room to check and reply to texts or view your health metrics. It's a slim fit that doesn't get in the way, so you can wear it all day. The wristband tends to make the watch feel stiff while you're trying to sleep, however. And it's not the most aesthetically pleasing device — don't ask the internet about wearing an Apple Watch to a wedding unless you want an earful.
Meanwhile, the Oura Ring has a far more unobtrusive design. It's 2.88mm thick and 7.9mm tall, so it's certainly not a slim fit, but in my experience, it doesn't interfere with your grip either. It looks like any old ring at a distance, but it packs a lot of biometric sensing in a small package, so if you want an inconspicuous tracker, go for Oura.
Both devices are waterproof, so you can wear them around the clock, even if you go swimming or take a shower. I should note that the Apple Watch is only for iOS users, while the Oura Ring can work with iOS and Android.
Winner: Oura Ring
Oura Ring vs Apple Watch: Fitness tracking
The real priority with both of these devices is fitness tracking—that's why you're investing in this gadget after all. Both will monitor your activity, letting you log your type of activity and tracking your heart rate, steps, and distance, but they each do it in different ways.
With the Apple Watch, the primary sensor under the watch face sits on the wrist to gather biometric data. The smartwatch has two apps, Workout and Fitness. Workout is where you start and end workouts, and you can see your distance, pacing, and heart rate right on your wrist. The Fitness app shows you the total calories burned, hours of standing, and minutes of exercise, all of which you can check directly on the watch. Plus, if you forget to start a workout, the Apple Watch is good at sensing activity and can remind you to start a workout.
Since the Oura Ring takes a screenless approach, to see all of your health data, you need to open your smartphone and go into the Oura app. Within the app, you can start workouts and see your step count, heart rate, and blood oxygen levels. Like the Apple Watch, Oura's sensors are smart at detecting activity. If you forget to log a workout beforehand, Oura will give you a list of activities to review in hindsight.
Based on ease of access to health data and phone-free approach, the Apple Watch wins for me. Plus, when used together, you can track your workouts on an Apple Watch and import that data into the Oura app.
Winner: Apple Watch
Oura Ring vs Apple Watch: Sleep tracking
As mentioned, the Apple Watch isn't my preferred sleep tracker based on comfort alone. The silicone and metal bands tend to be stiff, causing wrist discomfort overnight. Apple Watches struggle to last 24 hours on battery life, and constant charging can be a pain.
On the flip side, the Oura Ring is the perfect sleep tracker. If you already wear rings on your fingers around the clock, then the Oura Ring feels no different. You might feel discomfort if your hand swells at night, but that's all.
The Oura Ring is also exceptionally good at detecting sleep. Not only does it track how long your sleep, but also the different cycles you go through, such as REM and deep sleep. Plus, the Oura Ring makes long-term calculations. After 90 days of wear, the Oura Ring will calculate your chronotype so you can learn when your body naturally wants to rest.
Winner: Oura Ring
Oura Ring vs Apple Watch: Battery life
When it comes to battery life, it's a no-brainer which device takes the cake. The Oura Ring's battery life lasts nearly a week, while the Apple Watch lasts up to 24 hours max. Both charge fairly quickly and can charge within an hour. So, if you want a device with superb battery life, allowing you to track every waking and sleeping moment of your day, the Oura Ring is the only option.
Winner: Oura Ring
Oura Ring vs Apple Watch: Smart features
The Oura Ring offers a ton of health tracking perks — it even connects to other health apps like Clue or Natural Cycles. However, it's just a fitness tracker, albeit a very good one.
The Apple Watch provides much more than fitness tracking. iOS users receive iPhone notifications on their watch and can even take calls or reply to texts. Plus, you can connect to Spotify and other apps, all without pulling out your phone. So, if you want more bang for your buck, it's the Apple Watch.
Winner: Apple Watch
Apple Watch vs Oura Ring: Cost
Regarding cost, the Oura Ring and Apple Watch are fairly aligned. The Oura Ring starts at $349 but ranges to $499 based on your color choice. The Apple Watch is slightly more expensive, starting at $399 and going up to $1,049 if you splurge on titanium and stainless steel models (we don't think that's necessary; the aluminum models are great).
The biggest hiccup in cost comes with the Oura Ring. In addition to the upfront cost, you must pay a monthly subscription to access the full range of Oura's features. Monthly membership costs $5.99 a month or $69.99 annually.
Winner: Apple Watch
Our winner: Use the Oura Ring and Apple Watch together
In my mind, the Oura Ring and Apple Watch are both winners; it just depends on what you need. If you're already on the iOS system and want a fitness tracker, the Apple Watch is a no-brainer. It provides detailed workout summaries and monitors your health data in an easy-to-access package. Just a few taps on the wrist show your step count and daily calories burned.
If you don't like the look of an Apple Watch and prefer the discreet design of a smart ring, then the Oura Ring is the ideal choice. It's the best smart ring we've tested, and it provides more comfortable sleep tracking than the Apple Watch. Not to mention its nearly week-long battery life.
But what if you want easy access to smartwatch features on your wrist and the 24/7 monitoring of a smart ring? Then get both. In comparing these devices and wearing them simultaneously, I found that they work better together than apart. I like being able to start my workouts on my watch and have them automatically uploaded to the Oura app. But the Oura Ring provides overnight sleep tracking, so my Apple Watch doesn't have to.
Still can't decide? Dive into our reviews of the Oura Ring 4 and the Apple Watch Series 10.
