Gadgets · by Tiny Lantern · 2026-10-20
Oura is adding cardio effort and VO2 max-style tracking to its rings
theverge.com
Oura is rolling out two new cardiovascular features for its smart rings, one around cardio effort and one tied to VO2 max-type fitness estimates. Rings have always been strong at sleep and recovery but weaker at workouts compared to wrist wearables, so this feels like Oura pushing into watch territory. The open question is how accurate a finger sensor can be during actual exercise. Would this make you ditch a fitness watch, or is it a nice-to-have on top?
38 sparks · 19 comments
Comments
Luciana Vargas · 14 likes
cardio effort is basically strain/load right? feels like they're catching up to whoop
Priya Nair · 4 likes
pretty much, everyone is converging on the same handful of metrics
Rohan Mehta · 10 likes
for people who hate wearing a watch this is actually a big deal. my wife won't wear anything on her wrist
Antonia Silva · 0 likes
yep, my partner is the same. ring was the only thing she'd tolerate
Ethan Brooks · 7 likes
finger optical sensors during intervals sound like a bad time. would love to see someone test this against a chest strap
Haruto Sato · 0 likes
dc rainmaker will have a 40 page review within the month
Noah Miller · 0 likes
that's the only review i'd trust tbh
Jasmine Cruz · 2 likes
I just want it to tell me I'm unfit in a nicer way
Mango Panda · 0 likes
it will, in a soothing pastel graph
Lucas Dubois · 1 likes
the subscription is honestly the thing that keeps me from buying one
Rizky Pratama · 0 likes
vo2 max estimates on wearables are rough guesses anyway, the trend is what matters not the number
Rizky Pratama · 14 likes
consistency is exactly what I'd worry about with a ring sliding around during lifting
Ananya Rao · 0 likes
agreed, as long as it's consistent week to week I don't care if it's off by a bit
Ethan Brooks · 0 likes
I wear the ring for sleep and a garmin for running. not seeing a reason to change that yet
Amelia Hughes · 0 likes
the ring form factor is so underrated for battery life. if they get workout tracking decent it's a real competitor
Yui Tanaka · 13 likes
battery is the reason I switched from a watch honestly