Once again, I find myself in the midst of the battle between a smartwatch and a smart ring. This time, I’m pitting the beloved Oura Ring against the Google Pixel Watch 2, one of the prettiest smartwatches available in the market at the moment.
The Oura Ring, as we know and love, can do it all, discreetly and silently, like a personal cheerleader striving to get you moving towards a healthier you. The Pixel 2 is a multitasker combining health and fitness tracking with the features of a smartwatch while still looking very sleek and pretty on your wrist.
But which one suits your requirements the best? Read on to find out.
Specifications
| Specifications | Google Pixel Watch 2 | Oura Ring |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 41 mm diameter, 12.3 mm height | 7.9mm wide, 2.55mm thickness |
| Colors | 4 colors | 6 colours |
| Material | Aluminum case, Gorilla Glass, Fluoroelastomer band | Titanium with PVD coating |
| Size | 41mm | 8 sizes (6-13) |
| Weight | 31 g | 4-6g |
| Water-resistant | 50m/5ATM water resistant (IP68) | Up to 100 m |
| Display | AMOLED, 1000 nits | N/A |
| Always-on display | Yes | N/A |
| Memory | 32GB | Up to 7 days |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Battery | Li-Ion 306 mAh, non-removable | 15mAh – 22mAh |
| Battery Life | 24 hrs | Up to 7 days |
| Charge Time | 80% in 43 mins, 100% in 75 mins | Up to 80 mins |
| Compatibility | Android 9.0 or newer | iOS 15 and higher or Android 9.0 and higher |
| GPS | Built-in and connected GPS | Uses Phone GPS |
| Price | From $249.99 | From $299 |
| Subscription | $10/ month (first six months free) | $5.99/ month (first month free) |
Sensors
| Google Pixel Watch 2 | Oura Ring |
|---|---|
| Multi-path optical heart rate sensor | Infrared photoplethysmography sensors (PPG) for heart rate and respiration |
| Electrical sensors compatible with ECG app | Negative temperature coefficient (NTC) sensor for body temperature |
| Electrical sensor for continuous EDA detection | 3D accelerometer for movement |
| Skin temperature sensor | |
| Red and infrared sensors for (SpO2) monitoring | |
| Gyroscope | |
| Always-on altimeter | |
| 3-axis accelerometer | |
| Ambient light sensor | |
| Barometer | |
| Magnetometer | |
| NFC and Compass |
Design
In terms of design, the round, pebble shape of the Pixel 2, which looks very polished and sleek for a smartwatch, has grown on me. The Gorilla glass hasn’t scratched up like some users reported but it certainly depends on how one handles the products as well.
The 41mm is also a perfect size for me, which I know is a little smaller for some people but doesn’t bother me and my petite hands. The watch straps are also surprisingly comfortable. However, what I disliked was the lack of choices in straps and colors. Even in the depths of Amazon and eBay, there isn’t much variety for different straps to choose from.
This is not an issue with the Oura Ring. The Heritage variant comes in four colors, and the Horizon in six. Along with the variety in colors, the design is so sleek and pretty that it looks like another piece of jewelry and can easily be worn 24×7.
It is also so comfortable to wear during sleep and regular day-to-day chores that after the initial days of wear, it almost goes unnoticeable.
Features
Sleep and Stress
| Google Pixel Watch 2 | Oura Ring |
|---|---|
| Sleep stages | Sleep score |
| Sleep Score | Total sleep |
| Sleep Profile | Time in bed |
| Mindfulness content for sleep | Sleep efficiency |
| Sleep insights | Restfulness |
| All-day body response tracking | Sleep stages |
| Stress notifications | Sleep Latency |
| Stress Management Score | Movement During Sleep |
| Mood Logging and Reflections | Nap Detection |
| Mindfulness and Guided breathing sessions | Daytime stress |
| Resilience | |
| Mindfulness and Guided breathing sessions |
Pixel 2’s sleep-tracking is almost at par with Oura’s. That is, when it does track sleep. I don’t understand why that is. It doesn’t feel too loose on me but if they need it to be tighter to be able to track my sleep, that isn’t going to be possible. Comfort > Data, always.
That being said, the Pixel 2 is definitely more comfortable to sleep in than my other Apple watches. I mean, smartwatches. Anyway, on the days it does track my sleep, the data is almost identical to what the Oura tracked.
Fitbit Premium also gives an insight into deeper sleep analysis like sleep stages, sleep schedule variability, daily readiness score and sleep profile. The good news is that they give 6 months free of the premium subscription so that you know if these features are worth the $10 monthly fee.
Oura has every necessary metric behind a paywall, so I will speak to its premium features only. The sleep tracking has hardly ever had a lag. It detects naps as well. The sleep stages are what they should be, but since no device is absolutely accurate in tracking those, I take them with a grain of salt.
On a general level, the sleep stages and total sleep have helped me guestimate when my body feels its best the next day. The sleep score also helps me take a quick look and understand the quality of last night’s sleep, and the bedtime trends have helped me keep a consistent bedtime, which leads to maximum productivity.
Activity and Workouts
| Google Pixel Watch 2 | Oura Ring |
|---|---|
| All-Day Activity Tracking | Record Workout HR |
| Auto Workout Mode | VO2 Max |
| 40+ Exercise Modes | Goal progress |
| Heart Zone Training | Total Calories, Steps, Walking Equivalency |
| Pace Training | Recovery Time |
| Enhanced Workout Views | Training Volume |
| Active Zone Minutes | Training Frequency |
| Swimming | Inactive Time |
| Cardio Fitness Score | Activity Score |
| Step, Distance, Calories, and Floors Climbed | |
| Workouts on Your Phone | |
| Goals and Reminders |
One of the new features of the Pixel 2 is automatic workout detection. The watch can detect five types of workouts, which it pops up to confirm, just like the Apple Watch. However, the vibration and haptics are a little weak, that I almost always miss the notification, and the workout doesn’t get logged.
The Oura ring has automatic activity detection for over 10 mins for over 40 types of activities and workouts and additionally, has the option for me to add over 50 workouts manually via the app. I think we see the clear winner here.
Pixel 2’s integration with Fitbit for fitness tracking makes it the best feature in the watch. No complaints. The multi-path heart sensor is the most important in making this feature work better than the Oura Ring, in the sense that due to this sensor, regardless of how I’m moving about, the Pixel 2 can pick up my heart rate information, which means better metrics monitoring during workouts.
Now I know I said the Oura is better because it detects far more activities, but a ring will always be on the counter or in my pocket at the gym. The Pixel 2 doesn’t automatically log a ton of workouts and doesn’t have the best haptics to inform me when it does, but the information and metrics it tracks, thanks to the sensors, are far beyond what the Oura Ring can do.
Oura is better for activities throughout the day and helps me stay motivated to move more. The only “workouts” I use it for are yoga, walking, and running, essentially ones that don’t involve weights or holding equipment.
A smartwatch is undoubtedly more comfortable to wear at the gym than a smart ring. So, I like to keep them both separate for separate tasks.
Other Health Metrics
| Google Pixel Watch 2 | Oura Ring |
|---|---|
| Skin temperature sensing | Readiness score |
| Heart Rate | Heart Rate |
| SpO2 Nightly Average, Range, Trends Over Time | Resting heart rate |
| Heart rate variability | SpO2 |
| Resting heart rate | Heart rate variability |
| Breathing rate | Body temperature |
| Blood Glucose Tracking (In App Only) | Respiratory rate |
| Menstrual Health Tracking (In App Only) | HRV Balance |
| Daily Readiness Score | Recovery Index |
| Irregular heart rhythm notifications | Sleep regularity |
| High and low heart rate notifications | Activity and sleep balance |
| ECG app with AFib detection | Period tracking |
| Fall Detection | Pregnancy Insights |
| Emergency SOS |
Additional Features in Google Pixel 2 Watch
- On-Wrist Bluetooth Calls
- Call, Text, and App Notifications
- YouTube Music and Controls
- Google Assistant and Google Maps
- Find My Phone
- Unlock Pixel Watch 2 from The Phone
- Do Not Disturb and Sleep Mode
- Clockfaces and Accessories
- Google Play Store
- Safety Check
- Fall Detection
- Emergency SOS
With the Fitbit Premium and the LTE model of the Pixel 2, Google introduced a new feature, “Safety Check,” which notifies friends and family about your location at a specific time, and “Emergency Sharing,” which shares medical information and location with emergency contacts.
Additional Features in Oura Ring
- Find My Ring (iOS)
- Experiments
- Oura Labs (iOS)
- Tags
Oura Ring has additional features such as ‘Tags,’ which help me log my mood and environmental factors for the day. This helps me when I look at my metrics’ trend reports and helps me understand which factors affected certain trends and metrics to not go in my favour.
This is the feature that has helped me keep my late-night snacking in check. Additionally, Oura offers ‘Experiments’ whenever they have some ongoing. I recently participated in the ‘no caffeine before bed’ experiment, and it’s generally nice to put yourself through challenges that lead to healthier habits.
Final Verdict
While generally an impressive smartwatch, the Google Pixel 2 has a few improvements that could help make it better. The haptics and vibrations, like mentioned earlier, for example. Another area where Pixel 2 could improve is a more seamless integration with third-party apps. I’ve read multiple reviews wherein people had difficulty syncing their workout data from third-party apps such as Pelton.
If I had to choose between the two, Oura is a far better choice, in my opinion, for overall health and wellness. With the Pixel 2 having certain areas to improve, Oura has nailed it in every field. From tracking daily chores, sleep, comfort, period tracking, and a no-screen zone, it has been my go-to fitness tracker.
The only use I see for the Pixel Watch 2 is the workout tracking, and while it’s great if I am getting far more value than that in a smaller, more compact, and sleek form, my choice is made for me. Another drawback of the Pixel 2 Watch is its compatibility with Android only, which limits its appeal to a broader audience, while Oura being compatible with both iOS and Android provides versatility.
