As a wellness expert, I have spent years obsessing over my health data, from sleep and recovery to stress and daily movement. But finding a device that truly brings all of that together, without feeling intrusive or overwhelming, has always been the real challenge. So when Jennifer Aniston publicly declared she was “addicted” to her Ōura Ring, I knew I had to see for myself if this tiny piece of tech could really live up to the hype.
When it arrived, I literally felt like I was in an episode of Black Mirror. Packaged neatly in a box, the sleek and stylish ring came with a set of very clear instructions for set up. It all felt very futuristic and next generation.
Packaged into a sleek, waterproof and light ring, the device only needs to be charged once a week and promises unprecedented accuracy and insights without the annoying beeping and buzzling you get from a Fitbit or Apple Watch. I was curious to say the least.
Offering over 50 health and wellness metrics, the ring is designed to provide detailed data into sleep, activity, readiness, stress and resilience, your cycle, heart and metabolic health.
When I popped it on and downloaded the app it was pretty much seamless from there. It recorded my steps, my heart beat and calories during workouts and gave me the option to log my meals by simply photographing my plate and receiving instant data on the nutritional profile of my ingredients.
As a nutritionist I was really impressed with this element, it doesn’t count the calories or provide macros, but it’s very accurate at sensing the ingredients in the meals and providing real time and insightful data on the meal itself.
Throughout the day it measured my stress and resilience levels noting when I was stressed or engaged and how I was responding.
After the first night it provided in-depth sleep data, measuring my REM, light and deep sleep, how many hours I slept and how long it took to get to sleep and gave me an overall sleep score.
After the first month of wearing, like Jennifer, I was addicted. It started to learn my habits, collate data and give me really in-depth reports on how my body was responding to stress, sleep and activity.
It also gives you a sleep chronotype so you can best work out when to go to bed and get your best night’s sleep. I am a morning chronotype, so my ideal bedtime is around 9pm and wake time is around 6am.
But my favorite and perhaps most important insight is the symptoms radar. I strained my glute muscle in a strength training class and it was able to detect my body was under major stress and to warn me to rest, which I found simply invaluable.
You also have the ability to log your cycle, I am perimenopausal so this insight is less interesting for me, but for those who want to track their most fertile times of the month, I can imagine this data is invaluable.
So, my honest verdict? I genuinely love it. The Ōura Ring has earned a permanent place in my wellness routine thanks to the depth and quality of its insights, particularly around sleep, recovery, stress and early signs that my body needs rest. From a professional perspective, it offers data that goes far beyond what most mainstream trackers provide, and it does so in a way that feels intuitive and empowering rather than overwhelming.
That said, I am not quite ready to give up my Apple Watch. The lack of GPS means it cannot replace real-time workout tracking for runs or outdoor training, which still matters to me. But as a daily health companion, especially for understanding what is happening beneath the surface, the Ōura Ring is exceptional. If your goal is better sleep, smarter recovery and deeper insight into your body’s patterns, I can absolutely see why Jennifer Aniston, and so many others like Gwyneth Paltrow and Prince Harry, are hooked.
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