With Fitbit Inspire 3 and the Oura Ring, both being health and fitness trackers with a major price difference, let’s break down if one is better than the other. I always view smart rings for a holistic view of my health and wellbeing and smartwatches for activity and fitness.
Will Oura win the sleep tracking, or will Fitbit Inspire 3 beat the tiny gadget in terms of being a better workout tracker? Let’s find out.
Oura Ring vs. Fitbit Inspire 3: Specifications
| Specifications | Fitbit Inspire 3 | Oura Gen3 Ring |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 17.69 g | 4-6g |
| Sizes | Small (fits wrist 5.1″ – 7.5″ in circumference), and large (fits wrist 6.3″ – 8.7″ in circumference) | 8 sizes (6-13) |
| Sizing kit | No | Yes, free |
| Colors | 3 colors- Midnight Zen / Black, Lilac Bliss / Black, and Morning Glow / Black | 6 colors – Silver, Black, Stealth, Brushed Titanium, Gold, and Rose Gold |
| Dimensions | 1.55″ l x 0.73″ w x 0.46″ h | 7.9mm wide, 2.55mm thickness |
| Battery Sizes | N/A | 15mAh – 22mAh |
| Battery Life | Up to 10 days | Up to 7 days |
| Charge Time | Up to 2 hours | Up to 80 mins |
| Charger | Fast-charging USB cable | Size-specific charger with USB-C cable |
| Vibration | Yes | No |
| Material | The band is made of premium, comfortable silicone | Titanium with PVD coating |
| Water Resistance | Up to 50 m | Up to 100 m |
| Operating Temperature | 0° to 40°C | -10–52°C / 14–125°F |
| Compatible OS | iOS 15 and higher or Android 10 and higher | iOS 15 and higher or Android 9.0 and higher |
| Warranty | 1 year | 1 – 2 years |
| Price | $99.95 | Starting $299 |
| Subscription | $9.99/month (first 6 months free) | $5.99 USD/month (first 1 month free) |
Oura Ring vs. Fitbit Inspire 3: Features
| Features | Fitbit Inspire 3 | Oura Ring |
|---|---|---|
| Heart Rate | ✅ | ✅ |
| Heart Rate Variability | ✅ | ✅ |
| Respiratory Rate | ✅ | ✅ |
| Sleep Latency | N/A | ✅ |
| Movement During Sleep | ✅ | ✅ |
| Sleep Pattern | ✅ | ✅ |
| Stress Management | ✅ | ✅ |
| Skin Temperature | ✅ | ✅ |
| Find | Find My Phone | Find My Ring (iOS) |
| Sleep Score | ✅ | ✅ |
| Activity and Workout Tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
| Calorie Tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
| Steps | ✅ | ✅ |
| Readiness score | ✅ | ✅ |
| Low and High Heart Rate Alerts | ✅ | ✅ |
| Irregular heart rhythm notifications | ✅ | ❌ |
| Cycle Tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
| Pregnancy Insights | ❌ | ✅ |
| SpO2 | ✅ | ✅ |
| VO2 Max | ✅ | ✅ |
| Blood Glucose Tracking | ✅(app) | ❌ |
| Cardiovascular Age (CVA) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Body Clock | ❌ | ✅ |
Oura Ring vs. Fitbit Inspire 3: What Do They Track?
Sleep
| Oura Ring | Fitbit Inspire 3 |
|---|---|
| Sleep score | Total Sleep Time |
| Total sleep | Sleep stages |
| Time in bed | Sleep profile |
| Sleep efficiency | Bedtime and Wake Up time |
| Restfulness | Smart wake alarm |
| Sleep stages | |
| Sleep latency | |
| Movement During Sleep | |
| Nap Detection |
Oura Ring’s sleep tracking, according to me, is impeccable. With tracking my sleep stages to how many times I get up at night (even though I don’t remember it) and also keeping in check my bad habit of doomscrolling on Instagram till I physically cannot stay awake; it’s been such a blessing to my sleep schedule.
I love how the information is so easily accessible on the Oura app, and doesn’t take me more than a minute to understand how well I slept last night.
In addition to sleep tracking, being a smartwatch, the Inspire 3 also supports a smart alarm to wake me up. I am the queen of hitting the snooze button till I run late for work, and at first, I thought it wouldn’t work on me, but I am pleasantly surprised to say that the smart alarm has been a great help.
Approximately half an hour before I have to be up, it vibrates gently when it measures me at the lightest stage of sleep. I’ve also noticed I’m not as groggy and cranky in the morning since waking up with the smart alarm.
Although I don’t have any complaints with the sleep tracking abilities of the Fitbit Inspire 3, I do have to point out that it’s not the most comfortable to sleep in.
Activity
| Oura Ring | Fitbit Inspire 3 |
|---|---|
| Record Workout HR | Heart Rate |
| VO2 Max | Active Zone Minutes |
| Goal Progress | Cardio Fitness Score |
| Total Calories, Steps, Walking | Uses Mobile and In-Built GPS |
| Activity Score | Exercise Modes |
| Recovery Time | Automatic Exercise Tracking |
| Training Volume | Steps, Distance, and Calories |
| Training Frequency | |
| Inactive Time | |
| Uses Mobile GPS |
The Fitbit Inspire 3 undoubtedly sat more comfortably on my wrist during weight training. It tracks my workouts automatically and allows me to set 6 shortcuts for workouts out of 21 exercises on the device. With the list being pretty limited for a smartwatch, I wish they could at least have added HIIT to the list.
The Fitbit Inspire 3, just like the Oura Ring uses the GPS from the phone to track distance and route. I was a little disappointed to know that it’s not an inbuilt feature for a smartwatch, especially for a brand that has been in the market for 1.5 decades.
The one thing I value more than anything in a fitness tracker is the inactivity reminders. Especially when you’re sitting at a desk for most of the day, and movement is not very frequent.
Both the devices send out such reminders, which is a plus, but the only drawback with the Oura Ring is that these and any other reminders will come via the app and not the device itself, which is understood since a smart ring has these limitations.
Overall activity recorded by my Oura ring is more convenient since a silicone strap is not very comfortable to wear, especially during summer. Which means the Oura ring records my steps and activity even while doing household chores.
For workouts like HIIT and Pilates, Oura has been my go-to. It doesn’t provide Active Zone Minutes like the Fitbit does, but I don’t understand that score anyway so it’s not a deal breaker just yet.
I also love using my Oura Ring over the Fitbit since I can get a track of my walk with the phone’s built-in GPS. Why I don’t give this point to Fitbit because even though it also tracks my walk, it uses the phone’s GPS to do so. For a smartwatch, it should enable me to leave my phone at home.
The Oura Ring helps me stay motivated to move and be active all throughout the day and not just for an hour or two at the gym.
Health
| Oura Ring | Fitbit Inspire 3 |
|---|---|
| Readiness Score | Readiness Score |
| SpO2 | SpO2 |
| Resting Heart Rate | Heart Rate Variability |
| Heart Rate Variability | Resting Heart Rate |
| Body Temperature | Breathing Rate |
| Respiratory Rate | Wellness Report |
| HRV Balance | Blood Glucose Tracking (In App Only) |
| Recovery Index | High and Low HR Notifications |
| Sleep Regularity | Irregular heart rhythm notifications |
| Activity and Sleep Balance | Skin Temperature |
| Cycle Tracking | Cycle tracking |
The Fitbit Inspire 3 starts showing the differences in skin temperature only after wearing it for 3 nights. Oura Ring also starts showing temperature variations but it needs at least 60 days to set the baseline temperature.
The Fitbit Inspire 3 also doesn’t have a dedicated sensor for skin temperature and uses existing sensors to calculate the same, which makes me doubt its accuracy.
As for SpO2, both the Fitbit and the Oura display the average blood oxygen levels from the previous night and don’t adhere to on-demand readings. This feature is understood for a device that is focused on sleep and wellness, like the Oura ring; however, for me, a smartwatch should at least have on-demand blood oxygen readings.
The cycle tracking on the Fitbit is also decent, but I would still prefer my Oura Ring, for it gave me a deeper understanding of my cycles and what’s going on with my body. From cycle phases and accurate estimates, it does it all.
The Fitbit is as good as a free app on a phone to log periods and keep track of the dates. It will send an estimate ovulation window at most but nothing that a free app on a phone cant do.
Additionally, the Inspire 3 lets me record my water and food intake via the app, which is a feature lacking in the Oura app.
The Inspire 3 also sends out high or low heart rate notifications, which the Oura ring doesn’t. The Oura ring will only tell me if my body temperature was elevated or my heart rate was low or high the previous night under the ‘Readiness’ tab.
In terms of health tracking, even while lacking a few key metrics, the Inspire 3 makes for a good budget-friendly alternative to other trackers on the market.
Additional Features
| Oura Ring | Fitbit Inspire 3 |
|---|---|
| Daytime Stress | Call, Text, and App Notifications |
| Resilience | Stress Management Score |
| Nighttime Recovery | Find My Phone |
| Daytime Recovery | Do Not Disturb and Sleep Mode |
| Find My Ring (iOS) | |
| Experiments | |
| Oura Labs (iOS) |
Oura has a ‘daytime stress’ feature which is estimated on various other metrics. Though I found it to not always be correct, it’s still exciting to look at and learn how our body relates to all stressors in the same way.
The Oura ring also supports recovery and tells me when to take it slow based on the previous day. This is a very important feature for people who need to be explicitly told to take a break (hint: me).
The Fitbit app has a daily stress management score based on sleep patterns, physical activity levels, and overnight health metrics. To me, it’s more related to the “readiness” score on the Oura app, as opposed to stress.
The Fitbit also has notifications via Bluetooth pertaining to calls and texts, however, answering said calls and text via the watch is not possible.
Both the devices have a ‘Find My’ feature. The Oura Ring supports a Find My Ring feature but only for iOS devices, and the Fitbit Inspire 3 has a Find My Phone feature, which works well.
Oura Ring vs. Fitbit Inspire 3: Design and Battery
If you’re someone who likes a little color and fun in their outfits, the Fitbit Inspire 3 is available in 3 vibrant colors. Compared to the Oura ring, which is more understated and doesn’t catch attention, it is lightweight and sleek.
While not as bright and eye-catching as the Inspire 3, the Oura Ring is available in a multitude of colors and finishes to choose from. Personally, I find it much more comfortable to wear than a watch. The battery is also great, as it lasts me around 6 days on a single charge.
With the Fitbit Inspire 3, the battery exceeded my expectations, almost lasting me up to 8 days and bearing the longest battery life in the Fitbit lineup. It also has an ‘always on’ feature for the display, which would affect the battery further, but I don’t like to turn it on.
When it comes to design and comfort, Oura wins hands down. It obviously depends on your personal preference, but for me, I don’t want to be supporting a bright-colored watch strap, so if I were to wear a Fitbit, I would opt for a different strap since we can buy straps separately.
Oura Ring vs. Fitbit Inspire 3: Price and Availability
With an enticing offer of the first 6 months free for the premium, the Fitbit Inspire 3 is the better choice if you’re on a budget, costing $99.95 for the watch and $9.99/month post the first 6 months for the premium.
Oura Ring, on the other hand, comes with a hefty price tag, starting at $299 and going all the way up to $549 for the Horizon rose gold variant. Although they offer the first month free for premium, the membership costs $5.99/month post that.
Both gadgets are available on their official websites and authorized retailers.
The Verdict
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly device or just entering into a personal health and wellness journey, the Fitbit Inspire 3 is a good gadget to start with.
Personally, I much prefer my Oura Ring for an overall view of my health and where it is headed. I’ve seen many improvements in my habits and patterns since wearing my Oura ring.
It takes into account my previous day’s sleep and activity and suggests if I should take it slow, automatically adjusting my activity goal. Way to go, Oura.
Are you a smart ring person or a smartwatch person? Which gadget would you be choosing? Let us know in the comments.
