Wearables

Oura smooths out the flats for fully round Horizon smart ring

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With the Ring Gen3 Horizon, Oura has managed to smooth out the flat surfaces of previous models for a "perfectly round" health-tracking wearable
Oura Ring
With the Ring Gen3 Horizon, Oura has managed to smooth out the flat surfaces of previous models for a "perfectly round" health-tracking wearable
Oura Ring
The Horizon retains all the functionality of the still available Heritage Gen3 edition, including heart-rate and SpO2 monitoring, activity and sleep tracking and skin temperature sensing
Oura Ring
The Horizon sends health data over Bluetooth to a companion mobile app running on a smartphone
Oura Ring
The Horizon hosts LED optical sensors, an IR PPG sensor and a skin temp sensor on the lower half of the inner surface
Oura Ring
The Horizon monitors health metrics like a smartwatch, with a fraction of the bulk
Oura Ring
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Though the third generation of Oura's health-tracking ring was a much slicker wearable than its rather bulky first offering, a perfectly circular design has so far eluded the company... until now, with the launch of the Oura Ring Gen3 Horizon.

The second-generation Ring landed in 2018, and Gen3 was released toward the end of 2021. The latest generation is still available as part of the Heritage collection for US$299, and sports a flattened edge that not only spoils its otherwise wedding-band aesthetic, but could also catch adjacent fingers as it slips around during a sweaty workout.

With the Horizon model, Oura has managed to smooth away any troublesome edgy electronics for a "perfectly round, minimal design" that doesn't impact on functionality – while also adding a new color offering – rose gold – to the existing silver, black, "stealth" and gold colorways.

Beyond the overall look, the new Ring works much the same as before – featuring green and red LED sensors, plus an IR PPG sensor and skin temperature sensor on the lower half of the inner surface to monitor heart rate, blood oxygen (SpO2) levels, temperature, stress, activity/inactivity, sleep and so on.

The Horizon sends health data over Bluetooth to a companion mobile app running on a smartphone
Oura Ring

Data gathered is sent over Bluetooth to a smartphone running a companion app for analysis. Users can also tap into more than 50 guided audio wellness sessions, and health and workout data can be auto synced with third-party fitness apps such as Apple Health, Google Fit and Strava.

A free sizing kit is available to ensure a perfect fit. The Horizon weighs in at between 4 and 6 grams (0.14 - 0.21 oz), benefits from durable titanium construction, is water-resistant to 100 m (328 ft) and boasts a seven-day per-charge battery life.

The Oura Ring Gen3 Horizon is on sale now for $349, which includes six months of access to such things as in-depth sleep analysis, personalized health insights and more. That offer is only available until the end of October, after which the window reduces to one month gratis. Once the complimentary membership period is over, folks will need to stump up $6.99 per month.

Product page: Horizon

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1 comment
windykites
I have a Huawei watch with all these features, except for the subscription charge.