Even though I was tempted by deals left, right and center, I firmly decided that there was only one thing worth splurging on this Black Friday season, and it was an Oura ring.
At a starting price of £349/$349 plus an Oura subscription, the new Gen 4 was simply far too expensive for me to even consider. However, the smart ring company is phasing out its Gen 3 model and as such the price has dropped significantly.
You can now pick one up from just £249/$249, with huge savings on the more expensive models. Just note that prices vary wildly on Amazon depending on model, size, and color.
I opted for the Brushed Titanium version in Horizon shape, which currently costs £279/$279. In the UK it is available directly from Oura, as well as from Amazon and John Lewis. US readers can pick it up at Oura, Amazon and Best Buy.
Oura
Although my work as a technology journalist seems to suggest otherwise, I often find smartwatches and fitness trackers with screens too distracting, with the constant buzz of notifications and shameful reminders to get up driving me slightly crazy.
As someone with small wrists, many models are also far too large and sturdy to wear all the time. Smart rings omit all that and integrate more easily into outfits while tracking all your vital signs in the accompanying app.
The Oura Ring Gen 3 does what I need it to do by tracking my steps, exercise, heart rate, and sleep. Additionally, its battery life is up to seven days, much longer than many top smartwatches from Apple, Google, and Samsung.
My TikTok feed praised the Oura Ring for its cycle tracking features: it's the only smart ring on the market that's compatible with Natural Cycles, an FDA-approved app.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
It does this by constantly monitoring your heart rate and temperature. Many users have also discovered they were sick while wearing the Oura Ring, with the app notifying them of temperature spikes or breathing irregularities.
I bought it directly from Oura, although shipping took a little while because it comes from Europe, so if you don't want to wait I suggest looking at a store based in your country.
Just be sure to order the sizing kit first and wear different options for at least 24 hours, as your finger size may fluctuate depending on the time of day and temperature – as I discovered it first hand.
While it's not the last Oura Ring, the Gen 4 upgrades weren't enough to stop me from saving money. These include slightly longer battery life, a lighter, more comfortable fit, and a higher number of sensors that are said to provide more accurate tracking – although some reviews and Reddit users suggest they don't. did not see massive differences in their data when comparing the two models.
Of course, we haven't been able to pit the two Oura rings against each other yet, so we don't know these claims firsthand. Still, there are enough positive experiences with Gen 3 that pushed me to make this deal.
I guess this deal will be good while supplies last, so if you want to take advantage, I won't wait – especially if you like a particular color and size. Amazon and John Lewis already appear to be running out of some options at the time of writing.
