Is the Oura Ring worth it? Can you lift weights with it? Can you plan for babies or prevent babies with it? What is my take on the Oura ring? 

In the blog today, we’re going to get into it. 

Prefer to learn on video? Watch here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT7Q1_Hav7o&feature=youtu.be

Every time I put up a screenshot of my Oura ring data on Instagram or do an open question box, people ask for my opinion on the Oura ring. 

In case you’re new here, my name is Annie Miller, and I help you learn as you train and enjoy your lifts. 

Today I do that by giving you my full opinion and database review of the Oura Ring Gen 3. 

NOTE: I also have a blog reviewing the Polar A370 and often get asked how these two products compare. So be sure to check that out if you are wondering how the Oura Ring stands up against other forms of activity and recovery trackers. 

We are going to cover the following:

• Sizing / ordering
• What it comes with
• The functionality
• What the oura ring tracks & why that matters to you, or doesn’t
• Common questions about the Oura ring

Sizing / Ordering:

Once you order the ring, the process actually begins with them sending you a sizing kit. If this is optional, I highly recommend that you do it. I had a different size from the Gen 2 to the Gen 3. 

You’ll then decide what finger you want to wear the ring on and what size that will be. 

You give them that size and they send you the proper ring and the charger, which brings us to what you actually get when you order an Oura Ring. 

What The Oura Ring Gen 3 Comes With:

You get: 

• The ring itself
• A cord for the charger
• The actual charging unit

The ring sits on top of the charger.

You also need to download the Oura Ring app with the Gen 3.

I had to pay for access to the app. I don’t know if that’s still the case, but it’s worth it for the functionality in my opinion. You’ll need to decide what is and isn’t worth it to you because you have your own needs and your financial situation.

The ring is not cheap. 

I would consider it expensive for anyone because of what it is. At the time of posting this blog, it costs $299-$499 depending on the color and the style of the ring. This is insane to me, but I don’t make the rules. 

Let’s go ahead and get into the functionality and what you can use this wearable device for. 

Oura Ring Gen 3 Functionality:

The Oura Ring is a wearable device that gives you data based around:

• Readiness
• Sleep
• Activity levels 

These are all according to the app at the time of posting this blog. 

As I mentioned earlier, the app is the other piece of the equation. 

The Oura Ring app is where all of the data manifests in a digestible way for us as the user. 

So we have the ring, the wearable device, the charger and the app. The data that you can expect includes but is not limited to:

• Resting heart rate
• Heart rate variability 
• Body temperature
• Respiratory rate
• Period prediction – This is based on body temperature and you actually tracking your cycle in the app. 
• Deep and light sleep as well as REM sleep. 

All of this data is collected primarily overnight. 

During the day, it does also track activity, but you’ll find that I’m not the biggest fan of this feature for the most part. 

You can also enter “tags” as many as you want daily. So if you took magnesium, if you had sex, if you were sick, had cramps, a headache if you were traveling, etc. 

It’s pretty endless as far as what tags you can enter on that daily basis and this feature is really nice for looking back on data and seeing trends or reasons for certain biofeedback that you’re receiving. 

For example, it makes sense that if you traveled or are jet lagged that your HRV and your readiness might be in the shitter. Or if you track when you did “the deed” and then your temp doesn’t drop. This also makes sense and means that you are likely with child due to sexing it up during or near your ovulation. 

Baby Miller #1 & #1 are prime examples…

Moving along, I personally use the body temperature feature as a fertility awareness method with Gen 2, which did not have period prediction.

It was not marketed as such at that time. Our Ring made it clear that the device was not to be used for conception or preventing conception. 

Now it’s been approved for these functions. 

If you know how to look for the fluctuations in your body temperature and ovulation, then you know when you’ve ovulated and at what point ovulation typically takes place within your personal menstrual cycle. 

Just to be clear, body temperature is going to be the main indicator for that. 

Is The Oura Ring Worth It To You Or Not? 

Before using the body temperature feature of the Oura Ring, I still used the sleep data because I do feel that that was more in depth and accurate than data that I was getting from my Polar watch. Which is another wearable that I have, but I do exclusively use my Polar watch and my chest strap for lifts and conditioning.

Essentially, I used the Polar watch for my activity tracker and the Oura Ring for my sleep, recovery, and menstrual cycle. 

This is the best combination for the most accurate data that I tend to care about in my day-to-day health and seeing trends over time. 

In my personal experience, the Oura Ring does a terrible job of recognizing what a workout is and what a workout is not. 

Oftentimes it doesn’t even pick up on my workouts, but when I take a shower, do laundry, clean the house, it asks if I did strength training. 

The only thing that it does track decently well I would say is walking or your step count, but I certainly wouldn’t depend on the Oura Ring solely for your activity tracker. 

We know in general that there is a large percentage or range of error with activity trackers, both in the sense of actual activity tracked and in calories burned… I generally like to use activity and recovery trackers as additional feedback to what I subjectively feel from a biofeedback standpoint. 

For instance, if I wake up feeling energized but my recovery score in the Oura ring isn’t optimal, I might back off a little bit based on that information, but more than likely I will go about my day as planned if I feel fine. 

In other words, I don’t make all of my decisions definitively around these trackers. 

Common Questions About The Oura Ring Gen 3

1. Do I wear it while I lift? 

This is probably the most common question that I get about the Oura ring. 

YES – I only take it off to wash my face or shower. I don’t need to because it is water resistant, but it’s something that I prefer to do. I just don’t like my finger being wet underneath the ring. 

2. Does it get scratched while lifting? 

Yes, it does. I have had two of the gold rings at this point and the underside of the ring where the bar or the dumbbell or whatever apparatus is touching, it absolutely does get scratched up. 

It will lose a little bit of its color. It’s just not something that I am bothered by. It’s totally my personal preference and remember I don’t wear it for activity tracking so I could take it off during my lifts and I would also be unbothered by that.

I simply keep it on out of convenience and I’ve always lifted with my rings, so generally I’m not bothered by having rings on my fingers when I’m lifting. 

3. How long does the battery last? 

For me, I wear it almost 24/7 and I charge it about every three days. That has never seemed to change for me even as the ring gets older. 

4. Is it accurate for period prediction? 

Yes, for me it absolutely has been. I have had a regular period from the day that I began menstruating and I got my period back after six weeks of being postpartum. 

The Oura ring seemed to catch onto my cycle very quickly no matter when it was tracking pre-baby or after baby. That’s regardless of if I was ovulating or not or if ovulation was abnormal. Mainly referring to that early postpartum period. 

5. Did I use it to get pregnant or did it help me know that I was pregnant?

No, to the first part and yes to the second part. I knew the day my temperature did not drop when it should have. I was four weeks and one day pregnant. 

You can see here my normal menstrual cycle with the temperature dropping and rising again to indicate that I have ovulated and then it stays elevated for the remainder of my first trimester. 

I literally made Nate get a test and sure enough I was with child both times. 

Overall, the Oura Ring’s best function, in my opinion, is tracking recovery and menstrual cycles. 

If you happen to need that and you have around $300 to spare, then go for it. 

Join The Discussion: 

If you have more questions about the Oura ring, please drop them in the comments below. I am happy to give my opinion beyond the facts that are stated on the Oura Ring site.

I hope you enjoyed these educated gains and I will see you in the next blog. 

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