The Oura ring is a popular health tracker on the market that costs around $299. This is a significant amount of money that is truly an investment in your health. Therefore, it is important to know if the ring will benefit you and improve your health. The ring is popular with many celebrities such as Prince Harry and Jack Dorsey and has been featured in many publications. But, as with all electronic devices, there is a risk of harm from the EMF radiation that it omits. Before making a large purchase like this, it is important to understand the EMF levels of the product and whether these are actually safe. Here at EMF solutions, we have done the leg work, so you don’t have to. Keep reading to discover our findings.
What makes the Oura unique?
The clear and most obvious difference between the Oura Ring and other health and fitness trackers is that you wear the Oura on your finger instead of on your wrist like a watch. To help with sizing, the brand sends out their own personal sizing kit to you, where you can wear a fake ring for 24 hours to check it will fit. This is important as your fingers will swell throughout the day, changing size when you workout, sleep or are subjected to temperature changes.
Once you have been sent your Oura ring, you will not get accurate data and readings straight away – so patience is key. This is important, however, as wearing the ring for around two weeks will allow the Oura ring and app to gauge your baseline metrics, understanding how your body works. The ring has two built-in infrared sensors, a 3D accelerometer, a gyroscope and two negative thermal body temperature sensors all in one tiny product – who knew such a small surface area could contain so much technology.
One feature that makes the Oura stand out is that it does not constantly send you raw data that you need to try and analyse yourself. Instead, the Oura understands your baseline metrics, and reports when there is a deviation from these normal levels – for example, if your heart rate suddenly spikes for no reason, it will alert you of this. The Oura app, which is downloaded on your phone, does include all of the data that you need to know, including information on your step count, heart rate, sleep tracking and body temperature changes. To help you understand, the app is clear and easy to use. When you open it up, you are presented with three different metrics – your activity goal and your progress towards this, your sleep score and your readiness. As the Oura is a ring and not a watch that has a face on it, the only way to check these metrics is to use the app.
If you are used to a fitness tracker, getting used to the Oura ring may take a bit of time, as it works on these trends rather than giving you lots of daily data. Oura CEO Harpreet Singh Rai did however point out that by measuring against your baseline, it can identify when your body is not working as it usually does. The baseline score is also based on data from the past few weeks, so one bad night’s sleep will not lead to dramatic changes in your levels.
Does The Oura Ring Emit EMF Radiation?
If you already have some knowledge of the dangers of EMF radiation or have previously visited our site, you will know that EMF radiation can cause various negative health effects. EMF radiation is emitted from all electronic devices, and this is especially dangerous when the devices are in direct contact with our bodies for prolonged periods of time. One of the more unique features of the Oura ring is that it has an Airplane mode setting, just like your mobile phone. This means that the transmitter will turn off and not send any data via Bluetooth to your phone. Turning your phone on to airplane mode when flying so as not to receive any messages or phone calls has the same effect. The Oura ring only has a Bluetooth transmitter and does not connect to WiFi signal like other fitness trackers that will constantly pulse and send data. Therefore, if you are looking for a health tracker that will expose you to less EMF radiation, the Oura ring is the one for you.
Oura’s Bluetooth Profile
The Oura ring has been found to have one of the lowest EMF transmission profiles when it comes to fitness tracking electronics, using its Bluetooth technology for less than 1% of each day. What is unique about the Oura is that the Bluetooth technology does not transmit information when you are inactive or sleeping. This dramatically reduces your exposure to EMF rays.
If the Airplane Mode is enabled, the Oura ring will not send any information via Bluetooth to your phone. Instead, it will collect the information and send it later when Airplane mode has been switched off. Even when the ring is fully active and not in Airplane mode, however, the Bluetooth will only sync data periodically, rather than sending data constantly. This will reduce your exposure to EMF rays more than other fitness trackers such as Smart Watches that have a constant connection to your phone. If you are looking for a fitness tracker that has low EMF levels and does not use Bluetooth at all, take a look at our article on the best low EMF fitness trackers here.
So how much EMF does the Oura Ring emit?
EMF expert Alex Fergus conducted an experiment, measuring the EMF levels of the Oura Ring. In his video, which can be accessed here, he uses an EMF meter to test the radiation levels. Firstly, he tests the background radiation in the room that he is in, to get an understanding of the base levels of EMF radiation. To make sure that there were no products interfering with this experiment, he turned off devices and switched his phone to airplane mode.
He then places the Oura ring right up against the EMF reader, and the EMF levels increased into the yellow section of the reader, showing that the ring does produce some levels of EMF radiation. It is important to test products such as the Oura ring right against an EMF meter rather than further away, as products like this will be worn directly against your skin. It is important to note that while the Oura Ring does emit some EMF radiation, it is lower amounts than many other health trackers and the previous versions of the Oura ring. When the ring is in Airplane mode, the EMF radiation levels drop substantially. If you are looking to conduct your own EMF levels test on the Aura ring, or any other electronic product that emits EMF wavelengths, it is important that you find a good EMF detector to measure the levels of EMF – take a look at our blog here, for more information on the best EMF meters on the market
The Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) is the amount of radiation that the body can absorb that is deemed safe by scientific experts. For health and fitness devices such as the Oura, the SAR rate is set at 2.0 W/kg for the head and the body. The Oura’s EMF levels are significantly lower than this safety rating, measuring at around 0.003W/kg. The product has undergone testing to measure these levels, and a full SAR Compliance Test Report was published, which can be accessed here.
How does this compare to other devices?
When comparing the EMF radiation levels of the Oura ring to other common electronic devices in the home, the readings are more reassuring. The amount of radiation that the Oura ring emits is around 100 times lower than the amount exposed to from a Wifi router, and 250 times lower than that of 3G and 4G.
How To Access Airplane Mode
To turn on Airplane mode on your Oura Ring, simply tap the ring icon, which looks like two circles in the top, right hand corner of your home tab. This will then give you the option to press the toggle, to turn the ‘Ring Airplane Mode’ on. This mode will then mean that the ring will not sync until it is placed on charge. After charging, you may need to switch Airplane mode on again.
The easiest way to disable Airplane mode is to connect the ring to your charger, this will automatically turn Airplane Mode off, and the ring will begin connecting to your phone. You need to make sure that your phone has its Bluetooth turned on in order for it to connect. One the ring has connected with your phone, it will then sync any data and information that is gathered from you, while the ring was on Airplane Mode. This is great as it means that you can still access this information, it just doesn’t transmit to your phone when the ring is in direct contact with your skin – therefore reducing the risk of EMF radiation as there is more distance between yourself and the ring when it is transmitting.
Conclusion
The Oura EMF ring is a unique product on the market that has many great benefits. The idea of tracking changes to your body, that are out with your normal levels, allows you to understand when your body may be under additional pressure or stress and may allow you to identify what triggers this feeling. Additionally monitoring your activity rate through steps and your sleep patterns will help improve your overall wellbeing. While the Oura ring is an investment, it does have many advantages. When it comes to EMF radiation, the levels emitted by the Oura ring are far lower than other fitness trackers on the market and lower than many other electronic devices that we have in our home. For an extra sense of safety, you can also turn the Oura ring onto airplane mode, so that it isn’t transmitting data when directly in contact with your skin. We would highly recommend this product!