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Fitness trackers have come a long way. These days, innovative fitness tech does a lot more than step counting. Now, you can get round-the-clock health data that measures everything from the number of hours you sleep to your heart rate variability and blood oxygen levels.
We've already compared two of the top devices — the Oura Ring and Apple Watch — but they're pretty different in their design and approach to tracking. Now, we're comparing the Oura Ring to another fitness tracker, the Whoop. While both aim to provide users with deeper health insights to better understand their bodies, their intended audiences are quite different, and that comes across in their design and data reporting.
So, which fitness tracker is right for you? Here's everything you need to know about the Oura Ring vs. Whoop.
Oura Ring vs. Whoop: Design and comfort
Comparing the designs of the Oura Ring vs. Whoop is like comparing apples to oranges. Yes, they're both fitness trackers, but they wear in entirely different ways.
The Oura Ring takes the more innovative approach to fitness tracking as a smart ring. It looks like a simple gold band, but it is slightly thicker than most rings. Meanwhile, the Whoop is a screenless device that sits on your wrist with interchangeable bands. Both are distraction-free in design, with no screen on either, meaning you must use a smartphone to access your data, unlike Apple Watches or Fitbits.
I measure comfort based on whether I even notice the device is there. While both are comfortable, the Whoop is more so. It's thin and out of the way, and I had no discomfort around it, especially overnight. The Oura Ring was mostly comfortable, but I noticed it more than the Whoop. Sometimes it would feel too tight and uncomfortable in the middle of the night. If you're worried about the comfort of the Oura Ring, buy a sizing kit and wear a sample size for 24 hours and see how it blends into your everyday wear.
But in terms of style, the Oura Ring is the cooler, more inconspicuous device. It can blend with the rest of your jewelry while the Whoop looks like a watch band minus the watch face.
Winner: Tie. While the Oura Ring is better for those concerned about style, the Whoop is more comfortable.
Oura Ring vs. Whoop: Mobile app
To sum up the differences between Oura and Whoop, just look at their app designs. Oura's app is thoughtfully laid out, with all of the important data front and center, paired with calming imagery. Whoop's app is less driven by aesthetics and shifts focus to health metrics and looking ahead to your next activity.
Oura's app has a row of calculated scores on the front page, followed by more detailed sleep data, heart rate, and cycle information. The Vitals and My Health tabs are succinct, delivering quick snapshots of information that can go more in-depth. What I don't love about the Oura app is that every time you open it, there's a slight delay while the data loads. Much of the calculations occur within the smart ring, so they require a moment to load, and it's preferable to Whoop's alternative.
Whoop requires that its app stays open in the background all the time, and in my weeks of testing, my phone battery took a hit from having the Whoop app always running. While you can close it completely, it will just take a moment for the data to load (like Oura's does), and you'll be berated with notifications to reopen the app.
Otherwise, the app is solid, just occasionally glitchy. Whoop's graphics are less focused on aesthetics and put data front and center, focusing immediately on the improvements you need to make throughout the day. That being said, I do find Whoop's data challenging to parse through.
Winner: Oura Ring
Oura Ring vs. Whoop: Sleep tracking
Whoop and Oura both provide excellent sleep tracking. Their accuracy is nearly identical. I compared one night's sleep, and they were about ten minutes off with similar calculations around my sleep cycles. Unsurprisingly, Oura has a better layout with its sleep data. Oura's graph is easier to read and extract data from, while Whoop's is just too technical. However, I generally prefer Whoop's sleep tracking.
Maybe it's because Whoop gave me a better sleep score, but I found Whoop's data to respond better to my habits. I'm a night owl, and as much as I've tried to adapt to an earlier bedtime, my body gets tired when it gets tired. Oura frequently reminded me to watch my timing and get to bed earlier, which didn't happen. On the other hand, Whoop learned my habits and suggested bedtimes that were feasible for my circadian rhythm. Meanwhile, Oura dinged my sleep score for not having an earlier bedtime.
Winner: Whoop
Oura Ring vs. Whoop: Activity tracking
As an Apple Watch user, I feel spoiled by my fitness tracker. I can start and stop workouts from my wrist without needing to pull out my smartphone. Unfortunately, both the Oura Ring and Whoop require you to pull out your phone to start workouts. Once you get past that, the activity tracking is pretty extensive, especially with Whoop.
Oura has a vast list of workouts, similar to Apple Fitness's. Plus, if you forget to start a workout, you can always add it later. Not to mention, Oura is pretty good at suggesting activities that you may have forgotten to track.
Whoop activity tracking is next-level. Not only do you have a list of workouts that include specific programs like "Barry's Bootcamp," but they also have subtle activities like baby wearing. In addition to strain-based activities, Whoop lists recovery activities you can log since the tracker is about your performance and recovery working together. However, some of Whoop's activities can feel a little invasive — who really needs to log "Cuddling with Child?"
Winner: Whoop
Oura Ring vs Whoop: Cycle Tracking
Both Oura Ring and Whoop feature cycle tracking, designed to provide hormonal insights to those who are menstruating, pregnant, or going through menopause. Whoop's hormonal insights are new to the device, coming to the brand's 5.0 and MG devices, which we've yet to test.
Oura has more experience with cycle tracking. It was fascinating to watch my skin temperature flux throughout my cycle, just as it reportedly would. I use a separate cycle tracking app, Clue, but I could have also logged symptoms through the Oura app. However, if you pay for Clue Premium, your data can be linked to the Oura app. Oura also works with the app Natural Cycles, which, for better or worse, has become the face of the non-hormonal birth control movement.
With the political climate, some users might have concerns about cycle tracking and data privacy, but Oura's website states: "Oura will oppose requests from legal authorities to access your data for surveillance or prosecution purposes, and we will fight to keep your health data out of the wrong hands."
Winner: Oura Ring
Oura Ring vs. Whoop: Battery life and charging
Both Whoop and Oura have days-long battery life. The Oura Ring lasts about six to seven days, while the Whoop lasts about four days. Oura is quick to charge; I usually give it a quick charge while I shower, and don't need to charge it beyond that.
Whoop has a shorter battery life but a genius design. Its wireless battery pack slides onto the device and charges it while you wear it, allowing you to truly wear it 24/7. The new Whoop devices supposedly have 14-day battery lives. Since we've yet to test the Whoop 5.0 or MG trackers, we're sticking with Oura's battery life for now.
Winner: Oura Ring — for right now
Oura Ring vs. Whoop: Cost
Let's get into some math. Whoop and Oura are expensive and both require a membership to access health data. At face value, Oura Ring is more costly, but it's a better value in the long run.
An Oura Ring starts at $349 and ranges up to $499. It requires a membership to access its full features, which costs $5.99 a month or $69.99 annually.
Whoop, on the other hand, operates its devices solely based on membership. You pick your membership tier, and a device is included in it. The base membership — Whoop One — costs $199 for a one-year membership or $299 for a two-year membership.
If you choose the affordable models of each device, the Whoop is cheaper at first, costing just $299 for a two-year membership, while the Oura Ring costs $349 for the device and $69.99 for a year-long membership. The Whoop continues to be the more cost-effective device for six years. After six years with the device and yearly membership, the Oura Ring eventually becomes the better value.
Winner: Short term, Whoop. Long term, Oura Ring.
Our winner: One is for the super athlete, the other is for the everyman
When you compare the Oura Ring and Whoop, there's no clear overall winner. After wearing them for several weeks, it's obvious that each is designed for a specific type of person.
Whoop is for athletes looking to maximize their performance through activity and recovery tracking. The device is comfortable to wear and, in the short term, more cost-effective.
Oura Ring is designed with the everyday person in mind, best for those trying to better understand their body and habits. It's also a less conspicuous tracker, blending into your everyday style. It has a superior app design that feels more holistic and less clinical compared to Whoop's. Plus, it's more expensive up front, but it's a better value in the long term.
So, which fitness tracker is right for you depends on which camp you fall into.
