For the past few weeks, I’ve been wearing the Oura Ring Gen 3 literally 24/7. Not just during the day, but also while sleeping, training, and even in the shower. In this Oura Ring Gen 3 Review, I’ll share my honest experience, what impressed me, what didn’t, and whether I believe it’s worth buying.
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What is the Oura Ring Gen 3?
If you’re not familiar with it yet, the Oura Ring Gen 3 is basically a health and activity tracker disguised as jewelry. Think of it like a Fitbit or Apple Watch, but in ring form. Yes, it can track steps and heart rate, but where it really stands out is sleep and recovery tracking.
The ring measures your sleep stages (deep, REM, light), your resting heart rate, and your body temperature. All of this data gets combined into what’s called a Readiness Score. That number tells you if your body is ready to crush a workout today, or if you should take it easy because you didn’t sleep well.
And I have to admit, it does a surprisingly good job at this.
Design, Price, and the Sizing Kit
When you order an Oura Ring Gen 3, you don’t just pick a size and hope it fits. They actually send you a sizing kit first. It’s a small box with dummy rings that look and feel like the real thing. You’re supposed to wear them for 48 hours to find the most comfortable size, especially because Oura recommends wearing it on your index finger for maximum accuracy.
Now, the ring itself comes in two designs:
The Classic: flat top (the one I use).
The Rounded: fully smooth, but for some reason costs €80 more even though the technology is identical.
Color also affects the price. The gold version, for example, costs an extra $100.
But apart from that, the build quality is excellent. The ring feels solid yet incredibly light, and the sizing process helps avoid buying the wrong fit.
The App Where the Magic Happens
The Oura Ring Gen 3 by itself is just hardware. What makes it powerful is the app.
When you open it, you get a dashboard with your Readiness Score, your Sleep Score, and your Activity Score.
One morning, for example, my readiness score was 89/100, which meant “you slept well, your body’s recovered, push yourself.” The next day, after a night of tossing and turning, the score dropped, and the app actually recommended I take it easier.
What I like most is how the app breaks things down in detail. If your sleep quality is bad, it doesn’t just give you a number, it shows you why. Maybe you woke up too many times, maybe your deep sleep was too short, or maybe your resting heart rate was elevated. And the best part? It gives actionable advice.
For example, my restfulness score was low, and the app suggested avoiding blue light before bed. I tried wearing blue-light blocking glasses for a few nights and, sure enough, my scores improved. That kind of feedback loop is where Oura really shines.
The app also tracks stress levels throughout the day. Based on your heart rate and HRV, it can tell when you’re stressed and when you’re relaxed. One day it showed that I had been stressed for over two hours. If the app notices stress, it can even recommend meditations through its partnership with Calm.
For me, this awareness of stress was eye-opening. It’s not something you usually measure, but once you see it visualized, you start connecting lifestyle habits to how your body feels.
The Shortcoming of Activity Tracking
Now here’s where Oura falls a bit short. Yes, it tracks steps, calories, and general activity. If you go running or cycling, it works fine. But when it comes to strength training, it’s pretty much useless.
If you hit the gym, the Oura Ring Gen 3 won’t detect your workout. You need to enter it manually, including duration, intensity, and type of workout. And let’s be honest, that’s annoying.
So if your main goal is workout tracking, an Apple Watch or Garmin might be better. But if your focus is recovery and sleep, Oura wins.
Battery, Comfort, and Everyday Use
This is where the Oura Ring Gen 3 really impressed me. The battery lasts 4 to 5 days on a single charge, and recharging takes about an hour. Compared to a smartwatch that you need to charge daily, this is a huge advantage.
It’s also waterproof, so you can wear it in the shower or while swimming. Because it’s so light and minimal, you forget it’s even there. Unlike a smartwatch, it doesn’t scream “fitness tracker.” You can wear it to a nice dinner and it just looks like a ring.
The Downsides
Of course, it’s not perfect. The biggest downside for me is the monthly subscription fee. After buying the ring, which already isn’t cheap, you need to pay $6 per month to access your health data. Personally, I think it’s worth it because I value recovery and sleep tracking, but I understand why others may not like it.
The second downside is the limited workout tracking. If you’re mainly buying this as an activity tracker, you’ll probably be disappointed.
So Should You Buy the Oura Ring Gen 3?
So, is the Oura Ring Gen 3 worth buying? That depends on your goals.
If you’re serious about improving sleep, managing stress, and optimizing recovery, then yes, I think it’s one of the best tools out there. I’ve genuinely changed habits based on its data, and I feel better because of it.
But if you mainly want a fitness tracker for workouts, or you hate the idea of paying a subscription, then other options might be better.
For me, the decision was simple, sleep is something we do every single day for the rest of our lives. If a tool like the Oura Ring Gen 3 can help me understand and improve my sleep, then I believe it’s worth the investment.
Hopefully you found my oura ring gen 3 review helpful and if you did make sure to check my other articles in my blog.
