Oura goes back to basics with new Horizon smart ring design

This is the Oura Ring Horizon, a new version of Oura’s excellent smart ring, this time with a subtle design and a brand-new color to go with it.

The Horizon joins the existing Heritage design, which is characterized by the slightly flattened section that breaks up the simple ring shape, but does give it a more masculine appeal. The Horizon is far more simple, adopting an entirely unfussy, and very traditional circular shape instead.

It’s not without quirky appeal, though; on the underside of the ring is a tiny notch that exposes textured titanium under the polished exterior. Its location is not by accident, as it’s set below the ring’s many sensors so you can easily feel if they are correctly positioned. On the Heritage model, the flattened section works in the same way, but it’s placed on the opposite side of the sensors.

Oura has introduced the Horizon in the existing silver, black, stealth, and gold finishes, but has added a rose gold option to the lineup. I’ve been wearing the silver version for the last few days, with the Horizon replacing my usual polished black Heritage model. Although it doesn’t feel any different, I’d say it’s a hair wider than the Heritage, and the sides have a slightly more pronounced curve. In silver, it makes a statement on your finger, with the polished titanium really catching the light.

Outside of the shape, the Horizon has the same features as the third-generation Heritage, which also remains in the lineup. This means it monitors your heart rate during the day and night, your blood oxygen levels, and your body temperature, too. The Oura Ring can be used to track your heart rate during indoor and outdoor workouts, although the choices are limited to walking, running, or cycling at the moment. Sleep tracking is the Oura Ring’s forte, and it returns deep insights into your sleep patterns the longer you wear it.

The Oura Ring also has a period prediction feature and works with the Natural Cycles app, it has wellness and meditation sessions in the app, Strava integration, a choice to use steps or calories as a daily goal (or even ignore calories entirely), and the chance to stop tracking to promote rest and recuperation. Although it has been promised for a while, Oura’s improved sleep staging algorithm still hasn’t arrived, but is apparently still on the calendar for 2022.

It’s estimated the Oura Ring’s battery lasts for seven days between charges, but if you use the blood oxygen monitoring and track workouts, this is hard to achieve. Instead, expect around five days if you take full advantage of the Oura Ring’s features. A charging plinth comes with the ring, and a great way to avoid the battery running down unexpectedly is to place it on charge when you’re in the shower. Do that every other day and it will never require a “full” charge.

The Oura Ring Horizon is available to buy now, and it starts at $349 for the silver and black version — but expect to pay more for the stealth, gold, or new rose gold finish. Each ring comes with six months of free access to Oura’s app and tracking features, but after that period, you’ll have to pay $6 per month to continue accessing the data and insights.

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