I was looking forward to getting my hands on Oura Ring Gen3 Horizon and since I’ve worn the device for the past couple of days, I believe it is possible to share some impressions. With my propensity for wearing sleep and fitness trackers, it was the sleek design of the Oura Ring along with the app notices that sold me.
Since the moment when the Oura Ring Gen3 Horizon arrived to the form of the unboxing – it was luxurious. The packaging design also complements the colours and shapes of the product and it has a simple, clean line appearance. Inside it, the ring fit without problem in a circular recess next to the charging cradle and Micro USB cable. There are not many steps, and each of them was very clear and easy to perform to complete the setup guide.
Based on this and for aesthetic looks, I selected the Gold Horizon model as it is a beautiful item to finish and felt like a jewel rather than the fitness tracker it was. The ring itself is very light in weight but has a sort of thickness more than that of the normal ring. It doesn’t feel like it’s heavy and cumbersome, although I found it a bit awkward to wear at first for several hours.
Our app is the Oura app after which I downloaded it and followed the pairing directions as displayed below. I have it paired with my phone and it works very well; they had installed the program on my phone when we first started and that guided me on how to set up the glasses properly. I received a sizing kit with the purchase, so I knew my size and the ring look well when it arrived.
Compared to its two predecessors the Horizon model’s design is more refined, smoother and is therefore somewhat opulent. Another is that the presence of the sensor bump inside to a lesser extent, and the ring is made with a thinner profile. I thought it wouldn’t be too comfortable especially when sleeping but I was wrong on that count. I can attest that the ring is inconspicuous, and no one pays attention to the fact that I am using a fitness tracker, which is a bonus in my book.
The Oura Ring has been billed as a sleep-tracking smart ring, and up to this point, it does not seem to fall wanting. It is even able to monitor sleep stage, heart rate, temperature, and respiratory rate as well. Even after as little as two nights, it is clear it distinguishes between light, deep and REM stages of sleep. The sleep insights are actually very detailed and come with a “Readiness” score that informs you of how recovered and ready for the day you are.
The said app offers a breakdown of sleep regime analysis whereby you can determine your total sleep time, sleep latency, and numerous wake episodes. In comparison to the previous wrist-based tracker, the tracking data of Oura looks more accurate and less ambiguous. In fact, from the app alone, I have begun already altering the way that I begin winding down at night.
But, beyond being a sleep tracker, fitness tracking isn’t too far behind, and is a strong selling point of the Oura ring. It tracks your heart rate all day long and adapts your daily step targets based on your level of preparedness and rest. The ring measures the steps, calories and active minutes. Though not super significant, simple things like lauds and the guided breathing and activity prompts are a plus when you’ve been typing on the computer all day.
Another thing, Oura ring is devoid of a screen, and therefore, to monitor real-time stats, you’ll have to consult your phone. There was no problem with this for me as I do not like being interrupted by constant notifications but some people will miss the vibration feedback of wrist worn devices.
According to Oura, the Gen3 ring has up to 4-7 days of power with power efficiency and usage being a factor. Up until now, I have discovered it takes about 5 days to discharge and will need a recharge which is relatively fine. Recharging is easy by just placing the ring in the small wireless dock that came with it, it only needs 80 minutes for charging.
The Oura Ring Gen3 Horizon is comfortably one of the best sleep and activity trackers on the market when it comes to focusing on subtlety and design. And it’s crammed with sensors but built like a ring you could normally wear. Sleep data has been very accurate and insightful until now, while basic fitness tracking should suffice for a moderately active person. The absence of such a display may well be a push-off for some users but for those of us who like our wearable units as unobtrusive as possible and perform the function, this is a great device.
That said if you want something that is sleek and that you can wear at all time and for serious tracking of sleep, then the Oura Ring Gen3 Horizon is indeed a worthy contender. The unboxing process was seamless the setting up process took a short while and the device has been stellar in its performance initially. I will gladly continue with it to see how my health information changes overtime.
Again the sleep tracking and the resulting insights are among the best I’ve seen.
No show for feedback during interaction
Has to get used to wearing a ring whether at home or at work
Highly recommend to anyone searching for a classy and sleek health monitor!
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