After several long months of contemplating a large health and wellness purchase, I finally bought an Oura Ring. Here are four reasons I’m glad I did:
1) Oura focuses on health and wellness, not burning calories
As a young woman who has long struggled with body image, I made the conscious decision that calorie tracking would no longer be a priority in my life. My current mindset is simple: As long as my body participates in frequent exercise and movement while simultaneously eating a healthy diet, I am a happy and healthy version of myself.
Thankfully, Oura offers a similar holistic approach to health that is rooted in Nordic wellness principles. In other words, the company does not promote the activity and calorie tracking that is commonly found in the messaging of other wearable technology. That said, this data is still available in the Oura app for users who want to check in from time to time.
2) The subtle look
Throughout my health and wellness journey, I wasn’t looking for a wearable that would constantly pull my attention. I wanted something simple that could help me better understand my habits without interrupting my busy days.
With the Oura Ring, there are no bright screens to look at during my workout or texts to silence during a final exam. It adjusted to my body so quickly that I often forget it’s even there — it simply sits as a chunky gold ring on my pointer finger, quietly collecting helpful data.
And although the ring may not be everyone’s style, as a fan of chunky gold jewelry, I love it!
3) The collection of sleep data
The sleep data Oura collects has been especially valuable. The ring doesn’t just report how long I sleep at night, but it breaks my rest into stages (such as REM sleep vs. deep sleep) and it even tracks how long it takes me to reach each stage. This data highlights trends to be aware of and recommends optimal bedtimes to support productivity the next day. When I follow these suggested bedtimes, I’ve found that my day is better structured and I feel like my well-rested self.
As a busy student, sleep often falls to the bottom of my list of priorities, but Oura has helped me realize how important it is for my body to get as much rest as possible each night!
4) Oura’s positive and restful outlook
Some days inevitably won’t be the most wellness-centered, such as finals week or times of injury, but Oura has never made me feel bad about these ups and downs. The approach centers on the idea that everyone has bad days, but it’s important to make an effort to reduce their likelihood and prevent them from becoming a pattern.
Additionally, rather than constantly pushing me to do more, Oura encourages smart decisions, which can mean taking a day or two of rest. I love that it frames health as flexible and human, making my wellness journey feel more sustainable.
The only real drawback is the steep price, ringing in at between $350 and $500. I recommend buying it slightly used, as I did, to take advantage of the discount.
Overall, buying an Oura Ring has encouraged me to be more mindful of my health without adding toxic pressure or noise, and helped me become my happiest self amid the chaos of college life. If you were already contemplating buying the Oura Ring, take this as a sign to go for it and start 2026 off strong! And if you weren’t, I hope I could convince you to consider it.