The Oura Ring and the Whoop are two useful accessories to wear for health tracking, albeit for different reasons. Both devices have additional pros and cons, particularly surrounding design, features, and battery life – but which is better the Oura Ring or Whoop?
I have owned and have worn the Oura Ring for over two years and use it as a sleep tracker, but it also works well as an activity tracker for fitness purposes too. The Whoop is designed as an exercise performance accessory but also functions well as a sleep tracker
This comparative article will examine both of these popular health tracking accessories to help you decide which one best matches your requirements.
What is an Oura Ring?
The Oura Ring is a product of the Finnish health tech company of the same name and has experienced enduring popularity since it first entered the health and fitness market back in 2015. So insuring has its popularity been that the company released the third generation of the product in November of 2021.
The accessory is effectively a heart rate monitor that collects data, including your blood pressure and temperature, throughout the day. It can be used as you sleep, exercise, and complete day-to-day tasks.
One of the most interesting facts about the Oura Ring is that the temperature data supplied by the ring was used to spot early signs of COVID-19 throughout the pandemic. The Ring proved highly beneficial in curbing the rate of the spread of the disease, as wearers were informed of their temperature change as soon as it happened.
On a personal note, I noticed the effect of taking COVID vaccines reflected in my Oura Ring data within hours of being jabbed.
Photo by Lifehacker Guy: I own two Oura rings both version 3's
Oura Ring specs
The latest edition of the Oura Ring boasts 7 temperature settings, ensuring that the data collected is accurate. It can be useful for determining a wide number of health-related things, including your respiratory rate, heart rate variability, and illness detection. The additional sensors make the device work as a fitness tracker, an aspect that prior models didn't have.
The newest version also has 16 MB of memory, which is a huge step up from the earlier editions, which only featured 0.5 MB.
This accessory is worn on your finger and is made of titanium, ensuring durability. The third generation of the product comes in various colors, including gold, stealth, black, and silver. It is available in a variety of sizes and, depending on the size selected, can weigh between 4 and 6 grams.
Its size is 0.31 inches and fits true-to-size at the base of the user's finger, fitting on either your ring, middle, or index finger.
How does an Oura Ring work?
The Oura Ring detects changes in your heart and respiratory rate by shining infrared beams of light through your skin. Sensors capture these changes, and the Ring displays a report of the data gathered in the accompanying app. The Ring also uses an accelerometer and sensors to record both your movements as well as when you fall asleep and wake up.
The sensors built into the Oura Ring detect your pulse 250 times per second, both as you sleep and as you exercise, to determine your heart rate at different stages throughout your activity.
The sensors can also map the different sleep stages, including light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep. The data gathered by the Oura Ring throughout the day is divided into sections on the app – Sleep, Readiness, and Activity. The Sleep tracking score relates to your sleep health, the Activity relates to your movement, and the Readiness score is a combination of the two.
The app will also display how many calories you burned throughout the day and how close you are to reaching your daily calories burned target.
Features and benefits
The main features of the Oura Ring Generation 3 are as follows:
24/7 Heart Rate Monitoring
With 4-7 days' worth of battery life per charge, the Oura Ring can provide you with 24/7 heart rate monitoring for nearly the whole week. When charged and worn, the Oura Ring can be used to determine the rhythm of your heart rate throughout the day.
7 Temperature Sensors
The latest model of the Oura Ring features 7 separate temperature sensors, which ensures highly advanced temperature detection. Working together, these 7 sensors can detect a temperature change as minuscule as 0.1° celsius. This is why this product is so good at detecting illness before symptoms can be felt, particularly for COVID-19 detection.
3 Daily Scores
The Oura app will constantly change throughout the day, depending on your sleep and performance level. Data gathered is split into 3 different scores: Sleep, Activity, and Readiness.
Sleep
Similar to other sleep trackers, your sleep score is determined by several factors: how long you spend in a deep sleep, how much REM sleep you get, how long it takes you to get to sleep, and what time throughout the day you sleep, i.e., from early evening till early morning.
Activity
The Activity score depends on how much movement you do throughout the day, in addition to how much recovery time you allow yourself.
For this reason, the Oura Ring is a handy device for health tracking, as it reflects your workout routine accurately, and encourages you to take sufficient breaks between exercising instead of over-exercising to get your score up.
Readiness
The main score that the app displays for you is your Readiness score. This score is a holistic reflection of your health, taking into account both elements of your sleeping pattern as well as the amount of exercise you do for that day. This score also reflects your temperature, heart rate variability, and resting heart rate.
Completely Adaptable
The Oura Ring is adaptable with other exercise devices, including the Apple Watch. Not only can you upload data to the Oura app from your Apple Watch, but you can also send data gathered from the Oura Ring to your Apple Watch. Thanks to Apple Health, both of these commands can be completed seamlessly on your phone.
The Oura Ring is also compatible with several other apps and platforms, including Google Fit.
Unguided Sessions
The Oura Ring comes with several mindfulness features. For example, whenever you start to meditate or take part in a mindfulness activity, you can switch on the Unguided Sessions feature on the Oura app to guide valuable data to show you how much you're getting out of your session.
The data displayed in Unguided Sessions includes your resting heart rate, heart rate variability, and the trends in your skin temperature. These can effectively indicate how well you're carrying out meditation.
Instant Feedback
The Oura Ring can provide you with instant feedback on your current heart rate or temperature whenever you need it. All you need to do to activate the device's Live Heart Rate is tap the heart icon on the app and stand still for 10 seconds as the ring determines your current heart rate.
You can check your latest heart rate check at any time, which is stated below your Activity Goal Progress in the app.
Oura Ring App
The Oura Ring app is organized well and easy to use. In addition to the individual scores, the easy-to-control display shows several useful bits of data. This includes your recovery index, sleep balance, and activity balance.
Oura Ring App showing data for one day
The Pros and Cons of an Oura Ring
Pros:
- The Oura Ring comes with a long battery life of 4-7 days, according to the Oura company. This is particularly handy given that the product needs to retain charge long-term to give you an accurate health reading.
- Even when the battery runs out, it only takes between 20 and 80 minutes to reach full charge again.
- The Ring's highly durable titanium build ensures that you can wear it while performing any activity, whether it be rock climbing or weight lifting.
- The Oura Ring is available in several sizes, meaning you can easily find a size comfortable to your finger size. Its lightweight build ensures that you can put the ring on your finger and forget about it – it is not of an uncomfortable weight or builds, meaning you don't notice it when wearing it 24/7. The Oura needs to be snug to be accurate.
- The ring is waterproof up to 330 feet, meaning it can still be worn through a range of water-based activities. It can be left on while you swim, wash dishes, and shower. This is beneficial if you want to take a full-day reading of your heart rate and temperature, as you can go days without taking it off.
Cons:
- The Oura Ring is not fully automatic, as you have to manually add stationary activities, such as yoga.
- The device also struggles to record high-intensity workouts that involve a lot of breaks, such as weight lifting. For such exercises, you'll need to manually fill out the intensity and duration of each workout. Again, this means that the Oura cannot be classed as a fully automatic device, and it can be inconvenient to have to remember to do this.
- The Oura may be accurate in terms of sleep tracking, but it cannot provide 100% accuracy for workouts. Given that you need to manually fill in the intensity and duration of your workout, and that the device doesn't do any fitness tracking itself, the results the device gives you are only an estimate.
- You need to stand still so that your device can detect your current heart rate. This makes it difficult to get an accurate reading when performing high-intensity workouts, such as cycling or running.
Pricing
The Oura Ring 3rd Generation is currently priced at $299 (there is even a gold version priced at $999), which is pretty high relative to other sleep tracking devices. However, the Ring does offer outstanding sleep tracking data, more than a lot of the cheaper alternatives on the market.
However, this is an exceptionally high price for a device in terms of overall health tracking, given that the Oura 3 can't accurately provide you with readings for high-intensity workouts or activities that involve a lot of movement, such as cycling.
My Experience with Oura ring: I have worn the Oura ring for 2-years now and never miss a day. I find the sleep and step data very useful for monitoring my daily exercise and recovery.
Although I have never worn a ring prior to Oura, I prefer a ring wearable over a watch or strap. There is also the argument that a perfectly fitting ring will be closer to the skin and so provide better accuracy of data.
Photo by Lifehacker Guy
Who it's made for?
The Oura is for anyone who wants to accurately track their sleep cycles, not for those who want to accurately track their fitness workouts.
What is a Whoop Strap?
The Whoop Strap is a fitness tracker that doesn't just stop tracking when you stop exercising; it monitors your movements throughout the day and even tracks your sleep.
Currently, on version 4.0, the Whoop Strap has been a fan favorite in the sporting world since its first release in 2015. Over time, the strap has grown sleeker, lighter, and more comfortable for the wearer.
It provides a highly accurate report of your daily movements by tracking your skin temperature and blood oxygen. It is a reliable piece of kit if you want to understand your exercise performance and recovery habits more accurately.
Not only does the Whoop Strap show you how well you do, but it also warns you when it detects that you've worked out too much. Like the Oura Ring, the Whoop Strap can also be used for illness detection and has been used as a body temperature tester throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
How does a Whoop Strap work?
The Whoop Strap uses biometric tracking – specifically skin temperature and blood oxygen – to provide you with valuable insights into your daily workouts and movements.
The strap contains photodiodes that can detect and analyze physiological markers, which are then used to measure your respiratory rate, heart variability, and heart rate reserve. By determining your heart rate, the Whoop can estimate the number of calories you've burned throughout the day.
This data is then displayed on the app. To use the Whoop Strap for workout tracking, you'll need to first log in to the exercises you plan on doing via the app. Once you've recorded and completed the chosen exercise, the strap will start to record your gym sessions automatically.
A big focus of the device is recovery. After recording your workout, the Strap will determine how much sleep and recovery time you need before you can exercise again.
Features and Benefits
The main features of the Whoop Strap version 4.0 are as follows:
Track Your Health
As soon as the Whoop Strap detects a spike in your heart rate, it will start recording your workout routine. By using the adjoining app, you can monitor your fitness progress and overall health throughout your Whoop subscription.
At the end of the day, the app will give you an overall fitness score, which is based on your training frequency, recovery time, calories burned, and movement throughout the day.
Data Capturing
Worn on top of your wrist bone, the Whoop can attain accurate capturing of your health data. The more you wear the strap, the more accurate the strap's data readings become.
Track Metrics 24/7
This device comes with its battery pack, which can be attached to the strap as required, meaning you never have to take the strap off! This means you can track your body temperature, sleep data, and exercise performance 24/7.
This battery pack only needs to be connected to the strap for 1 hour.
Comfortable
The stretchy SuperKnit band makes the Whoop easy to slip on and off and ensures optimum comfort for each user. The lightweight and thin design – measuring just 0.375 inches maximum – also make the band comfortable to leave on your wrist over long periods.
Wake Up At The Optimal Time
One of the best features of Whoop is that it can accurately detect how much sleep you require for recovery with the Sleep Coach feature.
This feature will wake you up using haptic signals once you've attained a sufficient level of deep sleep. You can rely on the strap to not only detect your sleep but also control your sleep time. Through this smart sleep control, you can attain optimum rest to ensure that your workouts become easier.
The Whoop App
There is a multitude of features on the Whoop app, each of which is designed to improve your athletic performance. In addition to Sleep Coach, you'll also find Daily Strain Coach, key performance metrics, and sleep cycles insights.
The Pros and Cons of a Whoop Strap
Pros:
- The Whoop uses advanced biometric tracking to give you accurate fitness and wellbeing data.
- The device has a long-lasting battery. Although not as long as the Oura Ring, the Whoop Strap has 4-5 days' worth of charge when fully charged. Plus, you don't need to remove the strap to charge it – all you've got to do is attach the battery pack.
- Helps you to work out responsibly. With useful and accurate recovery recommendations, you can worry less about straining yourself and reduce the risk of injury.
- The strap uses haptic signals to wake you up once you've attained sufficient recovery sleep.
- Both the Whoop 4.0 and the battery pack are 1 meter water-resistant, meaning that the strap can be kept on as you shower and swim.
- The strap is comfortable and lightweight. The stretch knit strap makes putting on and removing the strap comfortable and hassle-free.
cons:
- The Whoop Strap doesn't work as well at recording weight lifting activities as it does at cardio. Unfortunately, this has a knock-on effect on the device's other features, such as recovery, as it cannot accurately determine how much time you require to recuperate.
- Amazingly, this fitness tracker doesn't feature a GPS itself – you need to connect it to your phone to track distance. If you don't like going out running or cycling with your phone on you, then the Whoop Strap is useless.
- The strap can't provide you with data straight away. It takes roughly 4 days of wearing the device before it can start providing you with meaningful insights.
- The sleep tracking isn't reliable. Most users have complained about getting an inaccurate report on their sleep patterns from the Whoop, particularly regarding the device's deep sleep analysis. Specifically, it doesn't feel like the device's deep sleep tracking reflects the reality of your sleep.
Pricing
Interestingly, the Whoop Strap is only available on a subscription-based service. The strap itself is free and requires no upfront cost, but users need to commit to a $30 per month subscription.
It's possible to pay for a 1-year or 2-year subscription upfront if you don't want to pay monthly. Whoop charge $300 for an upfront 1-year subscription and $480 for 2 years – both excluding tax.
Who it's made for?
It's made for athletes who are looking to improve their overall fitness level. If you'd like to track your workout routine and ensure that you're getting enough recovery time in between workouts, then the Whoop is a worthwhile investment.
Oura Ring or Whoop: Which Is Best For You?
If you regularly use such apps as Google Fit and Apple Health and would like to continue using them to work out, then the Oura Ring is the best option for you. The Ring has major limitations as a fitness tracker; however, if paired with a supporting app, it can become a useful piece of kit.
The Oura does shine in terms of body temperature and sleep detection, but not as a standalone fitness tracker.
The Whoop, on the other hand, is a good option if you would like to invest in a regular subscription for a whole new fitness tracking system. The Whoop can help you analyze your fitness routine holistically, taking into account both your training sessions as well as your required recovery time to make you a more responsible and better exerciser.
Both Whoop and Oura have different uses – which is best ultimately decides what you are looking for in your health tracker.
FAQs
Do you need a monthly subscription for Whoop?
Yes, a monthly subscription is necessary to get a Whoop. You can either pay for this annually upfront or in monthly installments.
What happens when my Whoop membership ends?
If you stop paying for your Whoop subscription, you won't be able to upload data to your Whoop app, and you'll effectively be shut out from the service.
Should I wear my Oura Ring all day?
Wearing the Oura Ring all day will give you the most accurate daily routine data. Both Oura and Whoop devices can be worn all day (and all night, to monitor sleep performance).
Can I shower with my Oura Ring?
You can shower – and even swim! – with your Oura Ring on.
The Bottom Line
Both the Oura Ring and the Whoop Strap are handy fitness tracking devices that can be used for a range of functions, from determining body temperate to measuring REM sleep.
However, in terms of which one is better, I'd say the Oura Ring is more valuable for tracking overall health.
Although the Oura may offer more sleep data insights, the Whoop can offer more meaningful sleep, waking, and exercising data, making it a more useful piece of kit overall.
AirSnore is a company that sells a special mouthpiece and essential oil drops that are supposed to stop people snoring and stop sleep apnea.
The mouthpiece works to stop snoring and sleep apnea by keeping the mouth slightly open whilst sleeping and therefore keeping the airways open.
Sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep disorders that people have to deal with. It affects those who suffer from loud snoring and the airways close and can become blocked when asleep.
This block triggers the brain to wake up for a short period of time. This then affects sleep.
These kinds of sleep apnea devices have grown in popularity over the years, as the alternative is a heavy, full-duty, over-face sleep apnea breathing device.
As sleep is one of the most important elements of good overall health, I’m keen to take a closer look at AirSnore and see if it really can provide benefits to those that suffer from snoring and sleep apnea.
If you’re thinking of purchasing AirSnore, or you’re also keen to take a closer look at it, check out my full AirSnore review below.
Visit the AirSnore website
AirSnore First Impressions
I’m not crazy about the AirSnore website – it looks outdated, it has weak branding, and there’s a lack of customer reviews.
However, there is a lot of information about the AirSnore mouthpiece and drops, which is great to see.
The actual product that AirSnore sells seems effective, with the research to back it up.
Therefore, although I don’t love the website, AirSnore does seem intriguing and I’m keen to take a closer look at it!
Sleep promoting supplements I have reviewed that you may be interested in:
Background on AirSnore
There is pretty much no information online about the AirSnore company, who owns it, or where it is based – not ideal! However, AirSnore social media records show that the company first started selling AirSnore products in 2016.
It is concerning that there is very little information about the company. However, since there are reviews of AirSnore that are positive and there seems to be significant research to back up the fact that the mouthpiece works to support sleep without snoring and sleep apnea, it may be possible to look past that.
AirSnore Benefits
AirSnore provides benefits to those that deal with sleep apnea and excessive snoring.
Both the AirSnore mouthpiece and drops help to keep the airways open so that snoring doesn’t occur and the users of AirSnore can sleep well and not be woken during the night.
How Does AirSnore Work?
There are two parts of AirSnore – the mouthpiece and the drops. The mouthpiece keeps your mouth open slightly which helps to keep the upper airway open. This helps you to breathe more easily and stops you from snoring whilst you sleep.
The drops contain powerful essential oils that promote sleep and clear the airways to reduce the likelihood of snoring and sleep apnea.
How Does It Feel To Use AirSnore?
AirSnore isn’t available on Amazon and there are no reviews on the website. However, there are reviews about how it feels to use AirSnore on other websites by people who have used the product.
Obviously, the AirSnore drops are easy to use, smell nice and provide relaxation and stress relief – you can put drops on your chest, or your nose, or on bed linen.
With the AirSnore mouthpiece, you first need to fit it properly to your mouth, and this may feel a little strange initially!
You have to use the traditional and simple boil-and-bite method where you essentially just boil the mouthpiece, bite down on it to set it to your mouth, then place it into cold water to set it.
Once the mouthpiece is set to your mouth, it should be comfortable and easy to use, as reviews suggest!
Side Effects
AirSnore doesn’t state that there are any side effects associated with the mouthpiece or drops.
However, I would suggest that both of these things should only be used by those who snore or have sleep apnea – hence, that is what these products are made for!
In addition, the essential oil drops may not be suitable for everyone as some people are allergic to essential oils or find them too strong.
Does AirSnore Work?
Both the AirSnore mouthpiece and the AirSnore drops are supposed to help people that suffer from obstructive sleep apnoea.
The mouthpiece helps because it molds itself into your mouth and once it’s in place, it keeps your mouth open to open your upper airway. This helps you to breathe more easily and stops you snoring whilst you sleep.
These types of mouthpieces have proven research that supports that they work to reduce snoring and sleep apnea.
These types of mouthpieces have proven research that supports that they work to reduce snoring and sleep apnea.
The AirSnore drops contain natural, therapeutic essential oils that help you to relax and promote deep sleep without snoring by clearing your airways.
The oils within this blend, such as eucalyptus oil, lavender oil, and menthol oil, all have research that shows they provide special benefits to the body, help to induce sleep and make breathing easier.
AirSnore Reviews
Although there are no reviews on the AirSnore website and the product isn’t available on Amazon, there are independent reviews of the AirSnore combo product on several websites.
So, let’s take a look at a small snippet of some of the reviews on these independent sites – they’re mostly very positive!
The AirSnore Mouthpiece’s customizable and adjustable design make this a suitable choice for most sleepers looking to reduce their snoring.Sleep Foundation Org Review
Having tried several anti-snoring mouthpieces on the market, Michael and I had varying opinions of the Air Snore product. While he found it to cause less pain in his jaw, he struggled to keep it in his mouth. I, on the other hand, found this product much easier to fit in my mouth. Other products I have found to make it very difficult if not impossible to keep my mouth closed while in use.The Sleep Judge Review
The drops are possibly a little expensive, but the cost of the AirSnore anti-snoring mouthpiece puts most quality alternatives to shame. It offers a very cost-effective means of getting your problem with snoring under control.Dawn Study Review
Money-Back Guarantee / Returns Policy
AirSnore offers a 60-day money-back guarantee on its products.
Where to buy Airsnore?
You can buy AirSnore from the AirSnore website.
Is It Worth The Price?
When it comes to purchasing AirSnore products, you can either buy the mouthpiece separately, the drops separately, or both as a combination package.
If you buy the AirSnore mouthpiece separately, the price is $49.95.
If you buy the AirSnore drops separately, the price is $44.95.
If you want to buy both the drops and mouthpiece, the AirSnore Combo costs $89.95.
Therefore, it’s best to buy the combo if you’re keen on getting the best results from AirSnore.
My Final Verdict
Both the AirSnore mouthpiece and the drops seem to be effective and beneficial to those that suffer from snoring and sleep apnea, which is great!
The only issue that I can see with AirSnore is that it has a bad website and there’s a lack of information about the company behind the product. However, the website does still have a large amount of information about the mouthpiece and the drops, which is clearly beneficial.
If you really feel as if you need to use a device for sleep apnea, the AirSnore mouthpiece and drops may be a good option for you.
Visit the AirSnore website
Lumen is a wellness device that uses health technology to measure your metabolism. The device is portable and pocket-size, as well as easy to use – the small device measures your metabolism with your breath.
Lumen claims that since the technology device measures metabolism at any time the user wants, it helps people to lose weight, track their fitness goals, and make healthy decisions about nutrition wherever they are.
Although Lumen was founded in 2016, the company’s device was first showcased to the world in 2020, after a successful IndieGoGo campaign raised over $2.3 million to create the device.
The device has grown in popularity since it was launched, with the likes of celebrity trainer Harry Jameson using and promoting it.
So, I’m super keen to take a closer look at it and see if it really can help people with their fitness and weight loss goals, or whether it’s simply an expensive device that doesn’t deliver the benefits that it’s supposed to.
If you’re thinking of purchasing Lumen, or you’re also keen to take a closer look at this health tech device, check out my full Lumen review below.
What is Lumen?
My first impression of Lumen is that it looks intriguing! The website is professional, informative, and I’m definitely impressed by the fact that the company has good reviews from the likes of the BBC, Forbes, Entrepreneur, and TechCrunch.
Looking at the Lumen device, it’s sleek, smart, but it does look slightly like a vape pen, which I’m not sure is what people are looking for when they’re trying to get into fitness and health! Nonetheless, it still seems impressive. I also like the look of the Lumen app!
Similar devices I have reviewed and a selection of supplement reviews you may be interested in:
Background on Lumen
Lumen was founded in 2016 by Michal Mor and her twin sister Merav Mor, both of who are Israeli physiology PhDs and triathletes.
When the duo wanted to bring their device to life, the company ran an incredibly successful IndieGoGo campaign that raised over $2.3 million with just under 10,000 fundraisers.
Lumen is the only device that the company produces, although the health technology that the devices use is said to help with a multitude of things, such as nutrition tracking, fitness tracking, and weight loss tracking, by monitoring the metabolism.
Lumen Benefits
The main function of Lumen is that it tracks metabolism and improves metabolism by supporting metabolic flexibility.
However, the device doesn’t just offer that! It also offers personalized daily nutrition tracking since it tells you how your body is using fat, carbs, and nutrients, as well as provides you with nutrition recommendations.
Lumen also helps you to track your energy levels, which allows you to optimize your workout and track the nutrition that your body needs post-workout, aiding in recovery.
How Does The Lumen Device Work?
The Lumen device works by using the breath of the user and measuring the CO2 concentration within the breath. The user simply needs to inhale a fixed volume of air through the Lumen device, hold it for ten seconds, and then exhale fully.
Lumen uses RER (Respiratory Exchange Ratio) to work out the metabolism of the body, as well as whether the body’s source of energy is coming from carbs or fats.
How Does It Feel To Use Lumen?
There are positive reviews from Lumen ambassadors about using the device on the Lumen website, with athletes, trainers, and physicians having videos on the site stating it’s easy to use!
However, there are a couple of negative reviews on using the Lumen on Amazon – people state that it’s hard to use.
Therefore, the feeling and experience of using Lumen may differ from person to person.
Side Effects
There are no side effects associated with using Lumen.
However, the brand suggests that the device should only be used by those over 16 years old, and if you have metabolic/respiratory medical conditions or other medical conditions that are affected or aggravated by changes in your diet, you should consult a doctor before using the device.
Does Lumen Work?
The Lumen device is proven by peer-reviews and San Francisco State University to provide results that are comparable to clinical RER tests. Therefore, the device is proven to measure metabolism.
In order for the Lumen to actually provide health benefits, the user of the device needs to actually make active changes in their life.
However, even if the Lumen device works, it is the responsibility of the consumer to read and track their own metabolic information and to change their nutrition intake and exercise plan as they see fit in order to make changes to weight and metabolic flexibility.
Therefore, in order for the Lumen to actually provide health benefits, the user of the device needs to actually make active changes in their life. However, the device is proven to work in terms of measuring and tracking metabolism.
Lumen Reviews
There are testimonials on the Lumen website, most of which are video testimonials from personal trainers, athletes, and coaches.
All of these reviews definitely have the potential to be biased, and therefore in order to make sure we’re looking at unbiased reviews, we have to take a look at other third-party sites.
Lumen is available on Amazon India, and therefore it’s possible to take a look on there for unbiased customer reviews, although there are only 7 total ratings and 23 reviews.
Overall, the formula scores a rating of 3.2 stars out of 5 stars – not great!
Let’s take a look at the three customer reviews available on Amazon.
Very difficult to use. 1-star review
I had high hope for this, but no matter what I did I couldn't get it to sink with my iPhone. Very disappointing. 1-star review
The item has clearly been used. When you spend this much money on a product, you expect a new product and not something that has been used and re-boxed. 1-star review
Money-Back Guarantee / Returns Policy
Lumen offers a 30-day return policy. If you want to return a device, you will need to return it in its original packaging with the charging cable and dock. Lumen also offers a one-year warranty.
Where to buy Lumen?
You can buy Lumen from the Lumen website.
Is It Worth The Price?
One Lumen device costs $349. If you buy two devices, you receive a 10% discount.
Honestly, I’m not sure if the device is worth the price that it is sold at. I understand why the device is as expensive as it is since it uses innovative health technology.
However, unless you are really interested in tracking your metabolism and you think it’s an essential part of your weight loss and nutrition plan, I don’t think there’s any real need to buy a Lumen.
My Final Verdict
Lumen has created an incredibly innovative and technologically advanced device that is proven to work. However, I’m unsure whether the device is really as useful as the brand makes it out to be.
Unless you are someone that really needs to measure and track your metabolism to improve your weight loss and nutrition intake, I don’t really understand why you would need this piece of tech.
If you really do want to buy it and you have the budget to do so, then do so. However, if you’re on the fence, then I’d suggest spending money on bettering your nutrition and exercise instead of tracking your metabolism.
Are you struggling to get great sleep each night? Then maybe this smart wearable Oura ring could be for you!
It’s rare to meet someone who hasn’t tried some form of wearable technology. In fact, all of us whether we like it or not have some form of tracking device on us most of the time in the form of our mobiles.
The Oura ring takes a different approach by putting clever measurement sensors into a smart ring that can record some pretty awesome data.
I first noticed Oura as it was worn by a few entrepreneurs that I follow mentioned how effective the ring can be for sleep hacking and boosting productivity.
I was keen to discover if wearing the ring really helps with improving sleep and recording useful data or if it’s the latest wearable gimmick.
So, I purchased the Oura ring a few months ago and have been wearing it every day since. Here is my independent Oura ring review based on my experience.
Photo by Lifehacker Guy
Why is Good Sleep So Important?
Before delving into the cool technology of the Oura ring and what it can measure, I wanted to first dive into the importance of sleep. Actually, to be more accurate, the importance of good quality sleep.
Everyone knows why having a good night’s sleep is important, but until recently I really underestimated the knock-on effect of an erratic sleep routine.
Consistency really pays off when it comes to having a regular sleep pattern.
That said, up until recently I believed that I could “get used to” less sleep and still function well and not have a serious impact on my health. This is far from accurate though.
I have been reading about the importance and impact of sleep from “sleep scientist” Matthew Walker. From his extensive research, he claims anything less than a consistent 7-hours of sleep is inadequate sleep.
anything less than a consistent 7-hours of sleep is inadequate sleep.Matthew Walker
Matthew is a strong advocate of avoiding “junk sleep” that is triggered by sleeping pills and living in tune with your “chronotypes” (I am going to write more about this in another post soon).
If you really want to deep dive into why we sleep then check out the book of the same name by Matthew Walker here on Amazon. What Are The implications of Inadequate or Poor Sleep?
Without getting too scientific he found that the brainwave activity of sleep-deprived subjects changes significantly from those with better sleep.
Other examples:
adults aged 45 years or older who sleep less than six hours a night are 200% more likely to have a heart attack or stroke in their lifetime, as compared with those sleeping seven or eight hours a night.
A lack of sleep also appears to hijack the body’s effective control of blood sugar, the cells of the sleep-deprived appearing, in experiments, to become less responsive to insulin, and thus to cause a prediabetic state of hyperglycemia
Source: Guardian
The advice is simple: Without sleep, there is low energy and disease. With sleep, there is vitality and health.
How the Oura Ring Differs from Other Trackers
Are you worried about whether you're getting good enough sleep? Well, this is where the Oura ring comes in because it's becoming known as one of the most popular sleep and activity trackers on the market.
There are many activity trackers on the market, even your trusty iPhone does a good job of measuring daily steps – or so I thought!
Photo by Lifehacker Guy
Related: oura ring vs whoop
I found that comparing the iPhone versus Oura ring daily step count the iPhone under-reported my daily steps. This would make sense as you rarely take your phone EVERYWHERE you go. So, although I thought my step count was on the low side, it really wasn’t as bad as I thought (still 40% less than when I lived in London!).
If you’re wearing a wrist tracker like FitBit then you’re most likely getting a more accurate daily step measure.
Where the Oura ring really stands out amongst other tracking devices is how good it is at tracking sleep patterns. To be honest this would be the main reason you would look to buy the Oura Ring. If you're looking for a heart rate monitor activity tracker then Oura isn't the best choice and there are other devices more sorted to this.
Oura ring specifications
- Material: Scratch-resistant titanium
- Price: $299 USD – $999 USD
- Weight: 4 – 6 grams
- Water resistant: 100m / 328 ft
- Dimensions: 7.9 mm wide (0.31 inches), 2.55 mm thick (0.1 inches)
- Battery life: 1 week
- Charge time: 20 – 80 mins depending on charging frequency
- Charger: Wireless charger with USB-A connection
- Sensors: Proprietary pulse sensors and infrared PPG sensors, body temperature sensors, 3D accelerometer and gyroscope
What the Oura Ring Measures
The Oura is packed with advanced sensors on the inside of the ring that touch your skin and
and measure the following data:
- Body Temperature Sensor
- Infrared Optical LED Sensors
- 3D Accelerometer and Gyroscope
The Oura constantly measures the data from these three sensors and the internal battery can store up to six weeks ‘ worth of data.
Based on the night before data, the Oura ring will recommend either “increasing your activity” or “taking it easy”. This is a great way to get feedback for me as most mornings I wake up tired and it can be difficult to know when it’s a normal day or when I really need to take it steady.
This stems back from when I overtrained many years ago when training for Triathlons and ended up getting Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (you can read about my story from triathlete to chronic fatigue here).
How Does the Oura Ring Work?
Photo by Lifehacker Guy
The Oura ring sensors detect the pulse waveform, amplitude changes, and time between heartbeats.
With this information it can successfully measure heart rate, heart rate variation (HRV), respiratory rate, body temperature, activity and movement, time asleep, sleep latency (how quickly you fall asleep), and the different stages of sleep (Light, REM and Deep).
The Oura ring records your body temperature reading every minute while you sleep (not during the day). By comparing that value to values from earlier nights, it indicates your body temperature baseline and any variations from it.
The infrared optical LED measures blood volume pulse directly from the palmar arteries of the finger.
The 3D Accelerometer and Gyroscope detect the amplitude and intensity of your body movement, automatically recognize that you’re active, and track the time you were inactive during the day.
You can read the full tech specifications on the website here.
Before Receiving Your Oura Ring
The first thing to do is to ensure you order the sizing ring. To get accurate measurements from the sensors means you need a good, snug-fitting ring. So I would thoroughly recommend ordering the Oura sizing ring kit, which includes a selection of eight rings from size 6 up to 13 to try.
Photo by Lifehacker Guy
The Oura sizing ring took 2-3 weeks to arrive for me.
I am not used to wearing any jewelry, my wife and I don’t even wear wedding rings, so it took me a few days to decide on the size and which finger I wanted to wear it on.
Unboxing the Oura Ring
Photo by Lifehacker Guy
I was keen to try Oura but living in Malaysia it took a while to finally get it onto my finger. The import duty really sucked too!
The Oura sizing ring took around 4 weeks to arrive and opening the box I have to admit I was excited to see it.
Opening the box reminded me of the slick packaging used by Apple – they have done a good job of designing this, so kudos to the Oura design team!
Inside the box is the Oura ring, charging stand, and tiny information booklet.
Picking up the ring I was surprised how shiny it was and was initially not keen on how this would look on my finger. It’s surprisingly light due to its titanium construction and after a few hours, you don’t realize you’re wearing it.
The ring is water-resistant to 100m and so there is no need to take it off when in the shower or swimming.
the ring is relatively easy to scratch and so if you’re going to the gym you need to be mindful when lifting weights – not an issue for me!
One thing I did notice though is the ring is relatively easy to scratch and so if you’re going to the gym you need to be mindful when lifting weights – this isn’t an issue for me as I never go to the gym!
The current version two of the Oura ring is much slicker than the original version. You can see the difference in the picture below. I couldn’t imagine wearing version one at all as it looks like something out of star trek!
My Oura ring review is based on the latest version two that I purchased in June 2019.
How Comfortable is the Oura Ring?
I am really not keen on wearing any jewelry at all so wearing the Oura ring was a little awkward for me. Even after being married for 8 plus years now, I have never worn a wedding ring, the same goes for my wife!
This is why I chose to wear it on my index finger. It doesn’t get in the way and only now and then am I aware of it when it touches my middle finger.
The first few days of wearing the Oura ring I was very self-aware of it as it’s a little shiny. This is because I picked the Silver Heritage model, wearing the black or stealth versions may be better.
Charging the Oura Ring
Photo by Lifehacker Guy
The battery life is really good and lasts almost a full week on one charge. This is a welcome relief as most iPhone users will be all too aware of the need to charge their phones every other day.
The ring is completely enclosed, and I am amazed they already fit so much in, so there is absolutely no room for any charging socket. So, charging the ring is done by a wireless charging stand where you slot the ring on top to begin a charge.
Charging time is fast with the ring taking less than 2 hours. I often find that one hour is enough to almost give it a full charge.
In the App, you can see when you need to charge your Oura ring – let's check out the Oura ring App!
Oura Ring App
To read the data stored on the ring you need to use either of the free iPhone or Android apps. The Bluetooth connectivity works really well and as long as Bluetooth is enabled on your device it immediately starts to sync when you open the App.
There is enough memory in the ring to store up to 6 weeks' worth of data, so you'll never run out of storage (who these days are away from their phone for 6 weeks!).
I use an iPhone and the App has a clean and intuitive interface that lets you get at all the data quickly. You can slide across the days to see the readings for each and even view the daily, weekly, and monthly trends.
You get a weekly report that gives your key insights on your past week's readiness, sleep, and activity.
The App focuses on the three core areas of readiness, sleep, and activity.
Here are some screenshots of the data from one day
Photo by Lifehacker Guy
As you can see you can spend a while going through the data if you wish, or just focus on the easy-to-read readiness and sleep scores.
What Did I Discover from Wearing the Oura Ring?
Before wearing the ring I thought my deep sleep was poor as I always seem to be wake up tired. I was really surprised to find that my Deep sleep is really good averaging over 2 hours per night.
My total sleep time is too low and often under 7 hours. There are two reasons for this, firstly I go to sleep too late in the evening, and secondly, I have young kids so not only do they sometimes wake me up during the night but I get up 6-6:30 am every morning.
I can't do much about disrupted sleep from my kids but I have full control over when I go to bed.
I haven't tried the new “moment” feature where you can activate measuring your resting heart rate and HRV when you want during the day. This is so you can see how you respond to relaxation exercises when taking a break and measure your resting heart rate and HRV on demand.
By taking a moment to relax, you can reduce stress, improve focus, and help your body recover and your mind re-energize.
Check out the Oura website for more information on Moment.
Is the Cost of Oura Justified?
There are four versions of the Oura ring with prices ranging from $299 to $999. The technology within each variation is exactly the same the only difference is the material and style.
There is Silver, black, Stealth (dark grey), and Diamond.
There are two shapes offered too, either the balance that has a sharper edge at the top of the heritage that is flatter. I went with the Heritage Oura ring.
Paying $299 is still on the high side when it comes to activity trackers but Oura offer more than this, so I was okay with the price.
I was tempted with the Stealth ring as I thought it would look better and in hindsight, I should have opted for this one (it's matte and so not so shiny!). Paying $299 is still on the high side when it comes to activity trackers but Oura offers more than this, so I was okay with the price.
So, if you are price-sensitive then Oura may be too pricey and you may wish to look at alternatives like the Motiv Ring, which works out about $100 cheaper (although I haven't tried the Motiv ring reviews suggest it's not quite as good as the Oura ring).
Where to Buy the Oura Ring
Currently, Oura is not in any physical stores and so is only available online through the official website.
Company Behind Oura
The Oura ring is the flagship product from Oura Health Ltd. a company first founded in 2013 and based in Oulu, Finland.
The company is backed by world-class investors, leaders, champions, and creators, and has between 11-50 employees, and has undergone a few rounds of funding upwards of $40 million.
I can see why in 2018, the company received the Red Dot Awards for communications design and product design.
My Verdict: Oura Ring
Photo by Lifehacker Guy
Within a few days of wearing the Oura ring, I was won over. Now after wearing the ring every day for the last three months I couldn’t imagine not having it!
I much prefer using the Oura over other trackers and it’s much more convenient than the dedicated wrist trackers. It’s not just about the convenience though for me. I enjoy wearing my Omega watch and so another tracking watch or wristband just doesn’t work for me.
In terms of having an impact on my health, I find the feedback useful in assessing the day ahead and making smarter choices for my activity level. Knowing if my body temperature is raised and my resting heart rate is elevated means I can take it easier that day. In contrast days with good readiness readings mean there is no excuse for a lazy day!
If you have a smartwatch then moving to the Oura ring may require some persuasion but for me, I haven’t looked back. Fans of analog watches or aren’t keen on wearing any watch will most likely be keener on wearing the smart ring.
I will use my Oura ring to help me get better quality and more consistent sleep using data from the sleep and efficiency scores. This way I can make the best of the day ahead and really improve not just my productivity but my health.
Are you a fan of the Oura ring? If so, let me know how you're getting on, how your using it and how it's helped you.
Oura Ring Updates
- November 23rd, 2020 – It's been around 15-months now wearing my first Oura ring and I decided to buy the Stealth Version of the ring. It's a little bit more expensive but for me is a much better look being matte black. Which Oura ring looks better? Heritage Silver or Heritage Stealth?
Photo by Lifehacker Guy
