Forget fitness bands: just wear the Oura ring

Oura
Oura

Fitness trackers are pretty popular in the wearable market right now, but most haven't found the delicate balance between fashion and function.

The Oura ring is one of the few projects which has tried to bring style as well as substance, and it puts all the power of an average fitness tracker onto just one finger.

You can track your heart rate as well as steps, exercise undertaken and even your own temperature. It'll also read your sleep activity and what the company calls "readiness", taking into account all the exercise you've done and how much sleep you had the night before.

Round your little finger

I had the opportunity to play with the Oura ring while at the Wearable Technology Show 2016 in London, and I'll be honest - it's not the most comfortable fitness device on the market.

Oura

There are different sizes, but I found myself getting a little irritated by one of the largest versions of the ring. I found it quite overbearing on the finger, but that may be because I'm not used to wearing jewelry.

The app that comes with the Oura gives you in depth details of your daily activity and helps you "recharge" and up your "readiness". It is split into three sections for activity, sleep and your readiness rating - each one goes into enough detail to make it worth wearing the Oura.

It's impressive what the company has squeezed onto a finger, but it is still large and the shiny design means it isn't the most beautiful pieces of fingerwear I've ever seen.

Oura

It's not a device I'd wear and I'd prefer to have this functionality around my wrist, but there is certainly a market for this kind of smart jewelry and Oura is doing a lot right here.

Ring sizes start at 6 and go all the way up to 13 – or you can even have a fitting for your ring instead, but it'll cost just under five euros.

Color choices are black, white or a "stealth black". The white and black versions are currently 299 euros (about £235, US$338, AU$444) while the Stealth Black option is quite a bit more at 489 euros (about £385, US$553, AU$726) but does have a nicer matte finish.

James Peckham

James is Managing Editor for Android Police. Previously, he was Senior Phones Editor for TechRadar, and he has covered smartphones and the mobile space for the best part of a decade bringing you news on all the big announcements from top manufacturers making mobile phones and other portable gadgets. James is often testing out and reviewing the latest and greatest mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, virtual reality headsets, fitness trackers and more. He once fell over.