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Now you can get a really round Oura smart ring

Now you can get a really round Oura smart ring

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The new Horizon ring is for those who prefer their vitality measurements come from a well-rounded design

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A collection of five Oura smart rings are arranged on concrete pedestals of varying heights. There’s a glossy gold ring, a rosy gold ring, a silver one in the center, a gunmetal gray one, and a matte black one.
The really round Oura Horizon comes in five colors, including the new rose gold finish.
Image: Oura

If you were intrigued by previous Oura smart rings but were turned off by a design that didn’t let you spin it on your desk, then you’re in luck. Oura is releasing a rounder version of its health and fitness tracking smart ring line called Horizon, though it’ll cost you $50 more than the version not matching that preference. (via Gizmodo).

The Oura Horizon is largely identical to the last year’s Oura Ring (Gen 3) in terms of functionality, including the blood oxygen monitoring abilities that were just activated this year. This means the Horizon is just a cosmetic change accompanying the old “heritage” design, and it comes in the same original gold, stealth, black, and silver finishes, plus a brand new rose gold color you could totally match up with an old iPhone 6s or a 12-inch MacBook.

Floating aura rose gold ring closeup with the sensors visible from the inside.
There’s a dimple that helps you align the ring on your finger for better readings.
Image: Oura
Silver is a more versatile color for a ring.
Silver is a more versatile color for a ring.
Image: Oura

While there isn’t anything else new in the Horizon hardware, the company’s commitment to extending the features and integrations of its smart rings were observable this year. For instance, along with Apple HealthKit integration, it gained connectivity to Strava and can support Natural Cycles’ digital birth control. Plus, Oura is about to add a sleep staging feature it talked about last year, bolstering the ring’s sleep tracking abilities to laboratory levels. We’ve tested and rated the Oura Gen 3 as one of the best sleep trackers you can buy right now, though the $6 a month subscription fee is kind of annoying.

Whether the price hike from $299 to $349 is worth it for the rounder Horizon ring is up to you, based on your style preference. You still get very good sleep tracking with the Horizon, and for some, wearing a ring to bed is less of an annoyance than an Apple Watch — both in comfort and dealing with constant charging (the Oura can last up to a week on a charge). And it’s certainly more affordable than the $950 Gucci version of the Oura Ring that came out this year, which has quite a rounded design as well.