OuravsApple
Oura Ring 5 vs Apple Watch Ultra 3: comparison
Oura Ring 5 vs Apple Watch Ultra 3 using the data from our reviews: score, who each one is for, and their strengths and weaknesses.
Summary of both reviews
| Oura Ring 5 | Apple Watch Ultra 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 83/100 | 82/100 |
| Who it is for | Anyone who wants to track sleep and recovery with a ring you barely notice, does not use Samsung as their ecosystem and accepts paying a monthly fee for the app. | iPhone users who train outdoors and want a watch with accurate GPS, ECG and health alerts with FDA clearance, with no monthly fee and no need for more than two days of battery. |
| Skip it if | You do barbell strength training or need reliable heart rate during workouts, or you do not want to pay a fee to see your own data. | You do not have an iPhone, you do ultras or multi-day outings without charging, or you want a daily recovery score (none was found in Apple's documentation for this model). |
| Check price | Check price on Amazon | Check price on Amazon |
Each score comes from its full review, with its sources and criteria. The two scores are only comparable within the same type of product.
Oura Ring 5
Pros
- • More discreet than the Ring 4: 6.09 mm wide, 2.28 mm thick and from 2 g according to Oura, versus the Ring 4’s 7.9 mm and about 2.88 mm; several reviews agree it is less noticeable.
- • Official battery life of 6 to 9 days; in the attributed review tests, between roughly a week and a little over seven days in a size 11.
- • IP68 water resistance down to 100 m and six finishes, all titanium.
Cons
- • No published independent validation of the Ring 5: the accuracy improvements (12% more accuracy in overnight HRV, according to Oura) are the company’s own figures with no methodology.
- • The full app requires a membership: without it you only see three scores, the battery and little else, and the fee cannot be paused.
- • Fewer sizes than the Ring 4 (6 to 13, versus 4 to 15) and different sizing: the Ring 4 kit does not work.
Apple Watch Ultra 3
Pros
- • Very accurate GPS in one specialist outlet test (exactly 2.0 miles on a 2-mile reference loop) and heart rate within ±1 bpm of a Polar H10 chest strap on average.
- • ECG, hypertension alert and apnea alert with FDA clearance (Apple lists them as available in Spain, although it does not detail which clearance supports them in the EU); the ECG also has a clinical trial from Apple (98.3% sensitivity for atrial fibrillation and 99.6% specificity in sinus rhythm, in classifiable readings).
- • No mandatory fee: data and health features are viewed in the iPhone Health app.
Cons
- • Short battery for an adventure watch: Apple states 42 hours and a specialist outlet measured 16 hours of continuous GPS.
- • Works only with iPhone, and the sleep, HRV and temperature features have no published validation for this model.
- • It is the previous generation: the Ultra 4 is already on sale with a higher stated battery life and renewed sensors.
Oura Ring 5
Oura Ring 5: what it measures, what changes from the Ring 4, how long the battery lasts, what validation it has and what the subscription costs to keep.
Apple Watch Ultra 3
What the Apple Watch Ultra 3 measures, which health features have FDA clearance, how long its battery really lasts and who it suits compared with the Ultra 4.