Fitbit vs. Apple Watch vs. Oura Ring

As a millennial who gets excited about new trends, I have had the Fitbit, Apple Watch, and Oura Ring as fitness tech over the years. While I have loved them all during a variety of seasons in my life, my current favorite is the Oura Ring, largely because I have switched from a “fitness” mindset to a “wellness” mindset.

In 2013 I moved to London to study and work in theatre. Around that time the first Fitbit came out. It had five little dots that essentially totaled 2000 steps per dot. Achieving 10,000 steps a day became something that was fairly easy to achieve as I traipsed around one of the greatest cities in the world. A friend of mine and I would compare our daily progress, leading to me feeling accomplished! And so fit!

Upon moving back to the United States in 2015, I was ready for a trendier look. I wasn’t ready to drop the money on the Apple Watch, so I settled for the bulky Fitbit Blaze that made me feel cool. I also upgraded to the Versa when it came out a few years later, which REALLY looked like the Apple Watch, but this led me to wonder – should I just get the real thing? I didn’t use many of the apps, yet enjoyed that it still logged my 10,000 steps a day.

An Apple gift card from my place of work helped me pull the trigger to switch to the sleek Apple Watch SE. I immediately dived into the world of finding Amazon watch straps, utilizing Apple Pay, and competing in fitness competitions.

As an active swimmer, this was the highlight of my fitness watch dreams. I wasn’t benefitting from my hour-long swims 3 times a week with the Fitbit, but the Apple Watch had goals that were calorie related, vs steps related. The watch would document how many yards I would swim in freestyle vs. breaststroke, how long I would rest, and my active calories burned vs. overall calories burned. I thought this would be my forever love.

Aisle 85 co-founder Emily and I would compete pretty heavily in the fitness competitions (I even wore the watch to a wedding so it would count my calories while I danced). It became an obsession. However, I got to the point where if I forgot to wear my watch, I wouldn’t even want to work out because it would “count.”

I became tired of the consistent encouragement (dare I say – demands?) to close my rings, as I needed rest days, and then I would lose any streaks or goals I was working towards. I cared about my fitness routine, but in other areas of my life, I was transitioning into caring more about the overall health of my life – the idea of wellness – not just losing weight or burning calories.

Enter the Oura Ring.

First of all, I love the design of the Oura Ring. It's small and unobtrusive, so I can wear it all day without noticing it's there. Plus, it's stylish enough to wear with any outfit. No longer desiring bulky watches, the ring design was a major selling point for me.

Another reason I chose the Oura Ring is because of its focus on sleep tracking. I've always struggled with getting enough quality sleep, so I wanted a device that would help me understand my sleep patterns better. The Fitbit can help with sleep patterns, but I found sleeping with a watch on hindered my sleep more than it helped. The Oura Ring tracks not only how long I sleep but also the quality of my sleep, including how much deep and REM sleep I get. This information has been incredibly helpful in identifying areas where I can improve my sleep habits. 

The Oura Ring also changes the suggested calories I should burn each day. If I had a big workout day yesterday, it encourages me to get some rest or lay low today. The Oura Ring also tracks my activity levels and heart rate variability, which are important metrics for overall health and wellness. But unlike the Fitbit and Apple Watch, it doesn't have many other features that I don't need or use. I don't need to make phone calls or send messages from my wearable device, so those features weren't as important.

While the Oura Ring's swimming tracking isn't quite as accurate as the Apple Watch, it's still helpful, and I find that I no longer need the extra motivation to work out that the Apple Watch provided. The Oura Ring fits seamlessly into my lifestyle and has significantly improved my sleep patterns and mental health surrounding overall wellness.

Overall, I'm thrilled with my decision to switch to the Oura Ring. It's been a game-changer for me, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to focus on wellness instead of just fitness. My only regret is not splurging on the pricier rose gold option since I wear this ring as regularly as my wedding rings. But who knows, maybe over time, I'll make that investment.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means we receive a commission if you choose to purchase through links we provide at no additional cost to you.