A new piece of kit could be the key to England’s Euro victory – a £500 ‘smart ring’ that is a favorite of Prince Harry, Kim Kardashian and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Finnish brand Oura has become a hit with A-list celebrities since its genesis in 2013, with prices for the sleek titanium ‘smart ring’ ranging up to £549, plus a monthly subscription of £5.99.
The technology aims to monitor sleep, body temperature, stress and heart health, and players and staff have been provided with a state-of-the-art tracking device for the tournament – and Gareth Southgate has even been seen wearing one .
In addition to being a sleep and activity tracker, the device collects health metrics by taking constant readings of body temperature, heart rate and movement, and the brand describes the smart ring as “the world’s most advanced wearable technology.”
England manager Gareth Southgate (pictured right) put on the ring ahead of the Euros.
Oura Health counts Prince Harry as its clientele, thanks to the health benefits of the ring (seen in 2018 in Melbourne)
Oura monitors pulse directly from the arteries in your fingers to capture heart signals and photoplethysmography with infrared light, which measures deeper than the green-light LEDs found in most other wearable devices.
It claims that the precise biometric data it collects gives it the information it needs to improve performance.
“Use accurate, continuous data to prioritize rest, adjust training schedules, monitor recovery, and detect signs of illness, injury, and fatigue,” the brand’s website reads.
Although it is not a diagnostic tool, it can give you an early warning that a disease is brewing; for example, alerting you to a rise in body temperature, allowing you to take it easy and recover before things get worse.
What is the Oura ring, what factors does it control and can it really improve your health?
- Launched by Finnish technology company Oura Health in 2013, the Oura smart ring uses research-grade sensors to provide health data in more than 20 areas.
- This biometric data includes body temperature, sleep pattern and quality, recovery, stress, and heart rate.
- The ring, made of aerospace-grade titanium, takes measurements using its built-in red, infrared, and green LEDs.
- Unlike most wearable technologies, which measure from the surface of the wrist, the Oura ring technology takes readings directly from the arteries in the finger, which are significantly more accurate.
- It then sends information to a smartphone app that allows the user to view the results, divided into three key sections: preparation, sleep and activities, which come with a daily score between 0 and 100.
- Readiness is based on recent activity, sleep patterns, and direct body signals (such as resting heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, and body temperature). If your readiness score is low after a bad night’s sleep, it may alert you not to push yourself too hard on your workout that day.
- Sleep: The device will track your total time spent asleep, your resting heart rate, blood oxygen levels, hours spent in REM versus deep sleep, latency, and respiratory regularity. Again you will get a score out of 100. However, some users have reported that the device is not completely accurate and has recorded them as asleep when they were simply relaxing.
- Activity: The app will remind you to move every hour if you don’t, as well as recording how many steps you take, the calories you burn, and the recovery time needed.
- It will also give you a goal based on your readiness score and adjust it to your rest level.
- Users can then analyze their data in a mobile app and the idea is to adjust their routine if they are not getting enough, good quality sleep or need more recovery time.
- The cheapest ring costs £349. You’ll then have to pay an additional £5.99 a month for a subscription to access the data.
The app gives you a readiness score based on factors like how active you were the day before and how well you slept.
You can also tag activities like taking a relaxing hot bath, and the more data you enter, the more accurate your scores will be.
The rings are priced up to £549, with the cheapest costing £349. Customers can choose from several color finishes, including rose gold, black and silver.
Prince Harry caused a stir over the Oura ring in 2018 when he was photographed wearing titanium jewelry during a trip to Australia.
The Duke of Sussex, 39, wore the black band on his right ring finger during the first three days of outings in Australia with Meghan Markle, 42.
The father-of-two was photographed wearing the ‘Heritage’ design titanium ring, one of two available on the website.
And it’s probably no surprise that wellness guru Gwyneth Paltrow, 51, has shared photos of herself wearing the ring on multiple occasions.
Actress and health guru Gwyneth Paltrow, 51, (pictured) has sported the device in numerous selfies.
Kim Kardashian proved she was a fan after sharing a screenshot of her biometric sleep data collected by her Oura ring on Instagram.
Kim Kardashian, 43, previously shared a snapshot of her Oura ring’s biometric data on her Instagram Story and then challenged the brand to a sleep quality competition.
It is also endorsed by prominent athletes, including NBA star Chris Paul and Olympic skier and three-time gold medalist Lindsey Vonn.
And yesterday, the ‘revolutionary’ smart ring emerged as England’s secret weapon at Euro 2024.
Gareth Southgate is a firm believer in marginal gains and has been open to introducing several developing technologies during his eight-year reign as England head coach in his efforts to end the nation’s 58-year wait for a major trophy.
The Duke of Sussex wore the ring during a trip to Melbourne with Meghan Markle in 2018.
Marc Guehi (pictured) was among the England players seen wearing the ring in training on Wednesday.
And the fitness gem has become an addition to England’s arsenal as they prepare for Sunday’s European Championship opener against Serbia.
Southgate himself has been wearing the kit piece on his left index finger and was first seen wearing the ring during England’s preparations for the home tournament earlier this month.
Several players have also used the ring while training at their Weimar base. During Wednesday’s sessions, Conor Gallagher and Marc Guehi were among the players seen wearing the Oura rings.
And in 2023, speaking to Face magazine, English defender John Stones revealed that he had converted to the Oura Ring.
“The first thing I do once I get out of bed is check my Oura ring to see how I slept; it’s addictive,” she revealed.
“It tells me how long it took me to fall asleep, how much deep REM (rapid eye movement) sleep I got, how many times I woke up… it’s crazy.”
In the same way, ahead of Qatar 2022, the German team received Oura rings.
The move came after a sleep researcher was appointed to help provide advice on how to accumulate optimal rest before and after matches.
Anna West, a Danish-born sleep expert, spoke to the German team before the tournament and recommended that each player be given a ring to ensure support staff have a better understanding of their respective recoveries.