Happy Wellness Wednesday, friends!
Today is my OURA RING PART THREE REVIEW (yes, part THREE!).
Let’s back up…
If you’ll recall, in November…
…I shared PART ONE.
At this point, I had just started wearing my ring and shared my initial thoughts and observations.
Then in February…
…I shared OURA RING PART REVIEW PART TWO.
In this post, I shared more details based on having worn my ring a bit longer plus, I answered several of your questions about my ring (especially comparing it to my Apple Watch).
At this point, I liked my ring, but I didn’t love it.
Today though, after now wearing my Oura Ring six full months, I have…
…and yup, there’s an extra hand in my photo 🙂 .
Okay, so this will *probably* be the last review I do on the ring because after six months, I can confidently say that I DO really like it and HAVE thoroughly enjoyed wearing it at night. So much so that my husband bought himself one too.
Here are a few new random things to note about why I like it six months later:
1: I personally figured out that I only enjoy wearing the ring at night. At first, I was trying to wear my ring 24/7 (which I understand does make it more accurate/work better for you/give you more insights/etc), but I just could never get used to wearing it during the day. Once I gave myself permission to just wear it at night and enjoy it for those metrics/benefits, I instantly liked it better.
2: As you know, I’ve been trying to get not just more sleep but better quality sleep and having my data each morning about how I slept the night before has made a tremendous difference in my overall sleep. I am so much more aware now of little details that throw off my sleep (eating too close to bedtime, my body temperature being too hot, too much movement before bed, elevated heartrate, etc.) and am able to tweak things to produce better results. I am truly truly a big fan of my ring now.
Okay, but what about Andrew?
1: When I first got my ring, I told you guys that Andrew was annoyed by it. I would wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and then see my sleep metrics and immediately be like “well dang, maybe I am tired? My score wasn’t very good.”. He thought that was crazy 😉 . That being said, after months though of seeing how improved my sleep was and how little tweaks made big changes, he started looking into the ring too and ended up buying himself one…
2:…BUT he loves his ring for different/more reasons! Andrew does not wear an Apple Watch, so he’s been wearing his Oura Ring 24/7 to gather all of that other health info I get primarily from my watch. He had an Apple Watch when they first came out and just never could get used to it/like it, but he instantly liked his Oura Ring. (So, if you’re not a watch person, this might be the device for you too!).
3: I asked Andrew what he likes the most and outside of seeing his sleep data, he said he likes the ring to gauge his activity for the day, his heart rate, his oxygen levels, his heart rate variability especially when he’s sleeping and exercising. So, he’s leaning into his for many many more reasons than I am.
4: Just a bonus little nugget, but you can invite people “into your ring” which means that I can see Andrew’s info and he can see mine.
Okay, I shared some of my data in our first post, so I thought I’d share some of Andrew’s too…
To sum it up, after six months, I’m a really big fan 🙂 .
If you have ANY questions, please leave a comment! It took me longer to love my Oura Ring than it did Andrew, so if you have one and just don’t adore it yet, I say keep wearing it.
Happy happy Wednesday! Make sure you check out today’s WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY too! xx
Elspeth Mizner says
I’m a huge Apple Watch lover, do you think I would be okay just sticking to the Apple Watch or make the purchase of a ring too?
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Mix and Match Mama says
I LOVE my Apple Watch. Without a doubt, I’d pick the watch over the ring any day. I think it’s perfectly awesome just to have the watch.
Sarah N says
I LOVE my Oura ring! I got one in March and it has not only improved my sleep, but I’m down 12 lbs from working on improving my heart rate, HRV, and step goals. My hubby got a ring 3 weeks after I did because I loved mine so much and he’s a fan too! I’m in menopause so it has been a good tool for watching my cycles (or lack thereof). I wish I had this when I was trying to get pg so many years ago!
Nicole says
I’m curious when you aim to eat dinner and then sleep? How many hours is best? Thanks!
Mix and Match Mama says
Well we eat dinner later around here than we probably should. I typically am done eating dinner around 7:30ish and then try to be in bed by 9:00ish. I know that it’s better to eat earlier, but right now, I can’t seem to fit that into my life. Andrew and I were taking a little walk after dinner (which is great for digestion), but I realized that my sleep quality wasn’t as good if I was walking within an hour of going to bed. It’s all so nuanced and, at least for me, it’s hard to do “all the things” right.
Nicole says
Totally agree!! And I’ve had to actually say to myself, it may be healthier to eat dinner before sports but then I’m eating alone – the health and goal of my family time is worth a later dinner!! You’ve taught me that! 😇🥰
Elizabeth Feldpausch says
Okay question about his sleep that night… does he just not sleep well, was there a kiddo or dog awake in the middle of night??
Mix and Match Mama says
A storm!
Monica says
Mom of two here (2 months postpartum): would you have used the Oura at the stage of life when you had littles?? I keep thinking about it, especially for fertility details it provides, but just too scared of getting “too much” information in terms of sleep and stress at this stage which is just a bit more out of my control at the moment.
Mix and Match Mama says
So, I have heard from so many that it is a really valuable tool when tracking your cycle. I do wish that I would have had that back when I had a cycle…but especially when I was trying to conceive and/or not conceive. I think for women in the fertile stage of life, it would be extra helpful.
Nova says
I am a mom of a 3 year old and tracking cycles using my ring. I’ve had it for about 5 months and it has helped me so much to be able to see how much sleep I’m actually getting and improve that. It is a total game changer for tracking my cycles! If you are overwhelmed by data it could make you overwhelmed. It helped me identify what actually stresses my body out.
Mindy J. says
Thanks Shay, this technology is so cool! I’m thinking of buying one.
Maybe a techie question, but what can you do if the HRV or oxygen levels are *off*? Are there life adjustments?
Also, how many hours sleep do you target each night? Under 6 seems low… Thanks!
Mix and Match Mama says
Well, I would say that the first thing would be to talk to your doctor if variables like that are off. I’ve had people reach out to me that their ring is what prompted sleep testing (and learning they had sleep apnea) and such, so if your variables are consistently off, I would get in and share this with your doctor for further testing and discussion. I aim for at least 7 hours each night. Andrew is now aiming for that too, but as you can see from the screenshots he sent me, that doesn’t always happen for him.
Jennifer says
I have been wearing mine 24/7 for a couple months maybe. I’m pretty fascinated by all it does. I read your first reviews when I was on the fence and thought maybe I shouldn’t get one. But then I just jumped in and did it. I do love it. It’s pretty good at tracking activities but sometimes it gets it wrong. The biggest bonus was we used our FSA account and got the ring and the app payments refunded. Crazy! I’m glad you love it now!
Julie says
Question for you, does it track your cycle? I too had to have a hysterectomy, and sometimes I wish I knew when I should be having a cycle, or if I’m just a crazy person. Ahaha! So I wondered if it tracks yours still since I know that’s part of your story as well.
Thanks for sharing!
Mix and Match Mama says
It does not track a cycle 🙂 .
Alyssa says
I’ve loved the sleep and stress info, especially since it gives an option to do a guided breathing exercise if stressed.
Marisa Patel says
I think I should get this for the sleep and stress tracking! I am almost certain that my areas of concern would be those two and it sounds as if it does a decent job of tracking them. Thank you for the follow-up review, it has been very helpful.
Kelly says
Thanks for the review! Do you still have your Sleep Number bed? We have one, and I have wondered how accurate the app is in recording HRV, heart rate, etc. Have you compared the Oura ring readings with the Sleep Number app readings?
Mix and Match Mama says
We do! We love our Sleep Number beds. I think they provide great data, but it’s not nearly as specific as the Oura Ring.
Mary C says
I am so glad to see you decided you like it. I, like Andrew have never been into the apple watch so I want all the info from my Oura ring. I have been wearing it every day for over a year now and don’t seem myself stopping anytime soon! I primarily focus on the sleep data. I also love when I am not feeling great and it picks that up. If I am not feeling 100% it’s nice to have that reminder that it’s ok to take a break and focus on rest!
Claire says
Thanks for this post! Does Andrew wear his ring to lift weights? I’ve heard of many people complaining about this when wearing an Oura ring. Wanted to check with you too… thanks!
Mix and Match Mama says
He takes it off to lift. He uses it for his cardio though!