In today’s fitness-focused world, step tracking has become an important way for many people to monitor their daily activity levels. One popular device that offers step tracking is the Oura ring – a smart ring that sits on your finger and uses sensors to track various metrics like sleep, activity, and more.
But how accurately does the Oura ring track steps? And is it a useful step counter compared to other wearables on the market? Let’s find out. Don’t miss the comparison between Oura ring and Fitbit steps tracking given at the end. You may also like to check out does Oura ring track blood pressure and is Oura ring calories tracking accurate.
Does Oura Ring Track Steps Activity? Is It Accurate? [2023]
The short answer is yes – the Oura ring does track steps taken throughout the day. The ring contains 3D accelerometers and gyroscopes that monitor the movement and angles of your hand. When it detects motion patterns that match walking or running, the Oura ring logs those motions as steps.
So while it doesn’t have a dedicated foot sensor like many fitness trackers, the Oura ring uses its motion sensors to estimate your daily step count. However, it focuses more on providing in-depth sleep and readiness data, rather than serving as a highly precise pedometer.
How Does Oura Ring Track Steps
As mentioned, the Oura ring tracks steps using its 3D accelerometers and gyroscopes to detect hand movements.
Specifically, an accelerometer measures the acceleration of your hand as it swings back and forth while walking or running. The gyroscope tracks angular motion and orientation. With these two sensors, the Oura ring captures your hand motions throughout the day and analyzes the data to count steps.
The algorithm looks for motion patterns that indicate walking, running or other activity. Other non-step motions are filtered out. The ring then takes the motions that match walking/running and converts them into an estimated step count. This step count syncs with the Oura app whenever the ring is connected via Bluetooth.
Is Oura Ring Footsteps Tracking Accurate
The accuracy of the Oura ring’s step tracking can vary significantly from person to person. Since it estimates steps based on hand motions, rather than foot strikes like many fitness bands, its step count may not always align with other devices.
For some users, the Oura ring step count can be remarkably accurate – matching other wearables almost perfectly. But for others, it either undercounts or overcounts steps compared to trackers worn on the ankle or waist.
So accuracy seems highly dependent on the individual and exactly how they swing their arms while walking. The algorithms work better for some people’s movement patterns than others.
What I like about Oura ring steps tracking
- While the accuracy is hit or miss, there are a few nice things about using the Oura ring for step tracking:
- Convenient: Since it’s worn on your finger, you never have to think about strapping on a fitness band or carrying a pedometer. The ring automatically tracks steps throughout the day.
- Motivation: Seeing daily step counts in the app can motivate you to get more movement and exercise. The ring makes it easy to monitor how active you are.
- Sleep Tracking: The Oura provides great sleep data, so it’s nice to have steps tracked automatically in one place without wearing multiple devices.
What I Don’t Like About Oura Ring Steps Tracking
Despite some benefits, there are also a few downsides to relying on the Oura for step counting:
- Accuracy Issues: Since it only uses hand motions, the step count can be wildly inaccurate for some people. It’s not as precise as ankle or waist-worn pedometers.
- No Pace Tracking: The ring doesn’t track your walking/running pace or distance covered like GPS sport watches. You only get a basic step count.
- Can’t Track Specific Activities: It counts total daily steps but can’t log steps for individual activities like walks, runs, or hikes.
- Lacks Advanced Workout Features: Unlike many fitness bands, it doesn’t auto-detect workouts, show real-time stats during exercise, or provide workout-training features.
You may also like to learn: Can you shower with Oura Ring?
Should You Use Oura Ring For Step Tracking
At the end of the day, the Oura ring is likely not the best option for tracking daily footsteps. For that you need advanced step-tracking gear. Dedicated fitness trackers and sports watches offer more precision and workout-specific features.
However, Oura can still provide reasonable step counting for more casual users focused on all-day activity monitoring. As long as you don’t expect perfection, it can give you a good idea of your daily movement. And it may motivate you to walk more for better health.
For most, though, the Oura ring’s true value is in its sleep and readiness tracking. The step counting is just a nice bonus – so your expectations should align. If you want a convenient, wearable way to monitor daily activity and exercise along with in-depth sleep metrics, the Oura ring can certainly fit the bill and provide insight into your overall health.
Oura Ring Vs. Fitbit Footsteps Tracking
- Fitbit uses advanced algorithms and motion sensors optimized for precise step counting. Oura’s motion sensing is more basic.
- Studies show Fitbit step counts are typically 95% accurate. Oura undercounts step by 20-30%.
- Fitbit better tracks steps during non-ambulatory activities like biking and swimming. Oura focuses on wrist motion.
- Fitbit offers more steps tracking metrics like distance covered, stairs climbed, and walks logged. Oura looks more at the overall activity.
- Fitbit shines for athletic training and hitting step goals. Oura is better for sleep, recovery, and holistic health insights.
- For serious step tracking, Fitbit is superior. But Oura still provides value in motivating movement and general activity monitoring.
FAQs
Does the Oura ring count steps like a Fitbit?
The Oura ring does provide a daily step count estimate, but it is not as accurate at counting individual steps as a Fitbit. The Oura uses an accelerometer to track overall activity, but it lacks the advanced sensors Fitbits have to precisely count steps.
Can the Oura ring accurately track distance for running or walking?
No, the Oura ring is not able to accurately track distance for specific activities like running or walking. Its step count is not precise enough for that level of accuracy. You’d need a GPS running watch or activity tracker with better step counting.
Is the Oura ring good for tracking calories burned?
The Oura ring provides a rough estimate of calories burned based on your heart rate and overall activity, but less accurate than a tracker with more advanced sensors. It is better for tracking general activity intensity than calculating precise calorie expenditure.
Can the Oura ring count steps during swimming or biking?
No, the Oura ring is unable to track steps or activity accurately during swimming or biking. It relies on wrist motion and so cannot detect non-ambulatory activities well. A dedicated fitness tracker would be better suited.
Does Oura plan to improve step counting accuracy in future models?
Oura has not announced plans to significantly improve step count accuracy since precision tracking is not the product’s main focus. However, future software updates may enhance it to some degree. But specialized fitness trackers will likely retain the edge.
Conclusion
While the Oura ring utilizes motion sensors to estimate steps, its accuracy is questionable for some users. However, it can still provide general activity monitoring if expectations are managed. The Oura is better suited for holistic health tracking, not hardcore fitness stats. For convenience, motivation, and sleep data with the bonus of automatic step tracking, the Oura ring is a solid option. But dedicated pedometers and sports watches outperform it for precision step counting and workout features.