Oh, the dilemma. Should I put a ring on it, or should I wrap a bracelet around my wrist? I am not talking about choosing accessories to complete my OOTD, but smart wearables, Oura Ring, and Bellabeat.
Both are quite promising when it comes to tracking health metrics, offering insights, being accurate about data, and more. However, I still wanted to see which was better.
So, I wore both the ring and the bracelet for around two weeks and compared them across various metrics, such as design, colors and materials, battery life and charging, and sensors they use.
My verdict based on my experience is below. So, to find out if I finally put a ring on it or wrapped a bracelet around my wrist, keep scrolling!
Design & Colors
Both the Oura Ring and the Bellabeat bracelet are made to cater to different aesthetics and preferences, which made it a little difficult for me to compare their design, but I managed just fine.
Oura Ring appeared to be a minimalistic, shiny, yet gender-neutral piece of jewelry, whereas Bellabeat was marketed with the “for women” tag from the get-go. Therefore, it wasn’t surprising that the Bellabeat bracelet had a conventional female-centric design.
I chose Oura in silver, Horizon finish. It’s completely round and sleek and manages to match all of my outfits. It’s discreet, too, and so most people don’t notice that I am wearing a smart ring.
While Bellabeat doesn’t appear like a smart wearable either, it’s more noticeable still. But, I don’t mind that given the Bellabeat bracelet actually earns me compliments all the time!
FYI, I have it in the beautiful Garden Jet black color.
Material
The “stone” of the IVY+ bracelet is actually made of plastic. This becomes apparent when I take a closer look at the stone….and well, knowing that the stone isn’t real was quite a bummer.
I kind of feel duped (not like someone promised me actual stones), but I also understand that the makers may have used plastic to keep the bracelet light and users’ comfort in mind. The frame holding the (plastic) stone is made of hypoallergenic stainless steel, which I am thankful for since most metals (including gold) don’t suit me well.
I am easily irritated by the rubber straps of most watches, but because IVY+’s straps are made of non-allergenic silicone rubber and are thin, I don’t mind them much.
However, I still feel so gutted over the “stone” bit that I prefer Oura in this regard. It’s made of lightweight titanium and looks quite classy as a ring!
Comfort
I’d expected Oura to feel slightly uncomfortable since that is what my expectation with smart rings was. But, no. The Oura Ring is crafted from lightweight titanium and weighs only 4 to 6 grams, so it was really light on my finger.
Furthermore, Oura is known for being discreet. At only 2.55mm thick and 7.9mm wide, it draws less attention to the fact that you’re wearing a smart wearable. So, I couldn’t feel it was there at all!
However, having worn smartwatches for nearly half my life, I was prepared for Bellabeat. But again, I was surprised. Bellabeat, too, was surprisingly light, and given that it has thin straps, the bracelet didn’t look bulky on my wrist either.
Plus, the bracelet’s stone is made of polycarbonate and weighs only 9.92 grams. This means that the bracelet not only looks light but also feels light!
I also have to mention that I am so glad Bellabeat doesn’t have any kind of screen because I truly don’t like being distracted by notifications and calls that I receive on my phone anyway.
Battery Life & Charging
One thing I expect from all my devices is a decent battery life. And well, it’s safe to say that neither the Oura Ring nor the Bellabeat bracelet disappointed me in this regard.
However, this doesn’t mean that their battery lives are the same or that I am equally satisfied with both. Here’s what I found about these two wearables:
Charging Details | Oura Ring 3 | Bellabeat IVY+ |
---|---|---|
Official Ring Charging Time | 80 minutes | 120 minutes |
My Charging Time Observation | 80-100 minutes | 90-120 minutes |
Official Battery Durability | 7 days | 8 days |
My Battery Durability | 4-6 days | 6-7 days |
Battery Life
Oura claims that the battery life of its Gen 3 ring is 7 days on a full charge, but in my experience, it only lasted around 4-6 days. This is in accordance with the experience of other Oura Ring users around me as well. On the other hand, Bellabeat consistently gave me around 6-7 days of battery life after a full charge.
Given my disdain for charging my devices frequently, I was quite relieved to see that the Bellabeat bracelet gave me a longer battery life. However, this was mostly true when I didn’t have to sync my health data frequently, as frequent syncing results in the battery depleting more quickly.
Charging Duration
I found charging the Oura Ring pretty straightforward. My ring came with a charging dock and a USB cable, so all I had to do was put the ring on the plastic charging dock and connect it to a power source via a USB-C cable. While there’s nothing out of the ordinary about Oura’s charger, Bellabeat comes with one of the cutest chargers I have seen.
The charging dock is diamond-shaped, and all I have to do is put my IVY+ bracelet on top of it. The other end of the charger is a USB cable that I connect to a power source, mostly my laptop, but at times, I have also used a wall adapter.
While the Oura ring takes around 80 minutes to charge completely, the IVY+ bracelet takes around 120 minutes— a full two hours. And well, not only do I need my devices to have a longer battery life, but I also need them to charge quickly. So, I wasn’t very happy with having to leave the bracelet on the charging dock for two hours.
Accuracy
While both Oura Ring 3 and Bellabeat IVY+ provided me with accurate data during my time with them, I still found some important differences in their accuracies across some important health metrics.
Sleep Tracking
I had heard a lot of good talk about Oura’s sleep-tracking capabilities, so obviously, I went into testing the ring with some expectations. And, well, I was impressed. As for Bellabeat, I hadn’t heard much about it, but I still approached it with an open mind.
Oura didn’t just tell me the total duration of my sleep; it also provided me with detailed insights into various sleep stages, such as deep sleep, light sleep, REM, and awake times in between. Furthermore, I have the option to check other kinds of sleep-related data, like sleep efficiency, restfulness, etc. I find it all very interesting, but I don’t prefer getting into those intricate details every day.
While Bellabeat also accurately provided information like Awake time, Light Sleep, and Recovery time, it lacked the further details that Oura offered. Each morning, Oura would provide me with a comprehensive breakdown of my sleeping patterns and a sleep score that felt accurate and reflective of my actual rate.
For example, yesterday, I slept for nine hours straight. While this number does sound dreamy, my Oura Ring told me that my sleep wasn’t as peaceful. My deep sleep was only 20% of this duration, and light sleep was 58%, indicating that my sleep wasn’t as efficient as I would have liked it to be.
I trust Oura’s data completely. But, I can’t say the same about Bellabeat because even though it did provide me with a sleep score and other useful insights, just like Oura, I have noticed that plenty of times, it failed to detect my brief awake periods during the night. At times, it also didn’t track shifts in sleep stages as precisely, whereas Oura never missed a thing.
Heart Rate Monitoring
When it comes to heart rate monitoring, both the Oura ring and Bellabeat bracelet use PPG sensors (Oura uses IR PPG, though). Furthermore both the devices offered continuous heart rate monitoring, resting heart rate, and HRV measurements.
However, while Oura’s data has always proven consistent with an estimate I have from previous devices I have used, I found that Bellabeat was occasionally inconsistent while measuring heart rate during physical activities.
For example, when I was exercising, the heart rate readings that IVY+ took showed more irregularities than those from the Oura ring did. This made me consider IVY+ less reliable for heart monitoring when I was exercising.
Activity Tracking
In addition to sleep, Oura ring provides me with detailed insights into my activity and recovery data. I have found that its step count and automatic activity detection are always on point. Although there are very minor discrepancies during high-intensity workouts, those can be overlooked.
Just like Oura, Bellabeat also offers general activity tracking (steps, distance, calories burned, etc.). However I found Bellabeat to be more inaccurate in differentiating the intensity of the workouts I do.
For example, Bellabeat has underestimated my step count plenty of times, which really doesn’t work well for someone like me who already struggles with her 10k step count. Unlike Bellabeat, Oura registers my steps with consistent accuracy.
Naturally, it’s Oura’s activity data that I prefer sharing with my fitness trainer and not Bellabeat.
Sensors & Accuracy
Oura’s sensors have always been one of its main selling points. It uses, by far, the most advanced sensors I have seen in any smart ring. I’d say the same about Bellabeat’s sensors, but the thing is upon comparing the sensors of these two devices, I found some notable differences in their capabilities and performance.
Sensors | Oura Ring 3 | Bellabeat IVY+ |
---|---|---|
PPG Sensors | ||
Temperature Sensors | ||
Accelerometer | ||
Infrared LED | ||
Red LEDs | ||
Green LEDs |
While both the Oura Ring 3 and Bellabeat IVY+ come with an accelerometer, Oura Ring uses a 3D Accelerometer to track steps and activity, and Bellabeat uses MEMS 3-axis accelerometer.
When it comes to heart rate tracking, Oura Ring 3 uses Infrared Photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors that measure heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) with high precision, especially when I am sleeping. The IR light can penetrate deep through the skin, resulting in more accurate readings.
Unlike Oura, Bellabeat uses a PPG sensor with Green LED instead of IR light, which makes Oura’s PPG module more advanced.
For measuring temperature, Oura uses Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) Sensors that track variations in skin temperature to the smallest degree, leading to high-precision data in other health metrics.
Although Bellabeat hasn’t revealed what kind of temperature sensors it uses, based on the temperature tracking accuracy of both rings, I can tell you that they are not as advanced as Oura’s NTC sensors.
So, even though both Oura Ring 3 and Bellabeat IVY+ come with reliable sensors, Oura’s sensor technology is far more advanced, which leads to greater data depth and precision that Bellabeat’s data doesn’t.
Specifications
Specifications | Oura Ring | Bellabeat IVY+ |
---|---|---|
Material | Durable titanium, PVD coating | Hypoallergenic stainless steel, non-allergenic silicone rubber bracelet, polycarbonate |
Weight | 4-6 grams | 9.92 grams |
Dimensions | Thickness- 2.55mm Width- 7.9mm | Total length: 1.53 in / 3.89 cm Total width: 1.12 in / 2.84 cm Height: 0.5 in / 1.27 cm |
Size | 6 to 13 | Adjustable bracelet length: 5.23 – 10.19 in / 13.28 – 25.88 cm |
Charger | Size-specific charger and USB C cable | Charging dock and cable |
Battery Life | Up to 7 days | Up to 8 days |
Charging Time | 80 minutes | 90-120 minutes |
Connectivity | Bluetooth Low-Energy (Bluetooth Smart®) | Bluetooth/ Wireless Sync |
Compatible With Other Apps | Yes | Yes |
Colors available | Brushed titanium, Rose Gold, Gold, Stealth, Silver, Black | Garden Jet Black, Garden Rose Gold, Blush Rose Gold, Blush Silver, Violet, Snow, Jet Black |
Water Resistance | – Up to 100m/ 328 ft. – IP54 | – 164ft./ 50m – IP68 |
Memory | 7 days of data (also depends on the frequency of use) | N/A |
Compatibility | – iOS devices running on iOS 15 or above – Android devices running on 8.0 or higher | – iOS 14.0 and later – Android 8.0 and later |
Smart Alarm Clock | N/A | Yes |
Warranty | One year from the date of purchase | 30 days from the date of purchase |
Operating Temperature | -10–52°C / 14–125°F | 32 – 104°F (0 – 40 °C) |
EMF-Safe | Yes | N/A |
Airplane mode | Yes | N/A |
HSA/ FSA eligibility | Yes | N/A |
Sizing kit | Yes (Free) | No |
Features
Features | Oura Ring | Bellabeat IVY+ |
---|---|---|
Heart Rate | Yes | Yes |
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) | Yes | Yes |
Resting Heart Rate | Yes | Yes |
Workout Heart Rate | Yes | No |
Cardiac Coherence | No | Yes |
Blood Oxygen Levels (SpO2) | Yes | No |
Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes |
Nap Detection | Yes | No |
Detailed sleep analysis | Yes | No |
Bedtime Guidance | Yes | Yes |
Respiration Rate | Yes | Yes |
Skin Temperature | Yes | Yes |
Steps | Yes | Yes |
Distance Walked | Yes | Yes |
Log Mood | No | Yes |
Log Water Intake | No | Yes |
Calories | Yes | Yes |
Activity Tracking | Yes | Yes |
Automatic Activity Detection | Yes | Yes |
Log activities manually | Yes | Yes |
Workouts | Yes | Yes |
Cycle Insights | Yes | Yes |
Period Prediction | Yes | Yes |
Pregnancy Tracking | Yes | Yes |
Illness Detection | Yes | No |
Health Reports | Yes | Yes |
Set Personalized Goals | Yes | Yes |
Personalized Wellness Assistance | Yes (on the basis of scores) | No |
Insights Feature | Yes (on the basis of scores) | No |
Guided Sessions | Yes | Yes |
Stress | Yes | Yes |
Recovery | Yes | Yes |
Rest Mode | Yes | No |
Readiness Score | Yes | Yes |
Wellness trends | Yes | Yes |
Cardiovascular Age (CVA) | Yes | No |
VO2 Max | Yes | No |
Body Clock | Yes | No |
Chronotype | Yes | No |
Comapnion Apps
Layout
Although I am a fan of dark-themed apps like Oura, I was still delighted to open the Bellabeat app, even though it is light-themed. I guess it’s the colorfulness that makes up for it. Just like Oura, Bellabeat also uses different colors and gradients to show different scores. For example, the Wellness Score part of the app has an orange-pink gradient, and the scores are present in similar themes, too.
Since I am not a fan of minimalism, I like this kind of detailing in apps. Luckily, both Oura and Bellabeat offer that. It’s like, yes, tell me how messed up my sleep cycle is, but make it fun.
The home screen of both the apps is slightly similar. Bellabeat has Wellness, Readiness, My Diary, and Coach tabs at the bottom of the screen. Whereas, Oura has Home, Readiness, Sleep, Resilience, and Activity.
Data Tracking & Interpretation
When it comes to data tracking capabilities, Oura excels in ways that Bellabeat doesn’t. It tracks and presents data for a wide range of health metrics, such as sleep stages, heart rate, HRV, body temperature, activity levels, Cycle Insights, etc., in an organized and visually appealing way.
Both apps show me various kinds of scores that give me an idea of how I am doing health-wise at a glance. For example, Oura gives me Readiness, Sleep scores, Stress scores, etc., and Bellabeat gives me Readiness Scores based on RHR, Respiratory Rate, and Cardiac Coherence. It also provides me with stress sensitivity, which I find very useful.
Both apps present all the necessary information on the home screen itself. So, I just open the app every morning, and a quick scroll through the home screen lets me know almost everything I need to know about my health.
However, if I want to have more detailed information in easy to understand way, then Oura is the one that will cater to the need and not Bellabeat.
Both apps allow me to set daily goals, analyze my performance, and then give me feedback and actionable steps that I can follow to achieve the goals I have set for myself, which is something I like. The Bellabeat app even allows me to track my hydration levels!
But, what I have also noticed is that the Bellabeat app tries to offer a lot of things; for example, the Coach section of the app (a paid feature) offers you weightloss, workout, meal plans, and whatnot. I felt overwhelmed looking at all of that. Plus, given that I already have a health coach, I didn’t even feel the need to use the service.
Prices & Subscription
Pricing Details | Oura Ring 3 | Bellabeat |
---|---|---|
Official Price | $299-$549 | $249 |
Subscription | $5.99 a month/ $69.99 a year | $10 |
Pricing
I bought the Oura Ring for $349; I know the Oura is pricey. This number could have further gone up if I had chosen a different color of the ring. For example, my first preference was actually the Stealth variant, but when I saw that it was $449— literally $100 extra, I chose the Horizon one in the silver variant only.
The Bellabeat IVY+, priced at $249, was more affordable than the Oura Ring. What I liked even more was that I could change the bracelet’s straps if and when I wanted to. Various kinds of straps are available, and they are priced at $29. So, if I ever feel bored of the black straps or think it doesn’t go with my outfit that well, I can wear some other colored strap.
While all of this sounds really cool about the IVY+, I couldn’t help but notice the huge disparity between its price and that of other Bellabeat bracelets like Leaf Urban and Chakra, which are $99 and $89, respectively.
Furthermore, Bellabeat may be a one-of-a-kind fitness tracker, but once I overlooked its pretty shape and form, I realized that there are many more fitness trackers that can do a much better job still around the same price.
Subscription
Both the Oura ring and the Bellabeat bracelet need a companion app. Oura’s companion app is subscription-based. I pay around $6 a month to use it however, I also have the option to get a yearly subscription at $72.
The Oura app can be used without a subscription. But, without a subscription, I would only get a few basic features that make the app functional to a small extent. For what the ring is worth, the amount of data the free version offers is not going to be satisfactory.
However, unlike Oura, Bellabeat does give me the option not to get a subscription if I don’t want to. The app will still offer me all of the required data and personalized information for free. I will only have to pay if I want to use the “Coach” feature of the ring, i.e., get a workout and nutrition plan, mindfulness techniques, menstrual cycle support, and more.
Availing the coach feature costs around $10 a month. But, given that I already have a subscription to a mindfulness app and a fitness coach who takes care of my workout and nutrition, I didn’t see why I should shell out an additional $10. This means Bellabeat IVY+’s companion app was basically free for me.
However, even though Oura is more pricey here, I’d still choose to spend money on the Oura app because of the detailed insights it offers compared to Bellabeat.
Final Verdict
Although Bellabeat is a breath of fresh air in the smart wearables market, I still like my Oura Ring better. Oura is pricier than the IVY+ bracelet and most other wearables, but it does its job so well.
Oura looks better on my hand and feels more comfortable than Bellabeat. With the bracelet, I had to keep tucking the strap in the keeper all the time, and that was really annoying. There was obviously no such problem with the Oura Ring.
Oura offers way more features than the IVY+ bracelet does. It has really advanced sensors in comparison to IVY+, therefore more data collection as well. But, not just that, the data collected is more accurate, too. When it comes to sleep tracking, the data my Oura Ring collected was always in accordance with how I felt or had noticed about my sleeping patterns.
Even though Bellabeat is marketed as a women-centric product, its features aren’t enough to justify the $249 price tag. Various other wearables offer more features in addition to Bellabeat’s, and they are around the same price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Wrap Up
So, that’s it, folks! I am going to put a ring on it. Oura Ring will measure my health metrics and complete my outfit. Both the ring and the bracelet have their own strengths and weaknesses, but here, the ring offered more and better, which is why I declared it the winner.
But what would you have chosen here? The ring or the bracelet? In the comments below, let me know your choice and the reasons behind it!