Many of us are used to smartwatches as fitness wearables, however, there are now many more options available including rings and straps. In this article, we look at both the Oura ring and Whoop strap to see what features they each have. Both of these trackers emphasize sleep and heart rate over steps and other measurables. But, both help the wearer to improve overall health through proper sleep and recovery.
Keep reading to learn more about both Oura and Whoop.
This discreet and stylish tracker ring is a great option for those who don’t like wearing watches, or need a more professional look. Ideally, you should wear the device on your index finger, however, it also works on your middle and ring finger. The ring itself comes in four color options; silver, gold, black and matte black. The small but effective device is also water resistant to 100M so you can wear it in the shower or while swimming.
The Oura uses infrared light beams to permeate your skin, with sensors on the ring to capture the reflected beams of light. This system then measures your heart rate, respiratory rate, and heart rate variability. Additional sensors also monitor skin temperature to give an overall picture of health and activity. The Oura ring delivers a “readiness” score, out of 100. A score of 85 or higher is optimal, 70-84 shows good recovery, and below 70 means that the wearer needs more rest and recovery.
The Whoop strap is a wrist wearable, that focuses on overall health. Unlike a smartwatch, it will not tell the time or track your steps. However, it is much lighter and comes in a variety of colors and finish options to match any look. The device is water resistant to 10M, so you will need to take it off when swimming.
Whoop uses an optical heart rate sensor LED to shine through the blood vessels under the skin on your wrist. The photodiodes on the sensor harness the reflected light and turn the measurements into data. The device also uses pulse oximetry to track blood oxygen saturation to track and monitor sleep. These sensors also track skin temperature and use all collected data to give an “exertion score”. The score is shown in three pillars; strain, recovery, and sleep. The higher the strain score, the more you should push your body, whereas sleep will give a recommendation for how long to sleep, and recovery is based on sleep and the metrics from the previous day.
Both of these wearable trackers use infrared light to measure various health metrics. Using the metrics from Oura or Whoop, wearers can take better control of their overall health and ensure they are giving themselves the right amount of recovery time. Both are great options for anyone looking to improve their fitness and avoid over-exertion and injury. Choose the one that suits your lifestyle and budget best, as both offer similar data and app experiences.
