By: Lauren Zulick ‘25
Over the past years, we have been tracking fitness and health monitoring via watch, armband and even rings. The most popular wearables have been the Fitbit, or the Apple Watch, with its new editions coming out almost every year. Personally, I have had the opportunity to have the Apple Watch series 7 and was gifted the Oura Ring Gen 3 this past Christmas. The Oura Ring is a sleek alternative from the Apple Watch or Fitbit, which typically go on your wrist. I have not been a big fan of the Apple Watch for both practicality and aesthetic reasons and because of the battery life and bulkiness of the watch. Additionally, the Apple Watch Series 7 must be charged almost every night, similar to an iPhone, whereas the Oura can be charged in about 80 minutes every seven to eight days.
The first major difference between the Oura Ring and the Apple Watch is design. The Apple Watch is more like an iPhone with its large screen, apps and phone capabilities. But it’s also bulky and requires charging every night. Personally, I’ve never been a huge fan of the Apple Watch. While I understand it’s appeal, I’ve always found it a bit too heavy and distracting. The constant buzz of notifications makes it hard to focus, and the fact that I had to charge it almost every day made it feel like just another device to keep track of.
The Oura is a health tracker with no screen or alarms/buzzes from the device itself. Oura syncs with an app on your phone to keep track of your personal data like sleep score, readiness scores, oxygen levels, steps, stress levels, activity/workouts and of course heart rate. In terms of design, the Oura Ring wins points for being subtle and lightweight, especially compared to the bulky Apple Watch. Along with the sleek design of the Oura Ring, it also wins in the topic of battery life. For someone who doesn’t want to be constantly plugging in their device, the Oura Ring is a much more practical choice. I’ve found that not having to worry about daily charging has made the Oura Ring feel like less of a hassle.
Although, when it comes to fitness tracking, I have noticed that the Apple Watch does have more real-time features as well as tracking multiple types of workouts, including indoor versus outdoor. If you are someone who wants immediate results when you look for your timing, calories burnt or GPS tracking while working out, then the Apple Watch may be the one for you. The Oura is more focused on passive health monitoring. It does not give you real time feedback during workouts, but it does recognize when you are working out and suggests inputting workout types and start and end times via the app.
In terms of ease of use, the Oura Ring’s lack of distractions is a huge plus. While the Apple Watch can be overwhelming with its constant notifications, the Oura Ring’s simplicity makes it easier to focus on what matters, your health. The app is straightforward and doesn’t bombard you with too much information, making it easy to track progress without feeling overwhelmed. If you’re looking for a device that can do everything from fitness tracking to sending texts and answering calls, the Apple Watch is the way to go. But if you want something more focused on health tracking, with no distractions and long battery life, the Oura Ring is a better fit.
Personally, I have found the Oura Ring to be a much better choice for my lifestyle. It helps me focus on my habits, trends and cycles all without the interruptions that may come with an Apple Watch.
THE BEAR FACTS 