Oura Ring vs Apple Watch: I've been tracking my sleep with both for 6 months - here's the one I recommend
Wearing these two trackers to bed every night has delivered some useful insights, but one comes out on top
If you've thought about tracking your sleep, you've probably considered the Oura Ring vs Apple Watch. With insights including how long you've slept for, the quality of that sleep, and your personal circadian rhythm, one of these fitness trackers can be a valuable tool for improving your health.
I've worn an Oura Ring for over a year now, tracking my sleep with it every night. Recently, I upgraded to the Oura Ring 5 (which I would recommend to anyone looking to buy versus older models) and started wearing another tracker to bed recently - the Apple Watch Series 11. Why? I wanted to see whether Apple's new overnight metrics were up to par with Oura's indisputable reputation for sleep tracking.
Plus, with upcoming Amazon Prime Week, the new release from Oura, and the likely release of a new Apple Watch in a few months, now could be the time to snap up a saving.
Oura Ring vs Apple Watch
Specifications
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Apple Watch Series 11 | Oura Ring 5 |
Size | 2 sizes available: 46mm and 42mm | 6.09mm x 2.28mm |
Weight | 30 - 38g depending on size | From 2g, depending on size |
Materials | Recycled metals and glass | Titanium |
Battery life | Up to 24 hours (or 38 hours in low-power mode) | 6 to 9 days |
Waterproof | Up to 50m | Up to 100m |
GPS | Standard, with phone-free navigation with cellular model | No |
The Oura Ring 5 comes in multiple metallic colourways, but the rose gold was my personal choice. It's a uniquely flattering coppery colour. The most affordable is the silver at £399 (the same price as the Oura Ring 4, which is still on sale) and the most expensive is the gold at £499.
The Apple Watch Series 11 comes in two sizes: 42 and 46mm. I personally went for the smaller version, but it's down to personal preference. I would, however, recommend buying the Apple Watch Series 11 with cellular connectivity. That way, you can use your watch as a replacement for your phone when you're out and about or during a workout, controlling your route and music at the touch of a button on your wrist.
Oura Ring vs Apple Watch: Design
The Apple Watch is a classic watch design with a square face, aluminium or titanium casing, and a silicone strap that can be swapped for others of different materials and colours. It sits flush to the wrist, making it comfortable to wear overnight, and depending on the strap you go for, it can be relatively discreet in design for wear in daily life.
The Oura Ring 5, as the name suggests, is a ring design that sits on the index, middle, or ring finger of the non-dominant hand. It comes in various metallic colourways, including silver, black, gold, and coppery rose gold, which I opted for. If you didn't know it was a smart ring, you wouldn't think it out of place amongst other jewellery, as the updated design is thinner than the previous Oura Ring 3 or 4.
While the Apple Watch isn't bulky (it's also thinner and lighter than previous models) and the silicone strap is lightweight and comfortable, the Oura Ring has a naturally more distraction-free design that makes it ideal for overnight wear.
Even if you've had an Oura Ring before, I would recommend getting the sizing kit as the newer model is proportioned slightly different. I stuck with the same size, but comfort depends on the ring fitting properly, so it's worth doing. Plus, the kit is still free to order with purchase.
Winner: Oura Ring
Oura Ring vs Apple Watch: Sleep tracking
If we were having this conversation about the Apple Watch Series 9 or Apple Watch Series 10, there would be a clear, undisputed winner. However, thanks to new updates, the Apple Watch Series 11 is a serious contender.
Late to the game but still impressive, the Apple Watch now has Sleep Score. This feature is an analysis of nightly data and a number from 1 to 100 based on key metrics, including duration, sleep consistency, overnight interruptions, and sleep quality. The higher your score, the better your sleep. Overall, I've found the data to be very accurate, and you can view it on your watch and in the Apple Health app.
You'll also be able to see how your night's sleep compares to your average. I find this useful to look at the bigger picture. I know that one night of bad sleep isn't the end of the world, provided my sleep is good on other nights in the same week. If it's not, something needs to change before it catches up with me.
Also new is the sleep schedule feature. Research from King's College London shows going to bed and waking up at the same time every day can be game-changing for sleep health, and this feature helps make it happen via connectivity to your phone. At 9.30 pm every night, I get a notification telling me to start winding down, and my Sleep Focus mode comes on, which is my sign to get off Instagram for the evening.
You can view sleep insights on your Apple Watch and in the Apple Health app.
The Oura Ring 5 has these metrics - and more, including sleep latency (how long it takes you to fall asleep), efficiency (the percentage of time in bed spent asleep vs awake), and long-term features that look at how sleep is affecting your overall health via a Readiness Score, with other lifestyle factors (like exercise) considered as well.
After I wore the ring for three months on the trot, I received an analysis of my chronotype (morning lark or night owl). This revealed how my sleep corresponds with my body's natural circadian rhythm. It's a feature that can help optimise your daily life as you work with your body, rather than against it. As I'm a 'late-morning' person, I thrive just before lunchtime, so I try to work my day around this.
It would also be remiss not to mention the battery life. I've found the brands' suggestion of 24 hours of battery life for the Apple Watch and up to nine days on the Oura Ring 5 to be very accurate. It's hard to continuously monitor your sleep and make the most of other daily metrics on the Apple Watch when you have to take it off to charge so often. It's a serious flaw within an otherwise excellent smartwatch and sleep tracker.
Winner: Oura Ring
In the Oura app, you'll find all the sleep data (short-term and long-term) and helpful tips for improving your health.
Fitness tracking on the Oura Ring vs Apple Watch
I wouldn't describe the Oura Ring as a strict fitness tracker. It records basic insights like heart rate, calorie burn, step count, and automatically logs workouts (from strength training to running) with a GPS route if done outside. However, these are not designed to help improve your fitness with a specific goal in mind, as a running watch would. Rather, it takes this data, combined with your sleep and other health metrics, to assess your overall wellbeing. It also doesn't have a screen.
The Apple Watch, on the other hand, is a true fitness tracker. You'll be able to manually record workouts (with particularly detailed metrics for cycling and running) with live data on your screen, and see how your workouts impact your fitness, heart health, and overall wellbeing.
A redesigned Workout app on the watch makes it easier to find favourite modes, you can see your workout data live on the screen with customisable data screens, and there is now a Training Load (a measure of how much your workouts are impacting your body) feature that brings it in line with other top trackers like Garmin watches and Fitbits.
Winner: Apple Watch
The Apple Watch's live screen makes it easy to view workout data live during a running workout, like I did.
Health tracking on the Oura Ring vs Apple Watch
When it comes to seeing how sleep influences your overall health and keeping an eye on this, the two devices stand side by side. Both have features that keep a close eye on your health, using data from vital signs like resting heart rate, HRV, body temperature, sleep, and activity levels. They are very similar.
The Oura Ring packages its health data into four scores: Readiness (how prepared you are for the day ahead), Sleep Health, Stress Management, and Heart Health (cardiovascular age). Within each of these, you can see valuble insights into your health. For example, along with the regular sleep data, you'll see any breathing irregularities in your Sleep Health section, which could flag symptoms of sleep apnea. In Heart Health, you'll see your cardio capacity (V02 max), which measures how efficiently your body uses oxygen.
On the Apple Watch, this data is logged in separate tabs for each metric. I've found this not to be quite as organised as it is in the Oura app, but it certainly dives into the specifics, and I found it easier to get all the information I wanted on the specific metric.
The Apple Watch does take it one step further with an electrocardiogram (ECG) and safety features like Fall Detection and Crash Detection. These are built into the Apple Health app ecosystem as well, so family members with permission can also be alerted to any falls or major health incidents via message.
Winner: Either - both have useful and accurate health features
Oura Ring vs Apple Watch: Price
Unlike when I compared the Oura Ring vs Fitbit Air, the price of these two devices is very similar. The new Oura Ring 5 comes in at £399 (for silver and black colourways) or £499 (for all other colourways). The Apple Watch Series 11 is £369 for the regular model, rising in price for the cellular connection or titanium casing.
Both are an investment, so it's worth considering what you value most. If you regularly exercise and want a fitness tracker to keep an eye on your workouts, the Apple Watch offers a high standard of sleep and fitness tracking. You'll save money in the long term as you won't want to buy another tracker to record your workouts, which you may do if you choose the Oura Ring.
You will also need to pay a subscription to use the Oura Ring after buying it, making it a longer-term investment. It's £5.99 per month (or £69.99 for the year). While it's an additional payment, I would say new features are added fairly regularly without price increases, so it's worth the investment if you have the budget.
Winner: Apple Watch
The w&h verdict
When it comes to sleep tracking, the Oura Ring 5 is my favourite. The low-key, highly wearable design is forgettable on the finger in the best possible way, and the sensors deliver all the insights you could need to improve your rest and recovery. Plus, the nine-day battery life means you can wear it continuously, which is needed to make the most of the insights.
The Apple Watch offers enough sleep tracking insights to be worth the investment if you're also looking for a fitness tracker to log your workouts and improve your health. The smartwatch features are also not to be underestimated - with the cellular option, you can essentially leave your phone at home, and the watch does the same job. From paying for coffee to texting friends, it's all there on that screen. The range of safety alerts is also worth considering.
For sleep, there is a clear winner. However, the perfect pairing is the two together, and they integrate very well. I can see my Oura data on my Apple Watch, and my Oura Ring detects movement from my Apple Watch.
Winner overall: Oura Ring 5
