Oura adds cardiovascular tracking to smart rings amid competition

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 20 Oct, 21:44 · Archive

Oura is launching two new cardiovascular health features for its smart rings as rivals emerge in the market.

Oura has announced two new cardiovascular-focused health tracking features for its smart rings: Cardio Effort and automatic VO2 Max. Both are available for Oura Ring Gen 3 and later models to users with an active Oura membership.

Cardio Effort measures how hard the cardiovascular system works during exercise and how long that effort is sustained, accounting for both intensity and duration. Rather than simply tracking workout duration, it provides a weekly rating categorised as Light, Fair, Maintaining, Building, or Reaching, compared against each user's personalised baseline. A shorter, more intense workout can yield a similar score to a longer, less intense one. The Reaching rating indicates markedly higher cardiovascular strain and may signal a time to prioritise recovery.

Automatic VO2 Max, currently available as a beta feature, automatically activates after users complete five qualifying GPS-enabled activities including walks, runs and hikes. Previously, the VO2 Max feature required a six-minute walking test for calibration.

The company is introducing these features as rivals like RingConn and Ultrahuman emerge in the smart ring market, putting pressure on Oura to differentiate itself through innovation.

How it is being reported

• Oura adds two new cardiovascular health tracking features to its smart ringsOura is introducing two new cardiovascular-focused health tracking features to its smart rings designed to help users better understand the effect regular workouts and exercise are having on their long-term health, and whether they need to ramp it up or dial things down. Cardio Effort and automatic VO2 Max (previously known as Cardio Capacity) are […]The Verge · 20 Oct, 21:26
• Oura adds new fitness metrics to show how workouts impact your bodyWhile Oura has largely dominated the smart ring market for years, rivals like RingConn and Ultrahuman are emerging to dethrone it, putting pressure on the company to keep innovating. By launching more advanced workout metrics, Oura is looking to differentiate itself from competitors as the smart ring market gets more crowded.TechCrunch · 20 Oct, 13:00

In this story: Oura · RingConn · Ultrahuman

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