It's easy to fall into bad habits, which might explain why health trackers are so popular among fitness enthusiasts and consumers. Not only can these gadgets give you better insights into your sleep, workouts and overall health, but they're a useful tool to help you prioritize overall wellness as well as track any progress.
Two of the most sought-after wearables today are the Oura Ring, a sleek smart ring with built-in sensors, and the Apple Watch, a smart watch that tracks key metrics, displays notifications from your phone and much more. Both the Oura Ring and Apple Watch are fantastic devices to invest in, but they're not made equal — you may want to wear one to work, while the other is better suited for sleep.
Ou tech analysts and fitness experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute test activity and health trackers of all types, from smart rings to smart watches, sleep apps and more. As GH's Media & Tech Analyst, I've been wearing both the Oura Ring Gen 3 and various generations of the Apple Watch for well over a year, as well as the latest Apple Watch Series 9 for the past few weeks.
Each device has its unique strengths and weaknesses, which is why I don't treat them interchangeably and am here to explain some of the key differences I've noticed regarding their price, design, performance, tracking abilities and more. Below you'll find everything you need to know about the Oura Ring and the Apple Watch to help you decide which of these gadgets makes the most sense for you.
Pros
- Sleek, lightweight design
- Impressive battery life
- Breaks down various health metrics into three scores
- Intuitive app
- Available in six shades
- Compatible with Apple and Android devices
Cons
- Pricey, especially with subscription fee
- Doesn't feature a display screen for notifications
Pros
- Features screen display for easy navigation
- Tracks various health metrics in Apple Health
- Works seamlessly with iPhones to display notifications
- Available in numerous shade, material and band combinations
- No subscription required
Cons
- Only compatible with iPhones
- May feel bulky to sleep in
- Short battery life
Oura Ring vs. Apple Watch: Price
The Oura Ring starts at $299 but can go up to $549 depending on your style and finish preferences (more details below). The Apple Watch Series 9 is similarly priced to most Oura Rings and starts at $399 but can make its way up to $1049. Keep in mind that you'll find more affordable Apple Watches if you opt for an older generation, like the Apple Watch SE.
Unlike the Apple Watch, the Oura Ring requires a $6 per month subscription for access to all your health data and metrics. Without the subscription, you'll unfortunately only see your daily sleep, activity and readiness scores. Though this might be enough for some, you'll miss out on a lot of important insights like in-depth sleep analysis, temperature trend monitoring and more.
Oura Ring vs. Apple Watch: Design
Colors and finishes
The Apple Watch comes in two materials: Aluminum or stainless steel. If choosing aluminum, there are five finishes to choose from (pink, red, midnight, silver and starlight), whereas the pricier stainless steel has three metallic shades (gold, silver and graphite). Gold lovers such as myself will likely be drawn to Apple's gold stainless steel with its matching band. From there, you can choose between two sizes (41 or 45mm) as well as a variety of watch bands made of various materials.
The Oura Ring makes things slightly easier for the indecisive by offering two styles: Heritage or Horizon. The difference between these two is that Horizon is slightly pricier and completely round, while the Heritage has a flat, plateau shape up top. Also, those who opt for Horizon will have the choice of two additional finishes, including brushed titanium (Oura's latest matte finish) as well as rose gold. That's six shades total for the Horizon and four classic metal shades for the Heritage (silver, black, stealth and gold).
Appearance
The Oura Ring and Apple Watch are nothing alike when it comes to design — after all, one's a ring and the other's a watch. The Oura Ring is sleek and lightweight while the Apple Watch is bulkier but, unlike the Oura, features a display screen that you can interact with, receive messages on and more.
When choosing between the two, you need to ask yourself whether you're someone who doesn't mind wearing (and sleeping with) a watch, or if you'd prefer a health tracker that's a bit less obvious. You may be fine wearing a discreet gold ring to a wedding or birthday party, but you may want to leave your Apple Watch behind or replace it with a nicer piece of jewelry on your wrist.
Personally, I tend to prefer my Oura for everyday wear, sleeping and even special occasions. Still, I find that my Apple Watch comes in handy when I'm traveling, working, exercising or simply trying to stay connected. For example, the Oura Ring isn't able to alert me when my flight is boarding, whereas the Apple Watch is.
Comfort and convenience
When it comes to comfort, the Oura Ring wins. That's not to say that the Apple Watch isn't comfortable (it is), but if I have to choose between the two, I will always prefer sleeping with a ring on my finger that I can barely feel over a watch. Most of the time, I forget that my Oura is even there, whereas the watch is harder to forget.
I also find it a bit easier to wear my Oura on all occasions, like jumping in the shower or even taking a hot bath. It's easier to wipe clean, whereas the Apple Watch's bands may get soaked (depending on the bands you have). The Oura Ring also has a more impressive operational temperature range, from 14 to 125 degrees Fahrenheit. The Apple Watch Series 9, on the other hand, is recommended for use anywhere between 32 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. That means you'll have to take off your Apple Watch when lounging in the hot tub, whereas your Oura should be just fine (at least mine still is!).
Oura Ring vs. Apple Watch: Health Tracking
The Oura Ring houses three tiny sensors that should be placed underneath your finger (ideally, index) to track various health metrics like resting heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), temperature, SpO2 (blood oxygen) and sleep.
This data is then compiled into three easy-to-read scores: readiness, sleep and activity. The Apple Watch's sensors track similar metrics, including respiratory rate, heart rate, temperature, sleep stages and more. In light of Apple's ongoing lawsuit regarding technology patents, blood oxygen monitoring features are no longer available on the Series 9 or Ultra 2 models, so keep that in mind if regularly checking your blood oxygen levels is important to you.
One other major difference between the two devices is that Apple doesn't provide scores in the way Oura does. However, the Apple Watch does have a dedicated ECG app to evaluate heart health and even detect irregular heart rhythms. Should your heart rate be alarmingly low or high, your Apple Watch can alert you.
Oura Ring vs. Apple Watch: Sleep Tracking
Both wearables track your sleep, as long as you wear them overnight. The Oura Ring uses a 3D accelerometer sensor to capture any restlessness (tossing and turning) and identify your sleep stages as well as how long you spent in each one. You'll also be provided with your average overnight heart rate, skin temperature and information to help you build better sleep habits, such as getting to bed at the same time every night.
The Apple Watch Series 9 also tracks your sleep stages and how much time you spend in REM, core and deep sleep with an accelerometer, as well as when you fall asleep and wake up. Much like the Oura Ring, it tracks metrics such as your heart rate, respiratory rate and more.
Though I can't say for certain which sleep tracker is most accurate, what I love most about the Oura Ring is that I can wake up to a sleep score or a number that's further classified as optimal, good, fair and pay attention. With one quick glance, I have an understanding of whether I got enough sleep and should tackle the day with full force, or maybe step back and take it easy. The Apple Watch also does a good job of displaying sleep data, but to me, nothing beats Oura's seamless presentation.
Oura Ring vs. Apple Watch: Activity Tracking
There's no question about it: the Apple Watch is ultimately the better activity tracker. Not only will the device recognize when you've started a workout, like a run outside, but it also gives you the option of launching a workout directly from the watch. It can track anything from HIIT to rowing, Pilates, swimming and much more. From there, you can view your metrics like calories burned, average pace, heart rate and distance directly from your wrist, even if you've left your phone behind. Fans of Apple Fitness+ will also appreciate its integration with the watch.
The Oura Ring also tracks your daily activity and shares an activity score, but to record your heart rate during an active workout you'll have to go through the app on your phone and you can only choose among a few activities like outdoor and indoor running, outdoor and indoor cycling and walking. I'll admit that it's not the best device for training for a marathon or my go-to when I'm trying to find out how many calories I've burned from a workout session, but it's still a useful tool that can provide a more general idea of my daily movement, like whether I've walked enough steps.
Oura Ring vs. Apple Watch: Women's Health
Both wearables can track menstrual cycles within their respective apps, but in my experience, I've found that Oura is the better choice if you're looking for insights into your cycle. Every night, the Oura Ring will track your body temperature so you're able to get an idea of which phase of your cycle you're in as well as when to expect your period (just note that you'll have to wear your Oura for 60 nights to establish your body temperature baseline). You can also get an ovulation estimate via Natural Cycles, a third-party "FDA-cleared non-hormonal birth control" app that integrates with the Oura Ring to help plan or prevent pregnancy.
You can track your period via Apple Health as well, but you won't get any information about your cycle phases. According to the brand, you need to wear your watch every night (for at least five nights) for it to accurately read your wrist temperature. Only then can you get retrospective ovulation estimates, but the brand stresses that these estimates should not be used as a form of birth control.
Oura Ring vs. Apple Watch: Battery Life
The Oura Ring has a claimed battery life of seven days, compared to the Apple Watch Series 9's 18 hours. Though the battery life of Apple watches has come a long way, it's still nowhere close to Oura's long-lasting battery. But because the Apple Watch has more capabilities overall, not to mention a display and built-in GPS, this should come as no surprise.
You should expect to charge your Apple Watch every day, which means if you sleep in it you might have to recharge it before bed or in the morning for work. I hate having to recharge yet another device on top of my phone, but there's no way around it. The Oura, on the other hand, only requires a boost every five days or so and you'll be reminded to recharge before bed when it's time. And if you only decide to wear your Oura at night for sleep tracking (as opposed to all day), this will extend its battery life even further.
Bottom Line: Should you buy an Oura Ring or an Apple Watch?
The right device for you depends on a variety of factors. If you're looking for a minimalist wearable to help you get an idea of your sleep and health habits, I'd recommend the Oura. It's easy to wear, easy to use and blends in with all jewelry. Plus, it won't feel bulky overnight and doesn't require frequent charging.
If, however, you'd prefer a device that does all of the above and more (like sharing notifications, tracking workouts on your wrist, etc.) then the Apple Watch is a wiser investment. Though Oura fans tend to love their daily breakdown of sleep, readiness and activity scores, getting access to all your data requires a monthly subscription, whereas Apple Health does not. So even though I might prefer how Oura makes my metrics a bit easier to understand, I'll admit that it can become pricey over time.
Overall, the Apple Watch brings more features to the table while the Oura Ring provides a better picture of overall wellness. For instance, the Apple Watch can detect irregular heart rate activity and alert you that something may be wrong. It also has built-in features to get you in touch with emergency services or emergency contacts should you experience a fall or a car crash. The Oura Ring simply isn't able to compete in these scenarios. It can, however, tell you whether you're ready to tackle the day or should prioritize rest and recovery, whereas the Apple Watch doesn't share these conclusions and you'll have to interpret most data for yourself.
The last thing to consider (and this may be a dealbreaker for some): Apple watches are only compatible with iPhones, whereas the Oura Ring works with both. Once you've considered all these factors, you should have a clearer idea of which device is worth it for you. For some, it might even be both!
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Media & Tech Reviews Analyst Olivia Lipski covers popular health and fitness trackers like the Apple Watch Ultra, Garmin running watches and more. She continues to stay on top of the industry's latest innovations and helps readers make better buying decisions by testing and reviewing the best products to hit the market. She's been wearing an Oura Ring (both the Heritage and Horizon style) since September 2022, and has used a variety of smart watches, including Apple Watch Series 6 and every generation above.
Olivia (she/her) is a media and tech product reviews analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute, covering tech, home, auto, health and more. She has more than five years of experience writing about tech trends and innovation and, prior to joining GH in 2021, was a writer for Android Central, Lifewire and other media outlets. Olivia is a graduate of George Washington University, with a bachelor's degree in journalism, political science and French, and she holds a master’s degree in communications from Sciences Po Paris.
